2022 Kia Soul Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe engine problems: many report that the car uses more oil than expected between changes, and some describe stalling or loss of power while driving. Reports appear across a wide mileage range, from nearly new vehicles to those well past 80,000 miles, and several describe the problem building up gradually rather than appearing suddenly.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine stalling and loss of power while driving

   • 37 complaints (39%)
   • median 53,448 mi at 3.5 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • filed 2022–2026

   Complaints describe the engine shutting off without much warning while driving or while stopped at a light, sometimes with the check engine, oil, battery or master warning lights coming on together. Owners often say they restarted the car and it ran normally again for a while, and that dealers sometimes found no stored code or cause. In a number of cases the dealer later determined the engine had failed or needed replacement, and some owners mention the engine was found very low on oil. Reported from very low mileage up to roughly 100,000 miles in the sample, with no single clear pattern in climate or driving conditions.

   Recall 25V0990003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for any diagnostic records from previous stalling events, and whether the vehicle has had the campaign 25V099000 inspection. Note any hesitation or warning lights during a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car stalled with no precursors. The engine and oil was maintain but the engined stall with out smoke or mixed oil. This error falls directly under the recall for pistion rings that cause engine failure. I brought my vehicle to Archer Kia and after two-three months of waited for the recall repair they stated that they could not repair the failed engine under the recall that causes failed engines.”

   NHTSA complaint #11732207, filed 2026-04

   “The check engine light came on. I took the jar to Kia and also requested for the piston recall to be repaired. I was denied due to an expired warranty. The engine stalled and stopped suddenly while driving in the street. Soon the care was no longer drivable.”

   NHTSA complaint #11736494, filed 2026-05
2. 2
   Engine

   Excessive oil consumption

   • 32 complaints (34%)
   • median 69,000 mi at 3.7 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners describe adding oil between scheduled changes, sometimes finding the level very low or off the dipstick, and several say the low oil warning light stayed off even when the level was low. Some dealers ran oil consumption tests and reported amounts of oil used over set distances, while others told owners the cause could not be determined. Complaints also mention that a recall notice for piston rings was received, but that parts were unavailable or the repair was declined. Reported across a wide mileage range in the sample, from low-mileage vehicles to those over 90,000 miles, and often noticed between routine oil changes.

   Recall 25V0990003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether an oil consumption test has been done and what it showed, and check the oil level and its smell on the dipstick at each viewing. Keep records of oil added between changes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I've had issues with my air conditioner not working properly and now making a loud humming sound. Also my car is very sluggish and my motor is very loud when the car is running. Sometimes it doesn't want to shift exactly when it should it takes longer and I have to take my foot off the gas to let it shift. My car keeps running out of oil every time before the designated oil change time and mileage. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11654362, filed 2025-04

   “Safety recall letter dated 4/4/25 states the piston rings may have been manufactured incorrectly causing oil consumption resulting in loss of drive power and/or fire. Kia performed two 1000 mile oil level checks which indicated it was 2 quarts low both times!!! I have asked for a written document stating they are not going to fix the problem and why (because he did not have all his oil change records ) but they will not send one not will they answer my emails or phone calls!”

   NHTSA complaint #11729936, filed 2026-04
3. 3
   Engine

   Engine noise, knocking and timing-related codes

   • 20 complaints (21%)
   • median 74,400 mi at 3.4 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners describe rattling, knocking or tapping sounds from the engine area, sometimes at highway speed and sometimes while idling. Others report check engine codes for camshaft and crankshaft timing correlation, and some say dealers performed timing or camshaft repairs, in a few cases followed by the same codes returning. Several complaints connect the noise to low oil level. Mostly reported between about 30,000 and 100,000 miles in the sample, often noticed while accelerating or at steady cruising speed.

   Recall 25V0990003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether timing or camshaft repairs have been done and for those invoices, and listen for rattling or knocking on a cold start and during acceleration.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Check engine light came on so I took the car to a mechanic who scanned the vehicle and found diagnostic trouble code P0017 (Crankshaft Position – Camshaft Position Correlation). This code indicates a timing issue that could be related to a timing chain or camshaft sensor malfunction. The car only has 92,000 miles and is less than 10 years old, I bought it pre-owned. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11676696, filed 2025-07

   “Unknown when I get shut off and it give me signal with engine and I bring it to Kia dealer and found out that my 2022 Kia SOUL had pin in cvvt broken and replace exhaust cam and cvvt assembly and its cost me almost 3000 dollar to fix and I had it as 2022 and purchased by chevelote and it was not coverage by warranty but I bought it was 18,000 mileage and now I am at 64525 mileage and I had only less than 2 year to drive that car so ??? Anything that canbe on recall or warranty for those Kia SOUL?”

   NHTSA complaint #11643089, filed 2025-02
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission shudder, delay and hesitation

   • 10 complaints (11%)
   • median 50,000 mi at 3.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2022–2026

   Complaints describe the transmission hesitating or taking longer than expected to shift, with high engine rpm before the car picks up speed. Some describe a jerky, rubber-band feel when slowing down or the car nearly stalling at low speed, and one owner reported a transmission replacement at low mileage with metal debris found in the fluid. Reported mostly in the 40,000 to 65,000 mile range, though at least one case occurred under 5,000 miles.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: During a test drive, pay attention to shifting at low speed and when slowing down, and ask whether any transmission software updates or the oil pressure sensor bulletin have been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I purchased a brand new 2022 Kia Soul GT line on 9/01/2022. At 4300 miles, the IVT transmission imploded while on the freeway. Same issues as all the others reported here - fluctuating rpms, followed by a complete loss of power while the tach is redlined. Had it towed to the Kia dealership, and they determined that I needed a new transmission. The only thing they could tell me was that there were metal shavings in the transmission fluid. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11452546, filed 2022-02

   “My car keeps losing a major amount of oil and has been doing that before the correct date or miles is due for a new oil change and then my car makes a funny noise. It has issues when I accelerate, it langs, it takes longer to get up to speed and the shifting sometimes is loud and behind, my rpm goes really high and I'm going no where at times. My air conditioner also makes a really bad humming sound on when turned up. Not exactly sure on date when started honestly. It's been some months now.”

   NHTSA complaint #11664063, filed 2025-05
5. 5
   Electrical system

   Power window and display electrical glitches

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe windows that stop responding to the driver's door switches or fail to roll back up, with some having window motors replaced and the problem returning. Complaints also mention infotainment screens and backup cameras going blank intermittently, and a battery discharge message appearing on the dash. Reported from very low mileage in some cases up to around 60,000 miles, often appearing intermittently rather than constantly.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test every window switch from the driver's door and check the backup camera and screen several times. Ask whether the power window switch replacement bulletin or any software updates have been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When applying brakes over bumps the car sounds as if the brakes are locking up. When putting are in reverse and it uses the Automatic Emergency Braking aggressively too early. I have already paid to replace the window motors due to all windows not working when using the button on drivers side buttons, since replacing those motors the vehicle STILL continues to have electrical malfunctions when rolling windows down they won't roll up.”

   NHTSA complaint #11544794, filed 2023-09

   “Backup camera intermittently glitches and cuts to a black screen. Display will also occasionally appear darker than normal. Concern began suddenly with no known cause. It first occurred after vehicle was parked for 10-11 hours.”

   NHTSA complaint #11746542, filed 2026-06

Buying note. Ask for the full service history, in particular oil consumption tests, timing repairs and any work done under campaign 25V099000, and check the oil level closely. A pre-purchase inspection by an independent shop, including a scan for stored codes, is worth the cost on this model year.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.