2021 Kia Soul · symptom sheet
Burns oil or oil level rises
- 44owner reports
- 30,000median miles
- $315median quote
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
182 of the 234 complaints on this car are about the engine. 44 of those describe oil consumption.
Tick what matches of 44 reports
Oil consumption 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.
What this problem usually is
Two different complaints land here. The more common one is an engine that uses oil: owners add a quart between changes, get a low-oil warning, or are told by the dealer that the rate is normal. The other is the opposite, where the oil level climbs and the oil smells of gasoline. Both deserve a proper test, and both are easier to argue with records in hand.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the piston rings (28 reports) and the engine (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
2 recalls on the engine cover the 2021 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.
The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.
All 2 recalls on the 2021 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
7 of the 44 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $280 to $2,500.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 3,000 and 92,000 miles, from the 24 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 4 service bulletins or notices for the 2021 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.
This bulletin provides instructions to perform an engine vibration inspection using the Kia Diagnostic System (KDS) tablet on certain Kia engine/model vehicles.
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2024MY vehicles (refer to the table on pages 9 and 10 for applicable models and engine), which may exhibit a symptom of excessive oil consumption.
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2021MY vehicles (refer to the tables on pages 8-9 for applicable models and engine), which may exhibit a symptom of excessive oil consumption.
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2019MY vehicles (refer to table below for applicable model and engine), which may exhibit a symptom of excessive oil consumption.
What owners wrote
“Unusual engine oil consumption. Engine using 1 quart of engine oil every 1000 miles. Not normal.”
Filed Jun 25, 2025 · 1,000 miles
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 44 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 stalls or loses power while driving 99 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 67 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 61 reports