10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 46
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
81,365 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #83

May 152019

Soul

  • 121,000 miles
We literally bought our 17 yr old daughter a 2014 Kia Soul 2.0 a month ago! in less then a month from purchasing she was driving down our major highway and the car started to make a loud ticking noise and started to shake she said the car stalled and she was able to coast to pull over the check engine light and oil light came on together ! we just had the car serviced at our local Kia dealership w oil changed. She was able to get the car home. We had a certified mechanic come tow it to see what the problem was he said he had to put 3 Q of oil in it just to hook up for diognostic as the oil was bone dry ! all of the readings were unstable due to blown motor ! not sure why the 1.6 liter was recalled due to engine failure but all the complaints I have read is on the 2.0. we was quoted 6200$ to fix it because the 2014 engines have been discontinued! hmmm why is that ?! we have a 9,000$ car sitting that I have a loan on paying monthly and our daughter is without a vehicle let me add she lost her job ! I have called the consumer reports and explained what happened they gave me a claim number and said someone will contact me within 3 business days. It is now going on 2 weeks ! I will be looking at all my options at this point and will be contacting our lawyer !

- Smithville, MO, USA

problem #82

May 242019

Soul

  • 70,000 miles
Car caught fire on May 24th 2019. My son heard/felt a pop and got out and checked his tires and they were fine, then smoke started coming from engine and car went up into flames.

- Mantachie, MS, USA

problem #81

May 182019

Soul

  • 81,000 miles
Coming up to a stoplight the motor died and tried to restart it, but the starter would only click. Had the car towed to my home and called my mechanic. He told me to check if to see if I could turn the motor over by hand and it would not turn. Removed the oil pan and found a spun bearing on the #3 connecting rod. So far I have spent $1200 in parts to repair it as it is not covered by the factory warranty as I am the 2nd owner.

- Grayslake, IL, USA

problem #80

May 202019

Soul

  • 87,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. While driving 65-70 mph, the vehicle shook uncontrollably, made an abnormal bubbling sound, and stalled. The vehicle was coasted over to the road shoulder and towed to classic Kia carrolton (2920 N interstate 35E, carrollton, tx 75007, (866) 559-8140). The dealer stated that the engine did not stall and the vehicle was not included in a recall. The contact stated that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 19V120000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,000.

- Flowermound, TX, USA

problem #79

Apr 102019

Soul

  • miles
I own a 2014 Kia Soul plus with 104,000 miles. This car has had documented synthetic oil changes on a regular basis. Out of nowhere the engine rod has blown. I have called five different mechanics and all state the Kia is known for bad engines. Called jasper who is well known for rebuilt engines and they will not touch a Kia. I understand the Hyundai has recalled numerous cars for bad engines. Kia has recalled from 2012 to 2016 the Kia Soul base for bad catalytic converter and on the recall notice it specifically states that the catalytic converter can damage the engine. I have owned four cars with mileage over 200,000 and one car, a Mazda 626, had over 325,000 miles and I never had to replace an engine there has to be some federal protection for the public from manufacturers that sell a poorly made product that mechanics from all over know are problematic. I only have owned this car for less than 4 years.

- Balto, MD, USA

problem #78

May 152019

Soul

  • 122,000 miles
The motor blew and oil light came on without any warning ! in motion on. Highway. The oil had just been changed less then a month prior to that. Diagnostics showed oil had been burnt up causing rod failure and motor !

- Smithville, MO, USA

problem #77

May 152019

Soul

  • 103,000 miles
My motor has 103,000 miles on it. It started making a slight ticking sound. The oil is changed regularly and it was nearly time to have it changed. I took my little boy to school and the car lost power and the noise got a lot worse. I went ahead and took it to castrol to have them check the oil. The oil was fine but we went ahead and changed it. I ended up having to have my car towed home. A mechanic looked at it and said that I needed a new motor.

- Maynardville, TN, USA

problem #76

May 022019

Soul

  • 85,000 miles
I had my oil changed last month and noticed an odd smell around that time I didnt think much of it at the time because there was no noise or obvious leaks to weeks later my oil light started flashing sometimes and I checked the oil level... it was a quart low so I topped it off and went back to normal fastfoward to this month its emptied out twice I took it to a shop and they found the cat had overheated and caused an oil leak and there is now an awful ticking noise coming from the engine the dealership said this is a known issue on the model with the 1.6 liter engine and a recall was issued but this recall doesnt cover the 2.0 liter even though it is the exact same issue I have done some research and found several other customers who had this same issue on their 2.0 liter models and had to buy new engines this is horrible and I as a consumer feel a full engine failure on a well maintained car that isn't even 5 years old should be covered by the same recall. Kia needs to expand this recall

- Greenwood, AR, USA

problem #75

May 162019

Soul

  • 110,000 miles
We purchased a car from a small lot selling used cars in tempe, Arizona. At 20 days and about 800 miles the car began to make a loud knocking noise as my son was driving the car into our neighborhood going about 5-10 miles per hour. He shut off the car. I checked the oil dipstick and there was zero oil in the car. I immediately called the salesperson about this issue. He said we could tow it to him to look at it and he insisted that he changed the oil in the car before we ever drove it. Due to my concern that there was no oil in the car, I added 2.5 quarts. There have been no oil leaks since we purchased the car, nor were there any after I added the 2.5 quarts. We had the car towed to the dealer on a Friday morning and no real work was completed. I called Kia corporate and they told me they were aware of this issue where the oil would just evaporate and that it was covered under SC147. Kia corporate had me call a local Kia dealership and that's when the service dept said Kia corporate was wrong. I made a return call to Kia corporate who corrected the first agent and told me they were wrong and that I have to pay out of pocket for this issue. The engine issue should be covered under a class action lawsuit - this is the same symptoms as other class action lawsuits at this time for other Kia vehicles.

- San Tan Valley, AZ, USA

problem #74

May 202019

Soul

  • 95,000 miles
So the same thing that the other Kia engine recall is for happened to my Kia with a 2.0 L engine I see other complaints from other owners saying this has happened on their 2 liter engine as well but the recall doesnt cover us so we are here with blown engines and no remedy other than to pay for the repairs out of pocket... I think this recall needs to be expanded.

- Little Rock, AR, USA

problem #73

May 012019

Soul

  • 104,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. While driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled and the check oil warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who informed the contact of NHTSA campaign number: 19V120000 (engine and engine cooling). Kearny mesa Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (8010 balboa ave, san diego, ca 92111) was notified and unable to assist. The manufacturer was notified, but not able to assist. The failure mileage was 104,000.

- Temecula, CA, USA

problem #72

May 062019

Soul

  • 104,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. While driving, the vehicle failed to accelerate. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to grieco Kia of delray beach (located at 2255 federal hwy, delray beach, fl 33483) to be diagnosed, but a failure code could not be found. The contact stated that the technician upgraded the ECU module. The vehicle was not repaired for the acceleration failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: 13175036. The approximate failure mileage was 104,000.

- Boca Raton, FL, USA

problem #71

May 072019

Soul

  • 102,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. While driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart and was driven to the side of the highway. Also, the oil indicator illuminated and an abnormal rattling noise emerged from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that there was no oil in the vehicle and the bottom of the engine was damaged. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure was not determined. The contact called car town Kia usa (3120 lexington rd, nicholasville, ky 40356, (859) 887-4737) and was informed that the vehicle was not covered under a warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

- Lexington, KY, USA

problem #70

Nov 052018

Soul

  • 144,000 miles
Complete engine failure - 11-5-18 - all lights came on and car died in the middle of a turn. All oil was gone from engine. Car cannot even be manually cranked. Seems to be exact same issue discovered with same year 1.6L engines, but wasn't included in recall as a 2.0L engine for whatever reason. 3 mechanics have quoted me a $10K repair including an entire new engine. No salvage or used engines available anywhere.

- Fate, TX, USA

problem #69

May 012019

Soul

  • 9,541 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. While driving at 50 mph, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted. The vehicle failed to accelerate over 20 mph with all warning lights illuminating. The contact was able to pull to the side of the roadway, turned the engine off, restarted after several minutes and was able to resume driving normally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to diagnose or repair the failure but was able to locate failure codes from the vehicle's computer. The contact was unaware of the failure codes. The vehicle was then taken to difeo Kia (1320 ocean ave, lakewood, NJ 08701 (833) 842-8290) where the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired at the dealer due to the independent mechanic had removed the codes out of the vehicle's computer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 9,541.

- Brownsmills, NJ, USA

problem #68

Mar 272019

Soul

  • 114,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. While driving approximately 10-15 mph, the check engine indicator illuminated and the vehicle shut off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. Additionally, when the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there were several failures that included the camshaft sensor and the downstream oxygen sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 114,000.

- Griffin, GA, USA

problem #67

Feb 012016

Soul

  • miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. Shortly after the vehicle was purchased, it randomly stalled. The engine was hesitant and the check engine indicator illuminated. Riverchase Kia (2200 us-31, pelham, al 35124, (205) 987-6518) was notified of the failure. The contact later received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 19V120000 (engine and engine cooling) and 17V608000 (steering). The contact scheduled an appointment, but the dealer did not provide the repairs within the timeframe that they indicated. The dealer did not offer a loaner vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was not available.

- Billingsley, AL, USA

problem #66

Apr 292019

Soul

  • miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 19V120000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact stated that Kia new braunfels (3363 interstate 35 frontage rd, new braunfels, tx 78132, (830) 214-7280) failed to provide the remedy for the recall campaign by only upgrading the cop ECU logic to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter and the engine assembly. The dealer had not provided an in-depth inspection of the parts. The contact felt that the manufacturer and dealer failed to comply with the repair guidelines as the manufacturer refused to replace the parts. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.

- New Braunfels, TX, USA

problem #65

Apr 012019

Soul

  • 45,000 miles
The contact owned a 2014 Kia Soul. While driving 45 mph, the contact heard an abnormal noise under the hood of the vehicle. The contact pulled the vehicle over, lifted the hood, and noticed flames. The contact extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was totaled and towed to the contact's insurance company. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 45,000.

- Belleville, IL, USA

problem #64

May 202018

Soul

  • 100,114 miles
My engine blew a piston and my motor exploded while I was driving 65 on the interstate. I was driving and all of a sudden my steering wheel locked up, my brakes locked up, my engine was smoking. I had to coast to the side of the road with my 4 year old in the back seat.

- Ellijay, GA, USA

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