10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 29
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
73,698 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #162

Aug 242021

Soul

  • miles
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.

- West Berlin, NJ, USA

problem #161

Jan 022022

Soul

  • miles
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.

- Kingston , NY, USA

problem #160

Jul 142021

Soul

  • miles
I believe my catalytic converter. My engine light came on and I took it to AutoZone and they put it on the tester and they said it was my catalytic converter.

- Jasper, AL, USA

problem #159

Dec 132021

Soul

  • 184,963 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was making ticking and knocking sounds. Upon registering the vehicle on the manufacturer's website, the contact was made aware that the VIN was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, and both mechanics diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer. The dealer upgraded the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit logic and diagnosed the vehicle with engine rod knock failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they would not honor the recall since the contact was the second owner and the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was 184,963.

- Rolla, MO, USA

problem #158

Dec 012021

Soul

  • 117,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact pulled over to the side of the road prior to the vehicle losing motive power. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was informed that there were similar vehicles experiencing the same failure. The mechanic notified her of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact then had the vehicle towed to the local dealer and was informed that the repair would be an out-of-pocket expense. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 117,000.

- Oconomowoc, WI, USA

problem #157

Dec 032021

Soul

  • miles
My car is having the exact same problem (engine damage from rod bearing wear) as the issue that triggered Recall No 20V-750 in Kia Forte, which also has the same 2.0L Nu GDI engine. My mechanic discovered the problem, which has blown my engine, and I know there is no motive for him to lie about it because he advised me to ask Kia to replace the engine and did not attempt to sell me the service himself. I have performed all recommended maintenance on time, and the only previous owner of the car provided documentation of doing the same. I know not many people who buy a Kia Soul spring for the premium trim with this engine so there may not be many complaints about it yet, but my hope is that the 20V-750 recall will at some point be extended to my car's model and trim as my car has only about 85,000 miles on it.

- Dayton, OH, USA

problem #156

Nov 142021

Soul

  • miles
On a Sunday our started to turn off at red lights and stop signs. Then a loud pop happened, white smoke came out, and the car died on the interstate. The piston rod had broke and cracked the engine block. We did not even know there was anything going on until the car broke like it did.

- Saraland, AL, USA

problem #155

Oct 282021

Soul

  • miles
Had the car for two months the engine light came on and it locked up to where I couldn-??t go past ten mpg. I had it towed to Kia of Dayton and they won-??t fix it.

- Hillsboro, OH, USA

problem #154

Oct 042021

Soul

  • 119,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the engine was making a tapping sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was jerking while idling. The contact who is a certified mechanic diagnosed that the vehicle had a valve tap failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 119,000.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #153

Sep 082021

Soul

  • 130,000 miles
The contact's wife owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 60-70 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated and stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's wife veered to the side of the road but was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and then towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the failure was due to the lack of engine oil and the overheating of the catalytic converter. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take vehicle to the dealer for diagnosis to confirm that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be placed. The manufacturer informed the contact that he would be responsible for the cost of the repair as the recall was already closed. A case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

- Fenton, MI, USA

problem #152

Aug 242021

Soul

  • 46,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, she heard abnormal knocking sounds coming from the engine. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated she continued to drive the vehicle and took the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.

- Anchorage, AK, USA

problem #151

Sep 222021

Soul

  • miles
I took my 2013 Kia Soul into the dealership in Rockwall because it had a recall. The dealership states that the problem with my particular car is in fact due to the recall. The engine has seized. The dealership is refusing to do any of the necessary repairs and said that they are no longer responsible for the car as we didn't bring it in a more timely manner. The service department is horrible about returning phone calls and has had the Soul since 9/22/2021, they scheduled the repairs, I paid to have it towed to the dealership as they requested. Now they are refusing to pay or do any of the repairs.

- Rowlett, TX, USA

problem #150

Oct 092021

Soul 4-cyl

  • 157,914 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the piston dislocated out of the engine. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to a family member-??s residence. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 157,914.

- Eagle Point, OR, USA

problem #149

Sep 072021

Soul

  • miles
Engine locked up on the highway at high speed. We had to get the car off the road very quickly. Our mechanic diagnosis was lower bearing failure resulting in a seized engine. No symptoms were noticed before seizing up.

- South Webster , OH, USA

problem #148

Jun 302021

Soul

  • 87,450 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at 75 MPH, the vehicle began to stall. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated she was able to pull to the side of the road, and the vehicle lost power when it was shifted into PARK. The contact stated she was able to restart the vehicle after two attempts however, she heard abnormal knocking sounds coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who informed the contact that the vehicle could not be diagnosed nor repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) as it was out of warranty. The vehicle was towed to the residence of the contact's boyfriend. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) could not be completed on the vehicle because the vehicle did not have an extended warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was 87,450.

- Torrance, CA, USA

problem #147

Jul 132021

Soul

  • 95,000 miles
The contact owned a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while her leaseholder was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there were flames coming from the engine compartment. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed. A fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed away from the scene. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #146

Jul 022021

Soul

  • miles
My 2013 Kia Soul has been stalling while idle or at red lights. In addition, sometimes it is difficult to start and I have to attempt several times. Lately, once I do start the vehicle and begin to drive, it-??s as if the vehicle doesn-??t know which gear to maintain. As a result, the car will attempt to -??cut off-?? driving and l literally will have to pull over immediately in attempt to not be hit or run off the road, as the car is practically in neutral by its own choice. Also, the -??emergency brake-?? light is on, even though the emergency brake is not being used.

- Port Charlotte , FL, USA

problem #145

May 242021

Soul

  • 134,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at 55 mph, a loud knocking noise was coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with the engine needing to be replaced due to metal shavings being found in the oil pan. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact then took the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with the engine needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and informed the contact that they would call him back. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

- Fleetwood, NC, USA

problem #144

Mar 012021

Soul

  • miles
The first issue is that the oil light does not come on properly. It would only flicker on occasionally when the oil level began to get low. This is scary to think about not being warned that your car is out of oil and continuing to drive, when the engine could seize. The real issue is that the car is consuming oil. I am going through a quart a week just to keep up. I drive 500-600 miles a week. Kia will tell you that adding oil in-between oil changes is normal. There is nothing normal about having to give it this much. The car is not smoking and the car is not leaking. I had it checked by my mechanic, and they replaced the PCV valve. They said this was a long shot, and the next step would be to replace the engine. The valve replacement did little to help the consumption of oil. I know there are other cars in Kia's offering that have leaked oil into the pistons, I am thinking this could be one of them.

- Conway, AR, USA

problem #143

Apr 012021

Soul

  • 119,784 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had misfired and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but declined the repair due to software update not being updated prior to the failure. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 19v120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was 119,784.

- Fuquay Varina, NC, USA

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