10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 11
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
37,086 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #112

May 132022

Soul

  • miles
Engine light flashes every 6 weeks. I have to have my oil checked weekly as it is constantly low despite not apparent leaks.

- Fairfield Township , OH, USA

problem #111

May 092023

Soul

  • 74,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that there was a continual clicking sound coming from the front of the vehicle while making a left or right turn. Additionally, while the brake pedal was depressed, there was a clicking sound coming from the engine compartment. Additionally, when the brake pedal was depressed, the oil light illuminated. The contact stated that after the brake pedal was released, the warning light disappeared. The contact stated that on another occasion, while driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle lunged forward and stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

- Waynesboro, VA, USA

problem #110

Mar 272023

Soul 4-cyl

  • 130,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while her friend was driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal sound inside the vehicle then the vehicle started to decelerate without warning. The contact then stated that other drivers on the road alerted the contact-??s friend that a fire had ignited underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact-??s friend was able to pull the vehicle off the road and exit the vehicle. The local authorities were notified and extinguished the fire. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision lot where the technician diagnosed the vehicle that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V031000 (Air Bags). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

- Iowa City, IA, USA

problem #109

Apr 162023

Soul

  • miles
First, on January 13, 2023, my 2017 Kia Soul leaked all but 1/4qt. oil while parked in a lot for about 30 minutes. There was no indication of an issue prior to the event. I just happened to see the puddle while walking to my car. On this date I had 64,100miles on the car. I was stranded in a parking lot 3 hours from home for over 9 hours. Mobile mechanic stated it looked like a loose oil filter and did a complete oil change (to include the filter). He said had I tried to drive my car, I would have blown my engine within a few miles. He also stated that the oil pressure sensor was not in good shape and needed replaced as soon as I could do so; within a week, the sensor was replaced. No items available for I inspection but mechanic bills available. Aside from two mechanics, no one else has inspected the vehicle. Now, today, April 16, 2023, I was parked outside a store for about 15 minutes and came out to a puddle of oil under my car. Checked my oil and realized it was just touching the Low indicator on the dipstick. Had to have a friend tow my car home so that my car and I could both be safe this evening. I am not sure what the cause of today's issue is yet as I have not made it to the mechanic; so this is UNKNOWN. However, a full tank of oil leaking out twice in a 3 month slan is not a coincidence. Clearly, there is some sort of issue with the vehicle.

- Columbia, SC, USA

problem #108

Nov 172022

Soul

  • 85,000 miles
I am writing this letter to inform you of what I feel is an unacceptable situation. On November 17, 2022, my friend and I were heading to a veterinary specialist about 3 hours from where we live. On the way there the engine in her 2017 KIA Soul with about 85,000 miles on it started knocking. I said this isn-??t right, so we called for a tow. We had it towed back to our local mechanic, and they said it was a low-end engine knock. The mechanic called the local KIA dealership-??s service department to see if it was covered by the warranty. The KIA rep asked for the VIN after which they informed the mechanic since Julie did not respond to a letter (not a recall) sent out about a software upgrade that needed to be done to detect the problem early, it was not covered. She never saw said letter and has been at that same address for over 30 years. Our local shop quoted her $6,985.25 and about 2 weeks to replace the engine. She called the local KIA service department and they said they could make an appointment to diagnose it January 21st (but if she brought it in, they would fit it in before then, if possible, she had no idea that it was going to be over 4 months.) She also called KIA corporation (which took multiple calls and was on hold forever) to inquire about the warranty and was told KIA would not cover it. KIA corporation said her problem is with the U.S. Postal Service if she never received the update letter. The local dealership finally diagnosed it days after her scheduled appointment and was told she would have to pay over $6,000 and it would be about 4 weeks to have the engine replaced. I find it unacceptable my friend is told to check back every couple of weeks. I could totally understand it if KIA said, -??we-??ll take care of it, but it will take some time-?? but to have a paying customer-??s vehicle over 4 months (a third of a year) is ridiculous in my opinion. Julie is having to borrow vehicles and

- White City, OR, USA

problem #107

Mar 302023

Soul

  • 84,435 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated her daughter parked the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer the next day, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,435.

- Rainbow City, AL, USA

problem #106

Apr 012022

Soul

  • 72,859 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil filter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, and an oil change service was performed; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the oil warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was then taken to two independent mechanics, who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the contact was advised to take the vehicle to a local dealer for further diagnostic test and repair. The contact made various local dealers aware of the failure; however, the vehicle had not yet been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,859.

- Archdale, NC, USA

problem #105

Jan 012023

Soul

  • 137,000 miles
The car has been back for two for oil consumptions test at 1000 miles and is burning about 5 quarts every thousand miles.

- Annapolis , MD, USA

problem #104

Feb 022023

Soul

  • miles
My kia has been having a issue with the check engine light on blinking after driving it over 30 miles... The car then slows down to 2rpm and I'm really concerned about this after 2other people I know are having that same problem.

- Norcross, GA, USA

problem #103

Jan 172023

Soul

  • miles
On 11/07/22 my car started to sputter & lose power while going up a hill, the incident only lasted a few seconds with no warning lights. Later that same day my car wouldn't start and when it finally did start it started sputtering, had no power with no warning lights, plus there was a strong smell of gas from inside the car. I had the car towed to a local shop. The shop cleaned the injectors, put a fuel treatment in the tank and replaced a bad O2 censor. 8 Days later on another hill it happened again. A hard sputtering followed by loss of power, still no warning lights but also no smell of gas. I drove it back to the same shop and after just one day the shop could not get my car to reproduce the same incident but was having difficulty starting it so they installed a new battery. 5 Days later on Thanksgiving my car sputtered hard while driving with no warning lights or smell of gas. I was barely able to get my car across 2 lanes of oncoming traffic in order to pull into a store's parking lot. I had it towed to a new shop. At this new shop it was diagnosed that the car needed new Spark Plugs, a new High Pressure Fuel Pump and new Injectors but the shop took 3 weeks to give me an estimate and so I went and retrieved my car and towed it KIA of Lynchburg, having only had the Spark Plugs replaced. Once at KIA, I was told I had a Catalytic Converter failure and it needed replacing. KIA said that it would be covered under Emissions Warranty. I had the part installed and 3 days later on New Years Eve as I was driving on the highway, I had to come to a stop due to a stop light and when I halted, the car again sputtered and I limped into a nearby parking lot and had it towed back to KIA. KIA tried to say it was Engine Failure this time but the Engineers said the High Pressure Fuel Pump should be replaced. Once installed and during a test drive by the Master Mechanic, smoke emanated from under the hood. Soon after that my Engine bay was on fire which led to a total loss.

- Forest, VA, USA

problem #102

Jan 162023

Soul

  • miles
On January 16, 2023, my engine suddenly died while driving in moderate traffic, with a loud banging noise. I could have been in a serious accident, or killed, due to manufacturer and dealer negligence. When I was able to restart the car, it knocked terribly, but I was (barely) able to get it the short distance back to my home, where I discovered that there was very little oil in the car, though I have it changed more frequently than recommended and check it, as well. NO WARNING LIGHT came on. On January 17, I called a local dealer, who informed me of a recall that addressed that issue, though I NEVER received a recall notice. The dealer where I bought the car confirmed that this was a safety recall issue, and therefore, since I hadn't done the recall, because I was not notified, my unsafe, barely drivable car would not be repaired by the dealer. As I received this information from 2 dealers and from the manufacturer's customer (lack of) service representative, I have not taken it to a dealer to be inspected. I since learned that the dealer had not given my correct email or address to the car company, so recall notices must have been sent to an address I haven't lived at for 6+ years. They corrected this during my call on January 17. My current car was not even in their data base until my call to the manufacturer. They had a previous car I owned listed. I am seeking restitution and assistance on this matter. These recalls do not show up on this website, either.

- Murfreesboro, TN, USA

problem #101

Jan 172023

Soul

  • miles
We had a computer flash done and it has not ran right since. Engine started knocking and almost caused and accident engine felt like it was locking up causing the car to lose control

- Mount Gilead, OH, USA

problem #100

Jan 082023

Soul

  • miles
The car died, found out it was the engine. We didn-??t own the car for the 2019 recall and was never told. We owed 7,000 on a dead car.

- Jackson , MI, USA

problem #99

Nov 262022

Soul

  • miles
On the day after Thanksgiving 11/26/22, I was driving this vehicle home via the interstate when it began to decelerate without any warning. I pressed to accelerator and the car began moving slower and slower. I pulled off at the nearest exit and as I was exiting the interstate, the car almost completely stalled on me, idling very rough at the red light. While waiting for the light to turn, the engine light illuminated and began flashing. I live a mile from the interstate but I was able to make it home. I was very nervous because the car jerked and shuddered like it was about to die on me in the middle of the road. The next morning, I took the car next door to my residence and has some diagnostics ran on it. I was told that the car needed new spark plugs and coils. After paying for this service, the car still ran poorly as describe above so I took the car back. I ended up having the car towed to the nearest dealership and it was determined that I needed a completely new engine. I thought to myself "well at least the powertrain is still under warranty since I am the original owner and have kept up with timely maintenance. My warranty was denied due to lack of one missing oil change invoice that was done at the dealership back in 2018 at 18,000 miles. Somehow this missing oil change was missing from the dealership's records as well. I am good at keeping up with the maintenance on my vehicle, especially one that i bought brand new back in 2017 that's still under warranty but somehow, it was still denied. I decided to pay out of pocket to get the car fixed. The cost was over $6300. I picked the car up today 01/12/23. After driving approximately 15 miles, the car began to make a ticking sound at which point the check engine light came on again. Obviously the car is not fixed.

- Chattanooga , TN, USA

problem #98

Aug 012022

Soul

  • 83,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle started to hesitate then stalled. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle but was only able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact towed the vehicle to her residence and then towed the vehicle to the local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

- Greenville, MI, USA

problem #97

May 242022

Soul

  • 120,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle started jerking abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and had the vehicle towed to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no additional assistance. The failure mileage was 120,000.

- Wilson, NC, USA

problem #96

Nov 052022

Soul

  • miles
The oil light flickers at idle.... weak oil pressure. Blowby issues. Oil consumption an usage excessive...only has 130.000 miles. taken consistent care of it on oil changes. Motor louder than normal. Ticking sounds an loud tacking. I think the engine going south. The date shows it to be 12/16 model.but the serial numbers show it to be 17/17 what's up with that.... I believe the engine was left over 16 year. The one with problems. I need this thing fixed, it's my daughter's work car!!! She's been having to drive my truck to get to work....

- Oneonta , AL, USA

problem #95

Dec 062020

Soul

  • 112,000 miles
NO CODES KICKED BUT WHEN I SWERVED TO MISS SOMETHING IN ROAD OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND WENT RIGHT BACK OFF GOT HOME CHECKED OIL IT WAS 2 QT L0W I HAD JUST HAD THE OIL CHANGED I ADDED OIL AND SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN SHORTLY AFTER THE NEXT OIL CHANGE. THEN ON IMY WAY HOME ONE NIGHT THE ENGINE BLEW!!! ALL THIS STARTED AT BETWEEN 60 AND 70 THOUSAND MILES ENGINE BLOWN AT 112,000 MILES. I HAD THE ENGINE REPLACED AND HAD TO GET A NEW CATALITIC CONVERTER. WHEN THIS ENGINE REACH 70, OOO MILES IT STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN I HAVE HAD TO ADD 2 QTS OF OIL OFTEN TO KEEP IT GOING. AFTER CHECKING THIS SAME ENGINE IN THE 2011-2016 WAS RECALLED. KIA WAS ALLOWED TO KEEP PUTTING SAME DEFECTIVE ENGINE IN THE 2017 AND UP CARS WITHOUT FIXING THE PROBLEM. WHY IS THE 2017 ENGINE NOT RECALLED? 2nd ENGINE HAS NOW FAILED COMPLETELY AND CAR IS PARKED PLEASE HELP BY MAKING KIA PUT THESE CARS WITH FAULTY ENGINES ON RECALL LIST. {sorry about the all caps I did not know that this meant I was yelling not meant to be yelling Thanks for your help

- Barry, TX, USA

problem #94

Nov 272022

Soul

  • miles
I was driving down the interstate and my car made a loud noise, so I pulled over. Smoke started pouring out then it was immediately in flames. No prior issues. No injuries as I was able to get out. If fire recalls were till 2015, clearly my vehicle had issues too. What do I do?

- Chandler, AZ, USA

problem #93

Oct 282022

Soul

  • miles
The car will burn through almost a full 4 quarts of oil within 1000 miles. From reading online oil consumption issues are a common problem for 2014 through 2017 Kia Souls, but even some later models are having similar issues. Beyond the issue of the car burning that much oil that quick, the check oil light does not fully turn on even when the car was as the dealership put it, "Bone Dry" meaning that I as the driver had no idea that my engine could have seized up or stalled out at any moment. Also due to the fact that Kia Souls have an oil pressure driven timing chain the low oil issue extends down another level making engine stalling that much more likely. Though the most recent incendent occurred at around 94000 miles ot has been an ongoing problem for around 20000 miles.

- Mcewen, TN, USA

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