10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
4,493 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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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #14

Feb 202021

Soul

  • 2,500 miles
I was driving the vehicle with less than 3,000 miles on it. I was on a city street about to go on highway ramp. I stopped at a red light and as usual isg (idle stop and go) feature shut down the engine, but when the light turned green and I moved my foot off the break, the car did not start again, instead there was an engine light and battery and oil lights that went on. There were cars behind me. Thankfully, since I was on a hill I was able to steer the car towards the curb allowing the cars behind me to pass. After that I used my car key to completely turn off and then turn on the car, at which point the engine started again. In the past I haven't had problems with this isg (idle stop and go) feature, but now I'm worried that this can happen on a highway or if I cannot start the car with my key.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #13

Nov 292020

Soul

  • 9,000 miles
I stopped at stop sign and the car shut off and made a ding sound but radio never disconnected. Not the usual shut off this was different. Then it started but it made an unusual ding sound. Plus, sounds like the transmission is dragging it was a recall and I took the car back for maintenance and now it's doing same thing again plus this time it was whining for about 10 seconds while I was driving.

- Rock Hill, SC, USA

problem #12

Nov 202020

Soul

  • 3,100 miles
Our Kia Soul 2020 has some failure related to the auto stop feature (isg). Starting at about 3000 miles, the car groans as it comes out of auto stop, with the noise coming from the front left. Kia corporate does not acknowledge this as a repeated issue, though there are many forums online recording this exact problem around this mileage. There seems to be no consensus on the repair, and no consensus on whether it is safe to drive. If the auto stop (isg) feature is disabled, the noise does not happen. More accounts can be found here: Https://www.kiasoulforums.com/threads/engine-grinds-when-coming-out-of-the-auto-start-stop.116042/ a video with the same noise can be found here: Https://youtu.be/1ta6bh6zpu8 this unnerving noise occurs after about 10 minutes of driving (no noise prior to that).

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #11

Oct 202020

Soul

  • 1,400 miles
This 2020 Kia Soul has a cvt transmission. It has now failed twice with only 1400 or so miles on the car. The first failure occurred on the highway, approximately 100 miles from our home. The second occurred on streets by my house, directly by a school in a school zone. The car failed to drive multiple times, and the transmission failed. This is an unsafe vehicle and Kia will not even speak with me. The dealership will not assist either. The car was in the shop for 14 days, with only a loaner for 7, and now it is dead a short time later. This vehicle is unsafe to be driven. It was purchased new.

- Spring, TX, USA

problem #10

Sep 222020

Soul

  • 6,000 miles
When the isg (automatic stop/start) comes out (lift foot off of break pedal), the car makes a very loud noise. It only happens when coming out of isg. Other Kia Soul owners have found same thing. This happens only when coming out of a full stop, after the isg engages, then disengages (this is where sound occurs). Continues to happen after every isg stop.

- Mission, KS, USA

problem #9

Aug 182020

Soul

  • 0 miles
In the mornings vehicle is not starting. Takes 20 tries...has occured last 5 days.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #8

Jun 172020

Soul 4-cyl

  • miles
While at my Kia dealership on 6/17/20 for a routine vehicle inspection, Kia staff told me that my car had "two safety recalls (SA409 and SA424)." I asked why Kia had not told me about the "safety recalls". they told me that: "we don't know that they exist unless you bring your vehicle in here. Then, when we check our records, we find out if there are any recalls". if this statement is true, both Kia and NHTSA have a significant lapse in their procedures. How was I as the car's owner supposed to learn about the unaddressed "safety recalls"? yesterday, I sent emails to Kia' S corporate headquarters in irvine, ca. They do not reply. Since I don't know what the "safety recall" code numbers mean, I don't know if I was driving a vehicle with a significant safety issue, or, how long the issue(s) had been present. Please reply and please, contact Kia to apprise them of the careless manner in which Kia staff handled this matter.

- Monroe, NC, USA

problem #7

Apr 032020

Soul 4-cyl

  • 6,959 miles
4/3/20 at 6,959 mileage, took car to dealership 'cause check engine light coming on. Their computer diagnostic code for coolant cold S5art error, Kia has no repair at this time. Have periodically checked with dealership and customer service, still no repair, check engine light stays on. Have invoice # K1cs392579 from mentor Kia, mentor, oh 44060 - same response from purchasing dealership, haleen Kia in North olmsted, oh on 4/24/20 and Kia customer service in California on 4/24/20. Not comfortable with check engine light staying on constantly!

- Eastlake, OH, USA

problem #6

Sep 262019

Soul

  • 12,000 miles
Gas pedal got stuck we ran through the end of the house. This happen while turning in our driveway

- Athens, AL, USA

problem #5

Jan 132020

Soul

  • 4,500 miles
1-13-2020 driving when a little rock made a chip in my windshield and within seconds a crack about 8 inches long appeared and now the crack is a foot long. When we bought the vehicle we were told our warranty would cover everything, but when we took it in they informed us we only got bumper to bumper mechanical. The person we got it from lied to us about what we were getting and we thought we could trust him. We had to reset the radio because sometimes it would work sometimes it wouldn't, then my backup cam wouldn't work if the radio was on the fritz. Starting 1-17-2020 my Kia started surging or chugging like it was going to die on the side of the road. Hopefully this issue has been resolved. This is my first brand new vehicle and I am not happy with the sellers or the vehicle so far. And now my windshield wont be fixed because we thought we could trust the person we bought from at the Kia in moline, Illinois causing this safety issue and our deductible is more expensive than it would be that to just pay out of pocket.

- Geneseo, IL, USA

problem #4

Jan 192020

Soul

  • 15 miles
Driving on highway I heard a loud bang. I thought something had hit the roof of my car. I opened the sunroof cover and discovered my sunroof was shattered but still intact. Upon further inspection there was no sign of debris hitting the sunroof or any part of the roof. The sunroof spontaneously shattered, which I never knew it could do, but reading further on the internet it can and does happen.

- Dumfries, VA, USA

problem #3

Jan 012020

Soul

  • miles
The car would shut off and I will start it back up it will crank then shut back off and to be clear it has plenty of oil so that's not the problem

- Kankakee, IL, USA

problem #2

Dec 062019

Soul

  • 2,298 miles
Vehicle is equipped with auto stop/start. When at a stop light the auto stop/start engaged, and before the brake was released the auto stop/start displayed an error in the display indicating that the car needed to be shifted to P or N and restarted as the stop/start function ended and engine was completely off. Replacement of the ECM seemed to fix this. Now the same vehicle displays the same error (engine stop/start is off) as the vehicle is being parked in a parking space and before the engine is physically turned off (the brake is being engaged, and the vehicle shifted to park at the same time. This happened in both my vehicle an ex model, and a 2020 S model (rental car). My vehicle has push button start/stop, and the S model is a key start model. This began on 082919 with the ex, and lastly on 120619 with the S model.

- Chesterfield, MO, USA

problem #1

Jun 152019

Soul

  • 500 miles
I learned the car horn on my 2020 Kia Soul did not work while on a highway and close to being in an accident. I tried to use horn to alert the other driver and it failed. I contacted dealer service dept for assistance and had to schedule a service appointment and they advised me the horn system failed and sent me home with my car and no horn. I complained to the service mgr and they gave a loaner and took my car back to their service area until the parts come in. They advised me that the part will take 4 weeks to come in, they can't take the part from the other 2020 Soul on the lot as they all have the same failed horn system.

- Clifton, VA, USA