2020 KIA SOUL Complaints

I JUST PURCHASED A 2020 KIA SOUL IN DECEMBER AND IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE 5,000 MILES ON IT YET. WHEN I WAS DRIVING IN THE CITY AND STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY DIED. I TRIED PUSHING ON THE GAS TO SEE IF IT WOULD GO AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD WERE FLASHING. I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY PUT MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON, TURN THE CAR OFF, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STARTED RUNNING AGAIN. IT WAS SUCH A CRAZY EXPERIENCE. IT'S REALLY SAD THAT I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW CAR AND IT CANNOT EVEN KEEP ME SAFE. KIA NEEDS TO DO A RECALL ON THE ENGINES AND TRANSMISSION. THERE SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THIS. I AM SO SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR NOW ON FREEWAYS OR ANYWHERE LONG DISTANCE. AND I'VE ONLY HAD IT FOR 3 MONTHS!

I WENT TO START THE VEHICLE UP ON MARCH 2, 2020. I TURNED THE IGNITION, CAR TURNED ON AND STARTED TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. I TURNED IT OFF, CHECK OIL LEVEL (IT'S A NEW VEHICLE AND JUST HAD AN OIL CHANGE) OIL LEVEL WAS GOOD. I TURNED IT ON AGAIN, CAR WENT TO 1.5 RPMS, THEN DIED (0RPMS). I TOOK THE KEY OUT, WAITED A WHILE, AND STARTED IT BACK UP AGAIN. TURNED ON JUST FINE, BUT THIS TIME WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. HAD KIA ROAD SIDE SERVICE TOW IT THE FOLLOWING MORNING TO HANLEES IN DAVIS. I HAVEN'T BEEN GIVEN MUCH INFORMATION AS TO WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. AFTER 2 WEEKS OF THEM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON, I GOT A CALL SAYING THAT KIA HAS AUTHORIZED TO DROP A WHOLE NEW ENGINE IN THE VEHICLE AND MY CAR WOULD BE READY IN A WEEK. I CALLED TODAY, MARCH 19, AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T RECEIVED THE ENGINE, SO I'M STILL WITHOUT A VEHICLE. I AM MOVING ACROSS THE US IN A WEEK FROM NOW, AND HAVE TO CANCEL THE MOVE BECAUSE MY CAR IS STILL NOT READY AND THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT SHIP MY VEHICLE ONCE IT IS FINISHED. IT HAS BEEN ALMOST A MONTH, AND I'M STUCK IN THIS LEASE FOR ANOTHER 3.5 YEARS.

TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 75MPH, RPMS STARTED JUMPING UP & DOWN BY 500 AND A 10 MINUTES LATER THE VEHICLE SHIFTED DOWN TO SECOND GEAR. THIS THRUST US FORWARD DUE TO DRASTIC LOSS OF SPEED AND THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BLOW SINCE THE TACHOMETER WAS RED-LINED AT MAX RPMS ON THE DIAL. I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY CUT OUT OF MY LANE TO AVOID BEING REAR-ENDED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT COME OUT OUT OF FIRST GEAR AFTER IT SHIFTED DOWN TO THAT. I HAD TO DRIVE TO THE NEXT EXIT AT 15 MPH AND WENT TO A GAS STATION. THERE I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE AROUND THE PARKING LOT AND IT WOULD NOT COME OUT OF FIRST GEAR. HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO KIA AND THEY CALLED THE NEXT DAY TO INDICATE IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE HAD 4900 MILES ON IT AND I HAD BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW. IF THE ROADS WERE SLICK OR A VEHICLE WAS IMMEDIATELY BEHIND US OR WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE, THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH DUE TO IT DROPPING GEAR AND CAUSING US TO RAPIDLY LOSE SPEED WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE.

ON FEBRUARY 27TH 2020 I WAS HEADING TO GAINESVILLE FOR SURGERY. WOW I HAD THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THE RPM GAUGE STARTED FLIPPING. WHEN I TOOK IT OFF CRUISE CONTROL THE ENGINE GEAR DOWN AND I COULD NOT GET COMPRESSION. MY ROADSIDE SERVICE TOW THE VEHICLE TO LAKE CITY KIA WHERE IT IS SETTING RIGHT NOW AWAITING A TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. I HAVE TWO MORE TRIPS TO GAINESVILLE. I'M A VETERAN AND I'M SERVICE. OF THE GAINESVILLE VA HOSPITAL. I'M IN A RENTAL RIGHT NOW UNTIL THE CAR IS FIXED. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAD 18155 MI ON IT. WHAT CAN BE DONE?

OVER THE COURSE OF A WEEK, I NOTICED THE RPM FLUTTERING ON MY DASHBOARD. AT FIRST I THOUGHT NOTHING OF THIS BECAUSE IT DID NOT OCCUR ALL OF THE TIME. HOWEVER, IT BECAME INCREASINGLY MORE PERSISTENT. SO I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE WHAT THE ISSUE WAS, AND I DID NOT THINK THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A DETRIMENTAL ISSUE. I WAS ON MY WAY TO AN APPOINTMENT AN HOUR AWAY FROM WHERE I LIVE, AND I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY GOING 65 MPH. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO ACCELERATE ANY LONGER. IN FACT, THE MPH DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY UNTIL I WAS GOING 45 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, WHICH IS A HAZARD IN ITSELF. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS A WIDE SHOULDER TO MY RIGHT, WHERE I PULLED OFF OF THE HIGHWAY FOR SAFETY. I TRIED TO ACCELERATE A LITTLE BIT ON THE SHOULDER, BUT IT CONTINUED TO DECLINE UNTIL IT WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY STRESSFUL SITUATION DUE TO BEING ON THE SIDE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY WHERE I COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN HIT BY A DISTRACTED DRIVER AND BEEN KILLED. I CALLED AAA, AND WAITED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR 30 MINUTES TO BE PICKED UP SO I COULD HAVE MY CARE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP.

RPMS KEPT INCREASING TO THE RED LINE FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK AND NOT HAVE ACCELERATION AT HIGHER SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ALWAYS ENGAGE WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOPPED POSITION, OR WHEN IT DID IT WOULD FEEL LIKE THE VEHICLE WOULD DRAG AS IF SOMETHING VERY HEAVY WAS TETHERED TO IT. AT THE SAME TIME THE RPMS WOULD INCREASE AND DECREASE WILDLY WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED "TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AT HIGHER RPMS. INTERNAL ISSUE IN THE TRANSMISSION. PER TECH CASE #...' WAS AUTHORIZED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY"

BOUGHT THE CAR 2-11 WITH 1200 MILES ON IT DROVE IT FOR 8 DAYS THEN ON 2-19 IT STARTED JUMPING AND JERKING AND MAKING SOME REALLY BAD SOUNDS. ON 2-21 IT WAS SO BAD THAT I HAD IT TOWED TO BATTLEGROUND KIA BECAUSE I WAS SCARED TO DRIVE IT, THEY HAD IT FOR 3 DAYS AND THEN ON 2-24 CALLED ME TO COME GET THE CAR BECAUSE THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I HAD THE CAR 1 DAY IT STARTED ACTING UP AGAIN AND THEN ON 2-26 IT WAS SO BAD THAT I DROVE IT BACK TO BATTLEGROUND KIA AND MADE A MECHANIC DRIVE THE CAR WITH ME IN IT, BECAUSE I WAS SCARED TO DEATH TO DRIVE IT ANYMORE SO WE MADE IT ALL OF 1 BLOCK THEN HE TURNED AROUND AND HEADED BACK TO THE SHOP. WE CAME UP ON A 4 WAY STOP AND HE GAVE IT GAS TO GO AND THE RPM'S WENT TO 6000 AND THE CAR DID NOT GO AT ALL, THEN HE GAVE IT MORE GAS AND IT STARTED JUMPING AND JERKING AND KNOCKING SO BAD THAT WHEN WE GOT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP HE IMMEDIATELY SAID THE TRANSMISSION HAS SERIOUS ISSUES AND PUT IN THE PAPER WORK TO HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION PUT IN. WE BOTH DECIDED THAT DRIVING THE CAR THE WAY IT WAS WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND NOT SAFE AT ALL. THERE IS A SERIOUS ISSUE WITH THE IVT TRANSMISSION THAT KIA NEEDS TO RECALL, JUST HOPE THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION IS NOT THE SAME. AT THIS POINT I'M IN A RENTAL CAR PROVIDED BY KIA WHILE I AWAIT MY FATE.

I NOTICED MY CAR WAS ACCELERATING DIFFERENTLY AND SEEMED TO NOT BE SHIFTING RIGHT. I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY ADVISED ME TO PUT FUEL CLEANER IN IT. I DID SO AS ADVISED. A FEW DAYS LATER I WAS MAKING A TURN ACROSS A HIGHWAY AND MY CAR REVVED UP REALLY HIGH AND THEN DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE CAR STARTED BACK UP AND WE GOT IT OUT OF THE ROAD BUT IT WAS NOT RUNNING RIGHT. THE NEXT DAY WE GOT IT IN THE SHOP AND THEY TOLD US IT NEEDED A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 17,000 MILES ON IT AND IT HAS BEEN NEARLY A MONTH IN THE SHOP.

CAR IS ON SECOND COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 10,500 MILES. 1ST FAILURE AT 10,000 MILES. TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP IN BUSY INTERSECTION COMING OFF MAJOR INTERSTATE. KIA DEALER INFORMED ME IT NEEDED COMPLETE NEW TRANSMISSION. DEALER HAD UNIT FOR OVER 2 MONTHS. I HAD IT BACK 5 DAYS FROM DEALER REPAIR AND TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP ON MY AGAIN IN MIDDLE OF ROAD PULLING OUT FROM STOP SIGN WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC COMING TOWARDS ME. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN AFTER 45 MIN TO HR OF DRIVING WHEN TRANSMISSION GETS HOT. TODAY I AM MEETING WITH DEALER TO BUY UNIT BACK. I FEEL THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS AND THESE TRANSMISSION FAILURES ARE A HUGE SAFETY CONCEN THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO AND CARS NEED TO BE RECALLED BEFORE THERE IS SERIOUS INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE.

ON DECEMBER 30 MY KIA SOUL BEGAN ACTING AS IT WAS CUTTING OUT AND IT WAS USING A LOT OF FUEL THE RPM WOULD SHOOT UP A TAD BIT FINALLY THE RPM RED LINED AND THE CAR STOPPED MOVING ON THE FREEWAY GOING 70 MPH. WE SAFELY EXITED AND MADE IT TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP WHICH LUCKILY WAS ONLY ABOUT 3 MILES AWAY. HAD 17607 MILES ON THE CAR THEY KEPT MY CAR FROM 12/30/2019 TO 1/31/2020 WHILE REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION. I HAD MY CAR BACK FOR 2 WEEKS AND TODAY 2/15/2020 THE CAR BEGAN LOSING POWER AND HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING SPEED I STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WHEN I WENT TO PULL AWAY THE CAR DID NOT DRIVE ANYMORE. I SHIFTED INTO PARK WHEN IT MADE A LOUD BANG AS YOU WOULD HERE IF YOU PARKED ON A INCLINE AND PUT A CAR INTO GEAR ONLY 3 TIMES AS LOUD. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO A PARKING LOT AND CALL FOR A TOW AT 5.45 AM ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SENT A TOW COMPANY 2 HOURS AWAY FROM ME AND ITS NOW 3:18 PM AND MY CAR HAS YET TO BE TOWED TO MY LOCAL KIA DEALER . CAR NOW HAS 17801 MILES ON IT. WOUNDER HOW LONG THEY WILL HAVE IT THIS TIME. WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE ABOUT LEMON LAW. THE CAR AT THIS POINT HAS PROVED IT IS UNRELIABLE VERY DISAPPOINTING AS I REALLY LOVE THIS CAR BUT NEED DEPENDABILITY.. MANUFACTURER DATE WAS 3/19