KnownCarProblems2022 Kia Soul Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 94 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Kia Soul, most often about the engine (78% of complaints, typically around 69,500 miles). It is 13th of 16 Soul model years by number of complaints and has 1 recall.
Most common 2022 Kia Soul problems
Engine
73 complaints · 78%Half of these problems showed up before 69,500 miles.
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and observed smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were…
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while receiving an oil change, the contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine. The contact stated that oil was being added to the vehicle more often than normal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the…
Other or unspecified
15 complaints · 16%Transmission
12 complaints · 13%The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while idling on several occasions. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact scanned the vehicle with a vehicle scanner, and the dtc: p1c28 was retrieved, which the contact related to NHTSA campaign number…
Electrical
10 complaints · 11%The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact shifted to park(p) and turned off the vehicle to correct the failure. The contact related the failure to the stop/start feature. The vehicle was taken to the…
Fuel system
7 complaints · 7%Speed control
6 complaints · 6%The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v123000 (vehicle speed control) however upon having the vehicle inspected by a local dealer, she was denied service of the recall due to the ecu unit not responding. The contact was advised that the unit needed to be…
Driver assistance
4 complaints · 4%Parts named most often: warnings, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control.
Air bags
3 complaints · 3%The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul x-line. The contact stated while at a stop, the vehicle was rear-ended and the seat belts did not retract nor did none of the airbags deploy. The contact sustained shoulder bruises and a hip bruise. The contact's friend was sitting in the passenger side front seat and sustained a head…
The contact owned a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, another vehicle attempted to merge in front of the contact, causing the front driver side of the vehicle to collide with the rear passenger end of another vehicle, but the air bag did not deploy. The contact sustained…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2022 Kia Soul recalls
Engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
Risk: Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Dealers will also install piston-ring noise sensing system (pnss) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed april 4, 2025. Owners may contact kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is sc336.
Full defect summary
Kia america, inc. (kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 seltos and soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Kia 25v099 piston oil ring recall effectiveness
Summary
On august 6, 2025, the office of defect investigation (odi) opened audit query (aq) 25001 to assess the implementation of kia america, inc.âs (kia) remedy program for safety recall 25v099, involving incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings which may damage the engine causing a loss of motive power or fire. This aq was opened in response to consumer complaints alleging of an ineffective remedy, inconsistent inspection results to determine whether an engine replacement was needed, and the unavailability of recall remedies. On august 11, 2025, an information request (ir) was issued to kia requesting: 1) why the inspection test was revised from requiring a âcoldâ engine to a âwarmâ en
Questions about the 2022 Kia Soul
- What are the most common problems with the 2022 Kia Soul?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: engine (73 complaints, typically around 69,500 miles); other or unspecified (15 complaints); transmission (12 complaints).
- How many recalls does the 2022 Kia Soul have?
- 1 recall listed by NHTSA, the latest from February 17, 2025 (engine). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2022 a bad year for the Kia Soul?
- It is 13th of 16 Soul model years by number of complaints, with 94 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.