10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 11
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
35,869 miles

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problem #160

Mar 092025

Soul

  • miles
I purchased my car new from the dealer in August of 2017; at 40,000 I started having an excessive oil consumption issue. I took it repeatedly to the dealer for remedy under the warranty. They examined and performed services that failed to remedy the issue. From my research I learned that this problem arises from faulty piston rings and valves. I continued to take the vehicle to the dealer, and their response was that oil consumption on my vehicle was within their specifications. Currently my vehicles has 103867 miles and the KIA warranty has expired. The engine burns 1 quart of oil every 300 miles. Prior to expiration of the warranty I filed a warranty claim with Consumer Assistance and the matter was referred to Mediation and Arbitration, and the arbitrator declined my demand for replacement of the engine. This morning I noticed an article on the WEB that KiA vehicles (including Souls) were being recalled to prevent engine fires from faulty piston rings. This prompted me to get my complaint on file.

- Norwalk, CA, USA

problem #159

Jul 242024

Soul

  • miles
My husband was travelling down the highway in our car with my [XXX] in the back seat. Suddenly the motor seized up and the car started the rattle. The car came to a stop. We had the car towed to a Kia dealership and was told that the engine had seized up and would need to be replaced. I also found out about a known issue with Kia engines. I had never heard about it. We are the second owner and weren't notified that there was an issue. They are claiming that they don't have to fix the car because we hadn't had a knock sensor repaired. I don't know how we were supposed to know about it. Because it wasn't actually a recall, I couldn't even look it up. Even though the error is Kia's, they refuse to fix the car. There were no warning lights before this incident. The car was fine and then suddenly shut down on the interstate. It's a miracle, we weren't killed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- North Little Rock, AR, USA

problem #158

Sep 012024

Soul

  • 102,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel soon after an oil change. Additionally, the contact stated that there was oil accumulating around the exhaust pipe. Upon inspection of the engine, the contact discovered that oil was leaking from the piston rings. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

- Largo, FL, USA

problem #157

Jan 102025

Soul

  • miles
The crank shaft failed and is costing me 2800 to repair it.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #156

Sep 062024

Soul

  • miles
09/06/2024 my Kia Soul engine broke down towed to a mechanic shop and determined it needed a new engine, due to a recall that was issued before my ownership of the vehicle. Kia declines doing the engine replacement under the 150,000 warranty, due to the recall never being taken care of. Spoke to the dealer I bought the vehicle from and at the time of purchase they had no record of a recall being present on the vehicle. Attached is vehicles carfax and dates of incidents.

- Spanish Fork, UT, USA

problem #155

Nov 292024

Soul

  • miles
The Kia Soul is burning engine oil. I have to add an extra pint of oil every month. This known engine defect will one day damage the engine and may cause an accident.

- Houston , TX, USA

problem #154

Sep 262024

Soul

  • miles
Hi Nikki - This vehicle has an engine issue as of [XXX] when my car broken down on the road. The engine sputtered and the car was inoperable. I was told to call the Wynn-??s Extended Warranty, however it was late and there was no one available to answer the call. So then my car was taken by AAA to their repair facility where they diagnosed the vehicle with needing a new engine. At that point, they called in to make sure the engine was covered by Wynn-??s and they were told to have it towed to Kia as the car is below 100,000 miles and should be covered by them. Kia the performed a diagnosis and told me the engine needed to be replaced today on 10/7. They informed me the car would not be covered due to the car-??s two engine recalls that were not performed on the vehicle prior to my possession of the vehicle. Wynn-??s also stated the car would not be covered by them as this is a manfacturer-??s issue and they should cover it. Kia cannot cover it due to the open engine recalls. I was not informed of these recalls when I bought the car three months ago and the car currently sits close to 87000 miles with a total of four open recalls according to Kia. There have been over 20 calls made to both Kia and Wynn-??s and Wynn-??s will not allow us to talk to their Claims department as we are not a repair facility. There is a current $13,000 bill for a new engine at Kia and they are saying it is my responsibility. I have a voice recording between the Kia service advisor and the wynns warranty rep. Please advise who & when this is covered as this has played a huge part of stress, lack of transportation, and overall my life without a vehicle. I-??m very inconvenienced as a result of this. Please see all paperwork attached (contract and Kia paperwork) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Lake Worth , FL, USA

problem #153

Oct 102022

Soul

  • miles
I have wasted too much time and my own $ for my local KIA to dismiss their on going re-appointments and months of different service technicians to not have them reacting to an engine light to never retry something not done right. Now, they have my 2017 KiA Soul+ wrongly listed as no recalls remaining. I am trying to be as proactive and not lose my Kia or several more months of covering the Killeen, Tx Dennis Eakin KIA-??s rear to quietly avoid redoing more recall call backs they need to finish. So now your national government database shows my Kia doesn-??t have the P0420 catalyst and O2 sensor listed. -?"-I did my part for Killeen KiA and paid my $ to prove to them the check light kept coming back on after they turned it off in early 2022. The gas mileage is horrible. I-??m a handicap driver on fixed income, but no stranger auto warns. After a couple recall, full engine replacement attempts. Since my local KIA services, have re-called their own and also factory mechanical repairs. Both myself and Kia have basically had custody of my 2017 KIA. The last attempt they took back my now 2nd reshaped/fresh block from the first ever KIA recall that blew the piston the first few months I invested into this KIA. Every attempt to fix the next following recalls or unfinished work, I was told about late 2021 locally -??if I can bring KIA a code of the engine light-??(they temporarily hid) Then maybe they would go back and fix it or recall what needs to be fixed. I paid a mechanic after 3 attempts since 2021 of barely getting to drive my KIA. The code is P0420 I already have enough basic vehicle knowledge, to understand it was exhaust system stalling me (and the suspension) ( hack hydraulic also stopped functioning) I do love my KIA and do not want to start ideas of revamping my interest to Dodge or Chevy yet. I just want the recall for the catalyst/O2 and thermostat issue done or redone if my local KIA attempted to check off the P0420 recall before my engine fails again.

- Kempner, TX, USA

problem #152

Sep 042024

Soul

  • miles
Engine burns oil. Losing over 1 quart per 500 miles. Kia says it is normal.

- Springfield, MO, USA

problem #151

Sep 062024

Soul

  • miles
Vehicle is consuming oil far before service is due. Easily a quart or more before 1000mi. Read about a CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT regarding engine failure due to this.

- Knoxville, TN, USA

problem #150

Feb 152024

Soul

  • 140,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle failed to respond while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle shut off on an exit and blocked traffic. The vehicle was pushed out of the roadway by bystanders. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer and diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the failure was linked to an unknown recall campaign; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. The VIN was not available.

- Stoughton, MA, USA

problem #149

Jul 262024

Soul

  • miles
Unknown

- North Charleston, SC, USA

problem #148

Sep 012023

Soul

  • 111,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the mechanic discovered metal shards in the oil pan. The mechanic recommended that the vehicle be taken to a dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and a diagnostic test was performed, and the contact was informed that an engine flush needed to be performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

- Lake Geneva, FL, USA

problem #147

Jul 132024

Soul

  • miles
Burning oil and engine failure! According to Kia this is "a common issue" unbeknownst to consumers. This is VERY dangerous. The vehicle has been been sitting at a repair shop waiting for warranty approval.

- Huntington Beach, CA, USA

problem #146

Jul 022024

Soul

  • miles
I was driving down a freeway after changing my oil when my car began backfiring, which was strange so I pulled over and checked my engine but I saw nothing wrong, so I went back to driving so I could get home, but as I was driving home, the engine made a loud clang and then the engine completely died. I had come to find out later after paying to have my car towed home that it had infact overheated, and blown a piston straight through the engine block.

- Wimauma, FL, USA

problem #145

Jun 262024

Soul

  • miles
Just had an oil change done a couple months ago, the two previous oil changes I had, the merchanics advised me that the engine had less oil than it should for how little miles had been put on it. took it in today since it started making a "ticking" noise, and was informed that there was hardly any oil in the engine, and that was the cause. it had only been driven 2000 miles since the last change. they informed me of a TSB that was out for the 2017 souls that have a 1.6L engine (reference number PS739) that basically says that a defect is causing an engine oil leak due to a dowel pin. contacted a dealership per their advice and they told me that it is not covered by Kia even though it is a known issue by them, looking at several of the other complaints against this vehicle it seems to be a very common issue and should be addressed by the manufacturer, and not have to be paid out of pocket by the consumer. This should be recalled immediately to prevent people's engines from being burnt up due to the engine over consuming oil

- Pasadena, TX, USA

problem #144

Dec 292022

Soul

  • miles
The engine failed and the car just stopped running. The safety of me and my family was put at risk. I barely could get the car off the road as I'm disabled. I had to call for help.

- Crestview, FL, USA

problem #143

Apr 092024

Soul

  • miles
The engine failed on an Arizona highway, at night, while my daughter was driving from Arizona to California. My daughter's safety, and that of her friend who was also in the car, was put at risk due to the near inability to move the vehicle off of the highway and onto the shoulder. This route [XXX] ) is a major highway used by truckers and regular vehicles. Her hazards lasted just long enough for the tow truck to arrive. Her hazard lights were dying just as the tow truck driver pulled up. I can't imagine what could have happened if she was sitting on the side of the road, in a black car at night, with no functioning hazard lights. We were able to get the vehicle towed back to San Tan Valley, Arizona. I called several Kia service departments and was told that there was an engine recall up to the 2016 models, but the 2017 models were not included. No inspection has been done on the vehicle up to this point. The check engine light did come on and was flashing at the time of the failure. We have since pulled the plugs in the vehicle and are seeing metal shaving on one of the plugs. Codes checked on the vehicle indicate multiple misfires. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- San Tan Valley, AZ, USA

problem #142

May 182024

Soul

  • miles
05/18/2024 (Saturday) I was driving home from my parents house. After approximately 7 miles from leaving their home the check engine light came on. The car became sluggish and seamed to not have a lot of power. I drove the car approximately another 7 miles straight to the dealership for it is be examined. On Monday 05/20/2024 they called to tell me that I needed a new engine because the car had metal shaving in the engine. I asked the service rep how this was possible they she replied she did not know. I explained to her that I could not pay $7,800 + tax for a new engine. She asked me to wait and see what she could do. She called me back the next day 05/21/2024 to inform that she spoke with the manager and that they would be able to complete the work for $5,100 + tax. On 05/22/2024 I explained that I be picking up the car and having it towed to my house, I paid Kia Palmdale $220 for the diagnostic. My concern is that how can my car have no oil, never did any warning light come on. If the error code listed on their paperwork, they list p1326. There are many Kia cars with this problem listed as a faulty engine. Listed this the past 2 oil changes: 12/12/2023 Jiffy Lube 156,293 miles 03/28/2024 Jiffy Lube 160,692 miles 05/18/2024 car breaks down at 163,498 miles with no oil. this makes no sense. I would also like to add that ever since the car was purchased at Kia Palmdale every single maintenance was done at their location, even to the point of paying $1,059.69 for their 120,000 miles check-up on 01/31/2022. Kia Palmdale has all these records for again, there should be no reason the car not to give a warning and go to engine failure.

- Palmdale, CA, USA

problem #141

Dec 102023

Soul

  • miles
Last year check engine light came on & It was time to get my oil change, So you know when they connect the car to that reader well it came back It was my catalytic converter And so I was like that's really expensive, check engine light ended up going off then on. Now mind you I always keep up the maintenance on this vehicle. So let's fast forward A little bit My next oil change comes around This establishment put my car on the reader again catalytic converter comes up again. I get the oil change And then 1 month later my car gives me a notice telling me I need oil I take it back to my establishment And there was no oil in there Had to get another oil change to put new oil instead of stuff and then they told me that Issues which is causing the catalytic converter to fail which is sucking up oil causing oil issues the Gentlemen informed me I can Replace my catalytic converter but This issue is still gonna happen because my motor is going bad So in other words I can replace my catalytic converter And later on down the line I'm gonna have to replace it again because of the motor now this does pose risk to my family because I put myself my grandchildren my children in this vehicle We could be driving back from vacation or what have you and stall in the middle of nowhere because the motor quit on us or the oil runs low causing Engine trouble Which is not acceptable. So wondering Why isn't there a recall Or 1 that I'm aware of Then I looked this stuff up and there's a lot of people with the same issue as myself

- Apache Junction, AZ, USA

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