Kia Soul Complaints

5,626 consumer complaints on file.

#11525839June 7, 2023
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Engine burning oil so much that it destroys the catalytic converter leaving me stranded middle of a highway.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525854June 7, 2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I would like to report that my 93,632 2015 Kia Soul headlights flicker. The headlights (both) even go out for seconds and then they come back at the same time. It's an electrical issue, not a matter of changing the bulbs. I contacted Kia Motors to report this and check if there are recalls or extended warranty on this issue and they said no. There are plenty of other users on online forums reporting this same issue. Maybe it's time to investigate if this is a defect since from what other users described, is the same situation as with my own car headlights. Sounds very dangerous having a vehicle losing the headlights suddenly on a highway, I spoke with 2 CSR from Kia on 6/7/23 regarding the headlights and none of them were interested in this specific matter.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525858June 7, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My 2017 KIA Soul EV battery has not been holding a full charge since the beginning of April. The dealer was notified in early May that the charges were seeming to cut off early & provided with a log of charging/driving. We waited, then were told that a replacement battery would be ordered, installed, & considered under warranty. Diagnostic tests were run, we were advised. We were told that the car was safe to drive, although with about 50% of the mileage available (50-51 miles). The final paperwork (vehicle registr.) copy was filed on May 18. Now we have received a safety recall notice. I am afraid to drive the car, having seen news of what loss of life can happen a fire breaks out while driving! My dealer has not offered me help with an interim rental car to date, although I have requested this several times, specifically yesterday - June 6, 2023. At this writing, I have been told that "the battery is on order, however, no specific info on shipment date or date expected" is available. "It will come on the barge," was the last statement, hard to believe in this day & age of electronic records. I have stopped driving the car, have talked with my insurance company, & will call the dealership again about the matter. I am most unsatisfied. I have a record of numerous calls back & forth with my KIA dealer, service dept. manager.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525552June 6, 2023
ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact's daughter owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at an unknown speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started making abnormal sounds before stalling. The vehicle was not drivable. The owner and a friend pushed the vehicle a short distance to the friend's residence. The contact stated an independent mechanic arrived at the location of the vehicle but was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the vehicle failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact spoke to the manufacturer and made them aware of the failure and was informed that the VIN was included in the recall. The contact towed the vehicle first to the residence and then to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The manufacturer informed the contact that due to the failure mileage; the vehicle was not covered under the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 222,114.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525628June 6, 2023
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This vehicle has a serious oil consumption issue. It was first noticed about three years ago and has been getting progressively worse. As of June 2023 it consumes a full oil tank in about 2500 miles. Oil warning indicators flash very briefly on occasion but the light does not come on until the oil is below the dipstick. I have had it looked at by my local mechanic and by the Kia dealer who sold the car. The Kia dealer did a test and said it did not meet their standards for a recall. There have been a number of times that the oil has gotten so low without indicator warning that the engine will start running rough. on 11/04/22 the engine began bucking and stopped running at high speed. It was brought to the dealer who stated "Active DTC P0300 and P0303. Swapped Cylinder 3 coil pack and cylinder 1 coil pack. Misfire followed. No signs of cylinder damage". They replaced four spark plugs and Cylinder 1 coil pack. They stated that the cause of the issue was inconclusive and they didn't think related to oil consumption. I have recently receive notice of a proposed class action lawsuit from "Kia Engine Class Settlement, POBOX 4133, Portland, OR, 97208-4133 1-800-944-1025. I confirmed that the VIN for this vehicle is included in the proposed case. It states very similar issues with many kia vehicles with the same engine. The lawsuit states "class vehicles have a defect that can cause engine seizure, stalling, engine failure, and possibly engine fire, and that some owners and lessees have been improperly denied repairs under the vehicle's warranty."
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525729June 6, 2023
ENGINE
Catalytic converter recall not being honored by warranty or original dealership where vehicle was purchased. Car engine making knocking sound and burning oil
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525648June 6, 2023
POWER TRAIN
I was on the freeway, and the car was shuddering a bit before I lost the ability to accelerate. It would rev but no power to the wheels. Had to pull over and get towed to the dealer. I think it may be a transmission failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525369June 5, 2023
ENGINE
While driving down the freeway, the engine began to smoke and caught fire. My husband and kids were in the car but were fortunately able to pull over without physical injuries. Our insurance company held the car and a third party company (hired by Kia) concluded “ the origin of the fire is in the engine compartment at the exhaust manifold. The cause of the fire is internal engine failure resulting in a hole in the block allowing oil to escape and ignite on contact with heated exhaust components”. There were no warnings, check engine light, etc. Kia pointed us towards a class action lawsuit but when you search our VIN # on Kia’s website, there’s are no recalls or issues reported, which is clearly false. Our family escaped serious injury/death but it could have easily been a different story. I will not stay silent and let this happen to other families. I am going to continue to advocate for my family until Kia listens.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525165June 3, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The brake lights go out all the time. They work one day and then not the next. This is a known issue with Kia vehicles. Apparently this is a wide spread issue that effects many Kia brand cars not just the Soul model that I drive. I have people stop me saying they did not see my brake lights come on at all when I obviously had to. Why hasn't this been a recall? This is a problem that could end in fatalities.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525208June 3, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The auto start-stop function sometimes will not restart. This time it happened in the middle of traffic at an intersection, and I had to put the car in park and restart it before I could move. This could cause a collision in busy traffic times or if people are not paying attention. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer at this time. During the time it shut off, the battery light and oil light came on, but I just had the car serviced three weeks ago and was told it passed their inspection (I only go to my manufacturer's dealership for service). The oil light and battery light shut off and did not reappear again after restarting the car. The vehicle can be available for inspection depending on time and date. This happened once before about a year ago, but the dealership said nothing was wrong with the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525021June 2, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
I have TWO 2015 Kia Soul's with advanced corrosion on the rear brake lines. One vehicle has already been repaired after a line failed while driving the vehicle on the highway. Luckily I was able to get it to a shop without incident and get them repaired. There was a large pool of brake fluid left where it was parked for a short time and the brake pressure was almost zero when arriving at the shop. I did retain the old brake lines which can be available for inspection if necessary. The other vehicle has not been repaired yet but will need to be done soon. I would like to see some action taken against Kia on these vehicles. Other models have had service campaigns issued for similar issues but not the Soul.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525046June 2, 2023
ENGINE
OIL CONSUMPTION. I EXPRESSED CONCERN AT 140,734 MILES TO DEALERSHIP AS OIL LIGHT KEPT COMING ON EVERY 1000 T0 1500 MILES. SERVICE REP SAID I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE, $9.000. I HAVE JUST RECD NOTICE OF AN ENGINE CLASS SETTLEMENT. I AM CONCERNED IF ENGINE WOULD STOP WORKING WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE, WHAT HAPPENS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525070June 2, 2023
ENGINE
My vehicle is a 2015 Kia Soul. I went to a local auto repair shop, at around March 2023, for the check engine warning light being on, which then revealed the P420 code of a defective catalytic converter. No malfunctions or incidents have occurred, while my vehicle had the defective catalytic converter. I notified the closest Kia dealer of the failure and I was informed that my vehicle was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was contacted and made aware of the failure, but no assistance was offered in answering why there are no open recalls under my vehicle’s VIN. My vehicle was repaired and returned to me, but no recall eligibility meant the catalytic converter replacement was payed out-of-pocket. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525075June 2, 2023
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle, followed by the vehicle coming to a complete stop. The contact stated there was an oil leak underneath the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent and the contact was informed that an engine rod had fell out the engine, causing the oil to leak out the engine. The contact stated that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 145,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11524777June 1, 2023
POWER TRAIN
Three repeat incidents, a few months apart, introduced same hazard to passengers and others: End of year 2022 (date not remembered): Car was stopped at stop sign at T-intersection to enter busy roadway. Break depressed. Engine RPMS started high revving, and unexpected forward motion of car lurched into busy intersection - almost collision. April 2023 (two incidents in same month): 1. Car was at lighted intersection on state highway. Break depressed. Engine RPMS started high revving (loudly noticed). Was familiar with condition so heavily leaned on break while RPMs continued to climb. When intersection light turned green, break released, and car lunched forward. 2. Car traveling in heavy stop-and-go city traffic in downtown urban area. Break was momentarily depressed and held. Again, engine RPMs regain to REV loudly. Pressed down on break harder and harder and could not control forward motion of car - almost bumped into car ahead of us. So, next put car in neutral and then in park then back in drive. Revving condition stopped. Made appointment with Kia dealership 6/1/23 to address, but I think this might be a recall condition to report.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11524831June 1, 2023
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, an abnormal, rattling sound was coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure persisted, and the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. The contact called the dealer and was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11524918June 1, 2023
ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was flashing. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle continued losing motive power. The contact stated that the engine did not rev while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact pulled off the highway and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that he restarted the vehicle however, while attempting to shift into drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired; however, the mechanic acknowledged the open recall of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the dealer did not perform the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11524680May 31, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
My 2018 kia soul EV has had a significantly decreased range, inconsistent charging, and a check EV light illuminating periodically. All of these are symptoms of the recall. Kia is not only not giving a timeline to diagnose and repair the problem, they are also charging me a "diagnostic" fee for the recall. I cannot just be without a car indefinitely while Kia figures out the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11524707May 31, 2023
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that upon research, he became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V389000 (Power Train, Electrical System) and 23V218000 (Electrical System) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11524745May 31, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
January 2021 starting burning engine oil. Have been to the kia dealership numerous times complaining. Negative results regarding the situation. Engine spits - hisses - hiccups and dies. Car hopped forward and rolled backwards into traffic on the highway. Car burned through three quarts of oil within a three week time period. Check engine light is on again. Do not feel safe Respectfully request to have the item researched Thank you
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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