3.2

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
42,202 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2012 Kia Soul:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #4

Jan 012019

Soul

  • miles
Where do I start, my 2012 Kia Soul has about 86,000 miles and has experience issues over the past few years. It started a few years ago where I changed my left brake light and discovered it was an ongoing issue where bulb is burnt and have to replace about twice yearly. Second, sometimes when I go to crank my car it would start faintly then stall out and I will have to retry again until it cranks correctly. This having also been occurring for a few years. Third, within this past year I've experienced A/C control problems. When I go to turn it on it wont do anything, no defrost/blowing/hot/cold nothing. Then I would proceed to keep trying to turn off and on and out of no where it just starts on its own. Sometimes it's scary especially when I need to defrost my windows and it decides not to work. Took it to sun auto repair shop and they couldn't figure it out and said and I quote "it has a high failure rate", whatever that means. Fourth, the passenger side window will not respond to the driver side control button. Dont know if it's an electrical issue. This has also started within this past year. Finally, about a few months ago my steering while started making this annoying clicking sound when I turn the steering wheel left to right. That is while driving and parked or stopped. It just keeps clicking every movement, bumps and turns. Suddenly I recieved a letter about this given warranty recalling my vehicle to get fixed. Now I'm questioning whether or not if my other problems are common in other vehicles and is on the roll to recall

- Georgetown, TX, USA

problem #3

Oct 192015

Soul

  • 88,700 miles
My car's heater assembly control has failed and in doing so my car's heater defaulted to cold and face making it impossible to defrost the windshield. Kia wants an astronomical fee to diagnose the problem and even more for the part and installation.

- Laurel, DE, USA

problem #2

Sep 102013

Soul 4-cyl

  • 23,000 miles
Driving down local street when a stone hit the windshield cracking it. Kia has a bumper to bumper warranty I called them to fix the windshield and was told that it was not covered. I then took the car and had it repaired by a glass company. The repair cost me only $37.50 but I have never had this happen before in any car or truck I owned. This is also the first new car and foreign car that I bought. I know this happens but! if Kia is offering bumper to bumper warranties the windshield should be covered.

- Perrysburg, OH, USA

problem #1

Aug 242013

Soul 4-cyl

  • 57,108 miles
Sat. 8-24-13, around 3:20 pm, I went out to my 2012 Kia Soul parked on the street, in part-shade, in a residential area of centerville, oh. The windows were cracked, and the temp outside was in the mid-80's. I opened my front door & put in my beach bag. I then opened the back door, and closed the front door, when I heard a 'boom'. the back glass on the hatch back exploded from the middle & laced everywhere else, leaving a hole in the middle about 2 feet wide. Everyone at the scene stated that they had never seen a window break in that way, from heat or whatever, and it was their feeling that it had to be a 'defect' in the glass. I wasn't quite sure what to do, so I called 411 information & asked for the Kia dealership in centerville. They gave me the number to the dealership in huber heights. I spoke to the GM, who answered the phone & I explained the situation. Kia has a 60,000 mile, bumper to bumper warranty, that is boasted about as one of the best in the industry. I figured with it being a fluke, and not like brakes or tires that had normal wear & tear, that it would of course be covered. The GM proceeded to tell me that it wasn't, and that they couldn't help me but that I could bring it in on Monday, as the service center was closed at this time. I asked if he could give me the number to the centerville dealership, as they gave me the wrong number. He stated that he didn't have their number & that it wasn't convenient for him to get it either. I stated that it was less convenient for me, as I was on the side of the road. He still refused to help me in any way get the number to the other dealership where I purchased my car. The back window will cost anywhere from $265 - $440 to replace. Wow !!

- Miamisburg, OH, USA