Total Complaints
8 filings
KIA SOUL EV · model year
2016 KIA SOUL EV
8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2016KIASOUL EV carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 SOUL EV is power train with 3 filings, followed by unknown or other (2) and visibility/wiper (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2016 SOUL EV. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
8
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated
· Front: Not Rated/5
· Side: Not Rated/5
· Rollover: Not Rated/5
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 3 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
Recalls (4)
17V60800029/09/2017
STEERING
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Soul and Soul EV vehicles. The pinion plug may allow the pinion gear to separate from the steering gear assembly.
23V21800029/03/2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles equipped with an E400 battery. The high-voltage battery pack may experience an electrical short-circuit while driving.
23V72400026/10/2023
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
Kia America, Inc. (KIA) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles. The parking mechanism may be damaged, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the gear shift lever is in the Park 'P' position and the parking brake is not applied while the vehicle is powered on.
20V38900002/07/2020
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Kia Soul Electric Vehicle (EV) vehicles. The parking mechanism may become damaged if the driver moves the gear shift lever into Park 'P' before the vehicle comes to a complete stop. If the parking mechanism is damaged, unintended vehicle movem
Recent Complaints
20230918ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul EV. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was on the charging port, the vehicle failed to hold the charge and only displayed an 83 percent charge. Additionally, the contact stated that when the vehicle was fully charged, the energy percentage display rejected and while driving after a full charge, the percentage displayed at 70 percent after driving approximately 25 MPH. An unknown warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact then stated that while driving at undisclosed speed, there was a burning odor throughout the vehicle. The contact was concerned for his safety while operating the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the appointment was rescheduled for diagnostic test on October 18, 2023. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.
Mileage: 129,000
20190630SERVICE BRAKES
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS PLACED INTO PARK AFTER DRIVING. THE CAR INDICATED IT WAS IN PARK, HOWEVER THE CAR ROLLED - IT WAS NOT IN PARK. APPLYING THE FOOT BRAKE WORKED. APPLYING THE PARKING BRAKE WORKED, HOWEVER THE GEARSHIFT DID NOT ENGAGE PARK PROPERLY.
Mileage: 25,532
20190630POWER TRAIN
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS PLACED INTO PARK AFTER DRIVING. THE CAR INDICATED IT WAS IN PARK, HOWEVER THE CAR ROLLED - IT WAS NOT IN PARK. APPLYING THE FOOT BRAKE WORKED. APPLYING THE PARKING BRAKE WORKED, HOWEVER THE GEARSHIFT DID NOT ENGAGE PARK PROPERLY.
Mileage: 25,532
20181110UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE HORN AND ALARM DONT WORK EVEN WHEN I SET THE ALARM THERES NO BEEP JUST FLASHES AND IVE PRESS THE HORN MULTIPLE TIMES AND IT DOESN'T MAKE A SOUND THIS OCCUR DURING DRIVING AND AFTER WHILE I WAS STATIONARY JUST TO CHECK
Mileage: 15,181
20180913CrashPOWER TRAIN
BACKED UP DRIVEWAY TO PARK CAR IN GARAGE. PUT CAR IN "PARK". GOT OUT TO CLEAR PARKING SPACE IN GARAGE. TURNED AROUND TO SEE CAR ROLLING DOWN DRIVEWAY INTO WALL- WHILE IN "PARK".
Mileage: 20,781
20171012VISIBILITY/WIPER
SUNROOF COLLAPSED WHILE DRIVING TO SCHOOL IN THE MORNING WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE OF TEMPERATURE.
Mileage: 8,731
20170715POWER TRAIN
AFTER PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNING IT OFF, THE CAR STARTED ROLLING. I STOPPED THE CAR, TURN IT ON, PUT IT IN DRIVE, THEN TURNED IT BACK OFF. IT ROLLED AGAIN (IN A RELATIVELY FLAT PARKING STRUCTURE.) I NORMALLY SET THE PARKING BREAK SO I'M NOT SURE WHEN THIS MAY HAVE STARTED.
Mileage: 14,500
20170316UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CHARGING PORT CAN AUTOMATICALLY LOCK THE CHARGING CONNECTOR, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE WITHOUT DAMAGE OCCURRING, IF NOT DONE CORRECTLY. OF COURSE, THIS ONLY OCCURS WITH THE VEHICLE STATIONARY AT A CHARGING STATION. (I UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL ON ELECTRIC CARS BECAUSE IT IS SUPPOSED TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM REMOVING IT WHILE THE CAR IS CHARGING SO THEY CAN CHARGE THEIR CAR.) I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR ONE MONTH AND IT HAS HAPPENED TWO TIMES. BOTH TIMES, "ONE" OF THE MANY THINGS I TRIED UNLOCKED IT BUT I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT RESOLVED IT. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE ANYTHING IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL TELLING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF LOCKING THE CHARGING PORT AND ONLINE SEARCH HAS ONLY RESULTED IN OTHERS SAYING THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM BUT NOTHING FROM KIA MOTOR COMPANY ABOUT WHAT RESOLVES THE ISSUE...NISSAN LEAF OWNER'S MANUAL CLEARLY TELLS HOW TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE CHARGING PORT BUT I FIND NOTHING MENTIONED ABOUT IT IN MY KIA MANUAL...ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE ONLY SENDS A
Mileage: 1,250
Compare 2016KIASOUL EV to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2016 KIA SOUL EV have?▼
The 2016 KIA SOUL EV has 8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2016 KIA SOUL EV?▼
The 2016 KIA SOUL EV received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2016 KIA SOUL EV?▼
Yes, the 2016 KIA SOUL EV has 4 recall(s). The most common affected component is STEERING. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 KIA SOUL EV?▼
The most-complained component for the 2016 KIA SOUL EV is POWER TRAIN with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and VISIBILITY/WIPER.
Is the 2016 KIA SOUL EV safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2016 KIA SOUL EV has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.