10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 53
Injuries / Deaths:
9 / 0
Average Mileage:
60,396 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #356

Oct 252021

Soul

  • miles
During the month of March 2021, I received a recall letter from Kia Motors America involving a potential engine fire. The vehicle was taken to the local Kia dealership for service. The problem was the loss of oil. The dealership replaced the pan and I incurred the cost of an oil switch replacement. The next incident, June 2021, was the replacement of catalytic converters. Following this, my check engine illuminated and the car was taken to Kia. They replaced the knock sensor (July 2021). In August 2021, another knock sensor replacement. The vehicle continues to lose power and fail to properly accelerate. October 2021, vehicle taken to dealership and I am informed of the catalytic converter requires replacement. Since they are under warranty, the vehicle was taken to the independent dealership that informed me that this situation with the catalytic converters will be ongoing because the engine is bad. The pistons and valves require replacement. Kia refuses to replace the engine unless the connecting rod barring fails. My concern is the use of the word safety; especially knowing that this vehicle and probably many more will encounter major engine malfunctions.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #355

Oct 132021

Soul

  • miles
Engine rod bearing failure. Engine failure. Vehicle was consuming more oil than expected and engine just shut off. Vehicle would not shift into gear. Battery was not charged. When fine finally came on after charging there was a knocking sound. Engine would not accelerate and knocking sound became loud. Vehicle would not even stop.

- Moreno Valley , CA, USA

problem #354

Oct 132021

Soul

  • miles
Catalytic converter failed. Car can over heat and catch on fire. Took to dealership and has been confirmed catalytic converter failed. Vehicle only has 83,000 miles. No warning engine start rattling really bad and vehicle was struggling to go up bridges and speed up.

- Bradenton, FL, USA

problem #353

Oct 152021

Soul

  • miles
I towed my car to a Kia Dealership and was told the Engine needs to be replaced

- Morrow, GA, USA

problem #352

Sep 022021

Soul

  • miles
The engine is leaking oil and got so hot that it melted the inside of the Catalytic converter. This is a recall on 2015 Kia Soul 1.7 liter and not on my 2015 Kia Soul 2.0 liter. I had the car towed to the Kia dealership, Larry Stovesand-Carbondale IL, 5/7/21 to perform 3 recalls: PI2002B (knock sensor), SC200PS (engine inspect/bearing clearance test) and SC155B (pinion gear). The dealership service dept. told me that they had to do the knock sensor and pinion gear recall before they could do the engine inspect bearing clearance test. They kept my car for 3 months, until 8/4/21 and told me about the melted catalytic converter, but still had not performed the engine inspect. I marked the tire with a rock on top to make sure that they did the test. After a week, I went to the dealership. They told me the car passed the engine test. I asked if the test was performed in the garage and I was told yes. I told the service personnel that my car had not been moved because I had marked it with a rock and that the rock was still in the same place on the tire. He said he was going to get the tech and immediately walked out, came back with a tech person that said that he had performed the test but that he had not put it into the system yet. I got the keys to my car and called my local mechanic and had him tow my car to his garage to replace the catalytic converter. The car had the same problems with knocking, hesitation, top speed of 60 mph, and using oil. My local mechanic said the pistons are leaking. I finally got the recalled documentation in the mail from the dealership and it showed they only performed PI 2002B & SC200PS recalls. They did not perform the SC155B recall even though they had the car for 3 months. The car stalled on the highway with my daughter driving. That was terrifying! Now the car is back at Kia for the engine test that I don-??t think they did the first time. Now they said it passed the engine test again and only needs a knock sensor. That will not fix it!

- Benton, IL, USA

problem #351

Feb 092021

Soul

  • 98,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that a month after an oil change an abnormal noise was heard coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who added oil to the engine and stated that no oil leaks were present. The failure would occur several times after oil changes. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH the check engine warning light illuminated while the engine was misfiring. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, no diagnostic was completed due to the diagnostic fees. The dealer also informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as solenoid 1 and 3 misfirings. The independent mechanic recommended an engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched the failure online and found NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (ENGINE) the VIN was not included in the recalls. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The contact also stated that the manufacturer informed her that her Kia was not manufactured at the same plant as the vehicles included in the recalls. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

- Wichita Falls, TX, USA

problem #350

Oct 032021

Soul

  • miles
Driving the car up the 101 Cuesta Grade and lost acceleration. The speedometer went to zero and as the car died I pulled to the right side of the freeway / grade. Smoke started to enter my vehicle. A car stopped in front of me and one behind and the people ran from their cars to tell me to get out of my car as my front engine underneath was on fire. I got out of the car and opened the back hatch to remove my belongings as the engine burst into flames. This car has been maintained by KIA and by a personal mechanic and we were up to date on all recalls. We were NOT included in the most recent engine fire recall. The car is completely destroyed.

- Paso Robles, CA, USA

problem #349

Jul 012021

Soul

  • miles
Catalytic converter failed and needed to be replaced.

- Grand Cane , LA, USA

problem #348

Oct 042021

Soul 4-cyl

  • 104,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate. The contact stated that the battery and the oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer and was informed that since she did not have an extended warranty, they would not service NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) that was associated with the VIN. The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

- Rayne, LA, USA

problem #347

Jun 012021

Soul

  • miles
I purchased a new 2015 Kia Soul in the summer of 2015. Since then I have had to replace the engine TWICE and the catalytic converter at my expense. Now the engine has failed again! I asked the mechanic at the dealership why this keeps happening with a brand new vehicle. He shrugged his shoulders and responded that Kia had problems with that particular engine. Never in all this time did the dealership EVER mention this and now that the third engine needs to be replaced, they are refusing to cover it under the warranty or recall because it is at 152,000 miles and the warranty extension was up to 150,000 miles. Never mind that they should have replaced the first two engines because it was under the 150k... or that the third engine itself doesn't have 150k miles on it. They also never made me aware of the recall on the catalytic converter when it failed and I paid to replace it. The first time the engine seized was approx August of 2019, the second time was March 2020, and the third was June 2021. I've contacted Kia Customer Service - they tell me to contact the dealership. I've had it inspected by an independent third party mechanic and he is convinced that this should be covered by the recall/extended warranty

- Haven, KS, USA

problem #346

Sep 222021

Soul 4-cyl

  • 120,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to coast the roadside as the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined the failure as complete engine failure. The mechanic advised of an open recall. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the recall was confirmed however, the contact was advised that the repairs would not be covered under the recall. The vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (ENGINE). The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. The manufacturer confirmed that the recall repair was not covered. The contact stated that the recall repair was denied by the manufacturer as the vehicle was not brought to a dealer for repair in a timely manner. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000. Vehicle has been diagnosed by Pep Boys.

- Clayton, NC, USA

problem #345

Sep 172021

Soul

  • miles
Something is causing the catalytic converter to clog and overheat, reducing greatly, the power of the vehicle, particularly when traveling uphill. I fear it will become hot enough to start a fire and/or damage the pistons/engine.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #344

Aug 172021

Soul

  • 134,200 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle loss power without warning and failed to restart. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V750000 (Engine) and 17V608000 (Steering) after the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the starter and battery. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The repairs were declined due to a previous update not being performed on the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The contact had not experienced a failure. The contact stated he only had possession of the vehicle for a year and was unaware of the needed update. Parts distribution disconnect. The failure mileage was 134,200.

- Lancaster, TX, USA

problem #343

Sep 222021

Soul

  • miles
Bought the car from a used car dealership with just under 100k miles, were not made aware of the recall on the vehicle and within 7k miles car engine seized and was found to be 4 quarts short of oil with no leaks. No prior knocking or engine lights appeared, and car stalled on the highway. Luckily, no one was injured and all we did was lose $10K.

- Byron, IL, USA

problem #342

Sep 272021

Soul 4-cyl

  • 151,112 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the engine started knocking and the vehicle independently shifted into limp mode. The contact also stated that the check engine and tire pressure warning lights started flashing on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where they initially informed her that her vehicle needed an oil change; however, metal shavings were found in the oil reservoir. The contact then called the dealer where she had NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) repair performed. The service advisor linked the failure to the recall. The service manager could not help with the repair and referred her to the manufacturer. The manufacturer has notified of the failure and the contact was informed that she would receive a callback. The contact was also referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the mechanic. The failure mileage was 151,112.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #341

Aug 282021

Soul

  • miles
Had the catalytic converter replaced in August 20, 2020 at Nalley Kia in Lithonia, GA. And one year later while driving on the highway about 60 mph., I heard a knocking sound coming from the engine. Then after taking it to Sons Kia in McDonough, GA and now they are telling me that I need another one, after getting it replaced one year ago.

- Covington, GA, USA

problem #340

Sep 182021

Soul

  • miles
Car had knock sensor update about 11/20-??. Car started to burn oil. Did oil consumption test but cause it didn-??t use more then 1quart per 1,000 miles it-??s fine-??.. The car felt like engine was under a load. Straining rpms jumped up. No acceleration. Flashing engine light to steady on. Car started to shake and buck. Pulled over had it towed. My guess is cat got clogged cause engine burns oil and now has lead to engine failure. Failed at 93909 miles

- Murrieta, CA, USA

problem #339

May 092021

Soul

  • miles
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 72 MPH, she became aware that the vehicle was overheating with the high engine temperature warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of road to let the vehicle cool down. The contact then restarted the vehicle and heard a loud knocking noise coming from the engine. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the vehicle with engine damage. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Springfield, IL, USA

problem #338

Dec 302020

Soul

  • miles
Vehicle is rapidly consuming oil, regularly burning through all 5 quarts of oil within 2,000 miles of an oil change.

- Carpinteria , CA, USA

problem #337

Jan 012016

Soul

  • 25,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while turning off the vehicle, there was an abnormal fuel odor detected. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who stated that the vehicle was working as designed and that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

- North Las Vegas, NV, USA

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