I noticed a noise in the steering when turning hard, kind of like a crunching sound. Also a whirring noise. I took it to a mechanic (not Kia) and he has seen several Kias and Hyundais come in with the same problem. Apparently they used a plastic part (steering coupler that sell for $6.78 online) which wears out over time. He says the repair can run anywhere from $250-$1500!!!

One would think if it is something that is occurring in all of these vehicles, that there would be a recall item! I'm all about taking care of my vehicle but when something is built using inferior parts I think the manufacturer should take responsibility! There has been one death from this faulty part, I would hate to see more due to sheer ignorance.

Anyone else have this problem? Of course my warranty expired last year, so that doesn't cover it. They sure don't make them like they used to! Disposable cars in a disposable society. Ugh! Maybe it's time to go back to the horse and buggy??!!

My 2013 Kia Soul developed a clicking sound and some play when the steering wheel is moved back and forth and vibration that suddenly happens when doing 70 mph. Local dealer said no warranty. No response to my letter to KIA Motors America, Inc.

• 2007-2014 $5 coupling p/n 563152K000FFF used on 200 models of Kia and Hyundai

• May 22, 2014 KIA TSB-CHA044 Optimas, Souls, Fortes 2010-2014 Identifies defective coupling; Repair cost $250-$500

• August 16, 2016 KIA TSB-CHA072 Optimas Adjusts man hours; Offers FREE REPLACEMENT AND EXTENDED WARRANTY under its Customer Satisfaction / Warranty Extension Program (CS1604) Stating “Kia’s analysis has identified that this condition occurs in extremely high humidity states adjacent to warm ocean waters due to wear of the flexible coupling.” Then goes on to identify 9 states including Florida, where warranty replacement is authorized. “For vehicles sold or register in all other states, Kia is extending the warranty on the flexible coupling to 10 years/unlimited miles.”

• August 16, 2016 KIA TSB-CHA074 Souls and Fortes Adjusts man hours; Repair cost is still $250-$500

• Jan. 2017 Hyundai Issued extended warranty on all effected models.

Why are Optima owners getting a free replacement or extended warranty while Soul and Forte owners are paying $250-$500 dollars for the diagnostics and repair of the same problem?

It is my opinion that a new TSB should be issued to include the effected Souls and Fortes in the Kia Customer Satisfaction / Warranty Extension Program.

Update from May 6, 2019: 05/06/19 Have just received information that TSB CHA074 had a Rev 2 issued 04/29/19, to include all effected cars under an extended warranty. For those that have paid for the repair, there is a form to apply for reimbursement.

Local service manager called me to make an appointment to have it repaired free of charge after I had spoken with S Regional Kia rep.

I was so in love with my 2013 Kia Soul and now I'm scared to drive it, it's a death trap. The steering is loose and you can feel a clunk if you turn the wheel more than 45 degrees, but the worst part is if you get it up to highway speeds the steering wheel vibrates and I am scared to death! I googled this and saw multiple complaints about this issue and yet Kia hasn't issued a recall to correct this? They recalled the Kia Optima and you know they are using the same parts in both cars so the only thing I can guess is Kia is too cheap to fix this correctly, they'd rather wait until some people die and then they can get slapped with a class action lawsuit, like Ford did with the Pinto. I called Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542 to see if they would do anything about it and I was told that I would have to take it to the dealership and pay to have it diagnosed and then Kia would contact the dealership to see if the local DPS (District Parts and Service) Manager would be willing to provide me with any type of discount to repair this. Meanwhile, I'm out the cost to diagnose the problem and maybe if I'm lucky I can get a discount. Excuse me Kia, this is not the way to treat customers if you want to keep winning JD Power's awards!

Update from Nov 3, 2018: UPDATE: After I went to the dealership to have it diagnosed, I was then told by Kia Customer Service that I would have a response within 48 hours. I have to tell you that I was not expecting this to go well, my service consultant, Brad Williams, at Rick Case Kia laughed at me when I told him what I was doing and the service technician said I would be lucky to get them to cover the cost of the part but never the labor and most of the cost of the job is the labor, the part is only $10. Well, it was closer to 2 weeks, but the good news is the local DPS (District Parts and Service) Manager offered the entire repair cost at no charge as goodwill. Rick Case completed the repair today and my Kia is as good as new! I'm so glad I waited, but it was definitely a nail-biter trying to drive the car in that condition. I wish Kia would just issue a recall for the Soul and save us all a lot of time and worry.

My 2013 Kia Soul overall is a pretty good little machine. A year or so ago, I started getting a "clunk" when turning out of a parking spot. Soon it was making the noise all the time. First it was just turning the wheel to the left then it was making noise turning it to the right. I took it to a Kia dealership near where I work and they said, "Normal wear and tear". What?? The car is only a few years old! Anyway, I just kept driving it trust in what they said but started reading about Kia steering problems on my model and others.

Anyway, I couldn't take the thought of being in a smoking wreck on the side of the road so I took it back to the Kia dealer where I bought it new. They told me, "Your steering column is bad and needs to be replaced". "It will be 1300 dollars to fix as you are over your basic warranty". I have to say that I was shocked that it would go bad that quickly. I contacted the dealership management and they extended grace to me and replaced it under warranty.

The new steering part has taken all the "road feel" out of the driving experience. Apparently the new part is "just that way" according to Kia. It was repaired in November of 2016 and it started making the clunking noise again just not as pronounced. My fear is that It will keep getting worse. The shop manager at Kia has been awesome. Even though they couldn't get it to reproduce they would address it if it should come back like it did.

I really like Kia products. They are stylish, peppy and fun but its put a bad taste in my mouth for the brand. Guess if I could speak to someone a lot higher up the chain and be reassured that Kia has fixed the problem, I might buy another Kia Soul. For now, I'm just guessing.