2010 KIA SOUL Complaints

I HAVE HAD MY KIA SOUL SINCE MAY 2009. I HAVE EXPERIENCED CHIPS IN THE GLASS AND PAINT AS WELL AS SCRATCHES TO THE GLASS FROM A PLASTIC ICE SCRAPER AI HAVE USED ON 3 OTHER VEHICLES WITHOUT ISSUE. I DO NOT USE ICE SCRAPERS OFTEN HERE IN TEXAS, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HAD WINDOWS SCRATCHED BY A PLASTIC UTENSIL DESIGNED FOR THE TASK I WAS PERFORMING. I THINK THE WINDOWS ARE MADE OF A HYBRID COMPOUND THAT IS NOT FULLY GLASS TO BE SO EASILY CHIPPED AND SCRATCHED. IT REMINDS ME OF THE POLYCARBONATE USED IN THE GLASSES I WEAR. THEY ARE "SCRATCH RESISTANT", BUT WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE I WILL HAVE SCRATCHES FROM THE MOST BENIGN OCCURRENCES. I BELIEVE THE GLASS IN THIS VEHICLE WILL BE A HAZARD OVER THE LONG TERM BY CREATING ISSUES WITH VIEWING THE ROAD. THE SCRATCHES CATCH THE LIGHT AND CAUSE STAR EFFECT LIGHTING RIGHT IN THE PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER. THIS CAR HAS LESS THAN 5000 MILES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE CONTACT HIT A DEER WHICH CAUSED THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR TO CRUSH INWARD. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS IN THE VEHICLE DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 4276.

OUR NEW SOUL+ WAS PURCHASED IN AUGUST 2009 NEW. IT WAS ALMOST IMMEDIATE THAT SCRATCHES AND SCUFFS WERE COMING OUT ON THE INTERIOR PANELS. THE SLIGHTEST SCUFF OR EVEN JUST SCRATING WITH A FINGERNAIL WAS ENOUGH TO MAKE A PERMANENT SCRATCH. VERY POOR QUALITY PANELS AND AFTER SPEAKING WITH OTHER OWNERS ON A SOUL FORUM...I AM NOT ALONE. *TR

FACTORY INSTALLED WINDSHIELD CHIPS AND CRACKS FROM THE EDGE EASILY AND OFTEN. I HAD THE FIRST WINDOW REPLACED AT ABOUT 5,000 MILES AND THAT WINDOW WAS A GENUINE KIA WINDOW INSTALLED AND NOW IT HAS TWO SMALL CHIPS AND A CRACK FROM THE EDGE OF THE GLASS AND ONE BIG CHIP AT 8,000 MILES. I HAVE NOT CHANGED MY DRIVING AND HAVE NEVER OCCURRED THIS MANY WINDOW DEFECTS. I BELIEVE THE WINDOW TO BE NOT PROPERLY ANNEALED OR TREATED IN THE FURNACE OR IT IS JUST TOO THIN. *TR

I JUST PURCHASED A NEW 2010 KIA SOUL. I AM VERY CAREFUL AND TAKE EXCELLENT CARE OF MY CARS, BUT I HAVE TO SAY THE DOOR PANELS ON THIS VEHICLE TEND TO SCRATCH UP WITH THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH OF EVEN A FINGER NAIL. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE HOW HORRIBLE IT GETS WITH NORMAL WEAR, AND I CONSIDER MYSELF OBSESSIVELY CAREFUL WITH MY CARS AND ITS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO NOT SCRATCH THESE PANELS. HORRIBLE WORKMANSHIP TO THE POINT THAT IT MUST BE SOME SORT OF DEFECT. HAS ANYONE ELSE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ? MY PURCHASE DATE WAS 9/18/09 AND MY INTERIOR DOOR PANELS LOOK 5 YEARS OLD AND ABUSED. ALSO, THE FRONT END ON THIS CAR RUMBLES LIKE SOMETHING IS LOOSE, VERY SLOPPY SOUNDING FRONT END WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. STEERING FEELS FINE BUT THE NOISE AND RUMBLING IS UNBEARABLE. VERY POORLY PUT TOGETHER AND RATTLE FEELING. *TR

ON AUGUST 5, 2009 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE 2010 KIA SOUL WHEN IT BROKE DOWN. THE ENGINE GOT STUCK IN SECOND AND IT TOOK FOR EVER TO GET TO THIRD DESPITE PUSHING DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL. ONCE IT DID IT WOULD JERK HER AROUND. IT WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2009 THE SAME ISSUES CAME BACK. ADDITIONALLY THE VEHICLE WILL NOT GO IN REVERSE. ALSO WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IT DOWN SHIFT ON ITS OWN WHILE JERKING YOU FORWARD. IT THEN RELEASES LUNGING THE VEHICLE FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TO THE NEAREST KIA DEALER. THEY SAID THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AND IS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. *TR

WITHIN A WEEK OF TAKING DELIVERY ON 7/24/09, THE INTERIOR AND MOST ESPECIALLY THE DOOR SKINS WERE ALREADY ACQUIRING MARKS AND SCRATCHES - A SLIGHT FINGER NAIL SCRATCH REQUIRED A SPECIAL PRODUCT TO REMOVE ETC. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS. 1. WHEN RELEASING THE CLUTCH PEDAL THERE WAS A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A CABLE THAT HAS SINCE BECOME MORE CONSISTENT. ON 8/3/09, I HAD AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE CABLE CONNECTED TO THE THROW-OUT BEARING WHICH WAS SAID TO BE NORMAL. HOWEVER, THIS CABLE NOISE HAS NOT BEEN NORMAL WITH ANY OF MY OTHER MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, NOR IS IT PRESENT IN ALL KIA SOULS. 2. I BEGAN TO NOTICE A KNOCKING SENSATION COMING THROUGH THE SHIFTER HANDLE WHEN SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR ALONG WITH A GRINDING SOUND WHEN DOWNSHIFTING INTO 2ND GEAR. THERE IS ALSO A SLIGHT JOLT WHEN SHIFTING INTO 2ND GEAR - IT IS NOT A SMOOTH TRANSITION LIKE THE OTHER GEARS. 3. WHEN AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE CAR WILL NOT GO INTO 1ST GEAR, AND WANTS TO GO INTO 3RD GEAR WHICH USUALLY TAKES A COUPLE OF TRIES BEFORE IT WILL GO INTO 1ST GEAR. 4. THERE HAS BEEN EXCESSIVE ENGINE REVVING 2X NOW. THE FIRST OCCURRED AFTER I CAME OUT OF REVERSE - THE SECOND WAS WHEN I TRIED TO GO INTO 1ST GEAR BUT ENDED UP IN 3RD GEAR AND BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO NEUTRAL. 5. THE LAST ISSUE CONCERNS EXCESSIVE WATER AND DIRT ACCUMULATING IN THE ENGINE. AFTER WASHING MY CAR, I POPPED THE HOOD AND NOTICED THE HOOD LATCH IS ALREADY STRIPPED DOWN TO THE METAL AFTER ONLY BEING OPENED AND CLOSED 4-5 TIMES. THE ENGINE DESIGN SEEMS TO ATTRACT POOLS OF WATER IN CERTAIN AREAS, WHICH ALSO OCCURS WHEN IT RAINS, AND THERE IS CONCERN OF PREMATURE RUST. SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR 9/15 TO HAVE THE OIL CHANGED AT 1000 MILES AND TO GET THESE ISSUES ADDRESSED BUT HAD TO SCHEDULE A 3RD APPOINTMENT BECAUSE THE DEALER NOW NEEDS TO KEEP THE CAR FOR 5 HOURS SO THE OUTCOME IS PENDING. *TR

2010 KIA SOUL WINDSHIELD HAS BROKEN THREE TIMES SINCE WE BOUGHT IT 4 MONTHS AGO. YES, CAUSED BY SMALL ROCKS FROM THE ROAD. THE FIRST TWO TIMES WE PAID OVER $50.00 TO HAVE THE CRACKS "BLOWN". THEN A FEW WEEKS LATER A ROCK HITS AGAIN THIS TIME THE SMALL ROCK HAS CREATED A MASSIVE CRACK AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED.I CANT AFFORD TO REPLACE BUT IF I DID ISN'T IT GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN? I'VE BEEN DRIVING A LONG TIME AND I HAVE HAD TO REPAIR A WINDSHIELD ONE TIME. NOW IN THE SPAN OF 4 MONTHS ITS BEEN 3 TIMES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE REVS EXCESSIVELY WHENEVER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS RELEASED. THE RPMS WILL GO FROM 1,500 TO 3,000. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE. A REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT IT WAS NOT A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A FEW DIFFERENT DEALERS, BUT THEY ALL STATED THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES. THE VEHICLE IS STILL EXPERIENCING THE ISSUE AND THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT A CRASH COULD OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 6,000. UPDATED 09/01/09 *BF