2016 Kia Soul · symptom sheet
Engine leaks oil
- 39owner reports
- 79,000median miles
- $6,000median quote
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Sep 15, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
615 of the 814 complaints on this car are about the engine. 39 of those describe oil leak.
Tick what matches of 39 reports
Oil leak on other Soul years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021.
What this problem usually is
Oil leak reports usually begin with a spot on the driveway. Some owners smell burning oil or see smoke from under the hood when the leak drips onto something hot. Others only find out because they keep adding oil between changes, or a shop spots the leak during an unrelated visit. A share of them mention the repair falling outside the warranty.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the oil pan gasket (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the engine covers the 2016 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
High exhaust gas temperatures may damage the catalytic converter, possibly resulting in abnormal engine combustion and damage to one or more of the engine's pistons and possible piston connecting rod failure.
All 2 recalls on the 2016 Kia Soul, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the engine on the Soul
Kia 25v099 piston oil ring recall effectiveness. Closed dec 18, 2025.
Loss of motive power. Closed dec 12, 2023.
Engine fires. Closed feb 5, 2024, led to recall 23V-877.
What owners paid
6 of the 39 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $300 to $8,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 59,000 and 103,000 miles, from the 17 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 1 service bulletin or notice for the 2016 Kia Soul that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
PITSTOP: LOW OIL PRESSURE AT IDLE AFTER GAMMA 1.6L GDI SHORT BLOCK ENGINE REPLACEMENT This bulletin provides information equipped with a Gamma 1.6L GDI regarding a 'low oil pressure' concern during engine idle on vehicles engine due to a missing dowel pin, after a short block engine replacement.
What owners wrote
“I bought vehicle in January 2022 Engine failed. Kia admits engine failed but denying coverage of replacement, due to previous owner not having a computer update done. Currently at dealership for 2 months. No warning lights came on. Driving on interstate at interstate speeds, car began losing acceleration. Eventually unable to move at all. Engine then began to knock. Also had an oil leak upon inspection.”
Filed Jul 12, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 39 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 227 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 215 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 207 reports
- Burns oil or oil level rises 95 reports
- Engine overheats or leaks coolant 41 reports
- Engine rattles or ticks 38 reports
- Vehicle fire 35 reports
- Loses power when accelerating 31 reports