2014 KIA SOUL Complaints

DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD BANG IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF POWER. AS THE VEHICLE SLOWED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, FOLLOWED BY THE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATING. BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP ON THE SHOULDER AND SMOKE FILLED THE VEHICLE. FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WERE EXTINGUISHED WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THERE WAS A TRAIL OF OIL BEHIND THE CAR WITH SOME POOLING UNDERNEATH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR EXAMINATION: "FOUND BROKEN ROD PUNCHED HOLE IN BLOCK CAUSING OIL LEAK. OIL GOT ON EXHAUST CAUSING FIRE. NEED TO REPLACE LOCKBLOCK AND SEVERAL OTHER COMPONENTS THAT CAUGHT FIRE OR DAMAGED." REPAIR ESTIMATE WITH USED ENGINE ~$8000. I DECLINED REPAIRS AT THIS TIME BASED ON RESEARCH OF THIS PROBLEM. THIS VEHICLE HAS THE 2.0L ENGINE AND THUS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL #19V-120.

I HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE IN MY ENGINE (66K). I HAD JUST CHANGED THE OIL 4 MONTHS AGO AND WAS DUE FOR AN 'OIL CHANGE 'SO CALMLY I WENT TO CHECK MY ENGINE AND I WAS MET WITH AN UNWELCOME SURPRISE, MY ENGINE WAS ABNORMALLY LOW ON OIL. I NEVER HAD ANY INCLINATION OIL WAS LEAVING AS I HAD NO TRACE OF LEAKS AND MY OIL LIGHT NEVER CAME ON INITIALLY I THOUGHT MAYBE I COULD JUST PUT SOME MORE OIL AND TAKE IT TO GET THE OIL CHANGED AND THE ISSUE WOULD BE OVER. I WAS TOLD BY FIRESTONE, I SHOULD TAKE TO THE DEALER TO GET CHECKED SINCE IT MIGHT STILL BE UNDER WARRANTY. I DID DRIVE THE CAR HOME AND THEN TO THE DEALER BECAUSE I NOW HAD FRESH OIL AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE THE ISSUE REMEDIED. IT TOOK THE DEALER OVER A WEEK TO HEAR BACK FROM THE TECH LINE, WITH ME CALLING CONSTANTLY TO GET AN UPDATE. ONLY TO BE TOLD THERE IS NOTHING COVERED BECAUSE I HAVE FRESH OIL IN MY ENGINE. IT WOULD COST ME $5,600 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE.I WAS LEFT WITH NO RECOURSE, SINCE I CANNOT TRADE, BUT TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED AT MY OWN EXPENSE. I STARTED TO DO RESEARCH AND LEARNED THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THE GDI MOTORS FAILING DUE TO FAULTY RODS. I DISCOVERED, MY RODS WERE SHOT AND EVENTUALLY AS I WAS DRIVING TO THE MECHANIC TO HAVE THE NEW ENGINE INSTALLED, SOMETHING SEEMED TO HAVE SHOT THROUGH MY OIL PAN CAUSING A HOLE IN OIL AND TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE, ON THE HIGHWAY. AT THIS POINT, I HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK AND ENDURED SAFETY HAZARDS ON THE HIGHWAY. I INITIALLY SAW NO POINT IN HAVING TOWED TO THE SHOP FOR ALMOST 30 MILES BECAUSE THAT WAS THE BEST DEAL, I COULD FIND TO INSTALL THE ENGINE I BOUGHT. I ALSO FOUND OUT I HAD TO HAVE MY CLUTCH REPLACED. THIS WHOLE SCENARIO CAUSED ME A GREAT DEAL OF STRESS, WORRY, AND FINANCIAL TROUBLE. I ENDED UP PAYING CLOSE TO $2,800 TO HAVE A USED GDI ENGINE INSTALLED.

CAR WAS BROUGHT IN FOR SC176 (RECALL TO FIX ISSUES WITH CATALYTIC CONVERTER CAUSING FIRES). CAR WAS FINE WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN. NO ERRORS, ETC. ONE DAY AFTER RECALL WAS PERFORMED, MIL LIGHT CAME ON. BROUGHT CAR BACK TO SAME DEALER. DEALER SAID THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, WHICH IS THE ENTIRE PURPOSE OF THE RECALL, BUT WAS NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR THIS SERVICE. THE SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT WAS APPLIED CAUSED THE CAR TO DETECT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS INDEED BAD, BUT NOW THAT THE DEALER HAS "COMPLETED" THE RECALL, THEY HAVE WASHED THEIR HANDS OF THE SAFETY ISSUE. THEY HAVE ERODED ANY TRUST OF BRINGING A CAR IN FOR A SAFETY RECALL IN THE FUTURE. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL CORPORATE, WHICH HAS BEEN DELIBERATELY UNHELPFUL AND SEEMS AS IF THEY ARE TRYING TO AVOID THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER ALSO SAID I AM NOT THE FIRST CUSTOMER TO HAVE THE EXACT SAME EXPERIENCE WITH THIS RECALL.

MY CAR STARTED BURNING OIL SO FAST I HAD TO GET A OIL CHANGE IN JUST 2 WEEKS AFTER GETTING ONE. THERE WAS NO OIL LEAK, AND THE CAR DID NOT OVERHEAT. THERE WAS NO EXHAUST SMOKE. IF THERE WAS IT WAS BARELY NOTICEABLE. A MECHANIC DETERMINED ONE OF THE PISTONS WAS DAMAGED AND COULD LEAD TO DAMAGE TO MY ENGINE BLOCK. I CALLED A KIA DEALERSHIP TO SEE ABOUT RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE AND THEY SAID ALL OF MINE WERE UP TO DATE I DID MORE DIGGING AND FOUND A RECAL (NUMBER (19V120000) AND IT MATCHED PERFECTLY WITH WHAT MY MECHANIC SAID WAS HAPPENING TO MY CAR. THEY WENT BY MY VIN NUMBER AND SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON MY CAR. MY CAR WILL NOT KEEP OIL FOR VERY LONG. A REGULAR 7,000 MILE OIL CHANGE ONLY LASTS 2 WEEKS. I USE FULL SYNTHETIC HIGH MILEAGE PENZOIL.

IN MAY OF 2019, MY CAR EXPERIENCED ENGINE KNOCKING. WE BROUGHT IT IN TO GET AN OIL CHANGE, THE KNOCKING STOPPED AND ONE DAY A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH, THE ENGINE THREW A ROD. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED BACK TO OUR HOUSE, THE TOW GUY TOLD US THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF OIL. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE SEEING AS WE HAD JUST GOTTEN AN OIL CHANGE. WE WERE MOVING THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO OUR NEW HOUSE AN HOUR AWAY WHERE MY KIA SOUL HAS BEEN SITTING FOR THE PAST 8 MONTHS. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH AND FIGHTING WITH KIA CONSUMERS, KIA IS REFUSING TO REPLACE MY ENGINE THAT THEY FAILED TO INCLUDE IN THE 2018-19 RECALL ON ENGINES THAT WERE FAILING DUE TO THIS EXACT PROBLEM. I PURCHASED THIS CAR USED IN 2016 AND STILL OWE JUST OVER $10,000. THE QUOTES I'VE GOTTEN FROM MECHANICS AROUND ME HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO $8,000 FOR A USED ENGINE AND INSTALLMENT. I'M UNABLE AND REFUSE TO PURCHASE A NEW ENGINE FOR A CAR THAT ISN'T WORTH MORE THAN $5,000 AND I'M AT A LOSS AS TO WHAT TO DO. I CANNOT TRADE IT IN DUE TO ME BEING SO UPSIDE DOWN ON MY LOAN, I'D REALLY RATHER NOT VOLUNTARILY REPO IT AND I WANT TO DEMAND KIA FIX THE PROBLEM THEY FAILED TO FIX A YEAR AGO.

HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENT THEN GO OUT. THERE ARE MULTIPLE TECHNICAL BULLETINS ON HEADLIGHTS. LOST LEFT HEADLIGHT BECAUSE CONNECTORS WERE MADE OF SUBSTANDARD MATERIAL. THE SOCKED MELTED. DEALER WANTED $800.00 TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT. PARTS AND TIME TO DO IT MYSELF WAS ABOUT $100.00. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY LOOSING HEADLIGHTS DUE TO A KNOWN ISSUE IS A HARD CALL TO TURN INTO A RECALL. ON MY WAY IN TO WORK THIS MORNING MY RIGHT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT MAKING IT 2 FOR 2. HEADLIGHTS ARE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHEN IT IS DARK. WITH ONE LIGHT OUT IS IS HARD TO SEE, IN THIS CASE, THE RIGHT OF THE ROAD ON THE WINDING MOUNTAIN ROAD I TRAVEL IN TO MY OFFICE. THIS STARTS AS INTERMITTENT AND EVENTUALLY BURNS THE CONNECTOR SOCKETS. YOU CAN DO BETTER.

RECALL CAMPAIGN 19V120000 FOR OVERHEATING CATALYTIC CONVERTERS WAS PERFORMED BY CHANTILLY OURISMAN KIA IN MARCH OF 2019. I BELIEVE THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS NOT PROPERLY INSPECTED AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED DURING RECALL REPAIRS. MY VEHICLE IS NOW DISABLED WITH A BAD CATALYTIC CONVERTER AS OF JANUARY 23, 2020. HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PROPERLY DONE?

ON JANUARY 20, 2020 I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 50 MPH ON EL MIRAGE RD WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR LOST POWER. I NOTICED THE SPEED DROP AND TRIED PRESSING THE GAS TO GAIN POWER AND SPEED AGAIN THEN I HEARD A LOUD POP. I LOOKED IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR AND THERE WERE HUGE FLAMES AND OIL SPLATTERED ON THE BACK WINDOW. I QUICKLY GOT OUT OF MY CAR AND THE FLAMES IN THE BACK WERE STILL THERE BUT DYING DOWN AND THERE WAS SOMETHING ON FIRE UNDER THE CAR. I HAD TO USE A BOTTLE OF JUICE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE UNDERNEATH THE CAR. IF I DIDN'T HAVE THAT JUICE I'M ALMOST POSITIVE THE WHOLE CAR WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. I STARTED DOING RESEARCH AND SAW THAT KIA SOUL 2014 HAD A RECALL BECAUSE OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER OVERHEATING CAUSING THE PISTON RODS TO BREAK AND PUNCTURE THE ENGINE BLOCK CAUSING AN OIL LEAK ONTO THE HOT EXHAUST SYSTEM WHICH CAUSES A FIRE. THE RECALL NUMBER IS SC155. THIS RECALL SUPERSEDES CAMPAIGNS 14V-332 AND 15V-736. I HAD TAKEN MY KIA SOUL TO GET A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER BASED OFF THE FIRST RECALL IN NOVEMBER. THEY MUST HAVE PUT ANOTHER FAULTY CATALYTIC CONVERTER IN BECAUSE THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I GOT THE CAR TOWED TO THE RALLY KIA DEALERSHIP IN PALMDALE, CALIFORNIA AND IT IS CURRENTLY STILL THERE. THEY TOOK 2 DAYS TO GIVE ME A RESPONSE ON IF THE CAR WOULD GET FIXED WITH THE RECALL AGAIN. THEY SAID MULTIPLE MECHANICS HAD TO CHECK IT OUT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. THEY SAID IT HAPPENED BECAUSE I DIDN'T PUT OIL IN THE CAR WHICH CAUSE A PISTON ROD TO BREAK AND PUNCTURE THE ENGINE BLOCK, CAUSING AN OIL LEAK WHICH CAUSE THE FIRE. THEY ARE TRYING TO BLAME IT ON ME AND CHARGE ME $6,000 TO FIX THE CAR. THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. I HAD JUST PUT OIL IN IT THE NIGHT BEFORE HENCE THE OIL SPLATTER ON THE BACK WINDSHIELD. AND THE WAY THEY DESCRIBED THE PISTON ROD BREAKING AND THE OIL LEAK IS EXACTLY HOW IT IS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL. THEY SHOULD BE FIXING MY CAR WITH THE RECALL.

CAR IS GOING THROUGH ALL OF ITS OIL. GOES THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 1QT EVERY 1,500 MILES. WHEN I FIRST CAME ACROSS THIS PROBLEM THE CAR WAS MAKING A LOUD KNOCKING SOUND, TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THERE WAS APPROX 1 QUART OF OIL IN THE CAR. I ONLY DROVE ABOUT 3,000 MILES SINCE THE LAST FULL SYNTHETIC OIL CHANGE. THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING ME THIS ISN'T EXCESSIVE AND IT IS COMPLETELY NORMAL. I CAN ONLY DRIVE 1,500 MILES UNTIL THE OIL IS NO LONGER SHOWING ON THE DIP STICK. CURRENTLY STILL WORKING WITH THE DEALERSHIP TO PROVE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES. I GOT A OIL CHANGE APPROX 250 MILES AGO AND HAVE TO DRIVE 1,000 TOTAL AND THEY WILL EXAMINE THE CAR AGAIN.

AFTER RECEIVING THE RECALL NOTIFICATION, I TOOK MY 2014 KIA SOUL INTO THE KIA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE RECALL REPAIRS COMPLETED ON 07/29/2019. THE CATALYTIC OVERHEATING PROTECTION ENGINE CONTROL UNIT LOGIC WAS UPGRADED; HOWEVER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON A FEW DAYS LATER INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. LOCAL REPAIR SHOP INFORMED ME THAT KIA SHOULD HAVE COMPLETELY REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER UNDER THE RECALL. I HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE WITH THE KIA DEALERSHIP AND THEIR CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. BUT I'VE RECEIVED NOTHING BUT THE RUNAROUND (WAITING ON THE DEALERSHIP TO RESPOND TO AN EMAIL FROM CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT) FOR ALMOST TWO MONTHS. MEANWHILE, THE ENGINE CONTINUES TO MISFIRE AND THE CAR EXPERIENCES A SEVERE LOSS OF POWER WHENEVER ACCELERATING.