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Everyone wants to experience fun on the road, which is why some customers turn to the 2019 Kia Soul. The newer models claim to be “outgoing and adventurous,” but our research shows nothing enjoyable coming out of the complaints. In fact, this model seems to suffer from a poorly-built structure, defective fuel system, faulty visibility and malfunctioning service brakes.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2020 Kia Soul
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Power Train | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Steering | |
| Electrical System | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Exterior Lighting | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Visibility/wiper |
Problems with the Engine
No one expects the engine in the 2020 Kia Soul to be exceptionally powerful. After all, this isn’t a sports car, but customers do have a reasonable expectation that the engine is safe. Sadly, that’s clearly not the case.
Just look at this complaint filed with the NHTSA. “The contact owned a 2020 Kia Soul. While driving at 70 mph, the vehicle stalled as the Engine Warning Light illuminated and the vehicle was merged to the side of the road. When the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, the engine caught on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed to an impound yard. The vehicle was totaled. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred 10 days after the vehicle was purchased. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 600.”
There appears to be a bunch of engine issues with the Kia Soul. A recent recall (#21V259000) for “Improperly Heat-Treated Piston Oil Rings” was issued for the 2020 & 2021 Kia Soul as well as the 2021 Seltos. The recall states “A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.” A recent complaint logged on the NHTSA website states “Spontaneously Burst into flames. Was completely destroyed”
Another complaint states:
“The car started knocking at 65 mph while excelling to 70 the engine then had a loud bang and the engine block broke apart and spilled oil on to manifold almost starting a fire I have been informed that the engine is recalled for piston rings. This is an extremely dangerous situation. LUCKILY I managed to exit highway and not engulfed in flames. So far Kia has been unwilling to assist me and I also purchased an extended warranty with Automotive Protective Corporation in Atlanta Ga. and no body is helping me.”
In addition, Service Bulletin #TSBENG203 talks about the need to update the ECU technology already because the logic isn’t quite right. The Soul is experiencing trouble with DTC P0606, which points specifically to the Engine Control Unit. In order to repair it, the software must be updated.
Surely, this shouldn’t be occurring on brand new vehicles, and there’s no reasonable explanation why a new car would start on fire. The only thing “next-level” that owner experienced were higher insurance rates after the loss.
Problems with the Steering
Thankfully, the owner above was able to get the car off of the road with some precise steering, but this is another system that might fail.
One NHTSA review says, “Vehicle pulls sharply and abruptly to the right at speeds above 45-50. When I test drove the vehicle, I mentioned to the salesman that I thought it was pulling to the right, of course, he didn’t feel it, but would have it checked. After purchasing the vehicle in April, and owning it about 7 months, this problem is worse. I took it back to the dealership where purchased and was told this was normal due to the Lane Keeping Assist function. If this is the case, this is dangerous due to the fact that it is a very sharp turn and abrupt pull to the right, with no warning.”
Today’s driver-assist technology is designed to keep people safer on the road, not put them more in danger. Yet, Kia doesn’t seem to understand the concept. Aside from what the Lane Keep Assist caused in the above situation, the automaker also acknowledges other steering concerns. With Service Bulletin #TSBCHA084_R3, we see that the Motor-Driven Power Steering system is causing problems along with the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and the Steering Column Housing. In fact, any of these three parts might require repair or replacement to function properly again. Maybe the 2020 Kia Soul believes it is an autonomous vehicle, attempting to take over control from the driver. Until appropriate repairs are made, it might be wise for other drivers to stay clear of the Soul while on the road. After all, no one wants to be a casualty caused by this “next-level versatility.”
Problems with the Transmission
As part of the powertrain, owners expect a reliable and smooth-shifting transmission under the hood. Without this, the car is uncomfortable and cumbersome to drive. It seems that the Kia Soul is suffering from transmission problems as well.
That’s exactly what is revealed through this Edmunds review. “We bought our 2020 soul brand new in November 2019. At exactly 626 miles (of very light easy driving) the transmission suffered catastrophic failure. We waited for another transmission to arrive from Korea and was our of our car for 2 months. When we picked the car up, the dealer assured us it was a fluke, however I learned that this is nothing new. Kia used the same CVT transmission in the 2019 Forte, and suffered nothing but problems. After much research, I have learned that the CVT transmission has destroyed a bunch of major car brands reputation, mostly Nissan amongst others. A CVT transmission is one that lacks the gears of previous types, is supposed to offer better fuel economy but is unfortunately a new untested type for most manufacturers.”
The real reason automakers are installing a CVT transmission is to cut costs, but this particular model is putting drivers at risk of an accident. It doesn’t appear that only the automatic transmissions are causing problems with the 2020 Kia Soul. In fact, Service Bulletin #PS605 specifically discusses the trouble with manual transmissions as well. It states that customers are having trouble shifting into 1st gear due to a misadjusted shift/control cable. Without 1st gear, it becomes difficult to pull out and even begin driving. Maybe it’s better that way – less Kia Souls on the road that could lead to an accident.
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Complaint Data
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Mar 18, 2023 |
| State | OK |
| Description | Transmission failed when driving 70 on a highway. |
| Category | Engine, Service Brakes |
| Date | Mar 12, 2023 |
| State | CA |
| Description | My car will not turn on |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Feb 24, 2023 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Hello, I purchased a 2020 kia soul s in oct. Of 2019. Soon after I received a letter noting an engine recall in relation to the oil pistons. This manufacturer defect causes the engine to stall, and if left long enough, can cause oil to leak onto the engine and potentially catch fire (https://www. Cars. Com/research/kia-soul/recalls/). I have needed three engine replacements since purchasing the car. The first replacement was in january of 2022 with less than 20,000 miles, the second was in october of 2022 at around 33,000 miles, and my vehicle is currently awaiting another engine replacement at about 35,000. To my knowledge, the issue has been the same oil piston engine associated with the initial engine recall. I'm concerned because it seems like kia is replacing defective engines with more defective engines with the same issue. Sometimes a check engine pops up intermittently, but in all three cases, the tell was the car stalling. Thankfully I've learned to take it to the repair shop quickly when this happens to avoid worse side effects. |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Feb 22, 2023 |
| State | VA |
| Description | Motor driven power steering failed, dealer (hyman bros kia midlothian va) replaced the flexible coupling in the power steering assembly. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Feb 12, 2023 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Vehicle shut down while driving |
| Category | Electrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 10, 2023 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The car has rebooted (like a computer) three times in the last month as I am driving the car. Not in park, not just starting the car. I am in drive and the car just reboots. Today, I received a warning about my forward collision system and all the lights on the dashboard lit up. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 23, 2023 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Transmission completely cut out. Had to tow to dealership and get an entire new transmission. 30k miles. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jan 20, 2023 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Car stalled while driving, |
| Category | Electrical System, Service Brakes, Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Jan 10, 2023 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while reversing the vehicle and depressing the brake pedal to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal was rigid and failed to stop the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the brake pedal operated as needed. The contact stated while the vehicle was in park(p), the message to shift to park(p) was displayed. Additionally, the oil pressure and charging warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that the front windshield wipers failed to work intermittently. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer; however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure persisted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 06, 2023 |
| State | AL |
| Description | Driving vehicle on roadway and started braking to stop at a stop sign when the engine revved higher, had a shudder, and then then car abruptly stopped in traffic. Check engine light illuminated. Put in park, checked under the hood; no engine issue that I could see. Motor ran smooth with no shudder. When transmission shifted to d, vehicle did not move; would not move in any gear. Towed to kia of dothan (al). Several transmission codes given. Service dept. Advised transmission had a total failure. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jan 04, 2023 |
| State | NC |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle started overheating. Additionally, the piston rod had gone through the engine block. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 26, 2022 |
| State | AL |
| Description | While driving along the interstate, going 70 mph, I noticed the rpm gauge started to fluctuate. Shortly after, I started having issues maintaining the speed. I pressed the gas pedal, but the vehicle wouldn't speed up - instead started loosing speed. I started to hear grinding noises as I pressed the gas pedal. Eventually, I kept loosing speed and there was nothing I could do to make the vehicle move. I had to pull off and coast into a parking lot to be towed. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
| Date | Dec 17, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The vehicle stalls and turns off while stopped. The vehicle turns off quickly with all dash light sensors turned on with a front collision warning. The vehicle can only be restarted when is boosted. The battery was checked and is in good working condition. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Dec 14, 2022 |
| State | KY |
| Description | The dealership installed the knock sensor in my car in november 2022 due to recall. Yesterday 12/12/22 when I left work, my car knocked so loudly the whole car was shaking. The car slowed and the check engine light came on. The car slowed while I was in process of accelerating to get up to speed on a busy urban street. There were several cars and I was afraid I was going to get hit due to the sudden deceleration. My car was towed to a kia dealership. I was told it would be one to two week before they could even do a diagnostic on it and they could not give me a rental. I'm paying a car payment for a car that has broken down multiple times. The dealership said they were having a lot of cars being brought in because kids were stealing them after watching a tik tok where they're shown how easy it is to steal a kia and taking the cars for joy rides and wrecking them. When I took the car to the dealership in november, they didn't fix anything, only put the knock sensor on. Now, just a few weeks later, its knocking and and the sensor is going off. I told them it sounded odd, knocking sort of when I found out about the recall. I bought this car because I needed a more dependable car. My other car was getting older and I am getting older and have health issues. I do not feel safe in this car with all the problems I've had. |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Dec 08, 2022 |
| State | IA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while starting the vehicle in a parking lot, the steering wheel locked, and the contact was unable to turn the steering wheel. The contact shifted the vehicle into park(p) and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the power steering functionality returned. The contact stated a symbol of a steering wheel in a circle with a line through the steering wheel was illuminated. The contact stated she drove the vehicle to her residence and turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train |
| Date | Nov 28, 2022 |
| State | LA |
| Description | For many months car has been randomly stalling. It has never been able to be duplicated at dealership, therefore it hasn't been addressed. In recent weeks the stalling is more often and is now accompanied by a check engine light. |
| Category | Engine, Steering |
| Date | Nov 02, 2022 |
| State | TN |
| Description | At around 91, 697 miles, our 2020 kia soul ex began to have issues with the engine stalling out while downshifting in lower speeds, we took our kia into the local (still an hour away from our home) dealership, for the recall "fix" which involved uploading a firmware update to the ecm for the knock sensor. We also had the dealership look into the issue of stalling out, but they could not replicate the issue and therefore sent us on our way. About two weeks later, the vehicle started making an extreme knocking sound (I am a mechanic and knew what the issue was immediately), and it brought up a check engine light, however there was no oil light or warning of any kind that came on. Upon further inspection, it was discovered that there was no oil in the vehicle. Upon filling the vehicle back up with oil, everything seemed normal, until the weekend of 11 october, when the motor again had an extreme amount of oil consumption, to the point of the same symptoms, along with a loud rattling sound, as if something had broken due to lack of lubrication, despite having an oil change completed less than a month prior, with approximately 1200 miles due to the next oil change. This almost left us stranded approximately 1. 5 hours away from home. Again, we filled the engine with oil, and drove with extreme caution as the check engine light never shut off. Again, no oil light or indication the vehicle was experiencing a no-oil condition was present. After getting an appointment and taking the vehicle into the dealership on 20 october 2022, the technician stated that there were multiple cel codes, including p0017 crankshaft position, multiple cylinder misfire codes, and low compression on cylinders 2,3, and 4, with cylinder 2 being the lowest. It was deemed that the top end of the motor looked good, with no obvious signs of neglect in maintenance, or issues that may cause false codes. The vehicle continues to exhibit stalling, and low acceleration, posing a severe safety issue. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Oct 25, 2022 |
| State | WI |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated that twelve hours after the vehicle was purchased while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The traction control warning light and the check engine warning light are illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the throttle body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed and lubricant was placed on the wiring however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was offered an appointment scheduled for a diagnostic test and offered a trade for the vehicle, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 21,700. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Oct 25, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | My 2020 kia soul turbo transmission had a complete lost of power failure on september 26, 2022 at highway speed without an warning. I was lucky enough to get to the shoulder of the road and limb into a gas station at 5 mph. And contact kia service to have my car towed to the nearest kia dealership because my car as only 19,067 on it. It was there later I was told the will need to be replaced and kia would not pay for the replacement because it appeared that maybe the transmission plug was tampered with. The car did not display any warning signs or lights prior to this breakdown |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Oct 17, 2022 |
| State | LA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while driving 30-40 mph, the vehicle started jerking. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon coming to a complete stop at the traffic light, the vehicle shut off. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the vehicle experienced internal engine failure. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be dis-assembled to provide a final diagnostic result. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact became aware that the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 21v259000 (engine) which she associated with the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel System, Gasoline |
| Date | Sep 23, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while driving 30-35 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the fuel injectors were replaced; however, the failure later reoccurred while refueling the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer gunther kia (1900 s state rd 7, fort lauderdale, fl 33317) on four different occasions where the spark plugs were replaced and the fuel tank was drained; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the nhtsa hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Aug 22, 2022 |
| State | NH |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The contact indicated that the vehicle had previously been inspected by the local dealer under an unknown manufacturer's campaign. After performing an oil consumption test, it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine replacement was not yet performed. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced engine failure. The failure mileage was 26,000. |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Aug 19, 2022 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | Electrical power steering system froze and would not turn left nor right while car was running in both reverse and drive as I was trying to leave my home to run errands. My kia access application on my phone showed an issue with electrical power steering and the dash of my car had the red steering wheel with exclamation point warning light in red on. When tow truck came 4 hours later and turned vehicle on to get it into tow truck the steer issue disappeared. However, he did tell me that the night of 8. 17. 20222 he towed another kia soul that the steering locked up in mid turn of another vehicle on a driver her in phoenix, az. This is a huge concern and very scary to think of what could happen if I was in traffic. My car is currently at the dealership for diagnostics, and if they can't find an issue I have to pay a minimum 0 just for them to look at it. This is not a good situation as a whole!!! This vehicle needs to have an electrical power steering issue recall. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 26, 2022 |
| State | KY |
| Description | My car was stolen using a usb cord. The manufacturer needs to correct this error in design. There are internet videos detailing how to steal these cars. The consumer is left to foot the expense of this design error. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jun 16, 2022 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Engine did not restart after auto/off. Instead, center screen restarted and engine light and battery light came on. Had to restart entire car to get engine back on. Happened at stoplight. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jun 13, 2022 |
| State | IL |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while driving 30 mph and accelerating to 50 mph, the vehicle began to make an abnormal sound. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact continued to drive to her residence. The contact stated she added 3 quarts of oil to the engine. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact took the vehicle to a second local dealer: kia of lincolnwood (6750 lincoln ave, lincolnwood, il 60712:(847) 581-7500) where an oil consumption test was completed however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact then received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v259000 (engine). The contact called the local dealer: kia of lincolnwood and made them aware of the letter. The dealer declined to service the vehicle. The contact stated she continued to experience the failure and added another less than a quart of oil. The contact called the local dealer: kia of lincolnwood and made them aware of the failure. The dealer made an appointment for the next day. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer however, the dealer declined to service the vehicle. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and the contact was referred to napleton's kia of elmhurst (727 w grand ave, elmhurst, il 60126: (630) 530-6866). The contact took the vehicle to napleton's kia of elmhurst but only had an oil change performed. The contact's husband also took the vehicle to kia of port charlotte (202 tamiami trail, port charlotte, fl 33953: (941) 249-6171) however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact continued to experience the failure. The contact towed the vehicle to berwyn kia and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jun 02, 2022 |
| State | NH |
| Description | Transmission going into neutral while driving. No help at this time from the dealership |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | May 11, 2022 |
| State | WI |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated during acceleration and would not exceed 40 mph. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The dealer informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they would escalate it for review. The failure mileage was approximately 21,500. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Mar 20, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Driving car on I-10 west. Near pensacola, fl tachometer started fluctuating wildly. Car seemed to be losing power regardless of whether using accelerator or cruise control. Passed exit with a kia dealer too late to exit, so drove to next exit 4 miles down. Light at end of exit was on hill. Stopped, but when light turned green, car would not move. No warning lights came on at any time. Took kia roadside assistance about 2. 5 hrs for tow. Towed to team gunther, daphne, al kia dealer. Service rep thought was transmission prob as another customer had reported similar situation. Had to wait til monday, 2/28/22 to get official word that transmission needed to be replaced. Covered by warranty but since wld take about 2 wks to get part and do work, had to find way to get back home to jacksonville, fl. Kia travel interruption assistance covers max of 3 days and 0 a day, so have been reimbursed for some, but not all expenses since total expense over 0. Car ready for pick up on 3/12/22 and picked up 3/15 after getting back to the area from jax fl. Could have been major safety probs if I had been unable to exit I-10 or if car had lost power on road with no shoulder.... |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 18, 2022 |
| State | AK |
| Description | The vehicle was in perfect operating condition than began knocking. Less than two miles down the road the vehicle engine seized and a piston oil ring sheared. Shortened timeline: jan 15 - engine knock, engine seized during transport (jan 26) jan 15 - call to lithia kia in anchorage, spoke to brian (service manager) confirmed on recall. Feb 18 - kia consumer affairs (ca) schedules transport to lithia kia in anchorage feb 22 - transport falls through on kia end, denies all further transport. Feb 27 - hired private transport (0) march 1 - lithia confirms vehicle march 4 - lithia demands service records march 10 - service records are sent march 16 - jessica weaver with kia ca looses contact with dealership march 18 - brian with lithia kia in anchorage says they do not honor recalls on rebuilt or salvage titles. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 13, 2022 |
| State | AL |
| Description | Engine oil consumption after 1000 miles of oil change at dealership. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 07, 2022 |
| State | AL |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while she was at a stop light, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to a chevrolet dealer who had sold her the vehicle. The chevrolet dealer diagnosed that the starter needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the starter was replaced; however, the engine remained locked. The dealer associated the failure with nhtsa campaign number: 21v259000 (engine). The vehicle was towed to a second dealer bramlett kia (3326 us-31, decatur, al 35603) but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 04, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Contact has 2020 kia soul bought from beaumont texas at classic kia. Contact was driving to school to attend a class of speeds approximately 20-30 mph, when the engine light kicked on and the car stalled. Contact immediately called classic kia in beaumont to speak to service department. Previously contact had piston rings "inspected" with no detection. Informed the occurrence to the maintenance department and was told to bring the car into dealership. Contact did as instructed and brought the vehicle to classic kia, contact was then told by maintenace manager that this car has never had an oil change (which the first was done by the dealership itself) and there is sludge in the engine. Contatct stated "I did not have free ones with the dealership, why would I come here". Manager stated on the day after occurrence there were 2 years free oil changes in which was not in my contract and we informed that he was incorrect and the subject was dropped. Contact provided some receipts to manager immediately at classic kia and submitted others to kia corporate on the customer service website to ensure all items could be reviewed. Maintenace manager contacted to verify car was denied by kia, contact called kia corporate to ask why and case was still open at that time. When contact had problem, was able to go to the nearest autozone, there was a timing issue with vehicle. Informed maintenace manager of recall sc209 and if it had been completed. Manager stated there was "no need to do the recall" as I have "voided my warranty" for "not maintaining the vehicle". Informed receipts are in case number and manager linked case number to see if kia would approve new engine. Dealership stated we cannot get a loaner and they will not provide contact a way to work and school at this time due to "voided warranty". Currently waiting for approval at this time, recall sc209 still not completed as of 3/4/2022. Occurrence happened on 2/17/2022, with 43,000 miles on vehicle. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Feb 22, 2022 |
| State | IL |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated that he became aware of nhtsa campaign number: 21v259000 (engine) and the vehicle was taken to the local dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer did not complete the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, the vehicle started decelerating independently. The contact pulled into the nearest parking lot and opened the hood but could determine the cause of the failure. The contact continued to drive the vehicle and the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The check engine warning light, the oil warning light, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was unable to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after 5 minutes; however, the vehicle was shuddering and would not exceed 15 mph while driving. The contact also stated that there were abnormal sounds coming from the engine. The contact pulled into the nearest parking lot and parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed a second dealer - kia of lincolnwood (6750 lincoln ave, lincolnwood, il 60712) where it was diagnosed that there was a lack of engine oil and the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer approved the request to cover the engine replacement under the recall of nhtsa campaign number: 21v259000 (engine) however, the parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the new engine had been shipped to the dealer but they did not have an eta. The manufacturer also advised the contact to rent a vehicle and they might reimburse him for the expense. The failure mileage was approximately 25,053. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Feb 09, 2022 |
| State | DE |
| Description | The supposed remedy for sc209 on my vehicle only included a test as per the kia certified techs on 10/27/2021. In june 2021, while the vehicle still had warranty remaining, my kia soul stalled out at a traffic light near towson, maryland. The check engine light illuminated, as well as oil pressure. I brought the vehicle to kia of westchester (pa) to remedy the issue. The determination at the time was a cam shaft pin had broken, and that was the cause. They replaced the pin, and I continued to have the check engine light come on. I took the vehicle back on 6/17/2021 with the same issue of check engine light and stalling. They reported no issue, and no light after they had cleared the code. I noticed by early autumn a strange knocking sound at low rpm and the check engine light re illuminated. This was the time frame that the "test" for the sc209 recall was "performed" and the soul apparently passed (no explanation was given for the parameters at the time). The techs suggested the check engine was now due to a faulty catalytic converter (10/27/2021 mileage 107564). I was also told that the sound I was hearing at low rpm was "engine pinging" and I needed to use higher octane gas (not manufacturers recommendation). 1/15/2022 my wife was operating the vehicle coming back from work in philadelphia when the soul sputtered and died, shutting off the engine and causing check engine and oil lamp to illuminate. At this point, the engine struggled to reach any highway speed, the engine could would rev loudly and clouds of bluish grey smoke billowed from the exhaust. I replaced the spark plugs (2nd time, less then 12k mileage) and all coil packs with oem parts. I noticed burnt oil on the old spark plugs. I brought the vehicle to jiffy lube in glasgow, de to perform a full synthetic oil change (recommended, and what I normally do). The vehicle continued to have the same issues, and blow out large blue gray clouds of exhaust. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 01, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Unknown |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jan 28, 2022 |
| State | GA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 21,116. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jan 24, 2022 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle stalled while the oil change, battery, and check engine warning lights illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to dealer where it was diagnosed that the ecm computer upgrade was needed. Additionally, nhtsa campaign number: 21v259000 (engine) needed to be completed. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,200. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jan 10, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road and restart the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer to be inspected. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Dec 21, 2021 |
| State | SC |
| Description | Recall not being fixed |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 18, 2021 |
| State | TN |
| Description | My issue is constant engine stalling. It is a very scary experience. |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Nov 17, 2021 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Car hit guardrail at highway speed. There is significant damage to the front end. The drivers and passengers airbags failed to deploy. The driver side air bag did deploy. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Nov 05, 2021 |
| State | KY |
| Description | Engine still uses oil and the issues is getting worse. Now there is a knocking sound coming from the engine and kia refuses to acknowledge it. Mechanic told me that there was not a noise that was not unusual for a kia soul. The engine stalls and looses power occasionally. Kia mechanic states they did not see any issue. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Oct 29, 2021 |
| State | WI |
| Description | I was driving down the interstate at 70 mph. Noticed the car felt like it was accelerating and then decelerating like I was fighting against a strong wind. Looked at the tachometer and saw it fluctuating between 2000rpm and 3000 rpm. Suddenly it redlined to 7000 rpm and I had very little power to the wheels. It would drop back to 3000 but if I tried to accelerate it would redline. I was in heavy interstate traffic. I barely made it to an exit and into a parking lot. By the time I got off the highway it would go no faster than 5mph. I tried restarting the car to find I couldn't go forward or in reverse and the engine would go to 7000rpm. I have about 24k miles on the odometer. Bought brand new from the dealership. Easily could've been rear-ended or crashed in the heavy traffic with no power to the wheels. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Oct 21, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The car has the auto stop engine feature. Randomly, when ever I stop the car the engine will turn off because of the auto stop feature. But when I shift the car into park, the car won't turn back on. Instead the green auto stop light will stay lit in the dashboard and when I take off my seatbelt I will get an error that states: “auto stop is off. Shift to p or n to start engine†and I will hear a high pitch noise. If I shift the car to neutral, drive, reverse or back to park nothing will happen. The engine won't turn back on and if I'm on a incline or decline the car will start rolling. The only way to get the engine to turn back on is to turn off the car and turn it back on via turning the key. I have also had the car fail to turn back on at stop lights when the auto stop feature is activated. I would be at the stop light. The engine would turn off and when I take my foot off of the break the engine won't turn back on. I won't get the error that I stated earlier. I just see the green auto stop light turn off and then the check engine light, the battery light, and the oil light turns on. There was another time I was with my sister and we were getting food. We were at a stoplight and the engine turned off. When the light turned green and I went to take my foot of the break, the whole car died. Everything turned off. The radio and the dashboard all went black and lost power. The car also wouldn't let me turn the key to try and restart it. When I got the car restarted, I was at the same traffic light. The car lost all power again. The same thing happened again. The engine turned off and when I went to take my foot of the break, everything went black. Finally, this last thing only happened so far 1 time. I was driving home on the highway. I heard the car making a sound like it was increasing in revs. Then all of a sudden everything went black. The car lost power when I was driving on the highway. I pulled over and had to restart the car. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Oct 09, 2021 |
| State | IL |
| Description | There was recall before I purchased this at certified kia dealer but they didn't mention anything I found out about it on your website. I took this to kia they said it's not part of recall it's not effected vehicle according to kia. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Sep 28, 2021 |
| State | AL |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v259000 (engine). The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vibration was felt throughout the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer performed a vibration test. The vehicle failed the vibration test and the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle needed a new engine, which could take 2 - 6 months to repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Sep 27, 2021 |
| State | PR |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v259000 (engine). The contact stated that the manufacturer declined the recall repairs because the vehicle was in puerto rico, and was not a state, but a u. S. Territory. The dealer and another dealer, caribbean auto distributors (avenida 65 de infanterÃa, km 10. 2 esquina muñoz rivera, carolina, 00987, puerto rico) were made aware of the recall on separate occasions. However, both dealers informed the contact that they needed approval from the manufacturer before the recall could be performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer declined the recall repair and informed the contact that puerto rico was not a state, but a usa territory. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Aug 12, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 21v259000 (engine) however, the dealer advised the contact to call back in two months to set up a recall repair appointment since the dealer was already booked for repair dates. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and a case was opened. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Aug 12, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The contact owned a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while she was at the stop light, the vehicle inadvertently stalled and lost power. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated she was able to restart the vehicle and drove to her destination. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that no issues were found. The contact stated shortly after receiving notification for nhtsa campaign number: 21v259000 (engine) the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer who informed the contact that they could not complete the recall repair because no issues were found when the vehicle was test driven. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. A case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired and was traded in for another vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 13,500. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Aug 11, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while she was at the stop light, the light turned green, the accelerator pedal was depressed however, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The vehicle failed to exceed 2 mph while driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated she depressed the accelerator pedal with force and the vehicle accelerated, and she was able to drive to her destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving. The contact received a notification for nhtsa campaign number: 21v259000 (engine) however, the dealer informed the contact that they would be able to inspect the vehicle in approximately two months. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Aug 07, 2021 |
| State | PA |
| Description | The car started knocking at 65 mph while excelling to 70 the engine then had a loud bang and the engine block broke apart and spilled oil on to manifold almost starting a fire I have been informed that the engine is recalled for piston rings. This is an extremely dangerous situation. Luckily I managed to exit highway and not engulfed in flames. So far kia has been unwilling to assist me and I also purchased an extended warranty with automotive protective corporation in atlanta ga. And no body is helping me. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jul 30, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | 2020 kia soul consumer writes in regards to safety recall related to engine oil. The consumer stated the vehicle consumed oil too quickly. The vehicle was repaired but, the failure persisted. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jul 26, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and lost power while she was stopped at a traffic light. The oil pressure warning light and two other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the crankshaft sensor needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was not repaired, and the failure had been recurring while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken back to the same dealer several times and the crankshaft sensor was replaced however, the failure persisted. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v259000 (engine) however, the dealer informed the contact that the part for 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 failure and a case was opened. The contact was still waiting on a call back. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 15,500. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Power Train:automatic Transmission |
| Date | Jul 16, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the transmission failed causing the vehicle to stall. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with the transmission needing to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,175. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jul 14, 2021 |
| State | TN |
| Description | cause unknown . I was driving my kia soul at 35-38 mph on a busy city street. The engine suddenly and completely shut off. I had it towed out to the kia place ( 2 pm.) , checked it in and left. That was about the a couple of days before I received my recall notice letter. I have not been able to find out anything about my car in about 3 or so weeks. All I am told is that it is being diagnosed. ( I did have a service guy snap at me that " when they finished , they would call and ask me what I wanted to do about the car".) |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jul 14, 2021 |
| State | MA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, a fluttering sound was present coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle would drive very poorly and occasionally stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact was later informed that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number 21v259000 (engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the part for the repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Parts distribution disconnect. The failure mileage was 21,000. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jul 09, 2021 |
| State | TN |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle loss motive power and stalled without warning. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer several times and the battery, spark plugs, and ignition coils were replaced however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the vin was included in the nhtsa campaign number: 21v259000 (engine). The failure mileage was 14,750. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 08, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while driving the vehicle was slow to move and stalled. The oil level warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the oil was dirty, the oil level was low, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 21v259000 (engine). The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, declined to offer any assistance for the repairs. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jul 06, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | My car has been at classic kia in beaumont tx with the exception of 2 days since may 5. It stalled and died repeatedly. They said they fixed it and I picked it up may 19th. It died 20 miles down the road and warning light came back on... Service engine soon. I returned it to them may 21 and they still have it. They say metal shavings are in the oil. I am hamstrung without a car. I don't think they have mechanics that know how to fix it. I called kia corp. June 7. They said they'd call classic kia and call me back. They have still not called me back. Please help me. Nobody should take two months to repair factory recalls! |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jun 24, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number:21v259000 (engine) however, the part to do the recall was unavailable. The contact called the local dealer who stated the parts were not available. The contact stated the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jun 21, 2021 |
| State | KY |
| Description | Took the vehicle in for oil consumption issues earlier this year. Kia cooperate stated the consumption was abnormal, but within parameters and would not fix the problem. The recall came out for the oil piston issue and I took the vehicle on for repair. Kia still refuses to fix the oil piston ring issue and oil consumption issue under the recall order. States the issue with the vehicle is abnormal, but passed inspection. The engine does not run correctly, while driving on the road, the engine looses power and has knocking sound. The vehicle still uses oil and kia refuses to fix under warranty or the recall. . |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jun 14, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. There was an abnormal ticking sound detected. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was sludge buildup in the engine from poor maintenance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact stated that the failure was like the failure mentioned in nhtsa campaign number: 21v259000 (engine). The failure mileage was 22,000. Consumer stated vehicle is not drivable will only drive about a block before it shuts off. Recall repairs for earliest date is august 6, 2021. Mechanic could not perform due to pre-existing damage caused by lack of maintenance and manufacturer would not honor repairs in the recall. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jun 12, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | When pulling out into traffic the car started to go, rpms spiked all the way and the car just died… I shut it off, and all was fine…. Then I stopped to get gas, and when the auto stop/start kicked in, the car didn't restart… the oil pressure light turned on, battery light, and check engine light all at the same time. Would not let me shift into park. I had to push the shift release to let me put it into park. I was then able to shut off the car properly and start it just fine, and no lights active. This all happened around 19,000 miles. The last 2 times I've been in for an oil change, there has been 2 recalls completed , and now this new recall related to the oil piston. |
| Category | Electrical System, Electrical System:adas:blindspot:sensors, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jun 04, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | Recently I noticed when I stop and the stop-start system feature and the blind-spot sensors are turned on the car will either shut completely off or stall once I step on the gas. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jun 04, 2021 |
| State | DE |
| Description | 6/4/2021 returning from picking up my children in maryland, my vehicle stalls out at md 137 in hereford. The idle stop and go system repeatedly engages and disengages, the engine continued to sputter and rev. I took the vehicle to the nearest service station, as all the kia service techs no longer were working past 4 pm. I was able to have a jiffy lube service tech read the code p0420 (which has been a previous issue with catalytic converters wearing out at 80,000 miles for previous souls) as well as several codes for the camshaft sensor and crankshaft. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jun 03, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Engine shuddering violently, losing power and shutting off around 6500 miles causing loss of power and near accidents. The check engine light came on and remained solid during the duration of the incident. Oil level was found to be around 2. 5 quarts low after being observed resting at a healthy level just 1000 miles prior during fluid checks by owner. Vehicle had recently been taken to dealership for first oil, lube and filter visit and inspection around 3500 miles. Following the discovery of oil loss vehicle was promptly taken to dealership where no external leaks were detected and an oil consumption test was started. The consumer stated the kia oil consumption test disallows for the consumer to check the oil. The consumer would have to drive the vehicle 1,000 miles or until the car shuts off while testing the vehicle. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jun 01, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | My car is experiencing all issues related to recall sc209 yet it has not been recalled. I am now being told by kia that a 2020 vehicle with 22k miles has a dead engine from missing 2 oil changes. Please advise. |
| Category | Power Train:automatic Transmission |
| Date | Jun 01, 2021 |
| State | MI |
| Description | I was driving on I-75 in heavy holiday traffic, suddenly no acceleration and car started slowing. Transmission just quit working. My car only has 20,000 miles on it. I was able to get to the side of the road without getting hit. Online there are many reports of this issue with the 2020 kia soul, with it occurring in vehicles with as little as 5000 miles. It has been noted by consumer reports. There were no warnings and no indications other than the sudden loss of power with 7000+ rpm showing on the tachometer. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train:automatic Transmission |
| Date | May 28, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Engine burnt oil at 10,000 miles - dealership replaced motor, however now having issues with transmission |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | May 17, 2021 |
| State | PA |
| Description | Purchased car on 7/16/19 with 13 miles. On 1/26/20 the car had 6,764 miles when the car started to appear as though it was in neutral while driving down the highway at 70 miles per hour. Even when giving it gas the rpm would increase and engine sounded revved up but transmission was not working. Then it would sporadically kick in enough that I put my 4 ways on, got off the interstate (81) and limped that car home because the car would not go more that 20 mph once it came to a full stop, it couldn't even make it up the very small grade to get onto my driveway. Called kia roadside and it was towed to the dealer, fred beans mechanicsburg pa. Told it needed a new transmission, got car back a month later 2/25/20. On 4/19/21, car has 14,953 miles and the same exact thing happens, I'm on interstate 83 and the car starts lunging, going in and out of neutral. Once at a full stop car would limp along till reaching a total mph of 20. Car was towed to fred beans kia, mechanicsburg pa and yes the transmission again. Dealer said transmission was replaced , this time it took 2 weeks, got the car back on 5/1/21. I asked why does this keep happening and the dealership refused to provide any information, shrugged their shoulders. The attendant at the service counter just kept saying I just work here and don't know anything about the cars! Very scary situation, I or anyone driving with this problem could cause a terrible accident and even a fatal accident. The first time this happened could have been manufacture defect but the second time creates a question as to the potential harm this vehicle can cause to all drivers. No explanation and no trust in this car's dependability. I am not able to financially unload this car at this time. Worst car I have ever purchased and I have purchased many brand new cars but first and last time for kia. |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | May 10, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The steering wheel locked and I was unable to turn the engine key around. I was unable to start the car as the steering wheel was jammed. It took me over 1 hrs to finally unnamed the steering wheel. This has happened twice. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control, Power Train |
| Date | May 03, 2021 |
| State | MO |
| Description | We purchased a 2020 kia soul in january 2020, with 11 miles on it. Everything was fine for the first few months, until one day my wife was driving at about 40 miles an hour and was slowing down to take a right turn, the steering wheel locked up and she almost wrecked, thankfully she jerked the wheel hard enough to break it loose, but in doing so the speedo cluster glad shattered. It was fixed but the dealership tried to blame us saying someone had to of punched it. But when looking at the glass cluster it's obvious that not even a baby's hand could fit down into the cluster to hit the glass. Then at 20k miles almost exactly, the transmission went out, again the dealership took care of it, took about 2 weeks for a new transmission. It started revving up and would jerk like it was being down shifted while going down the highway at 70 mph. Since then we've put about 9k miles on the new transmission and is doing the same thing again. The dealership told me there was 2 recalls on the vehicle for the transmission when it first happened, one was for an electronic update, the other was for the actual transmission, but I haven't seen any recalls posted, this is the worst new car I've ever owned |
| Category | Engine, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | May 02, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Stopped at stop light, light turned green. Pressed gas and dashboard symbols came on and car died. Tried starting again and it was dead. Pushed it to parking lot and tried to jump it. Didnt jump.. Pushed to auto zone. Tested battery it was at 10%. They didn't have a battery. Used a jump box and car started. Was able to drive it home. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Apr 28, 2021 |
| State | MD |
| Description | In may 2020, four months after leasing new car, car stalled while driving it (wheel locked and engine shut down). Luckily only on a residential road and not highway. Car made slight engine sounds, but no dashboard lights indicators at all at any point.. Managed to drive car 10 minutes home (it stalled again). Towed car to dealership. Engine (one cylinder) had to be replaced was told put together incorrectly at factory, and that oil was almost completely used up, engine could have exploded. Confirmed could have stalled on highway. Replaced at no charge. Assured transmission fine and safe to drive. Reported to kia corporate right away and asked that conversation be recorded.. In april 2021 learn of recall for soul that seems to describe the same issue. Went in for routine maintanence, told that it was a different problem and a different model. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Apr 24, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The car stalled in traffic while I was at a stop light. I put the car in park, and the engine re-started. The car had 6,595 miles on the odometer, and the first service was due at 7,500 miles. After this stalling incident, in order to prevent this happening again, every time I had to stop after that, at a light or intersection, I put the car in park. The next day, driving at 25 mph on a city street, loud rattling and metallic sounds came from the engine. I checked the oil. There was no trace of oil on the dipstick. I put in 2 quarts of oil, and the dipstick showed the sump was now full. I checked the tailpipe and found a carbon deposit on the inside, indicating the burning of oil. I took the car to the dealership where I bought it - kirby kia in ventura ca - and they diagnosed a severe engine malfunction with evidence of metal shavings after removing the valve cover, and in the oil filter. They said they needed to replace the engine. They provided me with a complimentary rental car for 10 days, then a loaner, and returned my vehicle to me after 21 days. In the paperwork they gave me on returning my vehicle it states they installed a remanufactured long block engine and intake manifold. At no point in this whole procedure was I asked to consent to the engine being replaced, and I signed no document authorizing this to be done. At the end, I wrote that my signature only indicated my car had been returned to me. No apology was expressed to me by kia for the major inconvenience the failure of the engine in this new car had caused me, except when I informed the management of the dealership of this fact, they called me to express regret. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Apr 23, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | On march 2nd. We were driving our 2020 kia soul s. We were driving on i95north. The rpm's kept pulsing, we took the car off of cruise and it seemed better for a few minutes. After the few minutes the pulsing returned, giving it the gas the rpm's went up but our speed was slowing. We got in the inside lane planning on getting off the next exit. The engine started racing with no change in our speed. We got off at the next exit state road 527 in south carolina. We had to practically floor it to get off the road. We pull to the side and called roadside assistance. The car at this point had 8006 miles on it. We could not move the car at all at this point. It took a few hours, but the car was towed to the closet dealer, in florence sc. The next day the dealer checked the car and said the transmission had failed. At approximately 4:30 pm, the dealer called to let us know that kia had approved substitute transportation. The following morning the dealer picked us up and drove us to get a vehicle. We unloaded most of our belongings from our car to the rental and continued our delayed journey to massachusetts. I have called the dealer twice, and left messages. After the second call, I did get a call back. I was told that the replacement transmission was on backorder and should be delivered may 11th. After reading many similar problems on this site, this is not an isolated case and is a dangerous situation. I am now seeing that the 2020 soul has an engine recall. Obviously these vehicles have problems. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Apr 22, 2021 |
| State | IL |
| Description | Engine experienced total failure at 14,510 miles. Kia kept vehicle over 60 days and returned vehicle to me with further damage to body |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Apr 22, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 kia soul. While driving 35 mph, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was not driving properly. The vehicle was towed to danbury kia (100a federal rd, danbury, ct 06810, (203) 730-5737) and was diagnosed with engine damage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 13,706. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Apr 14, 2021 |
| State | OH |
| Description | The transmission failed twice the first time they replaced the transmission and now they have to replace it again they are saying . The vehicle was on the highway and all of the sudden the rpms went through the roof and the vehicle just started to die . |
| Category | Power Train, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Apr 13, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | When the automatic start stop start is on when I stop and the engine shuts off as it should, when I release the brake it makes a whining noise for a few seconds. Also happens when going up my driveway. Have read that this is happening in a lot of people's 2020 kia soul's and nobody seems to know or have a fix. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train |
| Date | Apr 06, 2021 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | Bought brand new. At 32k miles (4months after 30ktune up) engine light came on. Took to earnhardt kia in phx. Who initially stated there was 'something broken in the transmission' after a few hours they then stated the car had 'internally overheated and there was combustible gases in the radiator. The thermostat never indicated overheating. Coolant reservoir was bone dry (after filling it the day before). After 31 days at kia a new head gasket was put on.. Though I was told the car was getting a new engine. I asked the dealer on each call... What about the transmission whereas I was told koa would make sure everything would be fixed before returned. Car was returned to me on 2/21. On 4/1 after driving 380(+/-) miles from phx to san diego to see my marine deploy, the car began to surge, rpms skyrocketed and car barely made it up hill. Surging continued, until it began to slip and I pulled off the road and into a shopping center. Car towed to escondido kia who kindly gave me a loaner. Now back in az, I am told that when it's fixed, transport to me is unlikely and if approved kia does not guarantee against any damage during transport. Its a new car! Due to medical needs here, driving 6. 5 hours there and then back just isn't feasible. Kia doesnt care. I will be out of this car asap and you can bet my next will not be a killer kia! |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 31, 2021 |
| State | OK |
| Description | Bought the car in august of 2019 when the 2020 model was first released. Around 20,000 miles started to experience a heavy stutter in the engine at low rpms. Eventually it progressed over about a week, and the car would die at a stop light/sign. When parked it dies at random, you can hear and feel the engine struggle. If you watch the rpms you can see it visibly fluctuating, between about 500 and 800 rpm's then at random it will bog hard and die. If you kick on the a/c while stopped, you can watch it bog, which about 100-200 rpms is normal then it should idle up again. However it bogs about 500 rpms and will sometimes die. I wanted the alternator, and compressor checked. Took it to kalidy kia in edmond oklahoma and they told me multiple times there was nothing wrong with it or that the intake valve was dirty, which at 20,000 miles is ridiculous. Told me I was using bad gas, and still to this day won't look into the problem even under warranty. No telling when it is going to happen. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Mar 31, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | While driving on the freeway at 70 mph, the vehicle began to 'surge,' the rpm varying erratically between 2000-3000 rpm. We got off the highway and stopped at a light'when the light turned green, I pressed the accelerator and the engine accelerated but the car remained stationary. Finally, with the rpm at about 4000, we were able to slowly drive into a parking lot. No check engine light. We got a tow to the nearest dealer. The service dept analyzed the problem, and said we needed a new transmission. The new 'soft' date to receive the transmission is 13 apr, almost six weeks after the original transmission failure on 2 mar. The car has less than 3000 miles on it. |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Mar 31, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The steering wheel of my kia soul 2020 hammer. I was unable to start the car as the steering when became stuck.. Jammed. Called a town truck to towed into the kia dealer for repairs. |
| Category | Electrical System, Exterior Lighting, Steering |
| Date | Mar 29, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | My kia soul 2020, the engine lights came up, the parking lights, the right headlights, the rear back right signal lights, the fuel system and the breaks system all of them malfunctioned. The dealer charged for the repairs. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 29, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The engine lights came up and the 2020 kia soul lost power. Car top speed was 8 mph. Dealer charged me 7 for repairs. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Mar 29, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | My kia 2020 soul, the parking lights, the headlights and the rear lights stopped working. Lights bulb were out. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Mar 29, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | I own a 2020 kia soul, it has ~2300 miles and I had it for about a year. The transmission is shot, I was driving on the highway, the car would not accelerate, I had it floored and got up to maybe 50 mph, luckily it was rush hour and traffic was crawling otherwise I would've been run over. L was able to pull off the highway. I ran error codes and there were two related to the transmission. Kia's had the car since march 3rd, they provided a rental which is nice. I'm told there are 4 - 5 other kia's there that need new transmissions. I wish I could just get out of the car now. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 23, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The car was purchased new from a kia dealer in june of 2020. In march of 2021, with about 12,300 miles the following happened. Was driving the car not on the freeway and the car stopped in the middle of the street. Before the car stopped, no warning lights were ever displayed. Once the car stopped, I was able to get it restarted and moved it a very short distance where I parked it. After the restart, the engine light and oil light were illuminated. The car stopped again, when restarted, just the oil light illuminated. I parked the car and called kia road assistance and it was towed to a kia dealer. I was informed by the dealer today that the car needed a new engine which would be covered under warranty. Expected repair time is at least three weeks as the engine has to be special ordered. I reiterate that not only did no warning lights ever came on until the incident I described. Kia's uvo also sent me regular emails telling the the cars health was perfect! The way that the car just stopped and died while driving could have been very dangerous if I was not on a street with a low speed limit. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 10, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owned a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated that the check engine light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer (lifetime kia 4170 us-64, murphy, nc 28906;(828) 835-9200) who diagnosed that the crankshaft had failed however no repair was completed. The contact stated that shortly after that while their son was driving approximately 35 mph, when they heard a pop noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle then loss all power and a nearby driver informed the contact that the rear of the vehicle was on fire. The driver coasted to the side of the road and exited the vehicle. The fire then began to grow fairly quickly. The fire department put out the fire and a report was made. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. There were no injuries and no medical attention was needed. The contact had spoken to the dealer regarding the fire. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 71,000. *dt |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Mar 10, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Purchased a 2020 kia soul jan 2020. 2/15/21 I came to a stoplight hit the gas and realize there's no power. Had to put the car in park and restart the engine. Check engine light is on. Go to dealership the check engine light is on the whole time. They tell me the whole of kia's computer systems are down and don't know when they can look at my car. They didn't have a loaner and I had to rent a car. Two days later they tell me the mechanic scanned the car and they couldn't find anything wrong. The check engine light is no longer on. I'm out 5 for the rental car. I pick up the car. 3/3/21 I'm about to drive onto the freeway. I come to a stop before entering the slip road and the engine turns off. I put the car in park and restart the vehicle and again the check engine light is on. I drive it to the dealership and the guy tells me he can't look at it till tomorrow. I said I'm not getting another rental and then have you tell me that there's nothing wrong with it tomorrow, so he took it back to the mechanic who hooked it up. To a device. He came back and said it had shown that it needs a new pcm. I asked what that was and he said it's basically the brain of the computer. (powertrain control module) the car's been in the shop six days now, the dealership is paying for the rental. The odometer reads 8900 miles. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Mar 09, 2021 |
| State | TN |
| Description | Was driving on the interstate when the rpms on the vehicle started randomly fluctuating. The issue got worse and they began to fluctuate between 7 and 8 along with engine revving. The malfunction light came on. I pulled off of an exit and was able to gradually come to a stop to call a dealership to ask if it was safe to continue operating the vehicle. I was told that as long as the malfunction light wasn't flashing, I could continue driving. I got back on the interstate and the issue was even worse, engine revving, rpms fluctuating chaotically. I then could no longer accelerate. I put the gas pedal to the floor and was thankfully able to get to the side of the interstate before stopping. My car had to be towed back to where I live, 95 miles away. It has been at the gossett kia dealership in memphis, tn since saturday and still has not been diagnosed. I am afraid it will be completely unsafe to drive without a major transmission overhaul. Vehicle has just over 5,000 miles. |
| Category | Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Mar 02, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | 2 transmission fails in less than 12 months. When running, it effects the ability to maneuver in daily driving routine. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Mar 01, 2021 |
| State | NH |
| Description | Transmission failed while driving on highway creating a potentially very dangerous situation. As I was driving on the highway, I noticed the engine revving up for no apparent reason. At first I thought that perhaps the tires were spinning on black ice or a frozen frost on the pavement. Nope, it continued to happen on very dry sections of the highway. Maybe it was the cruise control causing the engine to surge. Nope, it continued to happen after turning it off. The car began slowing on a long uphill grade even though the engine was still running. An error message stating "a problem has been detected with the transmission control unit" was displayed. I pulled into the emergency lane and discovered that the transmission would no longer engage into any gear - reverse, drive, or manual shift mode gears 1, 2, 3, and 4 - nothing. I turned the car off and restarted it. Same results. After 30 minutes of doing this, the transmission engaged into an under-powered gear and I was able to slowly drive in the emergency lane a mile to the next exit. It had a lighted intersection at the end of it and I had to come to a stop. When it turned green, the transmission failed to engage again. I ended up blocking the ramp as I sat there for an hour trying to get the car mobile again. I was afraid that I was going to get rear-ended. Eventually it re-engaged and I was able to drive the car to a safe parking area out of traffic and wait for a tow truck. Kia is going to replace the transmission but I will not trust the reliability of it once I have the vehicle back. I'm very worried that it will happen again and feel that this vehicle is now very unsafe. What would happen if it failed again late at night in an unpopulated area with no cell service during a blizzard and my wife was driving? This is creating a potentially extremely dangerous situation and a recall should be mandated. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Feb 25, 2021 |
| State | NC |
| Description | After having my car for 9 months and putting 17,000 miles on it my transmission started to fail. I was on the interstate going 70mph and the car began jerking like it couldn't switch gears. It then began to rev high but wouldn't accelerate. It eventually got so slow I had to pull off the side of the interstate and sit on the shoulder for a few minutes with the car off and then tried to recrank my car in which it started but continued to jerk/rock when driving. I got closer to home and when I stopped at a stop sign the car was still on but when I pressed on the gas it refused to go my car wouldn't move. I turned it off then turned it back on and it drove. The next morning I tried to drive my car to work and the car then began to jerk again and eventually the highest speed it would go to was 50 it continued to decline in speed until it eventually just stalled and wouldn't move. I tried to take it to the dealership and on my way there it broke down I then had to get a tow truck on the side of the interstate and tow it to the kia dealership where they said that I had in fact received a defective transmission. This occurred on january 15th, 2021 it is now february 25, 2021 and I don't have my car and they have no eta as to when my transmission will be here and I can have my car back. I asked if the new transmission would work properly and was told "even some of the new transmissions will be defective so we really don't know". I just want my car I bought a car brand new because I thought it was reliable it was not and there's no recall notice and a transmission stalling on the interstate is a very dangerous thing. This is unacceptable. |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Feb 25, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | At 8960 miles steering indicator dash light came on. Dealership determined it was a bad steering wheel assembly. Due to the corona virus part took 2 1/2 weeks to get to the dealership. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 21, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | 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. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Feb 16, 2021 |
| State | AL |
| Description | The transmission has failed twice in this 2020 kia soul, once at 4k miles and again with a new transmission at 12k miles. Twice within 18 months. Each time driving on I-10 expressway near pensacola, florida when engine starts decelerating and can not accelerate until the point where the engine starts whining and the car is basically coasting at 10-15 mph. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Feb 05, 2021 |
| State | KY |
| Description | Just prior to christmas of 2020 was the first time my transmission went out. The car was not even a year out from purchase and had less than 15,000 miles on it. They told me that 'there's a bad one now and then'. They said they had fixed it. Today while driving on the highway the rpm started fluctuating and surging even when I wasn't pushing on the gas. The car then would not speed up when I gave it gas to keep up with traffic flow. The engine would rev up but the car would not accelerate and continued to slow. It slowed so much that I was barely moving on the highway. I could not change lanes because I was in the far lane and if I attempted to get over I would have been hit by the cars passing. This was during rush hour I'm a major city. Luckily there was an exit to the left I was able to steer off to get off highway. I attempted to get off the road and the car completely stopped on the exit ramp in the middle of traffic. I was stuck and couldn't move out of the way. I had to call law enforcement who closed the ramp lane until I could be towed. This is the second time the transmission has gone out in my 'new' car that I bought in order to have a more reliable vehicle. I'm seriously regretting rid of my old vehicle. I should have just fixed it. This has been the worst purchase of my life. I have been so afraid both times this car has broken down, both times on the highway. This is a serious safety issue that could get someone killed. |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Feb 03, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | I was in a front end collision with another vehicle and the airbags did not deploy. I impacted the second vehicle in their side passenger door at about 45-50 mph. This happened on us hwy 27 n in clermont, florida. Both my husband and myself were transported to the er. I was driving a 2020 kia soul. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Jan 26, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Lifter tapping and burning oil. Took it to kia of savannah around 2000 miles and they said nothing was wrong with it, even oil was full which I know is incorrect had car checked out by mechanic before I took it there. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 25, 2021 |
| State | MO |
| Description | My 2020 soul was not even 1 year old with approx. 12,000 miles when I was taking a trip from stl my home to colorado. 5 hours out in lawrence kansas at 12:15 am my soul began shaking, with rpm's acting weird when I would press gas peddles rpm's would rev up to the very top and car would not go. I was approaching a toll booth and when I got my ticket and tried to move the car was obviously having transmission problems. I pulled onto side of highway and called roadside assistance and was on hold for about 1 hours when I noticed via the kia app that roadside assistance could be reached by the navigation unit. I hit roadside assistance and a women answered within a few minutes. She seemed extremely confused how to do her job. She asked me location, my name, and other info several times. The call was about 30 minutes when she finally said assistance would be on the way. I received 3 text messages over the next 1 stating sorry for inconvenience we are attempting to get a service provider. While waiting I obviously googled and saw may stories about 2020 kia soul transmission problems. It was now about 6:00am and a state trooper came and said I don't think anyone is coming and I was exhausted, starving, and needed to desperately use the restroom. He called and got me a tow truck. I paid 9. 00 and towed my car to dealership in lawrence kansas. I then checked into hotel which was 5. 00 and rested while I waited for them to call. That afternoon around noon they called and said my basically new car needed a new transmission. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 24, 2021 |
| State | NC |
| Description | I was on a two-hour drive when the car started making odd noises and the automatic gears did not seem to be syncing/shifting correctly with my acceleration. I had to pull over off the highway several times. Then the check engine light came on. That's when it started to get really bad. I was over an hour away from home driving up to a courthouse to file a petition that was on a deadline. So I called the local kia dealership and explained what was happening. I asked them if it was safe to keep driving and whether the engine was going to blow up. The man with whom I spoke said he knew what was probably wrong with the car because it was not "uncommon" but he could not tell me any details because of the "warranty." however, he said I was safe to keep driving. I was not, in fact, safe to keep driving. The transmission died when I was going 75mph on the highway. The car is now in the service department at the kia dealership in burlington, nc, waiting for a new transmission that is now on backorder. This was a brand new car, and it literally almost killed me. The man at the service barely batted an eye. You would think I was getting my oil changed. I could not believe how matter-of-fact he was when he described how "common" this problem is in the new kias. This should not ever be a "common problem" for any brand new vehicle. This is absolutely infuriating and completely disturbing. I don't even have any paperwork on this. The dealership had me picked up by enterprise and gave me literally nothing. I will be calling them tomorrow morning when they open to request this documentation. |
| Category | Engine, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings, Power Train |
| Date | Jan 20, 2021 |
| State | KY |
| Description | 1-on three different times I pulled out onto the highway to go and my car goes into limp mode no power how much you push the gas petal them eventually it takes off and goes. Called the dealer where I purchased my car and they told me to just drive my car in sport mode. I don't like having to drive my car in sport mode the rpm's run high and it uses more gas. 2- my forward collision assist system causes my dash lights (collision light, abs light, traction control lights come on and again went back to kia and they basically told me until they can duplicate it they don't have anything to call kia about. 3- my gas hand lies at times I can fill my car up and the hand goes to half a tank and takes hrs to a day or two for the hand to move to full. 4-just recently in a walmart parking lot my car just shut of as if I turned the key off again my dealer said if the can't duplicate it there is nothing they can do. I don't feel safe driving my car something needs to be done I wonder if anyone else is having the same problems. This has been happening over 5 months with the last episode on jan. 6,2021 |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Jan 15, 2021 |
| State | NC |
| Description | At 10k miles the vehicle shut off multiple times with no warning or dummy lights right after I slowed and made a turn. Oil change was scheduled for the following week. Took vehicle in and was almost out of oil. At 13,400 miles vehicle started making loud ticking noise and was not properly accelerating. Each time I had slowed to make a turn and when I attempted to accelerate, the rpm would go up, but the vehicle did not go as if it was in neutral. Took it to the dealership and they said there was no oil on the dipstick. They started an oil consumption test and said the acceleration issue was due to lack of oil. 5 days and 200 miles later I took it back to the dealership because it was making the loud noise again from the engine and also not accelerating properly. They test drove it and said there was nothing wrong and to come back in 300 more miles. This vehicle is not safe to drive 300 more miles due to the acceleration issues. I called kia corporate and they said the dealership knows best. I am fearful of driving it because it has already almost caused an accident once. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jan 10, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Test drove this with 8k miles, and found coolant in the engine oil, and a empty coolant reservoir with 2. 0 non turbo. Purchased a different 2020, with no visible coolant in oil(new oil) but very low coolant in the reservoir with only 5k miles. Also a 2020 2. 0 non turbo. Possible linked trend of issues |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Jan 06, 2021 |
| State | CO |
| Description | I started experiencing slipping under the 9k mileage mark while accelerating. Recently around 25k, while getting an oil change, the dealership said there was an update required for the transmission that needed to be loaded to the computer. About 300 miles after that update, while in park, my engine shut off, followed by the engine light coming on, then the oil light and the battery light. This has happened several times recently in several weather conditions, and after several different previous driving distances. I called the dealership and they were unable to recreate the issue. I brought it back a few times and I recreated the issue and they documented it, but they were unable to get a tech to come out and read the codes. I brought it back again and they were still unable to locate any issues. I asked if they had checked the transmission, but they said that they had not. I received a letter in the mail from kia saying that there was a known issue with the transmission and that if it was turning off the engine that it may need replacing. I called the dealership and let them know that I wanted them to verify there weren't shavings in the transmission as it should have been one of the diagnostics run. They said to bring it back in and they would have their techs run more tests. I am still waiting to find out the issue. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Dec 24, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Today while driving home. My 2020 kia soul hit 23000 miles. Shortly after as I was on highway on way home still. My vehicle started sputtering like bad gas. Then started jerking and rpms kept revving up even thou I wasnt pushing on gas any harder. About 27miles from home rpms shot up and car started slowing down. Quickly pulled over. So I put in park the shifted to drive again tried to give lil gas but car didnt move had to get towed home. |
| Category | Electrical System, Power Train, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 18, 2020 |
| State | SC |
| Description | 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. |
| Category | Service Brakes, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 10, 2020 |
| State | IL |
| Description | 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). |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Dec 06, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Bought new in february 2020, as I was coming home down city streets, from work in october 2020, I notice a knocking pinging rattling noise coming from the the engine compartment.. When I got home the noise became louder and I immediately called kia of palm springs ca to take it in. They told me an appointment would take weeks to take in or drop off and would take about 4 days to take a look at it. I decided to drop it off as the car was still movable, dropped it of with no appointment. The dealer called me about a week later and could not find a reason for the noise and would keep checking. About another week into the issue we were told the engine failed and would have to be replaced. To date, and would take 3 to 4 weeks to receive a new engine and another 2 weeks for installation. We are now in december and have no car and have had to make monthly payments on our car loan. I have complained directly to kia motors and every time I have called they seem to not be able to satisfy our complaint and they keep passing the buck telling me that my case will have to be escalated to a higher and different department because no one has authority to make decision unless we go thru their process of escalation and each time say they will call me and I have to call them. I am very unhappy with this situation and regret having bought this vehicle. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Nov 19, 2020 |
| State | WA |
| Description | While exiting freeway, transmission failed to shift out of 5th gear (automatic transmission). After stopping at light, car failed to shift out of 5th gear. Pulled off road started and stopped car (hoping to reset transmission) tried to engage sport mode to manually shift and transmission indicated 5th gear and would not shift. Turned engine off and on again, shifted out of sport mode. Transmission seemed to engage into lower gear, but shifted back into 5th gear while climbing hill. Turned engine off and on again, pushed accelerator to the floor, transmission revved and managed to make it to the top of hill. Went through 2 stop lights and 1 stop sign (while watching for cross traffic). This was at 11:00pm with no traffic present. Pulled car into carport parking space. Again turned car off and on and was able to put into reverse and then drive with transmission engaging correctly. Very frightening! Route from freeway to home is not a very safe area at night to just stop and wait for assistance. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Nov 04, 2020 |
| State | OH |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated that after stopping, the vehicle shifter was switched from reverse to the park position. While the driver was exiting, the vehicle erroneously drove forward and crashed into the carport poll. During the incident the contact was injured while attempting to reenter the vehicle and sustained bruising to the body and a right arm injury which required medical attention. A police was report was taken at the scene. The local dealer kia of sandusky location 7515 milan rd, sandusky, oh 44870 was notified of the incident. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 3,000. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Oct 26, 2020 |
| State | VA |
| Description | When I was in the middle of driving on a back road in doswell, va, after making a turn, the rpm meter shot up to 4,000 but I was only going 15 mph. As I tried accelerating the rpm meter kept shooting up even higher than necessary and the engine was making a very loud noise like I was driving 85 mph. I had the car towed and taken to kia where they said they have to replace the entire transmission. I bought this car two months ago and it only has 1,900 miles. It has been in the shop for a week now and kia has been very unhelpful in this process and have been very poor with communication about my vehicle. When I called this morning, the technician said he currently has 20 more kia souls in the shop that need new transmissions and he doesn't know when I'll have my car back. I don't plan on buying from kia in the future. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Oct 23, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | 2020 kia soul purchased in march of 2020. Vehicle started to develop a mild "ticking" noise from the engine compartment that progressively became worse and worse at the end of october 2020. On 10/11/2020, the vehicle developed a considerable grinding/clicking noise from the engine compartment, but was still drivable. We were stopped at a stoplight that afternoon when the vehicle attempted to lurch forward, but was stopped by the brakes being applied. The vehicle made a screeching noise very briefly, and died. Vehicle was not able to be restarted, and had to be pushed to a parking lot. On attempting to restart the vehicle a few minutes later, the engine turned over, made some very considerable grinding noises and shut off again. All dash indicator lights were illuminated. Kia roadside towed to a dealership, and I have not heard from them at all. I have called 2-3 times, and was only told today by a secretary that it appeared the vehicle needs a whole new motor. I still have not been directly communicated with by the service advisor. Had this failure occurred on the freeway at speeds, the end result could have been very different. |
| Category | Power Train, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Oct 20, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | 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. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Oct 07, 2020 |
| State | KS |
| Description | 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. |
| Category | Steering, Suspension |
| Date | Sep 20, 2020 |
| State | MI |
| Description | When parked (but with the power set to "run" or the engine fully on), if you turn the steering wheel in either direction, typically to its fullest extent, there is a loud "clunk" or "clank" noise coming from the base of the steering column. After taking the car to the dealership, they only told me the steering was "broke" and they had to replace the entire steering system under warranty. The issue started around 2300 miles. I have taken several videos since the issue began. The car has to be stationary or in motion (forward or reverse) but under 5mph (roughly). After watching a few youtube videos and doing some further investigation, it appears as though part of the problem is a defective/damaged "coupling gear" between the power/electric assist steering motore and the steering column itself. Regardless, it is a severe steering issue that has lead to a previous recall in older kias and several accidents. |
| Category | Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Sep 17, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | While pulling into driveway and coming to a stop and the engine turned off . I let my foot off the brake and the car took off like a rocket and hit a parked car in our driveway . It pushed the parked vehicle forward about 2 feet until the car stopped . This is a dirt driveway. I guess what happened is this cars start and stop feature which turns the motor off when you come to a stop and starts back up when you let your foot off the brake . Some kia feature that went haywire and caused the accident . You can disengage this feature but it must be done every time you stop and turn off he vehicle . The dealer did not even want to look at the vehicle and suggested taking it to a mechanic to make sure the radiator was not damaged . |
| Category | Exterior Lighting, Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Aug 27, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Brand new car with 6k miles and when it rains the headlights fill up with so much moisture it's blocking output from the light and causing flickering with the bulb interminably. This is causing me to pull of the road during rainfall and at night and I was informed this is normal for kia from the general manager at wesley chapel kia in wesley chapel fl. Kia refused to replace the headlights under platinum warranty on a new car when they have a tsb out about the same issue |
| Category | Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Aug 22, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | In the mornings vehicle is not starting. Takes 20 tries... Has occured last 5 days. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Jul 23, 2020 |
| State | OH |
| Description | My issue is regarding the inadequate lighting supplied by the halogen lighting in my 2020 kia soul s. The vehicle doesn't light the road far enough ahead to give the driver time to react if need be. I find myself driving with my brights on in order to see while driving at night. I contacted the kia dealer who told me that they have had the same complaint from numerous owners but there is no fix at this time. He believes kia is working on a remedy though. I attempted to replace the stock halogen bulbs with a better quality, brighter aftermarket bulb but none were available for this vehicle as yet. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jun 18, 2020 |
| State | NC |
| Description | 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. *tr |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Steering |
| Date | Jun 13, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Bought car new in october of 2019 in march 2020 car turned off as I was driving I put it in park turned back on with a loud noise called the shop they said it was low on oil but they just changed the oil 3 weeks prior so they added more oil told me to come back in 30 days and a month later it shut off on me again so I brought it back to the dealership and they determined I needed a new engine so they ordered a new engine and something was wrong with the new engine so they had to order another engine I finally after about 2 months maybe more I got my car back on june 4th I picked up my car and on monday june 8th I turned on my car and a message about the tire pressure system needed to be checked and the auto shut off light was blinking the abs light the emergency break light engine light and others were flashing and the steering wheel felt loose and the speedometer was reading 0 while I was driving I left it running and after a while they all shut off and speedometer worked and steering wheel felt fine well yesterday in friday june 12th I turned the car on at 8am and all the lights were flashing again including the auto of light the speedometer read 0 while I was driving and the steering wheel felt loose again and the tire pressure light and system message came on again I took a video this time brought it back to bev smith kia and had no car all day until I finally asked about a loaner at 4:30pm was told to go to the dealership to get a loaner waited there for an hour for the loaner but at this point I don't even want the soul back. *tr |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | May 26, 2020 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while driving at 55 mph, the engine revved up and decelerated to 3 mph and stalled without warning. The contact and vehicle occupant struck the dashboard however, there were no reported injuries. The vehicle was towed to fuccillo kia of greece (4321 w ridge rd, rochester, ny 14626, (585) 720-8000) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was metal shavings inside of the transmission. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 2,300. The vin was not available. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | May 15, 2020 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Traveling on garden state pkwy about 70 mph. Could feel the car "bucking". Then the engine suddenly raced and revved to highest level. Was able to pull off the road and turned engine off. Started but wouldn't go into gear. Restarted and was able to drive home. Kia had vehicle towed to the dealer. Have been told full transmission replacement necessary. *tr |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | May 11, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Headlamp shutters stopped working, resulting in failure of high beams, and reduced low beam visibility. First noticed while driving on a dark street, and when high beams were turned on, nothing happened. *tr |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | May 10, 2020 |
| State | OH |
| Description | 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! *tr |
| Category | Electrical System, Service Brakes |
| Date | Apr 05, 2020 |
| State | MI |
| Description | My auto start is defective. It comes on when it wants to and it turns off when it wants to. The manual clearly states this is defective but kia sent me home saying they could not replicate the problem. Although when I left their service area, within 1 mile it was doing it again. This also causes a delay on the restart. The engine is hesitant to start when it does work. This all started occurring at 21,632 miles after my transmission was replaced. The breaks also now grind or something grinds near the wheels which kia was not able to replicate either. It is going back in this week at 25,502 miles. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 26, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | I just purchased a 2020 kia soul in december and it doesn't even have 5,000 miles on it yet. When I was driving in the city and stopped at a red light, the engine completely died. I tried pushing on the gas to see if it would go and the car would not move. All the lights on the dashboard were flashing. I had to immediately put my hazard lights on, turn the car off, then all of a sudden it started running again. It was such a crazy experience. It's really sad that I purchased a brand new car and it cannot even keep me safe. Kia needs to do a recall on the engines and transmission. There seems to be a major issue with this. I am so scared to drive this car now on freeways or anywhere long distance. And I've only had it for 3 months! |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Mar 19, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I went to start the vehicle up on march 2, 2020. I turned the ignition, car turned on and started to violently shake the entire vehicle. I turned it off, check oil level (it's a new vehicle and just had an oil change) oil level was good. I turned it on again, car went to 1. 5 rpms, then died (0rpms). I took the key out, waited a while, and started it back up again. Turned on just fine, but this time with the check engine light on. Had kia road side service tow it the following morning to hanlees in davis. I haven't been given much information as to what was wrong with the car. After 2 weeks of them trying to figure out what was going on, I got a call saying that kia has authorized to drop a whole new engine in the vehicle and my car would be ready in a week. I called today, march 19, and they still haven't received the engine, so I'm still without a vehicle. I am moving across the us in a week from now, and have to cancel the move because my car is still not ready and the dealership will not ship my vehicle once it is finished. It has been almost a month, and I'm stuck in this lease for another 3. 5 years. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Mar 08, 2020 |
| State | IN |
| Description | Traveling on interstate 75mph, rpms started jumping up & down by 500 and a 10 minutes later the vehicle shifted down to second gear. This thrust us forward due to drastic loss of speed and the engine sounded like it was going to blow since the tachometer was red-lined at max rpms on the dial. I had to immediately cut out of my lane to avoid being rear-ended. The vehicle would not come out out of first gear after it shifted down to that. I had to drive to the next exit at 15 mph and went to a gas station. There I restarted the vehicle and drove around the parking lot and it would not come out of first gear. Had to have the vehicle towed to kia and they called the next day to indicate it needed a new transmission. The vehicle had 4900 miles on it and I had bought it brand new. If the roads were slick or a vehicle was immediately behind us or we were attempting to pass another vehicle, this could have resulted in serious injury or death due to it dropping gear and causing us to rapidly lose speed while traveling on the interstate. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Mar 04, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | On february 27th 2020 I was heading to gainesville for surgery. Wow I had the cruise control on the rpm gauge started flipping. When I took it off cruise control the engine gear down and I could not get compression. My roadside service tow the vehicle to lake city kia where it is setting right now awaiting a transmission replacement. I have two more trips to gainesville. I'm a veteran and I'm service. Of the gainesville va hospital. I'm in a rental right now until the car is fixed. My vehicle only had 18155 mi on it. What can be done? |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Mar 03, 2020 |
| State | PA |
| Description | Rpms kept increasing to the red line for no apparent reason while driving on the highway. The vehicle would jerk and not have acceleration at higher speeds, the transmission would slip. The transmission would not always engage when accelerating from a stopped position, or when it did it would feel like the vehicle would drag as if something very heavy was tethered to it. At the same time the rpms would increase and decrease wildly without touching the accelerator. The vehicle was returned to the dealer who diagnosed "transmission slipping at higher rpms. Internal issue in the transmission. Per tech case #...' was authorized to replace the transmission assembly" |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Mar 03, 2020 |
| State | VA |
| Description | Over the course of a week, I noticed the rpm fluttering on my dashboard. At first I thought nothing of this because it did not occur all of the time. However, it became increasingly more persistent. So I made an appointment with the dealership to see what the issue was, and I did not think that it was going to be a detrimental issue. I was on my way to an appointment an hour away from where I live, and I was on the highway going 65 mph. All of a sudden, the vehicle would not allow me to accelerate any longer. In fact, the mph decreased significantly until I was going 45 mph on the highway, which is a hazard in itself. Fortunately, there was a wide shoulder to my right, where I pulled off of the highway for safety. I tried to accelerate a little bit on the shoulder, but it continued to decline until it would not move at all. This was an extremely stressful situation due to being on the side of a busy highway where I could have easily been hit by a distracted driver and been killed. I called aaa, and waited on the side of the road for 30 minutes to be picked up so I could have my care towed to the dealership. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Feb 26, 2020 |
| State | MN |
| Description | Transmission had issues it had to be replaced at 7k miles |
| Category | Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Feb 26, 2020 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Bought the car 2-11 with 1200 miles on it drove it for 8 days then on 2-19 it started jumping and jerking and making some really bad sounds. On 2-21 it was so bad that I had it towed to battleground kia because I was scared to drive it, they had it for 3 days and then on 2-24 called me to come get the car because they found nothing wrong with it. I had the car 1 day it started acting up again and then on 2-26 it was so bad that I drove it back to battleground kia and made a mechanic drive the car with me in it, because I was scared to death to drive it anymore so we made it all of 1 block then he turned around and headed back to the shop. We came up on a 4 way stop and he gave it gas to go and the rpm's went to 6000 and the car did not go at all, then he gave it more gas and it started jumping and jerking and knocking so bad that when we got back to the dealership he immediately said the transmission has serious issues and put in the paper work to have a new transmission put in. We both decided that driving the car the way it was was very dangerous and not safe at all. There is a serious issue with the ivt transmission that kia needs to recall, just hope the replacement transmission is not the same. At this point I'm in a rental car provided by kia while I await my fate. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Feb 25, 2020 |
| State | KY |
| Description | I noticed my car was accelerating differently and seemed to not be shifting right. I called the service department and they advised me to put fuel cleaner in it. I did so as advised. A few days later I was making a turn across a highway and my car revved up really high and then died in the middle of the lane of oncoming traffic. The car started back up and we got it out of the road but it was not running right. The next day we got it in the shop and they told us it needed a whole new transmission. The car has less than 17,000 miles on it and it has been nearly a month in the shop. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Feb 20, 2020 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Car is on second complete transmission failure at 10,500 miles. 1st failure at 10,000 miles. Transmission locked up in busy intersection coming off major interstate. Kia dealer informed me it needed complete new transmission. Dealer had unit for over 2 months. I had it back 5 days from dealer repair and transmission locked up on my again in middle of road pulling out from stop sign with oncoming traffic coming towards me. It seems to happen after 45 min to hr of driving when transmission gets hot. Today I am meeting with dealer to buy unit back. I feel this car is dangerous and these transmission failures are a huge safety concen that needs to be looked into and cars need to be recalled before there is serious injury or loss of life. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Feb 15, 2020 |
| State | OH |
| Description | On december 30 my kia soul began acting as it was cutting out and it was using a lot of fuel the rpm would shoot up a tad bit finally the rpm red lined and the car stopped moving on the freeway going 70 mph. We safely exited and made it to the nearest dealership which luckily was only about 3 miles away. Had 17607 miles on the car they kept my car from 12/30/2019 to 1/31/2020 while replacing the transmission. I had my car back for 2 weeks and today 2/15/2020 the car began losing power and had difficulty maintaining speed I stopped at a traffic light and when I went to pull away the car did not drive anymore. I shifted into park when it made a loud bang as you would here if you parked on a incline and put a car into gear only 3 times as loud. I was able to get to a parking lot and call for a tow at 5. 45 am roadside assistance sent a tow company 2 hours away from me and its now 3:18 pm and my car has yet to be towed to my local kia dealer . Car now has 17801 miles on it. Wounder how long they will have it this time. Would really like to see about lemon law. The car at this point has proved it is unreliable very disappointing as I really love this car but need dependability.. Manufacturer date was 3/19 |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Feb 13, 2020 |
| State | GA |
| Description | On 12 feb 2020, I was driving on hwy 75s in ga and lost all acceleration to the vehicle while surrounded by traffic. I was able to push the accelerator to the floorboard and had 0 rpms. Pulled over and restarted the car it ran fine until I got off at my exit and started at a red light again no acceleration 0 rpms held my foot on the floorboard and it finally started to accelerate after about a minute. Took the car to the sons kia dealership in mcdonough. Dropped the car off had a diagnostic ran and was told they were unable to replicate the issue. Immediately called kia hq to report the issue. Guess I'll drive it till it fails completely. |
| Category | Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Feb 05, 2020 |
| State | IL |
| Description | The date listed below is the day I took my kia soul in for the 2nd time for surging and jerking. I found out the 3rd of february this past monday it has a bad transmission and needs replaced. They originally wanted to send me home yet again after this problem until my dad stepped in and told them to figure the problem out and just doing some "adjustment " to the engine and transmission isn't goi ng to fix the actual problem. My car has been in the shop 3 times now and I've had a loaner in total of 10 days split between all the issues with my "new" car. I bought this car because I loved it and now I cant stand it thinking I might get stranded with my kids somewhere in the cold. I want my money back or a new car. This is the 2nd time I'm posting a problem on here the first time was because of the radio going in and out of a black screen and freezing. I took it in for that and all they did was again hit a reset button and showed me how to reset it myself so I dont have to being it in again for the same issue. Sorry but it's not my job to fix this issue I wasnt happy with that statement either. And now the transmission issue in twice for that and not to mention all the lies I've caught the dealership saying to me. I've done my research and know people in the industry I dont take being lied to for easily when I'm spending over 25 grand on something. I have videos to prove what was going on since they were saying it wouldn't repeat the problem but I'm not able to attach them here. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 02, 2020 |
| State | AL |
| Description | Gas pedal got stuck we ran through the end of the house. This happen while turning in our driveway |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jan 29, 2020 |
| State | MN |
| Description | I can not believe when I read more than 30 complaints that no recall has been activated. I purchased a 2020 kia soul in august of 2019 and by december of 2019 I had almost been hit several times on the highway due to a lag in the transmission. When I took it to the dealership I was told that it was just the eco system and that they all do this. Then to find out later that they did another test on my vehicle to find out that it had metal fragments in the transmission and would need a new transmission. As too much to my dismay, I find that it takes over two months to drop a new transmission in my vehicle. This is my first kia and now I have no trust in this car. Now I am requesting to get out of this loan on this vehicle because now I do not trust this brand. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 28, 2020 |
| State | WA |
| Description | I bought a 2020 kia soul s aug 30 2020 december 23, 2020 I found out my transmission needed replacing 5600 miles on car. Dealer said it would be 2 to 3 months as they are on back order. They gave me a loaner, checked into lemon laws, called kia of america a week later complaining about the amount of time it was going to take to get fixed, the next week I got a call from kia of america saying my car would be done the next day as it was. The odd thing is kia of a offered me a goodwill offer for my inconvenience. I am debating whether to accept it or not as there are legal papers attached to it. I am just hoping the new transmission holds up with no other issues. Otherwise I really like the car. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 26, 2020 |
| State | VA |
| Description | On december 23rd the car was being driven on the highway at 70mph when it dropped to 1st gear and rpm's increased dramatically. We were able to get off the off ramp to a parking lot but the car never came out of 1st gear. We tried to use the manual option but there was no difference. We let the car sit and tried again and it seemed to be better but after approximately 4 miles of driving it dropped into first gear again and never came back out. We called roadside assistance and had the car towed to a nearby kia dealer. The car has been at the dealer for 35days because the transmission was on backorder and the dealer has only 1 certified mechanic that can work on the 2020 soul. We leased this car in october and it has less than 2000 miles on it and we have had a rental for over a month. We are concerned that they don't really know what the problem is and they are putting in the same transmission that could have the same issue again down the road. This is a huge safety issue and concern for us. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Jan 24, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Vehicle rpm began fluctuating while on cruise control in rainy weather. Switched to manual (sport mode) control and the problem lessened. Vehicle began to loose power and was shifting randomly between gears automatically, eventually redlining while maintaining 74mph. A loss of power occurred and nearly caused a collision on interstate 10 as my speed fell dramatically. I was able to coast to the nearest exit but the car would not shift out of 5th gear. We were stranded in a thunderstorm for several hours and dealership offered no help. Aaa saved the day, got the vehicle back, and then the dealership refused to issue a rental car for several days after the incident. Please be aware that if the transmission fails at interstate speeds, the risk of injury is high and do your best to get off the main road as safely as possible. Dealership has since issued a rental car and informed me that a transmission would be re-manufactured. For my vehicle. I am not afraid to drive a brand new vehicle anywhere away from home. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jan 24, 2020 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 kia soul. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle decelerated independently. The vehicle was towed to a dealer (hendrick kia of concord located at 7550 hendrick auto plaza nw, concord, nc 28027) to be diagnosed. The mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. An undisclosed repair was performed however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,900 |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 24, 2020 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Complete transmission failure at 9,200 miles. Car locked up coming off interstate exit ramp and would not take gear at all. Very strong smell of burning transmission. Unit needed complete transmission. Has been at dealer for over 6 weeks. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 24, 2020 |
| State | MD |
| Description | 2020 soul ex with about 8100 miles. Driving on interstate and suddenly tach redlined and lost acceleration/power. Limped car into dealer a couple miles away, where check engine light came on and diagnostic warning appeared on display. Dealer confirmed later that day that transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. Part is not available and no eta on replacement. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Jan 23, 2020 |
| State | NC |
| Description | I purchased a new 2020 kia soul lx with 16 miles on the odometer. 2 months later, my car began to lose power suddenly. The engine increased rpm as I've lost power. The car would only accelerate to about 25 mph. I drove it immediately to the dealership who told me I needed a new transmission. My car stayed in the dealership shop for two months awaiting a transmission that was on back order. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other, Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Jan 23, 2020 |
| State | IL |
| Description | 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. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 20, 2020 |
| State | VA |
| Description | 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. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 13, 2020 |
| State | NE |
| Description | Car had issues accelerating after stopping and turning on the auto engine shutoff . 24 no lights came on. 12 hours later driving on interstate rpms redlined while going about 60-65 . I was able to pull off the interstate . At the stop light directly off the interstate car would not accelerate, smelt heavily of transmission fluid. Roadside picked me up. Dealership set me up in a rental and told me several had this issue and a missions are on back order. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 08, 2020 |
| State | MO |
| Description | We drive a 2020 kia soul gt-line 2. 0 with 2681 miles and build date 06/19. I was traveling at 75mph when the rpm's started surging about 300 back and forth in the standard auto mode. It went away in manual shift mode. My gas mileage was showing 21mpg. I proceeded for about 30 more miles in manual (7th) then the rpm's redlined. I was able to pull over. I let it sit 5 minutes and made it 2 miles on the shoulder of the interstate to the next exit at about 30 to 40mph in auto mode. That is all it would do. It was a slight climb after the ramp. The soul struggled. I tried to shift into manual and it says it is in 5th, and it will not shift. I figured I would add this while currently waiting for the tow. This soul was never driven hard. It was about 95% highway miles. There were no signs of failure before this. This happened quickly. The soul was towed to the nearest kia dealership, which is 3 hours from home, and had to rent a car to drive home. The official diagnosis is transmission failure and we're waiting for a replacement, which could take 6-8 weeks. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting, Seats |
| Date | Jan 05, 2020 |
| State | PR |
| Description | I purchased a 2020 kia soul barely 3 weeks ago. First issue is the front lights. They are constantly foggy and with humidity. Took car to the dealer and was initially told that it would clear up once high beams are turned on for 30 minutes which is unrealistic as you can't have your high beams on when there are cars in front of you. Was then told they submitted a ticket to kia as this is the second unit they had with same issue. Second issue is the front seat headrests. They push the head to far forward and causes constant headache and neckache. This can't be adjusted. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Jan 04, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | While driving on a southeast texas 2 lane road with a posted speed limit of 70mph, I was following a truck going less than 50mph. When visibility was clear, I pulled out to pass the truck. At about 3/4 throttle, the transmission downshifted to provide more power but the vehicle suddenly lost power in the oncoming lane of the roadway about halfway around the 18 wheeler. At this point, I started to see oncoming vehicles, at which time, I applied wot. The engine light immediately came on and flashed 3 times and the car felt to be sputtering and in some type of limp mode. I made a split second decision to brake hard and squeeze back in behind the 18 wheeler to avoid a head on collision. The situation was made worse by a vehicle behind me simultaneously trying to pass the 18 wheeler. Stopping at the next gas station I notice sputtering even in park at even very light throttle. I turned off the vehicle hoping that the ecu needed to reset. It did reset and the problem went away. Had I not made the decision I did when passing and had the person behind me not also applied the brakes quickly, I would likely have been in some type of collision whether it be head on or having to swerve off the roadway completely to avoid oncoming vehicles. |
| Category | Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 01, 2020 |
| State | IL |
| Description | 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 |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Dec 30, 2019 |
| State | VA |
| Description | I purchased this car new with approximately 50 miles on it. On day 34, while driving on a two lane rural road the rpms began going up and down wildly, a strong smell (which I now know is transmission) and the car would not move forward or backward. Being in an s curve with flashers on, I was almost hit by a car coming around the curve. Two more vehicles were behind the first one and stopped, helping me push the car off the road. As the night this occurred was christmas eve, it took 3 hours to get the car towed to the dealer it was purchased from. I am told the transmission will have to be replaced. The dealer states kia corporate will send a new transmission and having that performed is my only option. |
| Category | Child Seat:tether: Strap/webbing |
| Date | Dec 18, 2019 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The child safety seat latches are inaccessible as they are buried in tight upholstery. I can't always successfully latch the car seats into the car and when I succeed it is only with the help of someone very experienced and takes upwards of half an hour. I have reported this to kia and was advised they will take no action until there is an accident. Similar incidents have been reported by professional reviewers: https://www. Cars. Com/articles/how-do-car-seats-fit-in-a-2020-kia-soul-gt-403604. "some muscle" is an understatement. This has happened to us four times and the vehicle was always stationary. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Dec 12, 2019 |
| State | SC |
| Description | While driving my 2020 kia soul gt, there was a loud bang and the car lost all power. Fortunately, I was able to get it pulled to the side of the road. I was on a country road and not on a major highway where it would have caused an accident. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealer. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 12, 2019 |
| State | MO |
| Description | 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. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Dec 07, 2019 |
| State | NV |
| Description | With just under 1800 miles on the vehicle, while traveling on the highway at 75 mph, the transmission abruptly shifted into 5th gear and the rpms jumped up. As we slowed and pulled over the transmission did not down shift and remained in 5th gear as we came to a stop. Put it into park and turned the car off. Then started the car, put it into drive and it was still in 5th gear. Turned it off and waited 5 minutes, when we turned it back on again a check engine light was on, the code description was "speed input sensor does not match the speed output sensor". Took it to a kia dealership, and they have had it ever since. They are awaiting an arrival of a transmission to replace it. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Nov 29, 2019 |
| State | AL |
| Description | When using the auto start and stop feature when releasing the brake and the engine cranks back I hear a strange noise that sounds like a cat squalling when the engine starts. This doesn't happen when your not using auto start. Plus when you shift into park while stoped it doesn't make this noise. My wife also has the same issue with her car same year modle and make. No clue I fear this maybe related to the transmission. As when placing in park it doesn't make the noise when you release the brakes. My wife's car has less than 12000 miles and mine has 6000 miles and it's starting to make the noise. Seems to happen more when hard braking occurs . Sound is comming from the drivers side of the car. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Nov 19, 2019 |
| State | OH |
| Description | My car was purchased brand new off the lot with 28 miles on it. I now have approximately 15614 miles on my 2020 kia soul. I just wanted to report that the horn, a major safety feature, intermittently stops working. When the horn stops working it includes the steering wheel depress and the key fob 'locked' signal. Please investigate this as a horn can be the last resort notification someone needs between life or death. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Nov 18, 2019 |
| State | OK |
| Description | At 11,200 miles the transmission abruptly malfunctioned in heavy highway traffic. Rpm would shift wildly from idle to redline, and the transmission shuddered hard and lost all power. I had to merge from the inside lane of a 65mph highway to the outside, nearly getting into a collision in the process. The vehicle was rendered immobile and needed to be towed. It is now at the dealership waiting on a new transmission to be installed. From what I can tell, this vehicle shares a power train with the 2019 kia forte. That model has numerous complaints about failed transmissions, and I suspect my model will as well. |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Nov 12, 2019 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Started car "push button" one evening and found the steering was inoperative. Shut down and restarted and all was fine. It only did this one time. |
| Category | Structure:body |
| Date | Nov 11, 2019 |
| State | PR |
| Description | My 2020 kia soul, I only have it for 2 weeks and the fog lights got wet and foggy, I took the car the dealer and spoke to service, and order new parts, to install in the car, it really concerns me that a brand new car get these fog lights wet, which can cause a safety issue, since the light will not work properly with this lights foggy, dealer said it was due to humidity. |
| Category | Engine, Service Brakes |
| Date | Nov 07, 2019 |
| State | SC |
| Description | Problem with idle stop/start system-when I stop at a light, the engine shuts off, when I try to accelerate, I hear a loud groan sound, and the car shutters before eventually moving forward. I immediately took it to the dealership where it was purchased, and was told that the sound they heard was "normal", but if it continued try to get a audio recording of the sounds I was hearing, and they would look in to it. Ridiculous! I have seen at least 2 more complaints for this same issue. Right now I turn the function off as soon as I get in the vehicle, what good is it if you can't use it? |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Nov 07, 2019 |
| State | SC |
| Description | Vehicle pulls sharply and abruptly to the right at speeds above 45-50. When I test drove the vehicle, I mentioned to the salesman that I thought it was pulling to the right, of course he didn't feel it, but would have it checked. After purchasing the vehicle in april, and owning it about 7 months, this problem is worse. I took it back to the dealership where purchased, and was told this was normal due to the lane keeping assist function. If this is the case this is dangerous due to the fact that it is a very sharp and abrupt pull to the right, with no warning. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train |
| Date | Oct 29, 2019 |
| State | TX |
| Description | I bought the car in may 2020. I first reported the problem in july. It has something to do with the idle stop and go feature, as it only happens when this it is being used. When I come to stops at red lights and stop signs. Everything shuts down. When I release my feet off the breaks the car makes a dull quake like noise. I have had the car in the shop at the dealership for 7 days already. They changed the break booster thinking it was the problem, but it was not. I have been trying to schedule someone at the dealership to ride with me for a few minutes to listen to the noise. About a week and half ago I got an reply to an email telling me to hold off on that, because another car has come into the dealership with the same problem. I was told they will contact me when they figure out what it is. This problem had been going on working on 5 months now. |
| Category | Engine, Service Brakes, Steering |
| Date | Oct 13, 2019 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The idle stop - start system seems to be broken. Whenever I pull up to a light and stop the engine shuts off. Then, when I try to accelerate the engine starts but the calibers lock up on the disc creating a loud groaning sound. It causes the car to shutter and barely go forward. Additionally, the car consistently pulls to the right. It causes the vehicle to begin to veer off the road. On two occasions the dealer, kia of irvine, told me they did not have the equipment fo fix this problem. |
| Category | Steering, Structure:body, Wheels |
| Date | Jul 09, 2019 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Pulls to the right at highway speed - approx 45mph. Severe alignment problem. Dealer told me that they did have a new-enough machine to align the car. How can kia of irvine, not have the proper equipment to fix the cars they sell? Inside rear cowling that goes around the small portal window on the right was warped from the factory. Car was not moving. Got a replacement part; however, it was a poor install job and the front part of the cowling does not align well with its lower connect piece. Right front tire is becoming severely worn because of alignment issue that can't be fixed. Exterior plastic cover on left-side a-frame pillar came from the factory scratched and lose. Kia of irvine will not fix it - they only want to buff the plastic. Not a proper fix because the part is still lose. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jun 21, 2019 |
| State | MI |
| Description | Tl* the contact owned a 2020 kia soul. While driving at 70 mph, the vehicle stalled as the engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle was merged to the side of the road. When the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, the engine caught on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed to an impound yard. The vehicle was totaled. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred 10 days after the vehicle was purchased. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 600. The vin was invalid. *bf |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jun 20, 2019 |
| State | VA |
| Description | 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. |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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My sunny yellow Kia Soul (2020) has been the best vehicle until about 3 months ago when I took it in for regular maintenance and a tire rotation/brake check. When I got it home, the TPMS went off saying I had a problem, which I checked out and found none. When activated, I cannot use the key fob, windshield wipers, headlights, or put the car in gear without manual manipulation! It is so inconvenient and frustrating! I have taken the car back for service, and the dealership is still trying to figure out the problem. I believe it just needs a new TPMS module or sensors and then it’ll all fall back into perfect working order….or at least that’s what I hope. Whatever it is, it’s inconsistent, happens anytime and anywhere, and completely catches me off guard when it does! I have had to drive to work for 2 days in the rain with no windshield wipers! I’m wondering if anyone else has had the same problem with their 2020 Kia Soul?
2021 Kia Soul transmission went out at 5000 mi. About 100 miles from home. Car was jerking as I drove on the highway, I thought it might be cruise control so shut it off, continued to jerk and sputter until it would no longer shift into gear or move. I was lucky to coast off the highway into a small town, unlucky that it is a small town, Kia dealership about 20 miles away would not give me a loaner, no rental car lots open on Saturday, had to have someone drive 100 miles to pick me up. Car has been at dealership two weeks, they just looked at it today. I have been without any transportation because Kia refused to help me with a car until the problem was diagnosed and warranty work approved. Still have waiting for Kia to approve. I was on hold for over 6 hours trying to get ahold of customer service, finally got thru was told they would not help me then hung up on. Have had the worst customer service from Kia. Am worried that car will continue to have problems even if fixed after reading these accounts.
Brought car in many times to Kia. Various reasons. It is 2020 kia soul. The car knocks when you start it. Can’t turn heat on high because the cabin filter somehow hits the fan blades. They replaced filter still does it and at first wanted me to pay for new filter. Just bought car.
Issues with brakes. When park up hill or down hill even when on hill to take of males horrendous noise every time let off brake. Shop states normal. Finally put new brakes on. Car still does it. The car even on high in winter with it on high never gets warm enough to have a baby in car even only after driving for two hours is it warm inside. Mind you car barely now has 6000 miles on it and have had almost 2 years in September. Frustrated. Scared to drive it ever. Never on long distance. Drive freeway pulls to right all time
Does not shift right at all. Another year in this as its a lease. Shop manger always states this normal. Not it is not
SHAUNA M My 2020 Kia Soul first Transmission went less than 1,000 km i have had 3 transmission put in this car in less than 15,000 km the third one is starting to act up after that happens with in a week I will be getting it towed to the dealer again four number 4 .I do homecare and i need a reliable car, this has been very frustrating and last i had to fight to get a rental which was only for two days. i had to use my partners car in order to care for my clients.
I have my soul 2020 since January 2020. Straight off the truck! My driving is speed limit and abaut 60 miles a day.It all begins with the car shutting off on me and it wasn’t the gas saver because when it is the dash gives you instructions on how to perform so car Turns back on… Well it didn’t ???? I thought maybe it was me not knowing how to use my car. So I shut off the on fine all good. I took it do the dealership and reported the issue and nothing found and we’ll i had the give it an earnormal my car change since was there. Two time happened again and I was at the light on a hill???? so took it back in pandemic and got an other oil change since there also no duplicate to shutting off. But was suggested to do the 30000 service recommended but my car was just at 23000. Well realized that the promised wasent on point unshure , told them I will opt for that service when the tax time came in. At 28000 I turn my car on and did sound normal my car was shaking .I waited till the revolution was normal and called kia dealership make apt.
On my drive there it felt scary as if it wasent going to make it to the 20 minutes drive away going 40 hesitant to work its own mechanism.
Well 2 days latter the dealership can’t get the car to do it again ???? I work all these days don’t have time to spend at the rental to get one so I’m car pulling arrownd no time to play.
Tomorrow I will go there early and ride with the mechanic. Issues like that just don’t go away.3/31/21.I don’t trust my car I’m not safe but I’m abaut to buy a home and need my credit top shape.I pray for the justice of God to be over this situation. The truth is their is something wrong and I don’t whant to asept the car back as if nothing has happened. I was gonna tow it to the dealership but every penny counts in this pandemic times
My 2021 Kia Soul has 1,300 miles and the transmission blew out this week. The tachometer started red lining while the car was slowly down and wouldn’t accelerate. I was stuck in the middle of the highway center lane. The dealership says I won’t be seeing the car for a few months because of a backorder in parts.
Purchased a 2020 Kia Soul Jan 2020. 2/15/21 I came to a stop light hit the gas and realized there’s no power. Had to put the car in park and restart the engine. Check engine light is on. Go to dealership the check engine light is on the whole time. They tell me the whole of kia’s computer systems are down and don’t know when they can look at my car. They didn’t have a loaner and I had to rent a car. Two days later they tell me the mechanic scanned the car and they couldn’t find anything wrong. The check engine light is no longer on. I’m out $125 for the rental car. 3/3/21 I’m about to drive onto the freeway. I come to a stop before entering the slip road and the engine turns off. I put the car in park and restart the vehicle and again the check engine light is on. I drove straight to the dealership and the guy tells me he can’t look at it till tomorrow. I said I’m not getting another rental and then have you tell me that there’s nothing wrong with it tomorrow, so he took it to the mechanic to hook it up to a computer and came back and said it had shown that it needs a new pcm. I asked what that was and he said it’s basically the brain of the computer. I’ve never had any issues with kia customer service until now. The last guy I spoke to from corporate was very short with me when I asked him for some help uploaded my enterprise bill.
I now have another rental, the dealership is paying for this one. They are waiting for parts so who knows when I will get the car back.
Still waiting for Kia Corporate to call me. It’s a cheap car and unfortunately you get what you pay for. I would never buy another Kia.
I bought my 2020 S Kia Soul in Aug 2019.My check engine lite has came on 3 times. I’m getting annoyed with this !
My transmission went at 5,000 miles, heat doesn’t come on when warning up, blows cold air, steering pulls..i still am out a car almost a month
My 2020 Kia the steering wheel has locked up on me 3 times. There is a tick in engine and my heater takes 20-25 min. to warm up. Each time I take the car for oil there is always something I need to call them back for to have checked. My car has been at the dearlership for 3 wks. I just received a call from the service supervisor after giving him a call and leaving a message. I have also called the Kia customer service line to put a complaint in.