2015 KIA SOUL Complaints

I PURCHASED MY 2015 KIA SOUL USED IN JUNE 2017. WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT IN LOW TRAFFIC TO WORK ON A FREEWAY IN MAY 2020, I FELT MY KIA SOUL BEGIN TO BOG DOWN, THEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. NEXT, I HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND. I STOPPED AND CHECKED THE OIL AND SAW IT WAS LOW, DESPITE A FULL OIL CHANGE IN MARCH 2020. I FILLED IT WITH OIL AND I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO MY MECHANIC THE NEXT DAY. AT THE MECHANICS, I WAS TOLD HE WAS ONLY ABLE TO FIND LESS THAN 1 QUART OF OIL DESPITE ME ADDING 3 QUARTS. HE SAID THE ENGINE WAS DAMAGED AND WOULD NEED TO BE FULLY REPLACED.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THIS MORNING. AUTO PARTS STORE RAN THE CODE, WE WERE INFORMED IT WAS JUST THE GAS CAP. TIGHTENED THE GAS CAP, AND THEY RESET THE CODE. ABOUT 3 HOURS LATER THE OIL LIGHT STARTED FLASHING, WE PROMPTLY ADDED MORE OIL. SEVERAL HOURS LATER WE WERE GOING TO LUNCH AND THE ENGINE IS KNOCKING VERY LOUDLY. VEHICLE IS NOT RUNNING PROPERLY, AND WE WERE TOLD IT SOUNDS LIKE A ROD OR BEARING.

WHEN TURNING ON THE IGNITION NOTHING HAPPENS. THE DASH LIGHTS GO ON BUT THE CAR DOESN'T START. AFTER A FEW TRIES IT WILL START. SOMETIMES A SHORT HESITATION, OTHER TIMES IT WILL TAKE SEVERAL TRIES. I HAVE A NEW BATTERY.

2015 KIA SOUL + HAS JUST BEEN CHECKED BY OUR DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR NOT ACCELERATING AND SHIFTING PROPERLY. DEALER PERFORMED TRANSMISSION SERVICE AT 106,768 MILES ON JUNE 30, 2020, AND THIS DID NOT CLEAR THE ISSUES, 2ND SERVICE INSPECTRION ON JULY 1, 2020 RESULTED IN SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAYING THE ISSUES ARE WITH A PLUGGED CATALYTIC CONVERTER, WHICH HAS BEEN A POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTOR TO THE ONGOING NHTSA INVESTIGATION OF ALL KIA SOUL MODELS WITH THE 2.0L NU ENGINE. WE ALSO NOTED EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, BUT THEY HAVE DECLINED STARTING AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY WILL COVER REPAIRS, AND ALLOWED US TO LEAVE THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE VEHICLE IN POTENTIALLY UNSAFE CONDITION, WITH NO REMEDY OTHER THAN US PAYING FOR PARTS AND LABOR TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I WANT TO HAVE MY COMPLAINT ADDED TO THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION, AND CAN PROVIDE AND ENCOURAGE OTHER KIA SOUL OWNERS TO ALSO ADD THEIR SIMILAR ISSUES,M WHICH ARE WELL DOCUMENTED ON LINE IN FORUMS AND SOCIAL MEDIA.

ON JUNE 12TH OR 13TH CAN'T RECALL WHAT DAY AROUND 9 AM ON MOJAVE ROAD IN PARKER AZ, I WAS DRIVING BACK TO MY GRANDMOTHERS HOME ABOUT 2 MILES AWAY FROM MY FRIENDS HOUSE WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I STARTED HEARING A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM UNDER MY HOOD. I MADE MY DAD CHECK WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM AND HE SAID FROM MY ENGINE. I HAVEN'T DROVE MY CAR SINCE BECAUSE I'M AFRAID I'LL MAKE MORE DAMAGE TO IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V120000 (ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) HOWEVER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED HOWEVER, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL SOUND COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KIA STORE ELIZABETHTOWN LOCATED AT 1501 N DIXIE HWY ELIZABETHTOWN, KY 42701, TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

COLD IDLE SENSOR WILL CAUSE THE CAR TO REC AT A HIGH RPM. KIA HAS STATED THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND HAVE NO KNOW FIX.

CAR WAS AT 73,000 MILES AND I HAD ONLY HAD IT FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND DURING THIS TIME I HEARD A TICKING NOISE, RATTLING FROM THE ENGINE SO I GOT A OIL CHANGE. THE NOISE CONTINUED AND GOT LOUDER. ONE DAY ON THE FREEWAY THE NOISE GOT EXTREMELY LOUD THEN I HEARD A LOUD POP AND DIDN'T KNOW AT THE TIME BUT MY CAR BEGAN SMOKING AND SOMEONE THANKFULLY FLAGGED ME DOWN. I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO SEE ALL THE OIL COMPLETELY CAME OUT MY CAR WAS COMPLETE EMPTY OF OIL. MY ENGINE BLEW. I TOOK MY CAR TO A DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY JUST SENT A BILL $5000+ AND DIDN'T CHECK TO SEE THE REASON ON MY ENGINE BLOWING I BELIEVE IT'S PART OF THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT SPECIFIC FOR MY VIN SINCE I LITERALLY JUST GOT THE VEHICLE IT'S ONLY 5 YEARS OLD THE ENGINE SHOULD NOT HAVE BLOWN UP LIKE THAT. I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED.

CAR WAS IN MOTION GOING DOWN STREET THEN ENGINE STOPPED FROZE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING THROUGH MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION. TRIED TO RESTART CAR ONCE IT STARTED AGAIN ENGINE BEGAN A LOUD GRINDING NOISE LIKE PISTONS WERE READY TO EXPLODE. I DROVE HOME WITH THE ENGINE MAKE THE LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND STALLING CREATING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION. I SEE THAT THERE IS A 2015 KIA SOUL RECALL FOR GDI ENGINES BUT THE KIA HEADQUARTERS ARE SAYING THERE IS NO RECALL. THE CAR IS AT THE KIA SERVICE CENTER NOW AND THE FIRST THING THEY SAID IS THAT WE MAY NEED A NEW ENGINE. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE IN THIS CAR AND I AM AFRAID OF KNOWN KIA SOUL ENGINE DEFECTS COULD PUT MY LIFE IN DANGER WHILE DRIVING. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH ON A LOCAL HIGHWAY AND THE CAR SHUTTERED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SHUDDER THERE WAS A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I CALLED RENALDO KIA IN SHELBY NC AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR THERE. ABOUT TWO MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WAS ALERTED BY THE INTERNAL SYSTEM THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL FAULT IN THE ENGINE. THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 78K MILES. THE SERVICE CENTER REP SAID THAT 2015 KIA'S WERE CONSTANTLY IN HER SHOP AND THERE WAS IN FACT 2 IN FRONT OF MINE FOR THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. I WAS TOLD THAT BOTH OF THESE CARS HAD MILEAGE EXCEEDING 100K MILES BUT THAT THIS WAS NOT A UNIQUE ISSUE FOR THIS MAKE AND YEAR. MY CAR'S ENGINE IS CURRENTLY BEING TORN APART AND I DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE FAILURE MODE WAS BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ITS MOST LIKELY GOING TO RESULT IN A REPLACED ENGINE. *TR