Kia Soul Complaints

5,626 consumer complaints on file.

#11496030December 5, 2022
ENGINE
This issue happened with regular 3500 - 4000 mile oil changes. Oil burnt 100% away and the oil light indicator came on then and only when turning left. Filled oil back up. Oil Changed. Then oil burned away again. Same issue with oil light. This time the engine failed. The bearings are knocking and the engine needs replaced. Spoke with dealership, was told I should have got a software update and that would have placed a warranty on the motor. Never was I told, received mail or during an inspection was informed of needing a software update.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11496063December 5, 2022
ENGINE
Catalytic converter is clogged, car is stalling and engine is damaged which leads me to believe that like the other recalls on this model of vehicle may be also happening to this one, Almost got into an accident due to the stalling. Piston damage may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. A broken connecting rod may puncture the engine block allowing engine oil to escape. The leaking oil may contact the exhaust, increasing the risk of a fire. Kia recall number is SC176
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11496101December 5, 2022
ENGINE
Vehicle has engine knocking and cylinder misfires believed to have been caused by a previous recall/ system update. Kia was supposed to have updated their KSDS (Knock sensor detection system) in my 2014 Kia Soul. I was driving the Kia Soul to work back in October 2021 when check engine light started flashing and vehicle started shaking. Vehicle then went into limp mode and shut off. Vehicle was towed to Balise Kia in West Springfield MA where they informed me no repairs would be covered because the previous update had not been installed. I was then told the vehicle had to be driven at least 100 miles in order to qualify for repairs to be covered but still at this time, vehicle is disabled and does not run or drive
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11496125December 5, 2022
ENGINE
Driving on the highway when my car started making a popping sound, No lights came on on the dash We pulled over thinking it was the tire, we pulled over just in time the car cut off completly while we were still moving towards an exit. Car had plenty of oil plenty of water everything was up-to-date Besides of steering coupler. Tried cutting the engine back on and it started smoking and wouldn't cut back on or it would stall out. If we didn't hear that noise a few seconds sooner we would have gotten to a terrible accident on a 4 lane highway, which we were all the way on the far left side before the engine cut out. There was no problems prior to any of this it just happened randomly
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11495602December 1, 2022
AIR BAGS
There is a recall on the airbag sensor or something. Since I was notified earlier this year, NONE of the KIA dealers are trying to correct the problem. I have been getting the run around about them fixing the problem. Excuses ranges from a 6 month wait to make an appt. to we don't have the part and when it comes in we will schedule an appt. but it has been 11 months and the RECALL hasn't been fixed on my car to this date. Called the manufacturer and they never called me back after waiting on hold for an hour.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11495723December 1, 2022
ENGINE
On 11/14/22 I was driving on the freeway in my 2015 Kia soul, when the acceleration ability began to slowly decrease, eventually to nothing at all. No lights or anything on my dash area indicated what was happening, nor had I ever experienced this before. I was able to safely pull over to the right shoulder of the road. This was around 10pm at night so fortunately not a ton of people on the road to lose acceleration. Then my car would not start. I called AAA. I get 7 free miles of towing with them so I had it towed to the nearest auto mechanic store. The mechanics determined through a series of checks that it was the catalytic converter (not stolen, but congested, so needing to be replaced)— please see the “notes” section from the mechanic invoice. I am not sure if it would be available upon request at this point, likely not, but the mechanic could be called/asked. The mechanic was able to begin repairs the following day, and then I learned Kia might be able to reimburse me based on a catalytic converter recall for my make/model/year of car. My car is only about 7 years old so it seems odd that this significant of a repair would need to take place. I contacted Kia customer service for a reimbursement request via web submission on 11/19/22. On 11/29 I called Kia and spoke to someone on the phone. The representative told me that the catalytic converter recall was not for my exact engine type. He then indicated I report my problem to safecar.gov, and potentially this might be a problem more people with my engine of my make/model/year have experienced. I did not know about this website or that recalls developed from this! Very cool!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11495488November 30, 2022
ENGINE
While driving my father-in-law in his 2015 Kia Soul to ironically get a lube and oil service done on the vehicle, there was a loud "pop," immediately followed by smoke coming out of the engine compartment and rear of the vehicle. Almost immediately, the engine shut down, and I pulled the vehicle over. There were no warning lamps indicating any kind of problem with the engine up to that point. Thankfully, there were two off-duty wild land firefighters that had been traveling the same roadway behind us, and they pulled over to help us. They got us out of the vehicle and immediately called 911. Once we were far enough away from the vehicle, they told us that when they heard the "pop" they saw flames shooting out the back of the vehicle. While waiting for the fire department to arrive, they checked to make sure that the fire was out, which it was. The fire department arrived, and determined that it was safe to have the vehicle towed, which we did, to our local Kia dealership. The service department inspected the vehicle and determined that there was a piston rod that broke and shot out the engine, leaving a "silver dollar size hole." The service department has since said that it was due to customer neglect, and refuses to help. Similarly, the insurance company is no longer willing to cover anything. My father-in-law tried to have the current recall for the overheating catalytic converter, however our local Kia dealership refused the repair saying the car didn't qualify for the recall, and instead tried to charge $1400 to complete the repair. I believe the necessary repair was a software download. Everyone traveling that roadway was in danger. My father-in-law and I were in danger. The residents in the adjacent neighborhood were in danger. Kia needs to stop blaming these issues on their customers and take care of these problems before they get hit with wrongful death lawsuits.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11495533November 30, 2022
ENGINE
On Sept 19th I took my 2016 Kia Soul in for a Full Synthetic oil change, cabin filter and engine filter changed, brakes replaced, new tires, all fluids topped off, and allignment. My car was running perfect no issues. Approximately 11/15/2022 I thought I smelled oil burning but didn't think much about it because I've never had problems with my car. Oct 20th my oil light came on and I quickly stopped and found their was very little oil in my car. I called Tire Kingdom and they said put oil in it and bring it in, and I did as told. My car didn't seem to have power and I looked down and then all the various lights came on the dash and then a huge amount of smoke came from the engine fortunately I was able to get off this busy Hwy. I had my car towed home and put water in the radiator in which went straight to the engine. The water did not puddle under the car it went straight into the motor. This safety recall describes in detail what could happen and that's exactly what happened to me. The dealership has had my car for 8 days and will not tell me anything. I called Kia motors and made a complaint and they said they would call me but never did. It appears the dealership does not want to repair my non running car in which I'm still paying for. Its a mess!! I am so disappointed in KIA East dealership and Kia motors. Please help me with this matter. I do have the itemized reciept from Tire Kingdom.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11495295November 29, 2022
ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:SUMP/TANK:DRAIN PLUG
Oil plug loosened and fell out resulting in engine failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11495083November 28, 2022
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
For many months car has been randomly stalling. It has never been able to be duplicated at dealership, therefore it hasn't been addressed. In recent weeks the stalling is more often and is now accompanied by a check engine light.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11495161November 28, 2022
ENGINE
Recall 19V120 was received on 4-12-19 for our 2012 Kia Soul. We had the COP ECU logic taken care of at our dealer on 5-21-19, per the recall notice instructions. In October 2022 we took the car back to the dealer when it threw a code and began losing power at certain speeds. Kia diagnosed it as needing a new catalytic converter. We contacted the Consumer Assistance Center at Kia to file a complaint as the recall notice clearly states that Kia will replace the catalytic converter and/or engine as part of this recall if applicable. We've had claim number 15122079 opened with Kia for resolution for over a month and cannot get this resolved. We keep being advised it's still under review after waiting on hold for over an hour each time. Called today (11-28-22) and advised the representative that we need an answer today and I've been on hold for over 2 hours. We are looking for Kia to replace the catalytic converter/engine (if damaged) free of charge to us as a result of this recall. It's apparent that the COP ECU logic upgrade did not prevent the catalytic converter failure and other Kia owners may be experiencing the same issue now.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11495174November 28, 2022
ENGINE
My catalytic converter continuously fails. I have fixed it once, but yet my car still jerks and uses a lot of oil. As for being put at risk, my accelerator takes time to accelerate which can prevent any accidents on the road, putting myself and my family in danger. I have visited my local car dealer and they never mentioned anything about all the recalls my car had. I went in to get my airbags fixed but nothing was ever risen of the rest on the list. From what I know this car was never inspected by manufacturer police. I began to have this problem the first year (2020). This Kia Soul was purchased preowned, and was rarely use by its owner (Pristine Condition). Once I started to drive it more it began to jerk a lot, make clicking noises and the engine oil and check engine light would turn on. It took a while for it to even alert me. I paid all this out of pocket and wasn’t ever brought up anything about the recalls this car had.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11495072November 27, 2022
ENGINE
I was driving down the interstate and my car made a loud noise, so I pulled over. Smoke started pouring out then it was immediately in flames. No prior issues. No injuries as I was able to get out. If fire recalls were till 2015, clearly my vehicle had issues too. What do I do?
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11494919November 25, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The paint of the vehicle has just started to come off the car in chunks.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11494710November 23, 2022
ENGINE
car began knocking noise on highway, heard a loud boom, and coasted to the shoulder. the repair facility determined there was a hole in my engine that was caused by the knocking.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11494737November 23, 2022
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My car has a recall and a class action suit. I had my Kia serviced on Sept 19th, 2022 at Tire Kingdom, to include a full synthetic oil change, cabin filter replaced, engine filter replaced, new brakes, and tires. On Oct 18th as I drove into my home the oil light came on. I checked the oil and it was very low. I contacted Tire Kingdom and they said add oil and bring it in on Oct 21st 2022 at 10:00 AM. After buying oil, I was driving to Tire Kingdom. I entered Hwy 582 and in approx 2 to 3 miles all the gauges came on and the temperature gauge was on High. I immediately lost power and thankfully I was able to get off the highway as smoke completely blocked my visibility. It was cold and rainy and very dangerous as cars flew by me and my dog. Finally, the tow truck came. My vehicle is currently at Kia East in Orlando and they are charging me 250.00 to diagnose my car. My 2016 Kia Soul Vin number [XXX] has several recalls and a civil lawsuit. I have taken very good care of my car and this is very serious. I do not feel that I should be responsible for rebuilding or replacing my engine. The recall describes exactly what happened to my car. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11494578November 22, 2022
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, his wife heard a loud noise coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle would not accelerate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11494600November 22, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:BLINDSPOT:SENSORS
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the "Blind Spot Detection" failure message was displayed, and the feature became inoperable. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 11,600.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11494532November 22, 2022
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and stated that it might be the catalytic converter. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing, and the mechanic stated that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). There was no additional assistance provided. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 123,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11494425November 21, 2022
ENGINE
Driving down Interstate 5 @60mph, w/out the engine light coming on, my Kia Soul starts to shake, turns off, and luckily as I was able to glide it safely to the right shoulder as I was in the slow lane. I restart the car, engine light now comes on and the car itself shakes. I managed to get it to work and after having a co-worker look at it, the oil was low/dry. It didn't make sense because the oil was topped off 2 weeks earlier. Granted I have 132k miles on it, oil changed it consistently, for the most part, a great commuter, but it doesn't account for the fact that the engine light didn't come on and where did all the oil go. After taking it to Kia, I was told there was a burnt valve on piston #1 and there was no way of me knowing it was burnt. I wasn't given a response as to why the engine light didn't turn on other than, "check the service that was provided on date xxxx as that may have caused it and the excessive oil may have been played a part in it" I was quoted for a new engine, 6750.00. My power train warranty had expired and I was told the Kia Lifetime Warranty on the engine was not covered because it was not a low bearing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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