10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 1
Average Mileage:
6,843 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #20

Feb 082024

Soul

  • miles
My husband [XXX] and I own a 2018 Kia Soul, 102,000 miles, and in February, my daughter was driving to school and the front end of the car became shaking violently. It was so dangerous that my husband would not let my daughter drive it, as it was easy to lose control of the car. We took the car in to the Kia Dealership to be diagnosed. The steering shaft needed to be replaced, a total cost of $941.53, paid 2/19/24. After talking with mechanics and researching this part, it was clear that this part should last the lifetime of the car; in fact, I spoke with a mechanic who said they have never seen this issue, let alone in a 6 year old car. I continued searching online and saw that this was a problem in older models of Kia Souls, and there were recalls on the 2012- 2016 models for the same issue we experienced. So I called Kia to see if there was a recall on the 2018 model. They said no and that since there was not an extended warranty on the car, they would not reimburse or pay for the repair. I sent a message stating my position of outrage, that this repair is unacceptable since the part should last the lifetime of the car, and that obviously there was faulty manufacturing of the part. This posed a danger to my daughter, who is a college student, and Kia should be responsible for the repair. Kia sent my complaint to the escalation department for review, where I have been communicating with Kayla from the Customer Care Unit. I have been corresponding and waiting for a decision for reimbursement since February, and today I was told that my request was denied. My case number is #[XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #19

Feb 262024

Soul

  • miles
unknown. My car was stolen last Monday 2/26 about 10:15 AM. I've filed a police complaint as well.

- Dublin, CA, USA

problem #18

Mar 072021

Soul

  • miles
Oil consumption issues Not normal Don-??t understand why Kia knows about this issue but won-??t fix it Over a year with this issue Place in poteau Cavanal Tire said it should be addressed By Kia not when my motor locks up! Kia says let pour gunk in your car to patch the issue they know about That should be addressed on why they have not fixed it.

- Heavener, OK, USA

problem #17

Nov 112021

Soul 4-cyl

  • miles
When driving down a perfectly straight Road, if you take your hands off the steering wheel for a Split Second, the car drifts to the left over the center line of the road. [XXX] did a four-wheel alignment, however, the receipt said I told them it was pulling to the right, I specifically told them it was pulling to the left. I have an appointment with them on 6 September 2022 to try to correct their mistake. I am not sure an alignment will correct the problem. Second item: there was a recall of the airbags on this vehicle. This recall was cleared by Rusty Wallace GMC Kia, 300 King Avenue, Morristown Tennessee 37014 phone 423-586-1441. I am concerned about the drifting to the left when hands are lifted from the steering wheel on a straight Road. This could cause an accident. What is the remedy for this problem? Thank you [XXX] [XXX] car was acquired on 11/11/ 21 INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Newport, TN, USA

problem #16

Jun 272022

Soul

  • miles
My 2018 Kia burns through oil before 3000 miles. I have been told that this is not normal at all. I have been having this issue for some time now. The most recent time was this week. It-??s been and issue for at least a year or close to it.

- Heavener, OK, USA

problem #15

Jan 132022

Soul

  • miles
Follow up to complaint number 11446088 submitted on 1/3/2022 Car was taken to dealership on 12/18/2021 for check engine light with code P1326 and car entered a limp home mode that limited engine RPMs to 1800-2000 RPM. I received a call from dealership on 1/12/2022 informing me that car was ready for pickup. Picked up car on 1/13/2022, where invoice says the following: "77240 p1326 DTC 39250fln/39250rq0 check engine light on arrival, trouble code p1326. bearing clearance test was not able to be performed due to no tsb opened yet for this year make and model. opened a pwa case performed compression and leak down test passed. performed few test tech line required and came to a conclusion that engine replacement is not approved, knock sensor was approved under warranty vehicle will be shipped with no dcts over 2 drive cycles of 10 miles" Two notes: (1) it appears that the manufacturer informed dealership that it would not approve replacing the engine, despite the engine being under warranty, because no recall has yet been issued on the 2018 model year. (2) the dealership say they performed 2 drive cycles, each of at least 10 miles. This was not done, as shown on the mileage in/out readings on the attached invoice (see attached document, "06 - 2022-01-12 - Kia Carson - Invoice"). Attached are 8 documents for all the documents I have related to this problem: (1) NHTSA - Vehicle Complaint - 11446088 - 2022-01-03 (2) Kia Product Improvement Campaign Letter - 2021-11-16 (3) 01 - 2021-12-04 - Kia Carson - Workorder (4) 02 - 2021-12-04 - Kia Carson - Invoice (5) 03 - 2021-12-07 - Kia Carson - Workorder (6) 04 - 2021-12-07 - Kia Carson - Invoice (7) 05 - 2021-12-18 - Kia Carson - Workorder (8) 06 - 2022-01-12 - Kia Carson - Invoice Answers to questions above: (1) not available for inspection. I no longer possess vehicle (2) see complaint 11446088 (3) dealer confirmed problem, see 2022-01-12 invoice (4) yes, see 2022-01-12 invoice (5) see complaint 11446088

- Lomita, CA, USA

problem #14

Dec 172021

Soul

  • miles
On 16 November 2021, Kia sent a letter for a Product Improvement Campaign to install software called "Knock Sensor Detection System" ("KSDS") on my 2018 Kia Soul Plus. The software update was installed on 4 December 2021. The 16 November letter noted that if KSDS detected a problem, the car would enter a limp home mode that limited engine RPMs to 1800-2000 RPM and the Malfunction Indicator Lamp ("check engine light") would blink continuously. On 17 December 2021, the check engine light started to blink continuously, and the engine RPMs never exceeded 2000 RPM. I took the car to the dealership on 18 December 2021. The car is not safely operable. The dealership told me that they needed technical assistance from the factory, which they have not yet received as of 3 January 2022. I'm reporting the issue because it appears to be related to the known engine manufacturing defects in Theta, Nu, and Gamma lines of engines, and that these issues persist beyond the 2011-2016 model years (for which a recall has already issued) and at least into the 2018 model year. Answers to questions: (1) powertrain/engine failure, possibly other system(s) (2) safety risk is known fire danger in Theta, Nu, and Gamma engines (3) dealer is currently diagnosing/confirming the issue (as of 1/3/22) (4) only dealer has inspected vehicle (as of 1/3/22) (5) no issues prior to 12/17/21, when Malfunction Indicator Lamp ("check engine light") started to blink continuously and engine RPMs were limited to 2000 RPM.

- Lomita, CA, USA

problem #13

Dec 062021

Soul

  • miles
The alarm won-??t let me in the car. Got a jump started for a few. Cut it off now it has not started again. Changed starter that did nothing. Can-??t connect to the key, dashboard keeps blinking, Alarm keeps crashing. Battery checked out good. No ideal what is wrong

- Mckinney, TX, USA

problem #12

Jun 272020

Soul

  • miles
During a front end accident the car burst into flames and the driver was trapped and passed away at the scene.

- Glendale, AZ, USA

problem #11

Jul 312021

Soul

  • miles
On the evening of 7/31/2021 myself and my 2 brothers were on our way home from shopping. It had just got dark outside. Suddenly there was a loud noise under the hood and the vehicle stopped dead in the middle of the road. Thank GOD we were not hit from behind. I put the flashers on to warn others. Other cars were blowing there horns, it was very dangerous for us and others as well. I called and got AAA there as soon as possible. The car was smoking and oil was every where. I had the car taken to an independent shop. They told me the connecting rod had gone through the engine block and that it was very bad. They suggested that I take it to the Kia dealership. They said Kia would know about the warranty's. I had AAA take it to the Kia dealer ship in west Orlando. I paid them $265 to do the diagnostics on the car. They told me the connecting rod bearing had caused the rod to go thru the engine block. They said I would Have to have a new engine (approx. $10,000 ). I said if I gave them the money when could i get my car? They said they didn't know. I ask if I could have a loaner vehicle to get myself to work. They said they don't do that. They also said at that cost I would not get a new engine. I was not treated very nice. I never had any trouble with my car. I had no warning of any kind it just suddenly stopped. I am a widow and my husband always told me to keep my oil changed. He said it is the life of the car. So I always changed my oil ahead of the scheduled time for it to be changed. I got my oil changed on 7/29/2021 and the bearing went bad on 7/31/2021. A friend from my church tried to contact Kia Corp. in California for assistance, but was treated rudely.I know there have been recalls on different Kia and Hundai engines for connecting rod Bearing issues.This was very dangerous many people could have been hurt or killed. Kia Will not help. I only have 71,000 miles on my car. I was the second owner of the car so my warranty is no good. 3 tech's have seen it.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #10

Sep 222021

Soul

  • miles
So, I was driving down the road and there was like a tapping sound coming from the engine. It had been doing that tapping noise for a couple of days. All of a sudden a heard like a loud bang/pop noise and see smoke coming out of my engine area. The car stalled and I slowly let it coast to the side of the road. I looked at my rear view mirror and I see black smoke and a man running toward me yelling, "Get out of the car! Get out of the car! It's going to explode! Get out of the car!" Other cars were stopping and I couldn't tell what all the fuzz was about. I picked up my work lap top, parked the car, and took the keys off the ignition. Smoke was coming into the cabin and I realized this was something else. I opened the door and the man yelled again, "Get out!, Get out!" I did. I slowly got out of the car and made my way away from the car. I began recording because I was mad that this KIA that I had bought just over a year prior had broken down. It wasn't until I stepped further back that I see the fire coming upward and the engine was on fire as well. The KIA Soul 2018 burned completely down in less than 10 minutes. I was lucky to get out alive.

- Cameron, TX, USA

problem #9

Apr 092021

Soul

  • 65,000 miles
The cruise control somehow affects the engine and or transmission when in cruise it speeds up with out pressing on the gas the mpr goes way over 4 mpr then I cancel the cruise and reset it and same thing happens this is on hwy

- La Crosse, WI, USA

problem #8

Nov 112020

Soul

  • 28,500 miles
2 instances have occurred. 1. in reverse, the car moved forward and nearly hit a wall. 2. in reverse, the car moved forward and nearly hit another car. Then put in neutral to push back. But car moved forward in neutral as well. Let the car sit for a half hour. And it shifted into reverse correctly again.

- Mooresville, IN, USA

problem #7

Aug 222020

Soul

  • miles
At 2am on Saturday August 22nd my husband's 2018 Kia Soul, which was stationary in our driveway and not in operation at the time, was set ablaze for unknown reasons. We were asleep and were woken up by the sound of, what was possibly, the tires exploding, the car was completely on fire by the time we were able to wake up and evacuate the property. We have a doorbell camera that would have picked up a person in our driveway so we do not believe the cause was arson. Online research after the incident indicates that this could be related the the recent recalls of Kia and Hyundai, which our model was not included as far as we know.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #6

Dec 032019

Soul

  • 12,600 miles
Around 11:40pm on 12/3/2019 I parked my car in an empty parking lot - car was stationary. It was 51 degrees out and cloudy, but no rain or any precipitation. The car was not running; the heat/ac were not on. No one was around. Suddenly, the windshield in the back (large hatch door window) shattered entirely. It sounded like a shot. Nothing fell on the car, no people or animals were around. The whole window was shattered and crumbling along the edges. No rocks, bbs, pellets, branches, balls, or other objects anywhere. No other damage made at that moment to the car at all. The pane stayed together until I opened/closed my driver side door. Then it started to fall apart. No evidence of foul play. Only 12,600 miles on the car. Checked with the police, but no similar incidents had been reported. Occurred in kirkland, wa. No previous accidents as far as I know. Except a few weeks prior, on the highway during rush hour, a lon crack appeared on the drivers side of the front windshield, starting from the top edge about 9" long. No evidence of rock, debris, or impact.

- Shoreline, WA, USA

problem #5

Jun 102019

Soul

  • miles
When you turn off the car the key won't come out if it's raining you get wet and sometimes the car won't start and the remote don't work. You smell gas while you driving.

- Lehigh Acres, FL, USA

problem #4

Mar 012019

Soul

  • 1,000 miles
Two incidences of deceleration..one caused me to exit freeway onto the frontage road.. one inspection at dealership after 2nd incident stated "nothing found"...had I been surrounded by vehicles front and rear, I and others could have been involved in a serious accident...I was able to get off the frontage road onto a shoulder. The 2nd incident was near my residence and fortunately there was no one on the street at time....while the dealer technicians may not have these events occur at the time of service, these incidences I believe are spontaneous and therefore dangerous to the driver and passengers of my and other vehicles. These incidences keep me in fear of driving this vehicle. I have asked the local dealer for a trade to another brand but only response sometime April 2019... we will work on it. I started by emailing salesmen and managers of dealership and finally called which finally produced a response to attempt to find a different brand vehicle...this is a new loan of March 2018.,this vehicle supposedly was built in Sept. 2017.....fire hazard is mentioned with one death of woman in Texas due to one of these two causes.my vehicle is not safe and I do not want another Kia Soul.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #3

Apr 272019

Soul

  • 14,955 miles
I was sitting at a jacks drive through when my car accelerated on its on. My car was stopped with my foot on the brake. I could not stop the vehicle. It plowed into the rear of the vehicle in front of me. There was no damage to the vehicle in front of me but the reese hitch on his truck went through my bumper. There was no injury.

- Roanoke, AL, USA

problem #2

Jun 222018

Soul

  • 1,803 miles
On June 22 2018 I was towing my Kia behind my rv on I-10 near monticello fl. It became engulfed in flames. It was totally destroyed.the fhp arrived shortly thereafter as did the location fire department. Unfortunately no one was hurt however rv sustained $20K damage. There a fhp report on file (fhp01lro23143). I reported this to Kia in lake city, fl.there response was yes there had been reports but number was wasn't too bad. Called them several times but action. I have photos and the fhp report if needed. No future safety recall information is required, vehicle.ia in the boneyard.

- Dana Point, CA, USA

problem #1

Sep 132018

Soul

  • 13,000 miles
I was stopped at a red light. The car stalled and didn't know it. This has happened twice. Also several times I start the vehicle and it stall out immediately. Dealer couldn't find nothing wrong. Stopped and in drive or parked.

- Ocala, FL, USA