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Kia Soul EVModel year report

2016 Kia Soul EV Problems

Complaints
7filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
15,181miles, 7 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2016 Kia Soul EV (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

NHTSA recorded 7 consumer complaints for the 2016 Kia Soul EV. The part named most often is transmission and drivetrain, with 3 complaints (43% of the total), followed by other or unknown (2) and brakes (1). 7 of the complaints include a mileage, and 86% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 15,181 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 76 technical service bulletins for this model year. Transmission and drivetrain complaints overlap with 2 recall campaigns covering the gear position indication (prndl), 1 NHTSA investigation and 4 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “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.”

NHTSA complaint #11005488, filed 2017-07, 14,500 miles

Other or unknown: “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”

NHTSA complaint #11150663, filed 2018-11, 15,181 miles

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.”

NHTSA complaint #11228534, filed 2019-06, 25,532 miles

Electrical system: “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. …”

NHTSA complaint #11545156, filed 2023-09, 129,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

86% of the 7 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 14,500 and 20,781 miles.

29%0–1043%10–2514%25–500%50–750%75–10014%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (7 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 15,181 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

20173201820192023
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2016 Kia Soul EV → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 76 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 76 bulletins →

Other model years of the Kia Soul EV

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2017187,9533———Rising
2016715,1814———Not enough data
2015657,2834———Not enough data

All Kia Soul EV model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2016 Kia Soul EV have?

NHTSA recorded 7 consumer complaints for the 2016 Kia Soul EV as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2016 Kia Soul EV is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 3 complaints (43% of the total), followed by other or unknown with 2.

Has the 2016 Kia Soul EV been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2016 Kia Soul EV reported?

Among the 7 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 15,181 miles and the middle half falls between 14,500 and 20,781 miles; 86% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.