9.0

pretty bad
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
2,329 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 #17

Mar 052023

Soul

  • miles
Engine light was on, I was driving the turn off I take the car to Kia they-€™re fixed in December, now the is doing the same engine light on, I was driving the car turn off is the same problem the I have before,

- Charlotte , NC, USA

problem #16

Jan 302023

Soul

  • miles
2021 Kia Soul started making engine noises as it was being driven home. The next day while driving home there was a loud boom and total loss of power while driving. It coasted to a parking lot. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership. We are now awaiting approval for total engine replacement via warranty. Vehicle has less than 50K miles. Oil changes were done with synthetic oil.

- Douglasville, GA, USA

problem #15

Feb 172023

Soul

  • miles
Car began sputtering in the middle of the road, all the symbols on the dash started lighting up. I went to make a turn and car stopped moving came to a sudden slow down and rolled to the side. I put it in park. It would not start and sputtered.

- San Antonio , TX, USA

problem #14

Feb 132023

Soul

  • miles
Turning left onto busy street, engine stopped, car stuck in incoming traffic lane, would not go momentarily.

- Ellisville, MO, USA

problem #13

Jan 192023

Soul

  • miles
On or approximately January 6, 2023 my 2021 Kia Soul with ISG technology began to display Check Engine Light. Took to AutoZone where they hooked to analyzer and came up with P0017 code. Notified local Kia dealership (Galeana in Columbia, SC) and was told could not get appointment until 01/24. Told if engine light no blinking could continue driving. No overt issues when driving at that time. Reset light by disconnecting negative battery terminal but immediately reappeared. On 01/19/23, engine began cutting out and running rough, turning off when brake applied. Was able to crawl home. Had towed into local dealership. Now told my "engine is bad" and that it has been escalated to "tech case" with KIA central. All maintenance up to date and no current recalls active. Noted that case very similar to those for which class action lawsuit was filed. This could have caused a real issue in traffic with it stalling at lights and ultimately stopping.

- Lexington, SC, USA

problem #12

Dec 292022

Soul

  • miles
On 12/29/2022, the check engine light came while driving to work on my 2021 Kia (25k miles). I called the dealership right away and made an appointment for inspection the next day. At lunch time the same day, I got into my car and went through a local drive thru. On the way back, the vehicle stalled out WHILE driving. It stalled out repeatedly driving the 3 blocks to my office. Knowing the vehicle was unsafe, I had it towed to the dealership. The dealership has had my vehicle for two weeks. Changing all the emission parts, and tried to tell me I had no oil in the car (regular maintenance through them is up to date). Now they keep telling me, they are waiting for the Kia hotline to contact them. I do know this, the car was burning excessive oil. Parts of the engine were gunked up from this. Engine started stalling out. It's the exact description of the recalled 2021 Kia problems, yet they claim not mine it was not part of the recall. These engines are dangerous. Kia is doing NOTHING to resolve the issue.

- Sloan, IA, USA

problem #11

Jan 282022

Soul

  • miles
On 12/28 at approximately 5:00 pm my vehicle shut off 2 times within a span of 30 minutes while I was driving it. It happened on approach to a highway. It was NOT the Stop-Start System. My car was moving while it happened. My car lost all power, and every warning indicator flashed in my dash and I even lost my power steering. I took my car to KIA and they categorized this as my car -€œstalling-€, but I wouldn-€™t say that is accurate. My car-€™s computer seems to have malfunctioned or was hacked. Indeed KIA-€™s repair document shows that they performed a software update on my car to solve this. My car-€™s engine was certainly malfunctioning while driving on 12/28 after both events of losing all power to my car. It sounded like my engine was in the wrong gear after these events. I didn-€™t drive my car after that episode and KIA refused to tell me what was wrong after they -€œrepaired it-€ and performed a software update. This article yesterday about KIA/other auto-€™s breached is unnerving. I don-€™t feel safe driving the car and wish I had the ability to cut off KIA-€™s API to my car while driving. They should only be allowed to perform software updates or access the car-€™s computer remotely while the car is stationary and the driver should be alerted that KIA or a third party is accessing the car-€™s computer and/or engine, etc. I just want to make sure if I get in a serious accident that this is on record. https://www.cyberscoop.com/car-hackers-vulnerabilities-research/

- Lantana, FL, USA

problem #10

Oct 202022

Soul

  • miles
The engine is consuming increasingly high amounts of oil with no leaks, far surpassing the one quart per 1000 miles. Oil pressure lamp has illuminated on 1-2 occasions, only briefly, and shortly before I took it to the dealership. Unusual noises coming from the engine while accelerating and also after I stop. I had my oil changed 1 week ago, unusual noises have not improved. Currently awaiting inspection at the dealership for manufacturer warranty coverage for repair of this issue, but seems to have all the earmarks and the production date (9/20) that line up with the piston ring recall, though they say my vehicle is not covered by the recall.

- Spring, TX, USA

problem #9

Oct 072022

Soul

  • miles
I believe my specific vehicle should also be assigned the recall no. 21v259000. My vehicle experienced engine stall, loss of power and leaking oil onto hit components which could have resulted in fire. I was stalled and in traffic and could also have been in hit by another vehicle. The engine is now having to be replaced at the dealership. I am told my car is not part of the above mentioned recall even though the motor in my vehicle matches the motor on the recall.

- Arvada, CO, USA

problem #8

Jun 272022

Soul

  • miles
good day my kia soul consumes excessive oil. I have noticed it since the last three oil changes and when you turn it on you can hear a slight knocking in the engine. I took it to the dealer but they demand a deposit of 300 dollars to check it and they do not guarantee original parts. I think it is unfair that they demand three hundred dollars to check it when my kia soul has 25,600 miles and has a guarantee and I demand that my guarantee be honored and my safety be guaranteed. thanks for your attention

- Juana Diaz, PR, USA

problem #7

Apr 132021

Soul

  • miles
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

- College Park, GA, USA

problem #6

May 042022

Soul

  • miles
I was driving into work and when I got off the expressway my car started rattling loudly. I finished my drive into work and parked the car. I asked a co worker to see if he could see if my muffler was still connected and he mentioned that the noise was coming from my engine. The two weeks previous to this my car would shut off if I slowed down or was pulling into a parking space. I just thought it was my auto shut off when the engine was on low idle.

- Queen Creek, AZ, USA

problem #5

Mar 092021

Soul

  • miles
I am very concern with the 2021 KIA Soul that I drive presently. The vehicle is in my son-€™s name; however, I pay the monthly payments and I am the primary driver for this automobile; this is also listed on my insurance policy as well. I have been experiencing some dangerous mechanical conditions with the car. Please find a copy of my uploaded document summary. I have an appointment tomorrow, Tuesday, on March 22, 2022.

- Somerset, NJ, USA

problem #4

Feb 272022

Soul 4-cyl

  • 21,100 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repair. The dealer replaced the piston rings; however, the Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software was not updated as it was not available during the recall repair. The contact stated while driving 35-45 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and she was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred the next day. A warning message illuminated, indicating that the Auto Collision was about to be deactivated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the next availability was in April. The contact also called several unknown dealers who advised that the next availability was in April or May. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the completion of the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,100. Parts distribution disconnect. Kia-€™s lack of ability/failure to address and fix the vehicle-€™s recall in a timely manner.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #3

May 112021

Soul

  • 8,000 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled on several occasions. There were no warning lights illuminated. The engine failure message was displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V259000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was no oil in vehicle. Additionally, the contact was informed of an oil flow failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Beeville, TX, USA

problem #2

Mar 022021

Soul

  • 8,000 miles
Two major issues. I have heard a very loud ticking sound coming from the engine which started about three days ago. Before then the car ran silent. Car is it approximately 8000 miles on the odometer. The clicking started getting louder and then the car stalled twice right in the middle of driving! one was on a street going about 45 miles an hour! the otherwas on a side street going approximately 25 miles an hour. The ec oh mode was on in the car. Also' when you turn on the heater fan on high it started making a high-pitched squealing sound. The car is at the dealership right now as it will not work properly.

- Twinsburg, OH, USA

problem #1

Nov 192020

Soul

  • 2,500 miles
When I was driving at 15mph the car completely shut off. So I tried to restart it and when I took the key out everything locked up and it was like that for 5 min in the middle of the road before the car came back on and flahed the engine and oil light.

- Clarksville, TN, USA