2016 KIA SOUL Complaints

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine was smoking. There was smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the catalytic converter message was displayed. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the check engine warning light was illuminated due to the catalytic converter. There was an issue with the engine. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Engine issues, black oil, loud knocking noise. Engine locked up in 2023 130000 covered and replaced with a replacement engine 135000. Not quite over a year engine is doing same thing dealer told me it’s not covered by my warranty. Kia soul has a history of engine problems I don’t know what to do

Re: NHTSA Recall No. 19V120 / KIA Recall No. SC176 I just filed a report a few minutes ago and neglected to add the attachment referenced therein.

Re: NHTSA Recall 19V120 / KIA Safety Recall SC176. On 1/15/2024, I took my KIA to Premier KIA of Carlsbad. They said the engine needed to be replaced under the above safety recall campaign. I have attached the final invoice, showing the safety recall work was completed on 5/31/2024. I provided multiple copies of that invoice (and my rental car receipts) to KIA Customer Care since 6/4/24. The primary KIA Customer Care agent has been Casey M. Casey directed me to contact "the KIA team" handling my repair costs, a class-action law firm in Oregon. Counsel there was displeased at the attempted hand-off as my car clearly did not qualify. It took over two months to get the case out of that loop. It went back to Casey. Over one year later and tenacious follow up, two unresolved matters remain stuck. Everything is documented. 1. My VIN shows up as "Safety Recall Work Incomplete," which will be on my DMV registration, CarFax, etc. I still get notices of incomplete work from KIA. I have asked how to correct this. Casey says the dealership "knows the channels" and to ask them. I've reached out to Premier, been shuffled around, and left VMs as recently as today. Q: Can the NHSTA use the attached invoice as proof to remove the incomplete status from my VIN? What is needed and from whom? 2. Can the NHSTA help here? Premier said to rent a car (no loaners) as KIA covers recall-work rental costs. Premier had my car for 138 days. I rented a car for 127 of the days at a total cost of $7065. I had no option but use my credit card with compound daily interest that accrued for almost a year. Casey and I previously reviewed rental receipts correcting his 123 day count to 127. Enterprise overlapped days due to in/out times; we subtracted those. I sent email confirmation of our call and 127 day total. Finally, on 1/9/25, KIA issued payment of $5166 for 123 days at $42/day. I emailed and called Casey. He replied $5166 is the max and provided the same incorrect breakdown of 123 days.

The check engine light came on and started flashing, as soon as that happened, the car went into limp mode. It will not go over 2,400 rpms and the speed is limited to 60mph max. I had taken the car to a licensed mechanic shop, they have drained the oil and taken the oil filter apart and found little pieces of metal in the oil and oil filter itself. They have checked codes as well and what they found is that there is a throttle position sensor code and a knock sensor code. I had a Kia dealer ship do a crank bearing test and some how passed and they replaced the knock sensor as well. I have an appointment with Kia in a few days to have them inspect the engine as well as I will show them the bag the contains the taken apart oil filter to show them the metal particle inside of it. A code p1326

I am writing to formally express my concerns and dissatisfaction regarding the handling of Recall SC176 on my 2016 Kia Soul. The vehicle is currently at the Kia, yet there are significant discrepancies and unresolved issues related to the recall service history and the persistent problem described in the recall notice. Issues and Concerns: Lack of Recall Service Documentation: According to Kia Motors’ service line (800-333-4542), recall service for SC176 was reportedly performed on 12/13/2019 at 60,160 miles. However, I recently pulled the Carfax report, and there is no mention of any recall-related maintenance being performed on this date. Instead, the report lists unrelated services such as tire balancing, detailing, etc. Why is the recall repair not documented on Carfax, and why is there no proof of this critical work being completed? Persistence of Recall Issue: Despite the alleged completion of the recall work, the issue described in Recall SC176—excessive oil consumption—persists. The engine light remains on, and I have had to purchase oil by the case to maintain proper levels since taking the car into the shop on 4/7/2022. No corrections were made during this visit, and there was no mention of the recall despite the vehicle’s ongoing symptoms. Inadequate Responses from Dealership and Corporate: When I inquired at Greenway Kia North, I was informed that the recall would not be honored because "no goodwill was offered." This explanation is vague and unsatisfactory, especially given the seriousness of the issue and the safety implications of the recall. Safety Incident Due to Recall Issue: On [XXX], my vehicle stalled in the middle of the busy intersection. The car had to be towed to a trusted mechanic and later towed again to Greenway Kia when I learned of the recall which is not even listed on the car's official report. This dangerous incident underscores of the unresolved recall issue and the risk it poses to my safety and others on the road. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATIO

The battery on this vehicle is absolutely worthless. If tales 8 hours to charge and on a full charge it will get 37 miles. The dealership refuses to replace it and the I owe over 10k on the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the part free of charge but charged a fee for the labor. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH two weeks later, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the road where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to another dealer, Raceway KIA of Conshohocken (402 Ridge Pike, Conshohocken, PA 19428), where it was diagnosed. The dealer informed the contact that the crankshaft was damaged due to a faulty recalled catalytic converter being installed on the vehicle during the previous repair. The dealer informed the contact that the previous dealer should have repaired the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling), free of charge. The dealer determined that the catalytic converter and the crankshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,500.

Was driving my 2016 Kia Sol on [XXX] just past Nevada. Was accelerating to go around another vehicle and suddenly lost power, engine light came on and the car was making a loud rattling noise. Pulled off to the side of the highway. Turned the car off and checked engine oil and there was none registered. Car would not start at first. Had to tow the vehicle from Mesquite to Pahrump(149 miles home), which cost me $1500.00 . No warning lights ever came on. I had our mechanic inspected my vehicle and he said the engine is blown. I never got any recall notices but noticed there has been a recall on the engine. The Kia Sol is now sitting in my garage. I am going to contact my insurance company. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 140,000.