2020 KIA SOUL Complaints

PURCHASED A 2020 KIA SOUL JAN 2020. 2/15/21 I CAME TO A STOPLIGHT HIT THE GAS AND REALIZE THERE'S NO POWER. HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND RESTART THE ENGINE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. GO TO DEALERSHIP THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON THE WHOLE TIME. THEY TELL ME THE WHOLE OF KIA'S COMPUTER SYSTEMS ARE DOWN AND DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY CAN LOOK AT MY CAR. THEY DIDN'T HAVE A LOANER AND I HAD TO RENT A CAR. TWO DAYS LATER THEY TELL ME THE MECHANIC SCANNED THE CAR AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS NO LONGER ON. I'M OUT $125 FOR THE RENTAL CAR. I PICK UP THE CAR. 3/3/21 I'M ABOUT TO DRIVE ONTO THE FREEWAY. I COME TO A STOP BEFORE ENTERING THE SLIP ROAD AND THE ENGINE TURNS OFF. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND RESTART THE VEHICLE AND AGAIN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. I DRIVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE GUY TELLS ME HE CAN'T LOOK AT IT TILL TOMORROW. I SAID I'M NOT GETTING ANOTHER RENTAL AND THEN HAVE YOU TELL ME THAT THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH IT TOMORROW, SO HE TOOK IT BACK TO THE MECHANIC WHO HOOKED IT UP.TO A DEVICE. HE CAME BACK AND SAID IT HAD SHOWN THAT IT NEEDS A NEW PCM. I ASKED WHAT THAT WAS AND HE SAID IT'S BASICALLY THE BRAIN OF THE COMPUTER. (POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE) THE CAR'S BEEN IN THE SHOP SIX DAYS NOW, THE DEALERSHIP IS PAYING FOR THE RENTAL. THE ODOMETER READS 8900 MILES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2020 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER (LIFETIME KIA 4170 US-64, MURPHY, NC 28906;(828) 835-9200) WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT HAD FAILED HOWEVER NO REPAIR WAS COMPLETED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER THAT WHILE THEIR SON WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, WHEN THEY HEARD A POP NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE THEN LOSS ALL POWER AND A NEARBY DRIVER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE DRIVER COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE THEN BEGAN TO GROW FAIRLY QUICKLY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT OUT THE FIRE AND A REPORT WAS MADE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DEEMED TOTALED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NEEDED. THE CONTACT HAD SPOKEN TO THE DEALER REGARDING THE FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000. *DT

WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE RPMS ON THE VEHICLE STARTED RANDOMLY FLUCTUATING. THE ISSUE GOT WORSE AND THEY BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE BETWEEN 7 AND 8 ALONG WITH ENGINE REVVING. THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON. I PULLED OFF OF AN EXIT AND WAS ABLE TO GRADUALLY COME TO A STOP TO CALL A DEALERSHIP TO ASK IF IT WAS SAFE TO CONTINUE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD THAT AS LONG AS THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT WASN'T FLASHING, I COULD CONTINUE DRIVING. I GOT BACK ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE ISSUE WAS EVEN WORSE, ENGINE REVVING, RPMS FLUCTUATING CHAOTICALLY. I THEN COULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE. I PUT THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND WAS THANKFULLY ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE BEFORE STOPPING. MY CAR HAD TO BE TOWED BACK TO WHERE I LIVE, 95 MILES AWAY. IT HAS BEEN AT THE GOSSETT KIA DEALERSHIP IN MEMPHIS, TN SINCE SATURDAY AND STILL HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. I AM AFRAID IT WILL BE COMPLETELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT A MAJOR TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL. VEHICLE HAS JUST OVER 5,000 MILES.

2 TRANSMISSION FAILS IN LESS THAN 12 MONTHS. WHEN RUNNING, IT EFFECTS THE ABILITY TO MANEUVER IN DAILY DRIVING ROUTINE.

TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY CREATING A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, I NOTICED THE ENGINE REVVING UP FOR NO APPARENT REASON. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS THE TIRES WERE SPINNING ON BLACK ICE OR A FROZEN FROST ON THE PAVEMENT. NOPE, IT CONTINUED TO HAPPEN ON VERY DRY SECTIONS OF THE HIGHWAY. MAYBE IT WAS THE CRUISE CONTROL CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SURGE. NOPE, IT CONTINUED TO HAPPEN AFTER TURNING IT OFF. THE CAR BEGAN SLOWING ON A LONG UPHILL GRADE EVEN THOUGH THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. AN ERROR MESSAGE STATING "A PROBLEM HAS BEEN DETECTED WITH THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL UNIT" WAS DISPLAYED. I PULLED INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NO LONGER ENGAGE INTO ANY GEAR - REVERSE, DRIVE, OR MANUAL SHIFT MODE GEARS 1, 2, 3, AND 4 - NOTHING. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT. SAME RESULTS. AFTER 30 MINUTES OF DOING THIS, THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED INTO AN UNDER-POWERED GEAR AND I WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY DRIVE IN THE EMERGENCY LANE A MILE TO THE NEXT EXIT. IT HAD A LIGHTED INTERSECTION AT THE END OF IT AND I HAD TO COME TO A STOP. WHEN IT TURNED GREEN, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO ENGAGE AGAIN. I ENDED UP BLOCKING THE RAMP AS I SAT THERE FOR AN HOUR TRYING TO GET THE CAR MOBILE AGAIN. I WAS AFRAID THAT I WAS GOING TO GET REAR-ENDED. EVENTUALLY IT RE-ENGAGED AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR TO A SAFE PARKING AREA OUT OF TRAFFIC AND WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK. KIA IS GOING TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION BUT I WILL NOT TRUST THE RELIABILITY OF IT ONCE I HAVE THE VEHICLE BACK. I'M VERY WORRIED THAT IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND FEEL THAT THIS VEHICLE IS NOW VERY UNSAFE. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF IT FAILED AGAIN LATE AT NIGHT IN AN UNPOPULATED AREA WITH NO CELL SERVICE DURING A BLIZZARD AND MY WIFE WAS DRIVING? THIS IS CREATING A POTENTIALLY EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND A RECALL SHOULD BE MANDATED.

AT 8960 MILES STEERING INDICATOR DASH LIGHT CAME ON. DEALERSHIP DETERMINED IT WAS A BAD STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY. DUE TO THE CORONA VIRUS PART TOOK 2 1/2 WEEKS TO GET TO THE DEALERSHIP.

AFTER HAVING MY CAR FOR 9 MONTHS AND PUTTING 17,000 MILES ON IT MY TRANSMISSION STARTED TO FAIL. I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE GOING 70MPH AND THE CAR BEGAN JERKING LIKE IT COULDN'T SWITCH GEARS. IT THEN BEGAN TO REV HIGH BUT WOULDN'T ACCELERATE. IT EVENTUALLY GOT SO SLOW I HAD TO PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE AND SIT ON THE SHOULDER FOR A FEW MINUTES WITH THE CAR OFF AND THEN TRIED TO RECRANK MY CAR IN WHICH IT STARTED BUT CONTINUED TO JERK/ROCK WHEN DRIVING. I GOT CLOSER TO HOME AND WHEN I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN THE CAR WAS STILL ON BUT WHEN I PRESSED ON THE GAS IT REFUSED TO GO MY CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. I TURNED IT OFF THEN TURNED IT BACK ON AND IT DROVE. THE NEXT MORNING I TRIED TO DRIVE MY CAR TO WORK AND THE CAR THEN BEGAN TO JERK AGAIN AND EVENTUALLY THE HIGHEST SPEED IT WOULD GO TO WAS 50 IT CONTINUED TO DECLINE IN SPEED UNTIL IT EVENTUALLY JUST STALLED AND WOULDN'T MOVE. I TRIED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND ON MY WAY THERE IT BROKE DOWN I THEN HAD TO GET A TOW TRUCK ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE AND TOW IT TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY SAID THAT I HAD IN FACT RECEIVED A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. THIS OCCURRED ON JANUARY 15TH, 2021 IT IS NOW FEBRUARY 25, 2021 AND I DON'T HAVE MY CAR AND THEY HAVE NO ETA AS TO WHEN MY TRANSMISSION WILL BE HERE AND I CAN HAVE MY CAR BACK. I ASKED IF THE NEW TRANSMISSION WOULD WORK PROPERLY AND WAS TOLD "EVEN SOME OF THE NEW TRANSMISSIONS WILL BE DEFECTIVE SO WE REALLY DON'T KNOW". I JUST WANT MY CAR I BOUGHT A CAR BRAND NEW BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS RELIABLE IT WAS NOT AND THERE'S NO RECALL NOTICE AND A TRANSMISSION STALLING ON THE INTERSTATE IS A VERY DANGEROUS THING. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 3,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS ON A CITY STREET ABOUT TO GO ON HIGHWAY RAMP. I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND AS USUAL ISG (IDLE STOP AND GO) FEATURE SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, BUT WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I MOVED MY FOOT OFF THE BREAK, THE CAR DID NOT START AGAIN, INSTEAD THERE WAS AN ENGINE LIGHT AND BATTERY AND OIL LIGHTS THAT WENT ON. THERE WERE CARS BEHIND ME. THANKFULLY, SINCE I WAS ON A HILL I WAS ABLE TO STEER THE CAR TOWARDS THE CURB ALLOWING THE CARS BEHIND ME TO PASS. AFTER THAT I USED MY CAR KEY TO COMPLETELY TURN OFF AND THEN TURN ON THE CAR, AT WHICH POINT THE ENGINE STARTED AGAIN. IN THE PAST I HAVEN'T HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS ISG (IDLE STOP AND GO) FEATURE, BUT NOW I'M WORRIED THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN ON A HIGHWAY OR IF I CANNOT START THE CAR WITH MY KEY.

THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED TWICE IN THIS 2020 KIA SOUL, ONCE AT 4K MILES AND AGAIN WITH A NEW TRANSMISSION AT 12K MILES. TWICE WITHIN 18 MONTHS. EACH TIME DRIVING ON I-10 EXPRESSWAY NEAR PENSACOLA, FLORIDA WHEN ENGINE STARTS DECELERATING AND CAN NOT ACCELERATE UNTIL THE POINT WHERE THE ENGINE STARTS WHINING AND THE CAR IS BASICALLY COASTING AT 10-15 MPH.

JUST PRIOR TO CHRISTMAS OF 2020 WAS THE FIRST TIME MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. THE CAR WAS NOT EVEN A YEAR OUT FROM PURCHASE AND HAD LESS THAN 15,000 MILES ON IT. THEY TOLD ME THAT 'THERE'S A BAD ONE NOW AND THEN'. THEY SAID THEY HAD FIXED IT. TODAY WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE RPM STARTED FLUCTUATING AND SURGING EVEN WHEN I WASN'T PUSHING ON THE GAS. THE CAR THEN WOULD NOT SPEED UP WHEN I GAVE IT GAS TO KEEP UP WITH TRAFFIC FLOW. THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND CONTINUED TO SLOW. IT SLOWED SO MUCH THAT I WAS BARELY MOVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I COULD NOT CHANGE LANES BECAUSE I WAS IN THE FAR LANE AND IF I ATTEMPTED TO GET OVER I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT BY THE CARS PASSING. THIS WAS DURING RUSH HOUR I'M A MAJOR CITY. LUCKILY THERE WAS AN EXIT TO THE LEFT I WAS ABLE TO STEER OFF TO GET OFF HIGHWAY. I ATTEMPTED TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND THE CAR COMPLETELY STOPPED ON THE EXIT RAMP IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. I WAS STUCK AND COULDN'T MOVE OUT OF THE WAY. I HAD TO CALL LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO CLOSED THE RAMP LANE UNTIL I COULD BE TOWED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT IN MY 'NEW' CAR THAT I BOUGHT IN ORDER TO HAVE A MORE RELIABLE VEHICLE. I'M SERIOUSLY REGRETTING RID OF MY OLD VEHICLE. I SHOULD HAVE JUST FIXED IT. THIS HAS BEEN THE WORST PURCHASE OF MY LIFE. I HAVE BEEN SO AFRAID BOTH TIMES THIS CAR HAS BROKEN DOWN, BOTH TIMES ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD GET SOMEONE KILLED.