9.0

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
2,850 miles
Total Complaints:
2 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. replace the transmission (2 reports)
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This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Kia dealer.

problem #2

Jan 052020

Soul GT Line 2.0L 4-cyl

  • CVT transmission
  • 2,681 miles

GT-Line 2.0, 2681 miles, build date 06/19. I was traveling at 75mph when the RPM's started surging about 300 back and forth in the standard Auto mode. It went away in Manual shift mode. My gas mileage was showing 21 mpg.  I proceeded for about 30 more miles in Manual (7th) then the RPM's redlined. I was able to pull over. I let it sit 5 minutes and made it 2 miles on the shoulder of the interstate to the next exit at about 30 to 40mph in Auto mode. 

That is all it would do. It was a slight climb after the ramp. The Soul struggled. I tried to shift into manual and it says it is in 5th, and it will not shift. I figured I would add this while currently waiting for the tow. This Soul was NEVER driven hard. It was about 95% highway miles. There were no signs of failure before this. This happened quickly. Soul was towed to nearest dealership (three hours from home) using Kia’s roadside assistance. We had to rent a vehicle to drive home. The official diagnosis is transmission failure and there’s an estimated 6-8 week wait for it to arrive at the dealership.

- Adrianne M., Hillsboro, US

problem #1

Feb 172020

Soul LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 3,000 miles

In Feb. 2020 my transmission went out while I was on vacation in Hattiesburg, MS... I live in Arkansas. I called roadside assistant and they towed it to the Kia dealership where the replaced the transmission. It took them about 2 or 3 weeks to replace it. The dealership put me in a rental car until I could get my car back. Also I will be filling another complaint on here because now the same 2020 Kia Soul's transmission has gone out again. The first one was covered under a powertrain warranty and now the dealership says the 2nd transmission will be covered under a recall.

- mazzia, Dardanelle, US