Kia Soul Complaints

5,626 consumer complaints on file.

#11447270January 12, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Loss of power to brakes while braking at low speed resulting in a crash, air bag deployment and blowout of driver airbag. Driver sustained chemical burns, and abdomen bruising. The fire department extinguished a small fire . The KIA is a almost total loss .
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447023January 11, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
KIA did a "PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN" as a work around for a recall on the Kia Soul. they were in the middle of this when our engine did the problem that they are "Improving," Dealership won't do the improvement saying we have no open recalls, but we keep getting the letter telling us to do the product improvement campaign. Engine is failing due to this issue, but dealership just wants us to replace engine. KIA won't replace since we didn't do the PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN that the dealership said we aren't eligible for. PLEASE HELP. I have all letters from KIA.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446909January 10, 2022
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2020 Kia SOUL. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road and restart the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer to be inspected. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446921January 10, 2022
ENGINE
May, 2021 the check engine light came on. The engine appeared to be sluggish upon acceleration. Took vehicle to be serviced at Meineke in Berlin. NJ. They suggested filling tank with high octane gas. They also changed all fluids and filters as well as installed all new spark plugs. Engine continued to be sluggish and once again check engine light came on. On 8/24/21 an email was sent by the Federal Court attaching an information pamphlet regarding a recall in response to a "knock sensor detection system". I immediately attempted to make an appointment with the Turnersville, NJ Kia Dealer. I was told they were booked up for 6 to 8 weeks. I made an appointment, but subsequently cancelled when I was able to be seen by Keller Auto repair on 8/26/21. They diagnosed a "bad ground circuit ". They advised we should take the vehicle to a Kia dealer. I was able to get an appointment with Cherry Hill, NJ Kia dealer for 8/26/21. I was given a $426.45 invoice to perform recall along with a transmission service purge & fill and drive belt replacement. Unfortunately, engine problems were worsening. The vehicle was stalling at every stop sign, traffic light and acceleration. I inquired about the "knock sensor" recall and was told they would submit a claim to Kia for engine replacement. Claim was denied! Vehicle has been rendered as inoperable and unsafe. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446972January 10, 2022
ENGINE
The number 2 compressor(if I’m wording correctly) in engine failed causing the engine to be useless. When failed the engine reduced power, sputtered and began knocking. Fumes filled the cabin. We immediately pulled over and stopped driving. A repair shop did the compression test and confirmed the failure. 126,000 miles. Less than 5 years old. Just out of warranty. Car used to commute to work in metroplex only. Oil changes every six weeks
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446631January 7, 2022
AIR BAGS
Air Bag did not properly inflate in collision. This caused impact to steering wheel which resulted in severe bruising. Has not been reproduced or inspected. Accident occurred December 32, 2021. No warning of failure, and no recall from manufacturer.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11446429January 6, 2022
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, POWER TRAIN
I had the Knock sensor recall updated on my car last year. This installation was faulty so Kia had to create a software for my car for the knock sensor. Recently, my car has starting losing momentum when trying to drive and it's slow to shift almost like it's stuck in safe mode which is what happened after the kds was put in place. I believe the software or the sensor may be malfunctioning. This is affecting my gas mileage and possibly harming my transmission. This could possibly cause me to be in an accident with severe injuries or death.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446537January 6, 2022
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Car has issues when starting up. When turning on, occasionally it will take time to completely turn on, its as if it’s not receiving enough power from battery, but then it will turn on with the traction control and engine light being on. I would have to turn it off and turn it back off for those light to turn off. I’ve also driven the car and it will turn off, but the light is still on, the engine just turned off. This will also happen when I’m idle and waiting to run the car. When driving, I feel something being moved and the traction light & engine light will turn on. Especially when I try to get more speed on the car. I’ve taken the car numerous times for this issue but each time they’ve told me nothing was wrong with it. I’ve replaced battery since this was what we thought the issue was initially. On the 3rd time I’ve taken the car to get fixed, i was told that the ECM is the issue. Took a month to get the piece and car fixed. Same day receiving it back, it was doing the same thing where it would not turn on properly and the traction control light is on. And now when driving the engine and traction light are both on more often.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446269January 5, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SEAT BELTS
Seat belts do not lock in place when braking, but randomly lock in place while cruising. Severe electric discharge from vehicle, as well as power surges causing lights to burn out repeatedly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446325January 5, 2022
ENGINE
Live in Dallas,TX. In MS 12/29/20 when engine failed, no warning. Did not receive recall until 1/28/21. KIA Wilson Flowood,MS kept my Soul until I retuned in person to MS 4/7 and demanded they return my Soul. Admitted they had to finish installing engine. I picked it up 4/9. I knew before I left MS my vehicle was not running as it was before the incident. Took to Central KIA Plano,TX. Kept it several days but was told they found no issues. Soul still not running as before. Went for oil change 11/9 & was informed I had almost no oil. Said appeared oil pan not fitting correctly. Took to Southwest Kia Dallas. When I picked it back up was told oil pan had not been reinstalled property & same for the engine. Said multiple screws & bolts missing.They took pics & sent to their district mgr. I contacted my KIA consumer advocate. Bottom line was told my responsibility to take car back to Wilson in MS for them to correct poor workmanship. I do not feel safe driving my Soul for fear the engine will fail again. If it should happen on Freeway, especially in Dallas, I could easily be struck by another vehicle. I feel KIA should correct their issue & authorize a local Dallas dealer to do so. KIA has put it in my hands to correct. Why would I drive my Soul 456 miles back to dealership that did not repair it correctly in the first place? I have no faith they would correct the issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446412January 5, 2022
ENGINE
On December 20th I had a Cylinder 2 & 4 misfire. I had to get my vehicle towed to the KIA dealership where they kept my car for a week. I called to get an update and I was told that my engine was a total lost and I went over the 100,000 mile warranty so I would have to pay $5500 out of pick to replace my engine. I was given a phone number to call the KIA customer service. Once I reached an operator I learned that there was an engine recall 12-01-2020 and I was not notified of this recall and I also learned that there was a system update April 2021 that I was notified about either. I am a single mom of 3 with a full time job , I can’t just got out and buy a car. This is just ridiculous had I been notified maybe I would still have my car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446088January 4, 2022
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On 16 November 2021, Kia sent a letter for a Product Improvement Campaign to install software called "Knock Sensor Detection System" ("KSDS") on my 2018 Kia Soul Plus. The software update was installed on 4 December 2021. The 16 November letter noted that if KSDS detected a problem, the car would enter a limp home mode that limited engine RPMs to 1800-2000 RPM and the Malfunction Indicator Lamp ("check engine light") would blink continuously. On 17 December 2021, the check engine light started to blink continuously, and the engine RPMs never exceeded 2000 RPM. I took the car to the dealership on 18 December 2021. The car is not safely operable. The dealership told me that they needed technical assistance from the factory, which they have not yet received as of 3 January 2022. I'm reporting the issue because it appears to be related to the known engine manufacturing defects in Theta, Nu, and Gamma lines of engines, and that these issues persist beyond the 2011-2016 model years (for which a recall has already issued) and at least into the 2018 model year. Answers to questions: (1) powertrain/engine failure, possibly other system(s) (2) safety risk is known fire danger in Theta, Nu, and Gamma engines (3) dealer is currently diagnosing/confirming the issue (as of 1/3/22) (4) only dealer has inspected vehicle (as of 1/3/22) (5) no issues prior to 12/17/21, when Malfunction Indicator Lamp ("check engine light") started to blink continuously and engine RPMs were limited to 2000 RPM.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446168January 4, 2022
ENGINE
It started with stalling on hills, acting sluggish, and losing oomph. This worsened over the course of approximately one month. I did a mini engine flush and changed the oil (at a reputable shop) early, thinking maybe it just needed a little love. A week later, I was driving down the freeway (Interstate 5) at night when the car stalled - all of the dashboard lights came on and the engine disengaged. I pulled off, and turned the car off. I attempted to restart it, and it would not turn over. After waiting on the side of said highway with two children for almost 3 hours, I had it towed. Ultimately, it was taken to two different service shops - one independent and one dealership - who both diagnosed the engine had essentially "exploded"; there were metal shards everywhere, no oil pressure, and lots of knocking/misfiring. The engine needs to be replaced - this has been reported to KIA, who has yet to decide if they are going to address the issue (case number 14385039). Insurance declined to address it. Police were not called.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446016January 3, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
It all started when I thought I received bad gas a couple of months ago after filling my tank up with regular gas from a Speedway , It didn't start right away, and that never happened and then it continued to Be hard to accelerate, as I drove it. That has happened on 2 other occasions since that incident a couple of months ago I would push the pedal to the floor and the RPM would not move it stayed on zero. The accelerator was resistant to move, but I made it home. Spoke a mechanic friend, who's done body work on my car, and thought, as I did, I had bad gas.. suggested, I get the fuel tank flushed and filled, which I did at Jiffy Lube. I've since put HEET in on every fill up, and used premium gas. Happened again yesterday am on my way home from work about about 830am. I was stopped at a light, it cut off, I put it in park, and cut it back on, but it was hard to accelerate. I made it home, but now extremely worried, given all the spontaneous fires, and engine problems. It's my only source of transportation, so I'm in desperate need of help.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446034January 3, 2022
ENGINE
A broken connecting rod caused the Kia Soul 2016 engine to fail in a 2.0L engine, which seems to be the same issue as the 1.6L engine affected by a 2019 recall. The problem was diagnosed at a Kia Dealership by a mechanic. If the engine fail had happened on a highway rather than a neighborhood street, it could have definitely resulted in a crash and injury.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446084January 3, 2022
ENGINE
There has been 3 separate times the car has stalled out for no reason. Sometimes at high speeds. I have taken it to different mechanics and they can find nothing wrong with it. It's like the engine just freezes and it will not start back for some time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11445787January 1, 2022
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
In the past year my 2015 Kia Soul has been loosing power, burning oil not leaking and if you have to drive more then 2 hours you have to put oil in it. The engine shakes we took it for a recall but the issue was never fixed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11445760December 31, 2021
ENGINE
Loses power and dies also uses alot of oil and a day after oil change I have to get more oil in it the first month I had the car it died the first week and lost power on the highway the said the Cadillac converter was clogged
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11445676December 30, 2021
ENGINE
This vehicle has been a nightmare for half of the time that I’ve had it. I first took it back to the Kia dealership in 2019 because of the check engine light and told them it was pulling a 420 code I knew that was a catalytic converter which had been recalled. After a few hours of having my car they told me that no repairs were needed so they marked the recall as complete. I had to continue to drive with a check engine light on for several months. I brought it back again because I needed it to be fixed in order to pass the state inspection for registration renewal . At that point they did put on a new catalytic converter. Ever since then it has been leaking or burning oil. I’m not sure how it’s gone through so much oil but the oil light has stayed on more than it’s turned off despite putting a quart in every couple of days . For the last month I’ve been doing 2 quarts at a time. Two nights ago my engine light started flashing on the highway. My car was shaking violently. When I got to my destination my engine completely died and the car started rolling backwards in the street as I went to put it in park. I have since towed my vehicle twice to different auto shops. Currently they’re saying that it needs a new engine because of the oil problem and are quoting me $7800. I believe that this was part of the recall and that I should’ve received a new engine two years ago. Instead I have easily spent more than $1000 this year on oil alone. And I cannot afford an engine that is worth twice as much as the car itself. I am very lucky that I wasn’t stranded on the interstate and even luckier that my car didn’t catch on fire. For that I don’t credit the car I credit the fact that I slowed down well below the speed limit to finish my route.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11445562December 30, 2021
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, however, declined the authorize the repair. The manufacturer provided no further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 148,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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