2017 KIA SOUL Complaints

My 2017 KIA Soul EV battery has not been holding a full charge since the beginning of April. The dealer was notified in early May that the charges were seeming to cut off early & provided with a log of charging/driving. We waited, then were told that a replacement battery would be ordered, installed, & considered under warranty. Diagnostic tests were run, we were advised. We were told that the car was safe to drive, although with about 50% of the mileage available (50-51 miles). The final paperwork (vehicle registr.) copy was filed on May 18. Now we have received a safety recall notice. I am afraid to drive the car, having seen news of what loss of life can happen a fire breaks out while driving! My dealer has not offered me help with an interim rental car to date, although I have requested this several times, specifically yesterday - June 6, 2023. At this writing, I have been told that "the battery is on order, however, no specific info on shipment date or date expected" is available. "It will come on the barge," was the last statement, hard to believe in this day & age of electronic records. I have stopped driving the car, have talked with my insurance company, & will call the dealership again about the matter. I am most unsatisfied. I have a record of numerous calls back & forth with my KIA dealer, service dept. manager.

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V031000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The check engine warning light remain illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 183,000.

Original factory installed driver's side seat heater shorted out, caused fire and burned a hole in the seat back. This thermal event was reported to Kia Customer Service on March 16, 2023. Kia has not responded back for over 2 months, to address this issue. Kia case no. 15394468. Same problem with Kia Soul in Canada resulted in a recall to address the problem. Afraid to use the passenger side seat heater, as another short and fire can occur.

Engine light flashes every 6 weeks. I have to have my oil checked weekly as it is constantly low despite not apparent leaks.

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that there was a continual clicking sound coming from the front of the vehicle while making a left or right turn. Additionally, while the brake pedal was depressed, there was a clicking sound coming from the engine compartment. Additionally, when the brake pedal was depressed, the oil light illuminated. The contact stated that after the brake pedal was released, the warning light disappeared. The contact stated that on another occasion, while driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle lunged forward and stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while her friend was driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal sound inside the vehicle then the vehicle started to decelerate without warning. The contact then stated that other drivers on the road alerted the contact’s friend that a fire had ignited underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact’s friend was able to pull the vehicle off the road and exit the vehicle. The local authorities were notified and extinguished the fire. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision lot where the technician diagnosed the vehicle that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V031000 (Air Bags). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

First, on January 13, 2023, my 2017 Kia Soul leaked all but 1/4qt. oil while parked in a lot for about 30 minutes. There was no indication of an issue prior to the event. I just happened to see the puddle while walking to my car. On this date I had 64,100miles on the car. I was stranded in a parking lot 3 hours from home for over 9 hours. Mobile mechanic stated it looked like a loose oil filter and did a complete oil change (to include the filter). He said had I tried to drive my car, I would have blown my engine within a few miles. He also stated that the oil pressure sensor was not in good shape and needed replaced as soon as I could do so; within a week,the sensor was replaced. No items available for I inspection but mechanic bills available. Aside from two mechanics, no one else has inspected the vehicle. Now, today, April 16, 2023, I was parked outside a store for about 15 minutes and came out to a puddle of oil under my car. Checked my oil and realized it was just touching the Low indicator on the dipstick. Had to have a friend tow my car home so that my car and I could both be safe this evening. I am not sure what the cause of today's issue is yet as I have not made it to the mechanic; so this is UNKNOWN. However, a full tank of oil leaking out twice in a 3 month slan is not a coincidence. Clearly, there is some sort of issue with the vehicle.

I am writing this letter to inform you of what I feel is an unacceptable situation. On November 17, 2022, my friend and I were heading to a veterinary specialist about 3 hours from where we live. On the way there the engine in her 2017 KIA Soul with about 85,000 miles on it started knocking. I said this isn’t right, so we called for a tow. We had it towed back to our local mechanic, and they said it was a low-end engine knock. The mechanic called the local KIA dealership’s service department to see if it was covered by the warranty. The KIA rep asked for the VIN after which they informed the mechanic since Julie did not respond to a letter (not a recall) sent out about a software upgrade that needed to be done to detect the problem early, it was not covered. She never saw said letter and has been at that same address for over 30 years. Our local shop quoted her $6,985.25 and about 2 weeks to replace the engine. She called the local KIA service department and they said they could make an appointment to diagnose it January 21st (but if she brought it in, they would fit it in before then, if possible, she had no idea that it was going to be over 4 months.) She also called KIA corporation (which took multiple calls and was on hold forever) to inquire about the warranty and was told KIA would not cover it. KIA corporation said her problem is with the U.S. Postal Service if she never received the update letter. The local dealership finally diagnosed it days after her scheduled appointment and was told she would have to pay over $6,000.00 and it would be about 4 weeks to have the engine replaced. I find it unacceptable my friend is told to check back every couple of weeks. I could totally understand it if KIA said, “we’ll take care of it, but it will take some time” but to have a paying customer’s vehicle over 4 months (a third of a year) is ridiculous in my opinion. Julie is having to borrow vehicles and ut

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated her daughter parked the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer the next day, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,435.