The Lemon IndexP1327 is a manufacturer-specific code, so its exact meaning depends on the make. Full P1327 page
10 owner complaints · the #9 code Kia Soul owners name · 5% of Kia Soul complaints that name a code (every car: 0.2%)
2020–2022 Kia Soul · most: 2020 (6), 2021 (3), 2022 (1)
Kia Soul owners named P1327 in 10 complaints to the U.S. government (NHTSA), most often on the 2020, 2021 and 2022 model years. The part they name most is the pistons, rings or valves (5 complaints). Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Kia Soul model years that report P1327
Owner complaints naming P1327, by model year. Raw counts: years that sold more get more complaints, so this is each model year's record, not a failure rate.
What owners say caused it or fixed it
The most-named part is the pistons, rings or valves, in 5 of the 10 complaints (50%). 1 of those mention it being replaced or repaired. Next: engine (replaced or rebuilt) (4) and knock sensor (2).
- Pistons, rings or valves5 complaints1 mentions a repair or replacement
- Engine replaced or rebuilt4 complaints3 mention a repair or replacement, 1 of them says the problem came back · what Kia Soul owners paid
- Knock sensor2 complaintsnamed as the cause, no repair mentioned
5 complaints mention a recall.
Counted from the owners' own words: a part counts when a sentence names it with a cause or repair word. What owners wrote, not a diagnosis. A shop should confirm the cause before replacing parts.
Symptoms owners describe with P1327
60% of these complaints say the check engine light came on.
- Flashing check engine light40%4 of 10 complaints
- Rattles or knocks40%4 of 10 complaints
- Stalls or shuts off30%3 of 10 complaints
- Shakes, runs rough or misfires20%2 of 10 complaints
- Uses or leaks oil20%2 of 10 complaints
Share of the complaints naming P1327 whose text also describes each problem. A complaint can describe more than one.
Repair costs
Kia Soul engine replacement cost
Recalls on these Kia Soul years
- Engine · 2021, 2022 · issued 2025
The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage. NHTSA 25V099000 - Engine · 2020, 2021 · issued 2021
The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage. NHTSA 21V259000
2 recalls for the same systems (engine) on the Kia Soul model years above. A recall for the same system isn't proof it's behind P1327. Recall work is free at any dealer: check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with our VIN check.
Keep going
- P1327: meaning, causes and every car that reports it
- Kia Soul reliability by year
- 2020 Kia Soul problems and recalls
Other codes Kia Soul owners report
P0420 P1326 P050A P0014 P0300 P0303 P0017 P0302
The details
How we count
We read every owner complaint in the NHTSA file whose text names this trouble code, and count the ones filed about this model (matched by the make, model and model year on the complaint). Mileage is what the owner entered on the form.
Parts: a complaint counts for a part when one of the owner's own sentences names that part together with a cause word (failed, bad, diagnosed, caused by, leaking ...) or a repair word (replaced, repaired, new, reprogrammed ...). "Came back" means the same complaint also says the problem returned or the repair didn't fix it. These are counts of what owners wrote, not a diagnosis, and one complaint can name several parts.
Complaints are reports, not proof of a defect, and most owners never file one. Popular models get more complaints, so the counts are not a failure rate. The code meaning is the standard SAE J2012 definition in our own words, or the carmaker's meaning where we verified it for that make.
What P1327 means
P1327 is a manufacturer-specific code: each carmaker decides what it means, so the same code can point to different problems on different brands. We haven't verified its meaning for Kia yet. A dealer or a scanner with the maker's software can tell you exactly.
Check the complaints yourself
NHTSA complaint numbers (search them at nhtsa.gov): 11771433, 11769782, 11762208, 11756376, 11736890, 11691081, 11682668, 11672485, 11670838, 11667986.
Quick answers
Which Kia Soul years have the most P1327 complaints?
In complaints to NHTSA, owners of the 2020 (6), 2021 (3), 2022 (1) Kia Soul named P1327 most (10 complaints in all, 2020–2022). Raw counts, not a failure rate.
What fixes P1327 on a Kia Soul?
Owners most often name the pistons, rings or valves (5 of 10 complaints), then engine (replaced or rebuilt) and knock sensor. That's what owners wrote, not a diagnosis: have a shop confirm the cause with a scan and tests before replacing parts.
Sources: NHTSA owner complaints that name P1327 on the Kia Soul, counted by The Lemon Index; NHTSA recalls; repair bills owners named. Meanings: SAE J2012 in our own words. Owner reports, not a diagnosis or repair advice for your car.