Kia Soul Complaints

5,626 consumer complaints on file.

#11306427February 1, 2020
ENGINE
VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW IN JULY OF 2015 AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 124,000 MILES. ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE INCLUDING OIL CHANGES WERE DONE AT KIA SERVICE CENTERS , NEXT SERVICE WASN'T DUE FOR ANOTHER 2,000-3,000 MILES. ENGINE BEGAN MAKING LOUD TICKING AND KNOCKING NOISES ON 25 JAN 2020 AND STARTED HAVING TROUBLE ACCELERATING AND REACHING HIGHER RPMS. I LEFT IT PARKED OVER THE WEEKEND UNTIL I COULD GET IT LOOKED AT BY MY LOCAL KIA DEALER. WHEN I STARTED IT 2 DAYS LATER FOR THE APPOINTMENT THE OIL LIGHT INSTANTLY CAME ON AND THE ENGINE NOISE WAS MUCH WORSE. CHECKED THE OIL RESERVOIR AND THE DIPSTICK WAS COMPLETELY DRY. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE OIL LEAKS OR ANY INDICATION THAT IT WAS BURNING THROUGH OIL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MY LOCAL KIA SERVICE CENTER AND AFTER INSPECTION DETERMINED THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACING DUE TO DAMAGED CYLINDERS AND PRESENCE OF METAL SHAVINGS AND DEBRIS. THE DEALERSHIP SAID REPLACEMENT ENGINE IS COVERED UNDER THEIR 20 YEAR/200,000 MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. NO CURRENT ETA ON THE REPAIRS AND I'M CURRENTLY WITHOUT A VEHICLE UNTIL THE WORK ON THE ENGINE IS COMPLETED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11302051January 31, 2020
POWER TRAIN
2015 KIA SOUL. CONSUMER WRITES SEEKING PARTIAL REIMBURSEMENT FOR VEHICLE REPAIRS. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS CLEANED AND THE ADAPTIVES WERE RESET. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. *JS
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11306252January 31, 2020
ENGINE
CAR WAS BROUGHT IN FOR SC176 (RECALL TO FIX ISSUES WITH CATALYTIC CONVERTER CAUSING FIRES). CAR WAS FINE WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN. NO ERRORS, ETC. ONE DAY AFTER RECALL WAS PERFORMED, MIL LIGHT CAME ON. BROUGHT CAR BACK TO SAME DEALER. DEALER SAID THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, WHICH IS THE ENTIRE PURPOSE OF THE RECALL, BUT WAS NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR THIS SERVICE. THE SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT WAS APPLIED CAUSED THE CAR TO DETECT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS INDEED BAD, BUT NOW THAT THE DEALER HAS "COMPLETED" THE RECALL, THEY HAVE WASHED THEIR HANDS OF THE SAFETY ISSUE. THEY HAVE ERODED ANY TRUST OF BRINGING A CAR IN FOR A SAFETY RECALL IN THE FUTURE. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL CORPORATE, WHICH HAS BEEN DELIBERATELY UNHELPFUL AND SEEMS AS IF THEY ARE TRYING TO AVOID THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER ALSO SAID I AM NOT THE FIRST CUSTOMER TO HAVE THE EXACT SAME EXPERIENCE WITH THIS RECALL.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11306256January 31, 2020
ENGINE
SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DRIVING HOME FROM SCHOOL IN 2015 KIA SOUL, WEDNESDAY, 29 JANUARY 2020. MIDWAY GOING UP A STEEP HILL ON A MAJOR BUSY HIGHWAY, THE CAR ENGINE STOPPED WHICH LEFT HER IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE OF A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. HIGHWAY 64, FAYETTEVILLE, TN, LINCOLN COUNTY. THIS HIGHWAY IS A MAJOR ROUTE FOR LARGE TRACTOR TRAILERS. DAUGHTER TURNED ON EMERGENCY FLASHER AND EXITED THE CAR FOR SAFETY. SEVERAL PEOPLE CAME BY AND HELPED PUSH THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS PART OF THE HIGHWAY HAS A SMALL SHOULDER WITH GUARDRAILS DUE TO THE STEP DROP OFF. INTERNET RESEARCH DESCRIBES OTHER KIA VEHICLES WITH THE EXACT ENGINE FAILURE SYMPTOMS THAT RESULTED IN NUMEROUS RECALLS. THIS VEHICLE'S VIN DID NOT INDICATE A RECALL. MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 71,000. CURRENTLY UNABLE TO GET THE ACTUAL ODOMETER READING DUE TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS DEAD. CAN PROVIDE THE ACTUAL MILEAGE WHEN I CAN GET THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM POWERED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11302939January 29, 2020
ENGINE
I CAN NOT BELIEVE WHEN I READ MORE THAN 30 COMPLAINTS THAT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ACTIVATED. I PURCHASED A 2020 KIA SOUL IN AUGUST OF 2019 AND BY DECEMBER OF 2019 I HAD ALMOST BEEN HIT SEVERAL TIMES ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO A LAG IN THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS JUST THE ECO SYSTEM AND THAT THEY ALL DO THIS. THEN TO FIND OUT LATER THAT THEY DID ANOTHER TEST ON MY VEHICLE TO FIND OUT THAT IT HAD METAL FRAGMENTS IN THE TRANSMISSION AND WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. AS TOO MUCH TO MY DISMAY, I FIND THAT IT TAKES OVER TWO MONTHS TO DROP A NEW TRANSMISSION IN MY VEHICLE. THIS IS MY FIRST KIA AND NOW I HAVE NO TRUST IN THIS CAR. NOW I AM REQUESTING TO GET OUT OF THIS LOAN ON THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE NOW I DO NOT TRUST THIS BRAND.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11302444January 28, 2020
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENT THEN GO OUT. THERE ARE MULTIPLE TECHNICAL BULLETINS ON HEADLIGHTS. LOST LEFT HEADLIGHT BECAUSE CONNECTORS WERE MADE OF SUBSTANDARD MATERIAL. THE SOCKED MELTED. DEALER WANTED $800.00 TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT. PARTS AND TIME TO DO IT MYSELF WAS ABOUT $100.00. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY LOOSING HEADLIGHTS DUE TO A KNOWN ISSUE IS A HARD CALL TO TURN INTO A RECALL. ON MY WAY IN TO WORK THIS MORNING MY RIGHT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT MAKING IT 2 FOR 2. HEADLIGHTS ARE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHEN IT IS DARK. WITH ONE LIGHT OUT IS IS HARD TO SEE, IN THIS CASE, THE RIGHT OF THE ROAD ON THE WINDING MOUNTAIN ROAD I TRAVEL IN TO MY OFFICE. THIS STARTS AS INTERMITTENT AND EVENTUALLY BURNS THE CONNECTOR SOCKETS. YOU CAN DO BETTER.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11302443January 28, 2020
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
A LOUD POPPING SOUND GOES OFF AND THE RADIO SYSTEM AND SPEAKERS ALL GO OUT WHEN I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD. IT IS ALSO CAUSING RANDOM LIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. I HAVE TO TURN OFF THE CAR TO TURN OFF THE PANEL ONES. I CALLED KIA AND THEY SAID THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOTED ON CARS.COM THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM. MY FEAR IS THAT A FIRE MAY HAPPEN DUE TO THIS ISSUE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11302519January 28, 2020
ENGINE
IN MAY OF 2019, MY CAR EXPERIENCED ENGINE KNOCKING. WE BROUGHT IT IN TO GET AN OIL CHANGE, THE KNOCKING STOPPED AND ONE DAY A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH, THE ENGINE THREW A ROD. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED BACK TO OUR HOUSE, THE TOW GUY TOLD US THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF OIL. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE SEEING AS WE HAD JUST GOTTEN AN OIL CHANGE. WE WERE MOVING THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO OUR NEW HOUSE AN HOUR AWAY WHERE MY KIA SOUL HAS BEEN SITTING FOR THE PAST 8 MONTHS. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH AND FIGHTING WITH KIA CONSUMERS, KIA IS REFUSING TO REPLACE MY ENGINE THAT THEY FAILED TO INCLUDE IN THE 2018-19 RECALL ON ENGINES THAT WERE FAILING DUE TO THIS EXACT PROBLEM. I PURCHASED THIS CAR USED IN 2016 AND STILL OWE JUST OVER $10,000. THE QUOTES I'VE GOTTEN FROM MECHANICS AROUND ME HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO $8,000 FOR A USED ENGINE AND INSTALLMENT. I'M UNABLE AND REFUSE TO PURCHASE A NEW ENGINE FOR A CAR THAT ISN'T WORTH MORE THAN $5,000 AND I'M AT A LOSS AS TO WHAT TO DO. I CANNOT TRADE IT IN DUE TO ME BEING SO UPSIDE DOWN ON MY LOAN, I'D REALLY RATHER NOT VOLUNTARILY REPO IT AND I WANT TO DEMAND KIA FIX THE PROBLEM THEY FAILED TO FIX A YEAR AGO.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11302621January 28, 2020
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
MY CAR STARTED BURNING OIL SO FAST I HAD TO GET A OIL CHANGE IN JUST 2 WEEKS AFTER GETTING ONE. THERE WAS NO OIL LEAK, AND THE CAR DID NOT OVERHEAT. THERE WAS NO EXHAUST SMOKE. IF THERE WAS IT WAS BARELY NOTICEABLE. A MECHANIC DETERMINED ONE OF THE PISTONS WAS DAMAGED AND COULD LEAD TO DAMAGE TO MY ENGINE BLOCK. I CALLED A KIA DEALERSHIP TO SEE ABOUT RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE AND THEY SAID ALL OF MINE WERE UP TO DATE I DID MORE DIGGING AND FOUND A RECAL (NUMBER (19V120000) AND IT MATCHED PERFECTLY WITH WHAT MY MECHANIC SAID WAS HAPPENING TO MY CAR. THEY WENT BY MY VIN NUMBER AND SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON MY CAR. MY CAR WILL NOT KEEP OIL FOR VERY LONG. A REGULAR 7,000 MILE OIL CHANGE ONLY LASTS 2 WEEKS. I USE FULL SYNTHETIC HIGH MILEAGE PENZOIL.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11302624January 28, 2020
ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING OIL LIGHT WOULD FLICKER EVER SO OFTEN. WHEN THIS WOULD HAPPEN WE WOULD STOP AND CHECK THE OIL LEVEL, IT WAS ALWAYS FULL. I TOOK CAR TO STORE ABOUT 4 BLOCKS FROM HOUSE AND ON THE WAY BACK LIGHT FLICKERED BUT BEFORE I COULD DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT THE ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11302649January 28, 2020
POWER TRAIN
I BOUGHT A 2020 KIA SOUL S AUG 30 2020 DECEMBER 23, 2020 I FOUND OUT MY TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACING 5600 MILES ON CAR. DEALER SAID IT WOULD BE 2 TO 3 MONTHS AS THEY ARE ON BACK ORDER. THEY GAVE ME A LOANER, CHECKED INTO LEMON LAWS, CALLED KIA OF AMERICA A WEEK LATER COMPLAINING ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT WAS GOING TO TAKE TO GET FIXED, THE NEXT WEEK I GOT A CALL FROM KIA OF AMERICA SAYING MY CAR WOULD BE DONE THE NEXT DAY AS IT WAS. THE ODD THING IS KIA OF A OFFERED ME A GOODWILL OFFER FOR MY INCONVENIENCE. I AM DEBATING WHETHER TO ACCEPT IT OR NOT AS THERE ARE LEGAL PAPERS ATTACHED TO IT. I AM JUST HOPING THE NEW TRANSMISSION HOLDS UP WITH NO OTHER ISSUES. OTHERWISE I REALLY LIKE THE CAR.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11302369January 27, 2020
STEERING
2012 KIA SOUL NOW MAKING A CLUNKING, CLICKING OR POPPING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL RIGHT OR LEFT WITH SLIGHT PLAY IN THE WHEEL. UPON RESEARCHING ONLINE WHAT IT COULD BE I HAVE DISCOVERED COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE WEB OF THE SAME ISSUE. PEOPLE BEING TOLD BY MECHANICS IF NOT FIXED IT MAY CAUSE ACCIDENTS DUE TO STEERING FAILURE, BUT THAT KIA REFUSES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM OR RECALL THESE VEHICLES DESPITE BEING AWARE OF THE ISSUE FOR YEARS NOW.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11301952January 26, 2020
ENGINE
RECALL CAMPAIGN 19V120000 FOR OVERHEATING CATALYTIC CONVERTERS WAS PERFORMED BY CHANTILLY OURISMAN KIA IN MARCH OF 2019. I BELIEVE THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS NOT PROPERLY INSPECTED AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED DURING RECALL REPAIRS. MY VEHICLE IS NOW DISABLED WITH A BAD CATALYTIC CONVERTER AS OF JANUARY 23, 2020. HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PROPERLY DONE?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11302071January 26, 2020
POWER TRAIN
ON DECEMBER 23RD THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH WHEN IT DROPPED TO 1ST GEAR AND RPM'S INCREASED DRAMATICALLY. WE WERE ABLE TO GET OFF THE OFF RAMP TO A PARKING LOT BUT THE CAR NEVER CAME OUT OF 1ST GEAR. WE TRIED TO USE THE MANUAL OPTION BUT THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE. WE LET THE CAR SIT AND TRIED AGAIN AND IT SEEMED TO BE BETTER BUT AFTER APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES OF DRIVING IT DROPPED INTO FIRST GEAR AGAIN AND NEVER CAME BACK OUT. WE CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A NEARBY KIA DEALER. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR 35DAYS BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WAS ON BACKORDER AND THE DEALER HAS ONLY 1 CERTIFIED MECHANIC THAT CAN WORK ON THE 2020 SOUL. WE LEASED THIS CAR IN OCTOBER AND IT HAS LESS THAN 2000 MILES ON IT AND WE HAVE HAD A RENTAL FOR OVER A MONTH. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND THEY ARE PUTTING IN THE SAME TRANSMISSION THAT COULD HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AGAIN DOWN THE ROAD. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND CONCERN FOR US.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11302126January 26, 2020
STEERING
IN STARTING THE CAR, I HAVE HAD A DOZEN INCIDENTS WHERE THE IGNITION IS FROZEN AND I CAN NOT TURN THE KEY. I TRY WIGGLING THE STEERING WHEEL, WIGGLING THE GEARS, REMOVING THE KEY, WAITING, ETC. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IT HAS BEEN 5 MINUTES BEFORE I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO TURN THE IGNITION ON.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11301769January 25, 2020
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11301559January 24, 2020
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE RPM BEGAN FLUCTUATING WHILE ON CRUISE CONTROL IN RAINY WEATHER. SWITCHED TO MANUAL (SPORT MODE) CONTROL AND THE PROBLEM LESSENED. VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOOSE POWER AND WAS SHIFTING RANDOMLY BETWEEN GEARS AUTOMATICALLY, EVENTUALLY REDLINING WHILE MAINTAINING 74MPH. A LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED AND NEARLY CAUSED A COLLISION ON INTERSTATE 10 AS MY SPEED FELL DRAMATICALLY. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE NEAREST EXIT BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF 5TH GEAR. WE WERE STRANDED IN A THUNDERSTORM FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND DEALERSHIP OFFERED NO HELP. AAA SAVED THE DAY, GOT THE VEHICLE BACK, AND THEN THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO ISSUE A RENTAL CAR FOR SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT IF THE TRANSMISSION FAILS AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS, THE RISK OF INJURY IS HIGH AND DO YOUR BEST TO GET OFF THE MAIN ROAD AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE. DEALERSHIP HAS SINCE ISSUED A RENTAL CAR AND INFORMED ME THAT A TRANSMISSION WOULD BE RE-MANUFACTURED. FOR MY VEHICLE. I AM NOT AFRAID TO DRIVE A BRAND NEW VEHICLE ANYWHERE AWAY FROM HOME.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11301568January 24, 2020
POWER TRAIN
COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 9,200 MILES. CAR LOCKED UP COMING OFF INTERSTATE EXIT RAMP AND WOULD NOT TAKE GEAR AT ALL. VERY STRONG SMELL OF BURNING TRANSMISSION. UNIT NEEDED COMPLETE TRANSMISSION. HAS BEEN AT DEALER FOR OVER 6 WEEKS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11301571January 24, 2020
ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER (HENDRICK KIA OF CONCORD LOCATED AT 7550 HENDRICK AUTO PLAZA NW, CONCORD, NC 28027) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO RETRIEVE A FAULT CODE. AN UNDISCLOSED REPAIR WAS PERFORMED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,900
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11301612January 24, 2020
POWER TRAIN
2020 SOUL EX WITH ABOUT 8100 MILES. DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AND SUDDENLY TACH REDLINED AND LOST ACCELERATION/POWER. LIMPED CAR INTO DEALER A COUPLE MILES AWAY, WHERE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND DIAGNOSTIC WARNING APPEARED ON DISPLAY. DEALER CONFIRMED LATER THAT DAY THAT TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PART IS NOT AVAILABLE AND NO ETA ON REPLACEMENT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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