Kia Soul Complaints

406 consumer complaints on file.

#11554939November 13, 2023
SUSPENSION
Turned my wheel to pull out of a parking spot. I heard a grinding noise as I moved forward and then lost the ability to steer my car. I was able to get my car off the street and upon inspection found my left front tie rod had snapped in half.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11554475November 10, 2023
POWER TRAIN
Transmission issues. 10/27/23 the engine turned off on Rt93 highway in Massachusetts while in stop-and-go traffic. I put it in park, and restarted the car. It seems to accelerate fine, but is herky-jerky when slowing down. It has a rubber band effect, and threatens to stall at 22mph and 12mph when slowing down. The dealer's first appointment is 2 months out. I'll have to drive it until then. Hopefully they can update the software and change the transmission fluid. Web traffic says that "might" fix it. Super sad, love the car, but constantly stressed out when driving it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11553364November 3, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2021 Kia Soul was an attempted theft. The vehicle was locked and the would-be thieves gained access by breaking the passenger rear window. The True failure is in the ignition system. As the thieves tore apart the steering column and dismantled the ignition system, and they were ready to pull away before being interrupted. This defect in the simplicity and ease of access to the ignition system without ANY safe guards to prevent theft poses a safety risk to those who may interrupt would-be thieves in the action. While also posing a risk to the general public by inciting further possible road hazards, due to the nature of those operating the vehicles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552757October 30, 2023
STEERING
First off I do not use my lane keep assist. When traveling at any speed on a long curves of 100 to 150 ft or longer or sitting in a parking lot with the steering wheel angled between 15 to 30 degrees either left or right of center for 15 to 30 seconds the system will (in a sense) fall asleep. On the long corners this causes a dangerous situation for the driver and others because with the system falls asleep it will continue tracking the same course without recentering unless forced to re-engage. In other words it will not come out of the curve without forceful input from the driver. The vehicle has been in to the dealer where the issue has been dulpicated and confirmed by two technicians and dismissed by master tech without actually test driving. This issue should be labeled warning because serious injury or death will eventually happen.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551951October 26, 2023
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
car is doing jerk moves and it stopped working when i was driving around 30 mph in a hospital area. Ive been told that car is burning oil since day one. The only ppl changing the oil is the kia dealer and i've been told to change the oil to get it fixed but i need to change the oil every 4k miles and car is brand new from 2021... I already been in dealer reporting that car needs engine replacement and they always say that car only need oil change. However, this month a person from that dealer told me that he changed many kia same model and asked me to call kia to get the engine replace, because the car is gonna get me kill. He doesnt want me to say his name but i will sue Kia if something happens to me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551411October 23, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY
My car 2021 Kia Soul S, with 28, 000 miles has a water leak issue in the passanger side. The water accumulates on the floor causing mold issues so severe that it has infected the back seat. There is too much condensantion inside the car. I cannot drive the car because i am allerguc to mold, it is hazardous to my health. Please help. I have warranty on the car and an extended warranty. Please see pictures
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11550927October 19, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Event Summary: The incident involved a 2023 Kia Soul, a relatively new vehicle, which had been in use for only three months at the time of the incident. The driver, hereafter referred to as the "operator," was attempting to park the vehicle in a parking space. SUA Occurrence: Right before the operator intended to park, an unexpected and rapid acceleration of the vehicle occurred. This acceleration was not initiated or controlled by the operator in any way. It is important to highlight that the operator did not intentionally press the accelerator pedal. Collision and Airbag Deployment: As a consequence of the sudden acceleration, the vehicle collided with a front wall. The impact of the collision was significant, leading to the deployment of the vehicle's airbags. EDR Data Retrieval: Event Data Recorder (EDR) data from the vehicle has been obtained. This data is anticipated to provide insights into the sequence of events leading up to the SUA incident and is a crucial component of the investigation.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11548900October 8, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
I received a letter stating that there is a major increase in contacts focus on certain Kia and Hyundai cars, including my car that is registered in New York State. It also is televising me that I can receive advice of tools, available free of charge to help my car from getting stolen.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11548674October 6, 2023
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V531000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547162September 28, 2023
AIR BAGS, SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have had my car to the dealership 3 times and scheduled for a4th time for this same issue. It is intermittent which I realize makes it hard to diagnose however the dealership kept it overnight in 2nd visit to try to reproduce it and they did. When driving, the car will randomly start beeping and errors cycle thru in the dash. It tells me that my braking system needs to be checked then lighting system, airbag system failing etc. It goes thru about 5 or 6 system errors. Not always same sysyems and not going at same rate of speed when it happens. I have been told it isn't a safety issue however they apparently do not know what it is causing it to do that so I'm not sure how they can definitively say that. 1st visit I was told they did a software update and that"fixed the problem". After a few weeks it started again. Then I was told that the front camera needed to be recalibrated. 3 weeks after that when the part arrived I was told that fixed the issue. A week later, It is again intermittently alarming while driving. It is very distracting not to mention scary when it happens. The fact that the part was backordered for 3 weeks that they thought would fix it leads me to believe it is happening to a lot of kia cars. It is also on some online forums where others are talking about the same issue. My car has less than 5000 miles on it and I have owned it for 9 months. I am afraid to drive it because it scares me when this happens. This has been ongoing since June.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11544912September 16, 2023
POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
We were traveling on the freeway 70 mph surrounded by heavy traffic at night, the vehicle started surging and bucking, shaking violently. The rpm's swung wildly from 2000 to above 3500 and car started to decelerate quickly in heavy traffic. I was able to get the car into right lane but feared being rear ended due to speed falling abruptly. Even though accelerator was being depressed and engine running car would not go and loosing power fast. I was able to turn off at an exit and there was just enough enough power to make it up a slight hill and turn right onto a round-a-bout where the vehicle would no longer move, abruptly stopping the fast traffic behind and again fearing a rear end collision to us. The engine produced power but nothing going to wheels, it was as if vehicle was in neutral no matter where the shift selector was placed. The police helped to push us off the road into a parking lot.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11544794September 15, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
When applying brakes over bumps the car sounds as if the brakes are locking up. When putting are in reverse and it uses the Automatic Emergency Braking aggressively too early. I have already paid to replace the window motors due to all windows not working when using the button on drivers side buttons, since replacing those motors the vehicle STILL continues to have electrical malfunctions when rolling windows down they won't roll up.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543795September 11, 2023
POWER TRAIN, STEERING, SERVICE BRAKES
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the contact stated that after activating the air conditioning the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. Also, the contact stated while depressing the brake pedal to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal extended to the floor causing the braking distance to be extended. The contact stated that there was popping sound coming from the steering column while turning the steering wheel in either direction. The contact stated the headlights were dim and failed to properly illuminate the roadway and the rear brake lights also failed illuminate while depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact stated that the rear brake light wiring harness was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543530September 9, 2023
AIR BAGS, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Air bag new
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
10
Deaths:
1
#11541289August 28, 2023
STEERING
Out of no where and without warning, the steering wheel pulls in opposite direction and stability control light turns green and stays on the dashboard. Cannot move steering wheel. Simultaneously, the HD radio will get very staticy and abruptly shut off. After about a minute, the radio will come back on and the steering no longer has that pressure. It is terrifying.The car has less than 100 miles on it. I bought it 8/15/23. This has happened twice. Trying to get a service appointment for this week.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11540150August 22, 2023
AIR BAGS
I had a crash that severely impacted the front end of this vehicle and the airbags did not deploy. I have minor injuries.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11539009August 16, 2023
ENGINE, STEERING
On 8/15/23 I received my car back from the dealership after almost a month of repairs, trying to fix the issue where it would turn itself on and where it shut down while driving 45 miles an hour; at various points I was told it was the crankshaft, camshaft, spark plugs, fuel injectors, the pcm and a connector that was overheating. Yesterday, 8/15/23 the car was stuck in a long crank cycle. I notified the dealership. They told me to call kia. I drove the car to pick my husband up from the airport. While driving home the car suddenly accelerated, cars lights shut off, and the steering wheel made a hard turn to the left, the steering wheel then locked, sending us towards a ditch, and the car shut off, and the brakes locked. Right as we hit the edge of the irrigation ditch the car turned back on, the brakes went soft, and the steering wheel unlocked. While trying to correct the car the lane assist turned on (I never use it) causing us to further fishtail and almost drive into a telephone pole and another ditch. The back and forth motion caused me to pull a muscle in my neck, and I have had a migraine since the incident. I have been unable to seek medical care. When the car was stopped, the oil cap started sucking and blowing hot air, and the engine had a light knocking noise, somewhere between a lifter tick and a rod knock. When trying to use the Kia assist in the car it could not locate where we were, resulting in Kia trying to charge us for a tow. I have had the car a month, but ive only had it in my possession 5 days because of it returning to the shop for the same issues. The kia dealership says they have never seen this and don't know what is wrong. They have encouraged me to reach out to kia to see about a buy back, but kia is 3 weeks out on even reviewing my case.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11537779August 10, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE
9000 miles muffler failed, 12000 miles spark plugs cracked and was told it was sparking hot and could catch on fire, 13000 miles fuel injectors clogged with carbon, on going fuel smell in oil and shakes in idle with a/c on
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536727August 6, 2023
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On 8/22/23, I purchased a 2023 Kia Soul Sport trim from Kia Atlanta South. Just two days later, the 12V system stopped working, and yesterday, on 8/6, I discovered the car, which I had owned for only two weeks and driven 950 miles, was low on oil. Some of those miles were already on the vehicle when I bought it. I suspect both the electrical system and the engine may be faulty. Despite my concerns, the dealership claimed they had no knowledge of any recalls, despite there being an issued one.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11534677July 26, 2023
ENGINE
Vehicle shuts off after being idle (stopped at a red light, stopped in traffic). It goes completely dead & will not turn back on for 5 minutes or so. I have had the car for 11 months & it is currently at the dealership having the engine replaced for the third time. Kia has diagnosed the problem as “low compression” in the engine but does not know why so their solution is replacing the engine whenever it starts stalling again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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