2012 KIA SOUL Complaints

My mechanic found a small gear located in the power steering wheel called the steering coupler. It has worn down and broke into pieces, making the steering wheel rattle and shake while driving. This is an issue that can turn dangerous as my car moves back and forth on the road due to this problem. The part is also made of PLASTIC! This is a poor cheap design that needs to be recalled. Many other consumers have the same problem with this on their 2012 Kia Soul.

The steering wheel ignition lock is easy bypassed by using only a small screwdriver or USB cord. This makes the car easily stolen and therefore violates the requirements of 571.114 which requires a "starting system which, whenever the key is removed from the starting system prevents.. the normal activation of the vehicles engine or motor". This affects all Kia / Hyundai vehicles with a normal keyed ignition and without a vehicle immobilizer produced from approximately 2009-2022. Since the technology required to comply with the regulation (i.e. a vehicle immobilizer) is readily available and available on other cars from this maker, the vehicle manufacturer knowingly violated this regulation. I request a NHTSA inquiry into this clear safety defect.

On July 14, 2022 at approximately 7:41 pm in Jacksonville, FL. The car hydroplaned and flip 3 times which ended up with the vehicle have significant damage to the front end and roof of the car. The driver side airbag did not deploy during this accident. Which makes me real concern, thank goodness my son-in law was able to walk away from the crash. However he is now experiencing problems from the impact and faulty air bags not deploying. I noticed that a recall was for 2014 but did not include the 2012 model. This is something of concern and needs to be investigated. The car has since been donated to DAV, if this information is needed please let me know as well as pictures of the vehicle.

The electrical system on this vehicle is severely malfunctioning. Once the engine is started it will not allow me to take it out of gear. All of the indicator lights are on and flash. It is unsafe because the Kia dealership service center doesn't know how to fix it. I don't think it's safe to drive because what if I put it in drive & it would not stop or shift to neutral.

Any time I apply the brakes while simultaneously hitting a bump, speed bump, etc, the brakes seems to loose power and the brakes seem to go to the floor. It's frightening! I have mentioned it to the KIA Dealer but they've not been able to identify the issue.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle then stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. Additionally, the contact stated that she smelled a strong fuel odor. The contact was able to continue driving; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 5 MPH. The contact drove to her father's residence and parked the vehicle. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine, and Engine Cooling) which she associated with the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 190,150.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at unknown speed, the check engine warning light appeared illuminated. Shortly after the light illuminated, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who discovered that the vehicle was low on oil; however, there was no evidence of an oil leak. Oil was added, however, the vehicle failed to restart. The mechanic then diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where they confirmed the engine failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) which he linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) however, after retrieving the vehicle, the failure was still present. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,378.

A loud thumping noise accompanied by a large amount of smoke in exhaust along with sudden loss of engine power while traveling at highway speeds. Oil was spewing from a hole that was blown through engine block.

The contact's daughter owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was leaking oil. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer performed an unknown repair; however, the vehicle later lost motive power. The vehicle was then taken to Community Kia of Bloomington (2200 S Walnut St, Bloomington, IN 47401) where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine damage and connecting rod failure, which punctured the engine block. Community Kia of Bloomington informed the contact's daughter that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.