2013 KIA SOUL Complaints

FOR 5 MONTHS THERE HAS BEEN A THUMPING NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN TURNING 2 COMPLETE REVOLUTIONS IE: WHEN PARKING OR TRUNING INTO A DRIVE THRU LANE AND JUST 3 DAYS AGO MY STEERING WHEEL SEEMS LIKE IT JUMPED A NOTCH AND ALTHOUGH ITS STILL DRIVING STRAIGHT THE STEERING WHEEL HAS CHANGED POSITION ABOUT 5 TO 7 DEGREES TO THE LEFT...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED BY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000.

VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING NORTH AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. DRIVER VEERED RIGHT ACCIDENTLY AND WENT OFF ASPHALT SURFACE INTO DITCH. VEHICLE ROLLED END OVER END TWICE AND LANDED UPRIGHT FACING SOUTH ON THIRD ROLLOVER. DRIVER WAS WEARING SEAT BELTS. VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED ON BOTH SIDES OF FRONT, TOP WAS CRUSHED IN, RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BENT INTO WHEEL WELL, WINDSHIELD WAS SHATTERED AND CAVED IN. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE AND THE HOOD. DRIVER WAS INJURED AND TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO HOSPITAL. THE MAJOR COMPLAINT WAS THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY TO PROTECT DRIVER. VEHICLE ENGINEERS FROM KIA MOTORS NATIONAL CONSUMER AFFAIRS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT AIR BAGS WERE NOT DEPLOYED IN A ROLLOVER BECAUSE CAR WAS NOT EQUIPPED THAT WAY. HE REPORTED THAT THE AIR BAGS IN FRONT WOULD HAVE DEPLOYED IN A FRONT IMPACT, THE SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS WOULD HAVE DEPLOYED IN A SIDE IMPACT. THE CAR WAS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS AND NOT REPAIRABLE.

BOUGHT THE KIA SOUL NEW IN AUGUST 2012. SINCE NOVEMBER 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 30K MILES THE CAR HAS DEVELOPED A SUDDEN PRONOUNCED HARD DOWNSHIFT IN THE TRANSMISSION WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO A STOP. IT'S AS THOUGH THE BRAKE WERE ABRUPTLY APPLIED. THIS HAS BEEN A CONSTANT PROBLEM SINCE THEN BEING WORSE IN COLD WEATHER AND MADE DRIVING THE CAR A SAFETY CONCERN. THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE KIA WESTSIDE DEALER IN KATY TEXAS THREE TIMES THUS FAR. FIRST TIME THEY DEALERSHIP CHECKED BRAKES ONLY DESPITE BEING TOLD IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION THAT WAS SUDDEN HARD DOWNSHIFTING; THEY DID NOT TEST DRIVE THE CAR. WE WERE TOLD ONLY THE BRAKES WERE CHECKED AND ARE GOOD. SECOND TIME THE SAME SERVICE DEPARTMENT TEST DROVE THE CAR EARLY IN MORNING AND EXPERIENCED THE SUDDEN HARD DOWNSHIFT AND AGREED THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THE DEALER STATED THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED; CANNOT CONFIRM, WILL ASSUME THEY DID. THE PROBLEM STILL REMAINED ABSOLUTELY NO CHANGE. THE CAR WENT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR A THIRD TRY A MONTH LATER. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT THEN CONTACTED THE KIA TECHNICAL SUPPORT DEPARTMENT; THE DEALERSHIP WAS TOLD THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AS IT IS DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED. THE DEALERSHIP AT THE TIME HAD ANOTHER 2023 KIA SOUL IN WITH SAME PROBLEM AND CHECKING INTERNET FOUND OTHER OWNERS OF KIA'S WITH SAME COMPLAINT. THE SAFETY IN DRIVING THE CAR IS A CONCERN NOW WITH A MIND THAT IT WILL GET WORSE AND PERHAPS LATER CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

VEHICLE SKITTERS AND FISHTAILS WHEN GOING OVER 40 MPH ON BUMPY ROADS, ESPECIALLY CURVES. THE ESC SEEMS TO CORRECT THE SKITTERING IMMEDIATELY, BUT IT IS QUITE SCARY. SO FAR, THIS HAS HAPPENED ONLY ON DRY PAVEMENT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ON WET OR ICY PAVEMENT.

THE CAR WENT IN FOR IT'S FIRST YEARLY INSPECTION AND THE KIA DEALER SAID THE BACK ROTORS WERE RUSTY AND WANTED TO CHARGE 110 DOLLARS TO CLEAN THEM. THEY EVENTUALLY CLEANED THEM UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE BACK ROTORS WERE RUSTY BECAUSE THE BACK BRAKES NEVER WORKED SINCE IT WAS NEW. NOW SINCE THE BACK BRAKES NEVER WORKED THE FRONT AND BACK BRAKES NEED REPLACED AT 26,000 MILES AND KIA WON'T ASSUME ANY OF THE COST AS THEY ARE SAYING THAT IS NORMAL. THE CAR HAS BEEN VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE SINCE IT WAS NEW WITHOUT BACK BRAKES AND THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT DURING THE FIRST INSPECTION.

AFTER BUCKLING THE SEAT BELT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND GOING DOWN THE ROAD IF YOU TRY TO LEAN FORWARD ONE FINDS THAT THE SEAT BELT IS LOCKED AND WILL NOT PERMIT ANY MOVEMENT YOU HAVE TO RELEASE THE SEAT BELT AND THEN RETURN IT TO ITS PARKED POSITION AND THEN PULL IT BACK OUT AGAIN. ONCE THAT HAS BEEN DONE YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD OR PULL ON THE BELT ONLY ONCE BEFORE IT LOCKS UP AGAIN. I FEEL VERY UNSAFE WHEN THE SEAT BELT DOES THIS BECAUSE I FEEL THAT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT ONE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO RELEASE THE SEAT BELT IF THERE WAS A LOT OF TENSION ON THE BELT FROM ITS OWN TIGHTENING. ONE SHOULD BE FREE TO LEAN FORWARD TO OPEN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT OR TURN TO ATTEND TO MATTERS IN THE BACK SEATS. I HAVE ACTUALLY SIMULATED A SCENARIO WHERE THERE WAS EXTREME TENSION ON THE BELT FROM PUSHING BACK IN MY SEAT AND TIGHTENING THE BELT BY PUSHING THE BELT BACK UP OVER MY SHOULDER AND WHEN I TRIED TO RELEASE THE BELT IT WAS SO HARD TO PRESS THE RELEASE BUTTON THAT I HAD TO ASK MY WIFE TO GET A RUBBER MALLET AND A LONG SCREWDRIVER SO THAT I COULD HIT THE RELEASE BUTTON WITH THE SCREW DRIVER AGAINST THE RELEASE BUTTON. IT FINALLY DI DISENGAGE. I TOLD MY WIFE TO GO TO THE DEALER AND TELL THEM TO FIX IT AND SHE WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. WE NOW HAVE A2015 KIA SOUL AND THE SEAT BELTS DO THE SAME THING. THE ONLY ADVANTAGE WITH THE 2015 IS THAT THE SEATS ARE WIDER AND AS SUCH ITS NOT TO HARD TO GET THE SCREWDRIVER AGAINST THE RELEASE BUTTON TO DISENGAGE THE SEAT BELT. I FIND THIS SITUATION TO BE EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS THIS PROBLEM COULD BE THE ROOT CAUSE OF FATALITIES.I HAVE MENTIONED THIS TO THE DEALER IN REGARD TO THE 2015 AND THEY SAID THEY CHECKED IT AND IT WORKS FINE.IT DOES NOT WORK FINE BY ANY STANDARD. I THINK THE DEALER/KIA KNOW THER'S A PROBLEM BUT NEED TO BE TOLD TO FIX IT.

AS I STARTED THE VEHICLE IN THE MORNING I HEARD WHAT SEEM TO BE BELT NOISES. AS I DROVE TO WORK, THE NOISES INCREASED TO THE POINT WHERE THE CAR WAS SHAKING AND DECELERATED. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY WORKPLACE 5 MILES LATER, THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE PAST 2-5 MPH. I CALLED THE KIA SERVICE AND CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER STATED ENGINE IS NO LONGER USABLE, BUT SO FAR REFUSED TO FIX BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE PROOF OF OIL CHANGES BY A DEALER. *TR

IN THE FRONT RANGE OF COLORADO WE FREQUENTLY GET SEVERAL INCHES OF WET, HEAVY SNOW IN THE FALL, WINTER AND SPRING. WE HAVE TO PARK THE CAR OUTSIDE A GARAGE AT HOME AND AT WORK. WE ALWAYS COMPLETELY CLEAR SNOW FROM ALL GLASS SURFACES AND CHECK THE OPERATION OF THE WIPERS BEFORE DRIVING THE CAR. WE BOUGHT AN EXPENSIVE TELESCOPING COMBINATION SCRAPER, BRUSH AND SQUEEGEE DESIGNED FOR CMVS TO CLEAR AS MUCH SNOW AS WE CAN REACH AND SEE FROM THE WHITE PAINTED ROOF OF THE CAR BEFORE DRIVING IT. AFTER THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR WARMS UP IT APPEARS TO LOOSEN THE BOND BETWEEN THE ROOF OF THE CAR AND ANY RESIDUAL OR NEWLY ACCUMULATED SNOW. NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN UNDER NORMAL BRAKING SNOW HAS SLID FORWARD OFF THE ROOF ON TO THE WINDSHIELD OBSCURING ALL FORWARD VISIBILITY AND INSTANTLY CREATING A SEVERE COLLISION SAFETY HAZARD. FURTHERMORE, WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE ACTIVATED TO CLEAR THE SNOW THE WIPER MOTORS ARE TOO WEAK TO MOVE THE SNOW REQUIRING THE DRIVER TO BLINDLY BRAKE TO A STOP UNABLE TO SEE WELL ENOUGH EVEN TO STEER THE CAR OUT OF THE LANE OF TRAFFIC TO A SAFE PLACE TO STOP. THIS HAPPENED A FEW DAYS AGO AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION IN SLICK SNOWY ROAD CONDITIONS DURING EVENING RUSH HOUR. AFTER COMING TO A STOP WITHOUT HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER MY FIVE FOOT, TWO INCH TALL 68 YEAR OLD WIFE HAD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IN DANGEROUS CONDITIONS AND MANUALLY REMOVE(FOR THE SECOND TIME) SNOW FROM THE WINDSHIELD WHILE BEING SUBJECTED TO HONKING HORNS AND ONE-FINGERED SALUTES FROM ILL-MANNERED MOTORISTS. UNTIL KIA CHOOSES OR IS REQUIRED TO CORRECT THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AN OTHERWISE GREAT LITTLE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN SNOWY CONDITIONS. *TR

I TOOK MY VEHICLE FOR STATE EMISSION & INSPECTION. UPON TESTING, THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME THE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS, THEY WERE MISSING PCS. I WAS TOLD THAT I "FAILED TESTING" BECAUSE OF THIS AND WAS NOT ABLE TO TAKE POSSESSION OF MY VEHICLE OR DRIVE AWAY FROM THE SHOP, IN THE CURRENT CONDITION, AS IT WAS UNSAFE AND AGAINST THE STATE LAW. I HAD TO COMPLETE ALL NECESSARY REPAIRS AT THAT TIME. I HAVE EXTENDED WARRANTY (BUMPER TO BUMPER WITH KIA) AS I HAD NO CHOICE TO DRIVE IT TO THE KIA DEALER FOR REPAIRS. I ASKED THE MECHANIC IF HE HAD SEEN THIS TYPE OF DEFECTS ON OTHER SOUL VEHICLES AND HIS REPLY WAS YES, ALL THE TIME. *TR