2012 KIA SOUL Complaints

My car stalls and the engine light frequently stays on, my car is driving sluggish every since I got the recall adjustment my car has declined in performance and the engine light started coming on more frequently up until now, it's loud at and experiencing a great lost of power ,the computer is giving the code PO420 reading as bank 1 oxygen sensor , I had intended changing out both sensors, but wasn't sure if it's a damaged engine effecting the Cadillac converter from the 2019 recall, # 19V120000 giving a false reading.

The contact's daughter owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at an unknown speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started making abnormal sounds before stalling. The vehicle was not drivable. The owner and a friend pushed the vehicle a short distance to the friend's residence. The contact stated an independent mechanic arrived at the location of the vehicle but was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the vehicle failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact spoke to the manufacturer and made them aware of the failure and was informed that the VIN was included in the recall. The contact towed the vehicle first to the residence and then to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The manufacturer informed the contact that due to the failure mileage; the vehicle was not covered under the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 222,114.

While driving down the freeway, the engine began to smoke and caught fire. My husband and kids were in the car but were fortunately able to pull over without physical injuries. Our insurance company held the car and a third party company (hired by Kia) concluded “ the origin of the fire is in the engine compartment at the exhaust manifold. The cause of the fire is internal engine failure resulting in a hole in the block allowing oil to escape and ignite on contact with heated exhaust components”. There were no warnings, check engine light, etc. Kia pointed us towards a class action lawsuit but when you search our VIN # on Kia’s website, there’s are no recalls or issues reported, which is clearly false. Our family escaped serious injury/death but it could have easily been a different story. I will not stay silent and let this happen to other families. I am going to continue to advocate for my family until Kia listens.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was flashing. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle continued losing motive power. The contact stated that the engine did not rev while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact pulled off the highway and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that he restarted the vehicle however, while attempting to shift into drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired; however, the mechanic acknowledged the open recall of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the dealer did not perform the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

My steering column, when slightly turning it left and right is clicking hard. This is causing an issue while driving to and from work. As I commute one hour each way 5 days a week. If I hit a bump it jerks the wheel. If I try to drive a little past 65mph it clicks hard and fast. It is getting worse. I have not taken this in to a dealership yet, but I will be soon.

i was driving, all of a sudden my car started losing speed so i got onto the shoulder. then i saw smoke and a fire from under the hood. the door stuck and i hit it with my shoulder to get out. 30 seconds after i got out the engine bay exploded.

The steering wheel developed a looseness whether the car was on or off, and a clicking noise became apparent when turning the steering. When driving over 60mph the steering wheel began to shake uncontrollably. The problem has been confirmed by my mechanic to be the steering flexible coupler. According to online sources, i should have received an extended warranty on this part but did not. Though, it would not have helped due to the fact that the part failed 2 months after the extended warranty expired.

My car got hot and just stopped on me crazy and I just had work done on my rotates and brakes.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 55 MPH, the hood latched inadvertently released and the hood raised up and struck the windshield, causing the windshield to crack. There was no warning light prior to the failure. The hood and upper frame were dented. There were no reported injuries. The driver slammed the hood closed and continued to drive. The contact's husband noticed that the hood latch was fractured. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact after reviewing the photos which were sent, that the latch was damaged due to the latch being pushed to the side by the owner. There was no additional assistance provided. The failure mileage was approximately 134,573.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while making a left turn a second vehicle crashed into the passenger side of the vehicle. During the crash no air bags deployed. The driver sustained a minor neck injury which did not require medical treatment. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. In a second incident, the vehicle crashed down an embankment, and again no airbags had deployed. The driver sustained a minor neck injury that did not require medical treatment. Recently while operating the vehicle the check engine light would remain illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the catalytic converter was faulty and the engine was burning excessive oil and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.