KIA Complaints

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled on several occasions. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that cylinder #3 was faulty. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 67,000.

Driving this morning 5/7/2025 at 9:09am and smoke started emitting from the center consol accompanied by a burning smell. My husband noticed the smoke coming from the car charging area, it made a popping/poof sound accompanied with even more smoke. We immediately pulled the charger out of the charger port. My car charger was melted and slightly burned.

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that the oil level was lower than expected; however, oil was being constantly added. There were no warning lights illuminated. While driving approximately 65-70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The engine misfired and the transmission shuttered. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The engine seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed catalytic converter. The contact was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima PHEV. The contact stated that there was an abnormally loud rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was turning on and off. The contact stated that the catalytic converter and battery were damaged. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact contacted Putnam Kia Service (2 California Dr Suite D, Burlingame, CA 94010), Hilltop Ford (3280 Auto Plaza, Richmond, CA 94806) and Oakland Kia (2500 Webster St, Oakland, CA 94612), but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the rings and seals needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the walls were scored in the engine. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact was adding oil occasionally. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer informed the contact that the recall was on hold. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.

I have called 2 dealers to schedule an appointment to get this major safety recall completed. Neither one is responsive. I called another and they told me that Kia put out a remedy, but that remedy was unsuccessful, so there is NO fix at the current time and KIA will notify me at a later time when another remedy is put out, then I'll have to call and schedule an appointment. This is my ONLY vehicle that I am paying a car note on. I HAVE to drive it while thinking about and risking it bursting into flames or causing me to crash. This is terrifying. I don't know what to do.

The passengers window will not roll down the sound of clicking you can hear though when switch pushed this is a VERY common ongoing issue via KIA SORENTO COMMUNITY THREAD THAT GOES BACK OVER 7 years it’s never addressed or serious it seems for the services dept of several member’s experience to find the cause leading to ongoing hassle and inconvenience for those with one dealer hours away and the vehicle as NEW BRAND NEW ONLY 3k miles as mine! It’s a safety issue to say the least children on board

Kia North Austin service representative by the name of Christina informed me that the recall on this vehicle was postponed until further notice by mail. Word for word what she said. When I asked about more information the human representative repeated exactly the same thing back to me and said she couldn't schedule anything further.

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact was notified that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). No warning lights were illuminated. The contact had not experienced a failure; however, the dealer inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced as per the recall summary. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. Parts distribution disconnect.