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 #303

Feb 062021

Soul

  • 98,000 miles
I received a recall for the engine issue with the 2014 Kia Soul.a proposed settlement of a class action lawsuit known as in re: Hyundai and Kia engine litigation, no. 8:17‑cv‑00838‑jls‑jde and flaherty V. Hyundai motor company, et al., no. 18‑cv‑02223 (C.D. cal.) allege that 2011'2018 and certain 2019 Kia optima, 2012'2018 and certain 2019 Kia sorento, and 2011'2018 and certain 2019 Kia sportage vehicles suffer from a defect that can cause engine seizure, stalling, engine failure, and engine fire, that engine seizure or stalling can be dangerous if experienced, and that some owners and lessees have been improperly denied repairs under the vehicle's warranty. Neither kmc nor kma have been found liable for any of the claims alleged in these lawsuits. The parties have instead reached a voluntary settlement in order to avoid a lengthy litigation. The individuals who owned or leased class vehicles are known as 'class members.' Settlement class members may be entitled to compensation if they submit valid and timely claims that are approved pursuant to the review process described in this notice and approved by the court. Even though I am receiving the recall information, I am being told my VIN is not in the recall. I have already paid for the engine repair because I was initially turned down when the engine locked up during driving on a highway.

- Clearfield, KY, USA

problem #302

Dec 162020

Soul

  • 106,000 miles
Kia is refusing to fix my car although the VIN matches the recall notice! I have already paid once to have it towed and inspected and they are demanding I do it again at my expense because they threw away the report! the report I paid for and never received a copy of. While in motion, the engine in my vehicle failed and the car is no longer operable. My engine has failed and the cause of the damage seems to be directly related to the defects listed in manufacturers "product improvement campaign" document number pi202B and more recently 20V750. The document states Kia motors America, Inc. Is conducting an important product improvement campaign to perform a software update on 2014-2016 my Soul vehicles equipped with 2.0L gasoline direct injection ('gdi') engines to protect the engine from excessive connecting rod bearing damage. The document also states that Kia will also extend the warranty coverage for the engine sub-assembly to 10 years starting from the date of first service or 120,000 miles. (reference: Https://static.NHTSA.gov/ODI/tsbs/2020/mc-10179254-0001.pdf). - emphasis on the words "to protect the engine from excessive connecting rod bearing damage" meaning the manufacturer is aware of the potential and probability of bearing damage in existing vehicles. This campaign is an attempt to prevent the damage but in my case the damage already occurred. I have contacted my dealership and paid for a diagnostic fee but they are denying the claim due to "a loss of oil pressure, and the presence of metal in my oil" 3 both of these issues are clearly due to what is mentioned in document pi202B as "excessive connecting rod bearing damage." The bearings failed (which retain oil), obviously resulting in a sudden loss of oil pressure and the metal from those failed bearings mixed with the oil.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #301

Oct 142020

Soul

  • 175,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V750000 (engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle loss motive power and hesitated to accelerator above 50 mph. The vehicle was taken to Kia country of charleston (2361 savannah hwy, charleston, SC 29414 (843) 573-2300) where it was diagnosed that the vehicle had oil consumption failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact managed to drive the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed a second time and determined that the catalytic converter failed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 175,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Johns Island, SC, USA

problem #300

Jan 222021

Soul

  • 122,000 miles
I had the recall performed for the engine fire issue in late 2019/early2020 then about janurary 20, 2020 my car broke down with a failed catalytic converter which was an issue for the recall. One year later my catalytic converter has failed again! I don't think the "fix" for the recall worked! if these cars are burning up the catalytic converters still, there needs to be a other recall to have them fixed properly.

- Rixeyville, VA, USA

problem #299

Jan 272021

Soul

  • 89,000 miles
I am receiving a P0420 odbii code. I see that an issue with catalytic converters has been reported. The check engine light came on while driving.

- Millville, NJ, USA

problem #298

Dec 172020

Soul

  • 125,000 miles
Driving 70 on interstate, sudden tapping from engine, pulled into service station no oil in vehicle, despite being well maintained and no prior issues. Had vehicle towed, auto shop said it is a vent rod connector, Kia has a recall coming late January.

- Brookhaven, MS, USA

problem #297

Nov 242020

Soul

  • 96,000 miles
The 2014 Soul has less than 100K miles on it, but when my daughter traveled home, thanksgiving 2020, right as she pulled into our parking spot, both the check engine light and oil light came on. She had just had the software update to move the car into limp home mode if there was engine problems, and sure enough, when she went to drive the car the next morning, the car was in limp home mode. Took it to the nearest Kia dealership where they indicated that there was knocking noises coming from the engine with a code P1326 and that the engine long block needed to be replaced. It is completely undriveable. I have been waiting to find out if her engine is one that is being recalled by Kia but if it is not it should be.

- Leesburg, VA, USA

problem #296

Jan 052021

Soul

  • 94,000 miles
Have burnt 5 quarts of oil in the last 30 days during normal use. Oil light has never come on to indicate low oil

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #295

Jan 182021

Soul

  • 120,000 miles
The oil warning light flashed on and of mostly at intersections. We took it in for service. There was coolant/water in the oil. Also, they said it had extremely low oil pressure at idle. The repair shop stated that there was a possibility the car could catch on fire and also the possibility of engine failure.

- Santa Maria, CA, USA

problem #294

Dec 012020

Soul

  • 124,496 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, when she heard an abnormal noise and the vehicle began to stall. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to her residence. The contact stated while inspecting under the hood, she stated there was no oil on the dipstick. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer university Kia of durham (5105 durham-chapel hill blvd, durham, nc 27707, (919) 842-5103) where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired as of yet. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 20V750000 (engine) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 124,496.

- Durham, NC, USA

problem #293

Jan 262021

Soul

  • miles
Three weeks after I got a oil change I had to take it back to the dealership so they can put more oil in my car and assess the situation. My car was put on the machine and the mechanic said all I needed was oil everything looks good I got a print out of what they look at and everything look good. A few months later I couldn't accelerate when I was driving to work in my low oil indicator appeared on the message board so I took it to Kia to have them take another look at it this time they said I have sludge buildup in my engine and there's nothing they can do at this about the third time I took her to keep an on a previous times they did not tell me anything about any slides or anything was wrong with my engine.

- Stone Mtn, GA, USA

problem #292

Jan 152021

Soul

  • 106,000 miles
2014 Kia Soul plus with 106,000 miles. Regular service and maintenance provided by the local Kia dealer with no previous issues and all recalls addressed. I was driving to a job location and was about 45 miles from home going 70 mph on a four lane highway. Engine started clicking and shortly thereafter threw a rod. I was able to safely pull to the side of the road and call roadside assistance. I was towed the 40+ miles to the dealer with excess mileage costs. Dealer has quoted engine replacement at ~$7,000 with an option to sell to the dealer at a salvage price of $350. I suspect the rod bearing issue that many other Kia Soul owners have suffered.

- Broken Arrow, OK, USA

problem #291

Dec 102020

Soul

  • 150,000 miles
I have had to replace my catalytic converter twice within the last year due to engine failure which is causing the catalytic converter to become clogged. The second time this happened, I was driving on the freeway and my vehicle began to lose power on an uphill portion of a bridge. The vehicle then stalled, forcing me to pull over on a narrow shoulder. After being towed to safety by the chp, I had the vehicle towed to my mechanic who informed me that the engine is burning huge amounts of oil which in turn is causing the catalytic converter to become clogged. My mechanic informed me that I would need to replace the engine to solve the underlying problem, as there is clearly engine damage causing the exhaust to contain large amounts of soot and unburned oil. I have maintained this vehicle fastidiously, and the vehicle has just under 150,000 miles on the odometer.

- Davis, CA, USA

problem #290

Apr 012020

Soul

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle would stall at various speeds. The contact stated she had to wait approximately a minute before regaining normal functionality. The instrument panel would display D for drive for a moment however, the drive indicator would suddenly disappear as the vehicle stalled. The drive display would return once the vehicle regained function. The contact stated the vehicle made an excessive rattling or banging sound when starting the vehicle. The contact stated that oil had to be added to the vehicle approximately every two weeks. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who repaired the catalytic converter twice. The mechanic stated that the pressure from one of the cylinders within the vehicle was causing oil to leak internally. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

- Centerville, OH, USA

problem #289

Nov 052020

Soul

  • 80,000 miles
I was approximately driving 65 mph when suddenly the motor developed a ticking noise. Then suddenly turned into a knocking/clattering noise. My oil light illuminated as well as my engine light. I then proceeded down the high way to the next exit to pull off and check my oil. Before I made it to my exit. The motor had loss of power. When I'd try to accelerate, it would bog down. Right as I was about to take a turn onto my exit the motor stopped and died so I coasted as far as a could and had to push it out of the road. When I examined my oil it was metallic. My vehicle only has 80,000 miles on it. With about 1500 miles on my oil change.(5-20W full synthetic).

- Longmont, CO, USA

problem #288

Jan 052021

Soul

  • 24,000 miles
I was driving with my child in the car out of town, when they wheels locked up and the engine made a horrible sound and died. I had to walk to a car rental place to rent. Car. I had my car towed to a local repair shop. I got home and the next day the mechanic called and said I would need a new engine that it blew a head gasket valve. He recommended contacting Kia as there have been recalls on this car for this problem. I immediately contacted Kia and they said there was a recall on my car and they would pay to have it towed to a local Kia dealership. It is still a good two hours from where I live. But they assured me if would be covered as the issue it with head gaskets. It is recal number 2002B. The dealership contacted me and said it isn't covered. I asked why and the service advisor, justin stated the recall had nothing to do with it. No told him what Kia headquarters told me. He stated he would print off the recall and speak with his manager and get back with me. The car has 124,000 miles on it. I have done strick maintenance. As a matter of fact I just had the oil changed. My biggest concern is the safety of myself and my daughter when the wheels locked up. Had I need on the interstate I don't know how we would have avoided an accident. Luckily I had taken back roads home and was entering a small town of winder and was only doing 25 miles an hour at the time. No warning lights were on at all. After the engine failed the oil pan light came on and was intermittently going on and off.

- Warner Robins, GA, USA

problem #287

Dec 212020

Soul

  • 154,000 miles
December 2020 while driving on the freeway my 2014 Kia Soul started stalling and threatening to lose power, and then, without warning the engine light appeared. My car jerked and threatened to turn off-acceleration was decreased-it was very alarming and very sudden. The engine light stayed on for a few seconds then it started flashing off and on. I took my Soul to a nearby mechanic and was informed that I needed motor. In September 2020 the same thing happened, my Kia Soul started stalling and jerking, engine light came on, I had decreased acceleration-started losing power. I was close to a Kia dealership service center, at that time, and Kia diagnosed my Kia Soul-and per the invoice there was a 'cylinder 3 misfire detected. Cylinder 3 coil has open circuit'. I paid $500+ in repairs. Three months later December 2020-same symptoms but worse, and now there is a much larger problem. I reached out to the Kia dealership who performed the repair in September 2020, and informed them of the problem, and shared what the mechanic informed me of, and was told to bring it in for a diagnosis which would cost approximately $200, so that the Kia service center could determine whether or not my Soul needed a motor. I'm sorry, but I just paid $500+ for repairs in September 2020, and I had to pay $79+, to the mechanic who diagnosed my Soul, I did not, and still do not, have $200 extra dollars for Kia to run a diagnostic and give me the same diagnosis. Nor did I, or do I have, the extra money to tow my Soul to Kia. I had one tow, and I made the decision to have my Kia Soul towed to my residence where she sits today. Sadly in the cold weather, and during a pandemic, I have to seek a ride or take the bus to and from work, and the grocers etc.. this is not good for me or my family at this time.

- Grand Prairie, TX, USA

problem #286

Jan 042021

Soul

  • 95,600 miles
I was driving my car when I started hearing a ticking noise, the car started shaking, and acted like it did not want to accelerate. The check engine light came on and was flashing. I had it hauled it to a Kia dealership where they told me that I would have to have the motor replaced due to rod damage.

- Riceville, TN, USA

problem #285

Feb 022020

Soul

  • 1,600 miles
At acceleration suddenly bogged out. Turns out to be the 02 sensor and catalytic converter over heated, burnt out newly replaced spark plugs. This is the second set of O2 sensors replaced. Master mechanic says all due over heating from exhaust.

- Lexington, TX, USA

problem #284

Dec 252020

Soul

  • 153,476 miles
I was driving my 2014 Kia Soul in the freeway when the car started to shake and lacked on acceleration and dropped speed from 70 mph to 40 mph, check engine light turn on so I pulled to side of the road and got the car towed to my house. The next day I took the car to the dealership and found that it's an engine issue and need to be replace.

- Winchester, CA, USA

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