Kia Soul Complaints (2018)

223 consumer complaints on file.

#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
#11493582November 15, 2022
ENGINE
Vehicle is using a large amount of oil, have to continually add about 2 quarts per 1000 miles. I have maintained the vehicle and have diligently changed the oil and filter. This started at about 100,000 miles and continues to get worse. I have seen class action is being brought against Kia for this issue. This could lead to engine failure, fire and serious injury. I feel a recall is in order for the safety of the road.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11493471November 14, 2022
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the engine made abnormal ticking sounds. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the failure persisted. The contact stated he was able to drive the vehicle, however, the engine was making abnormal loud knocking sounds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring more increasingly. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under TSB Number: PI2107 as the original owner of the vehicle failed to complete an unknown software update on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11491893November 2, 2022
ENGINE
Engine started to die while on the highway after a loud knocking started. While braking , engine completely stalled in driving lanes. Defect seemed to be a duplicate of the sequence of events reported from a recall for 2014-2016 of the same engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11490714October 24, 2022
ENGINE
On 10/6/22, my 2018 KIA Soul's engine seized. The oil was shiny orange and the engine itself was incredibly hot and engulfed in smoke. I had my car towed to a KIA dealership, where the service manager determined that my engine had metal shavings and there was a connecting rod bearing failure. I was told that there was a recall to my airbags and update to the engine that they also performed. I knew about the airbag recall, but knew nothing about an engine update. I was told by the service manager that there was an update to KIA engines in regard to the connecting rod bearing and that if I had brought my car in for the update prior to the engine failure, that this would have been covered by extended warranty from KIA. Therefore, due to my financial situation I am forced to sell the car for a near measly amount due to a non-functioning engine and take on monthly car payments from the purchase of a new car. I was one of the 3.7 million involved in the “product improvement campaign” to enhance safety features, where I would have been warned if my engine would catch fire. A warning prior to engine failure, and fire? How is this a safety performance measure preventing crash, injury, and death? My entire engine was smoking and possibly on fire when I was driving through a busy city and could have been seriously injured or involved in a multi-vehicle crash. NHTSA reported that the automaker had provided inaccurate information about the problems, and there were owner complaints of more than 3,100 fires, 103 injuries, and one death. In September 2021, KIA sent out a letter urging 485,000 owners to park their vehicles outside because fires could start even after vehicles were turned off. With the knowledge that non-crash fires are affecting 3 million KIA vehicles, why wasn’t a recall done on every KIA model with a GDI engine and instead only a “product improvement campaign”, where one letter was sent out and not one ounce of information can be found on KIA website.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11486667September 27, 2022
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
My vehicle randomly started making a knocking noise. We took it to our local mechanic who stated he has seen a lot of these come from the Kia line lately. the knocking noise comes from the rods. He said the cost to get this repaired would be $4,000-$5,000, since the bottom portion of the engine would need to be replaced. This car is not driveable. We are the 2nd owners and the car only has $65,000 miles on it. We bought the car from carmax in November 2021, and they did a full investigation and found no fault with the car. The rod knock started in March 2022. We are hoping there would be a recall on this, as we see from forums, we are not alone. The check engine light did not come on at any point.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11486558September 26, 2022
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Driving on Route 79 on Labor Day weekend, at 70mph in the passing lane, my 2018 Kia Soul+ with 77574 miles refused to accelerate and then the engine completely stopped. We were able to get to the side of the road unharmed but the engine was completely dead. We called triple A and has it towed to a local garage I called Kia corporate because the car is not yet 5 years old and the garage thought it might be under warranty. The Kia consumer line 800-333-4KIA took 5 hours to reach a human but gave me a claim number and the representative said it had to be seen at a dealer but that I was likely covered. I advised I was the second owner and that when I was trying to find their number I tripped upon an optional product improvement campaign I was not made aware of. I was very suspicious and surprised. I asked repeatedly what happened if it was towed and not covered. And they said to call back but I should be ok. Kia towed it to the dealership. The dealer took 2 weeks to look at it and make a determination. They are stating that because I did not have the improvement campaign completed that they will not cover the engine. I was told to call back Kia corporate which I did and after 3 hours of waiting I was informed that there was nothing they can do that I was out of warranty because the improvement campaign that I was never notified of had not been completed on my car. They state that they sent a letter in November of 2021 but I did not receive it. I'm now being charged diagnostic fees by the dealership and they still want $11,000 and 4 to 6 weeks to do the necessary repairs. I still have a loan on the vehicle for $12, 321.46. I called Kia corporate back they will do nothing to assist me because it is out of warranty and I did not have the campaign improvement done because it was never sent as notification to me via email or phone and I did not receive the document they claim to have mailed. The supervisor I spoke with told me that there is nothing that KIA can do.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11486241September 24, 2022
ENGINE
We bought this car from Carmax this year back in January for my daughters birthday. It had 63000 miles on it. Thought it was covered up to 100,000. We were driving down the interstate when the engine started knocking and loss of power. Pulled over and checked the oil, it was good but you could see a lot of shiney small metal shavings in the oil. Plenty of oil though and oil was changed a couple weeks before. There were no lights on the dash panel to warn you even as it sits there and knocks. Just got told by several mechanics the engine needs replaced but the warranty is out because I’m the second owner and it has over 60,000 miles on it so therefore it’s not covered under warranty. This seems to be a constant issue as I’m reading the same problem happening. Hoping Kia will work with me since I have 2- 2018 Kia Souls.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11485242September 19, 2022
ENGINE
My catalytic converter is going out on my car and i bought it last year in march
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11484529September 14, 2022
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Oil consumption issues Not normal Don’t understand why Kia knows about this issue but won’t fix it Over a year with this issue Place in poteau Cavanal Tire said it should be addressed By Kia not when my motor locks up! Kia says let pour gunk in your car to patch the issue they know about That should be addressed on why they have not fixed it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11481315August 26, 2022
ENGINE
My car had regular maintenance done consistently but the motor still blew… I scheduled my oil change that morning since it was due but then as I’m driving I heard what I thought was a knocking sound but I didn’t think much of it since it was just now time to get the oil change done and the oil light hadn’t come on or anything… just assumed it was something in the road I had ran over so I drove the remaining 5 minutes home and as I pull in my driveway the check engine light comes on and “ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM: possible engine condition. Schedule service” displayed on the screen… so I then a few days later I had it towed to the Kia dealership nearest me, only for them to tell me that if I cannot produce copies of EVERY single maintenance record for the last 4 years (since I bought the car) they won’t honor my warranty that I paid extra for and it would be $7,600 to replace it… I then called all the local mechanic shops around me and received quotes of: $7,522.00 $8,200.00 $6,400.00 The worst part is, Kia knows about the excessive oil consumption of their engines (a lawsuit was filed against Kia/Hyundai for it and for the damage to the engine due to low oil levels caused by excessive oil consumption but unfortunately, it was dismissed by a judge due to lack of evidence)!!!!!! The car is available to be checked, I’ve had a mechanic shop and then the Kia dealership both tell me the engine is blown. No indicator lights came on before the check engine light did.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11480418August 21, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
When driving down a perfectly straight Road, if you take your hands off the steering wheel for a Split Second, the car drifts to the left over the center line of the road. [XXX] did a four-wheel alignment, however, the receipt said I told them it was pulling to the right, I specifically told them it was pulling to the left. I have an appointment with them on 6 September 2022 to try to correct their mistake. I am not sure an alignment will correct the problem. Second item: there was a recall of the airbags on this vehicle. This recall was cleared by Rusty Wallace GMC Kia, 300 King Avenue, Morristown Tennessee 37014 phone 423-586-1441. I am concerned about the drifting to the left when hands are lifted from the steering wheel on a straight Road. This could cause an accident. What is the remedy for this problem? Thank you [XXX] [XXX] car was acquired on 11/11/ 21 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
#11473701July 13, 2022
ENGINE
Engine keeps burning oil Crazy that Kia wants me to pay $415 for an oil consumption test to prove to them my car burns oil. They should fix the issues with their Kia souls and any other automobile they make. They know it’s an issue but we have to pay out of pocket to get them to consider to fix it. Wish I had never bought a kia, life lesson learned.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11472625July 6, 2022
ENGINE
My name is [XXX], I own Kia Soul 2018 and I took my vehicle for an airbag recall and an ECU Update as part of a product improvement on May 7th of 2022. When I took the car out of the dealership store and I was on the freeway, the engine light turned on and the car wasn’t speeding more than 40mi/h. This happened two times, I was driving under the average speed of a freeway with no means to surpass other vehicles and get the freeway exits safety. On the third time this happened, the dealership said they would need to inspect the car and probably ask for an engine replacement. The product improvement activated the P1326 code, this happens when the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) detects vibrations indicating the onset of excessive connecting rod bearing wear. If vibrations caused by bearing wear start to occur, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) will blink continuously, and the vehicle will be placed in Limp Home Mode. This was exactly what happened with my car. I sent all the invoices and bank statements to Kia to prove that I was regularly changing the car oil and giving the proper maintenance. Kia sent a letter for costumers that own Kia Soul where they guarantee that vehicles who passed through this product improvement and had the KSDS activate would have the warranty extended for 150,000 miles. However, even though the own dealership said that the noise sounds like a rod bearing Kia denied extending my warranty. It has been two months since I don’t have a car to go to work and neither Kia nor the dealership gave me any assistance on this. Every time that I call Kia, I spend an average of 40 minutes just waiting for someone to help me. My vehicle is 2018 and has 90.000 miles and it is already needing an engine replacement that Kia denies covering under the warranty even though the car shows all the signs that it has a rod bearing failure. What was supposed to be an improvement turned out in a huge injury for me. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 55
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11471866June 30, 2022
ENGINE
I was driving on Interstate 64.im Norfolk when the car started to smoke, I just made to the side of the road and my car turned off. My dad told me that I he had the same thing happen to him on his 2011 optima his car turned off on the road. Kia had a recall on Kia optima engines. I spoke to another person that has a sol the same thing happened to them and there car only had 70,000 miles. Kia has put bad dangerous engines in there cars.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11471208June 27, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2018 Kia burns through oil before 3000 miles. I have been told that this is not normal at all. I have been having this issue for some time now. The most recent time was this week. It’s been and issue for at least a year or close to it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11468664June 10, 2022
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, another vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed crashed into the front end of her vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact which caused the contact to hit her chest on the steering wheel. The contact was treated by EMTs at the scene of the accident and was later taken to the emergency room by her daughter. The contact was treated for pain and soreness to her sternum. The other driver was not injured and did not seek medical attention. A police report was filed. The contact's son-in-law was able to drive the vehicle to the contact's home which was nearby. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that her vehicle was placed under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V031000(AIR BAGS). The vehicle had yet to be inspected or diagnosed. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11467361June 3, 2022
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and coast to the side of the road in neutral before the vehicle stalled again. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to the residence; the following day the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact was informed of three open recalls before the vehicle could be diagnosed. The recalls were completed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 139,354.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11466966June 1, 2022
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, he heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and discovered a light grayish smoke coming from the engine. The contact had the vehicle towed to his residence and the next day called the dealer. The vehicle was then towed to City KIA of Greater Orlando (9550 S Orange Blossom Trl, Orlando, FL 32837). The contact was informed that since his vehicle was not serviced under a software update, they could service the vehicle under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11464350May 12, 2022
ENGINE
Engine Failure. Car began knocking. Checked oil, it was very low and slugged. No sign of oil leakage. 8k cost to repair. Kia isn’t cooperating with warranty coverage. We are challenging them. About a week earlier car had done spontaneous system check and showed no adverse results. No warnings.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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