What 512 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Kia Soul

This involves the MDPS steering wheel coupler. Spoke with Kia care center 12/20/23 Amy said notice was sent to owners in 2019 I NEVER RECIEVED ANY NOTICE ABOUT EXTENDED WARRANTY. I HAVE A VERY LOUND CLUNKING NOISE IN MY STEERING WHEEL AND AFRAID TO DRIVE VEHICLE I HAVE OWED THIS VEHICLE SINCE 2016. Just purchased another vehicle in October 2023 because of the Kia problems. Kia is NOT going to fix the problem!! And i have another recall on the car so it is parked at my neighbors house for fear of it catching on fire!! I am paying for full coverage insurance on a vehicle i can't drive or sell!!

NHTSA ODI 11561508

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11560308

Steering is very shakey when going over 55

NHTSA ODI 11558881

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. 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 contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11558303

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the contact saw and smelled a smoke odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The VIN was included however, parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11557672

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11557715

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, she detected a burning plastic odor. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer did not diagnose the vehicle and advised the contact that she could not leave the vehicle at the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 70,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11557778

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated while stopped at an intersection, the vehicle independently accelerated while depressing the brake pedal. The contact steered the vehicle to the left in an attempt to stop the acceleration and repeatedly depressed the brake pedal. Due to the failure, the contact hit a curb, a sidewalk post, and finally, a retaining wall which stopped the vehicle. The sidewalk post was damaged due to the crash. The contact was unaware if any warning lights appeared on the instrument panel. The air bags did not deploy at any time during the failure. A woman was knocked over by the vehicle as a result of the failure. The woman sustained a cut to her right hand and suffered pain to the right side of her body. The woman was taken to the hospital by ambulance for treatment, her whereabouts remain unknown. The contact was treated at the scene by paramedics but did not need further medical assistance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed from the scene to an independent mechanic and was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 99,700.

NHTSA ODI 11557416

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly shuddered before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic, but the dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was 115,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11557426

THE STEERING COLUMN MAKES A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE WHEN OPERATING THE VEHICLE. EVEN IN PARK WHEN YOU TURN THE WHEEL YOU HERE THE NOISE. WHEN DRIVING THERE IS A DEFINITE SHAKING NOISE ANDTHE WHEEL FEELS VERY LOOSE WHICH MAKES STEERING HARD TO CONTROL. I HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP TO BE INSPECTED AND ESTIMATE OF REPAIR. THE CAR HAS 43.798 ORIGINAL MILES. IT IS NOW ONLY DRIVEN TO KEEP THE BATTERY CHARGED. WE ARE EXPECTING A FULL EXPLANATION OF FROM KIA.

NHTSA ODI 11556989

The steering coupler is worn on on my car. It causes the car to vibrate and a clunking sound to happen when driving. This is a common problem with Kias but isn't covered by a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11556703

The contact's mother owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact's mother received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11556475

I was driving at night down a major highway when the car stopped dead. I towed it to a repair shop and they told me that the engine was completely gone. They informed me that there was a class actions case on Kias due to engine failure. I need my Kia to have the engine replaced and covered under this situation as it totally does not work anymore and from what I am told it is a catastrophic occurrence happening to many, many Kias. Who can I contact about getting this fixed?

NHTSA ODI 11554619

The engines makes a weird chatter noise all the time

NHTSA ODI 11554605

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF 65MPH AND MY CAR JUST BEGAN TO IDLE AND SLOWED DOWN TO REDUCING SPEED QUICKLY. I COULD NOT GIVE IT ENOUGH ACCELERATION TO PICK UP SPEED. I PULLED OVER TO SHUT MY ENGINE CAR OFF. TURNED CAR BACK ON AND MY RPMS TO SHIFT TO 2ND GEAR WERE LOW. I HAD TO SHIFT MY GEARS QUICKLY TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE. SINCE THEN, MY ENGINE LIGHT IS BLINKING AND I CANNOT GO FASTER THAN 50MPH

NHTSA ODI 11547738

The steering wheel began to shake violently at highway speed and when making turns. When stopped, the steering wheel make a clunking noise when moved from side to side. Mechanic said it was a worn flexible steering coupler in the steering wheel power steering unit. The car is dangerous to drive and only has 80,000 miles on it. I am told this issue is common in KIA Souls and should be subject to a recall. ,

NHTSA ODI 11547572

My 2012 Kia soul base, had this SC176 recall which I took it into the dealer, at that time I really didn't know exactly what the recall consisted of, until months later after researching the performance of my car, my engine lights comes on and stays on for two weeks ,then go off a day and it's back on, my car drives sluggish and it's acceleration power is bad , where it won't get up to necessary speed, and it making a loud noises when I accelerate ,which the mechanic said it's my Cadillac converter which was under recall and most likely damaged , from high exhaust gas temperatures,I do believe it's all under the last recall, my engine was damaged and should of been replaced along with the catalytic converter, I believe the KIA dealership knew of the damages but didn't replace my catalytic converter or my engine, my cars performance has gone down tremendously , month by month because of this recall that didn't work , I loved my car but sometimes I don't feel excited about cranking it up and driving it away from my house, because I'm not sure if I'm going to make it back home safe or maybe have it towed, I'm depending on Kia to do the right thing and fix this recall ,because I could be a returning customer.

NHTSA ODI 11546870

Power steering making clicking noise and loose steering

NHTSA ODI 11545000

Steering column rattles and makes cracking noise

NHTSA ODI 11544977

The car experienced a sudden catastrophic engine failure. We had just pulled out of the driveway and were on our residential street, so there was no accident, we were able to pull over and stop the vehicle without incident. It was towed to the Kia dealer (Premier Kia of Carlsbad 5331 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad, CA 92008). After detailed inspection by one of their service technicians they determined that the cause of the engine failure was the same connecting rod bearing failure that other years/classes of Kia Soul have experienced. The dealer initiated a claim with Kia to try to get the extended warranty and engine replacement covered for my vehicle since it was exactly the same issue they have seen with the vehicles covered in the legal settlement (Techline case #15756680). However, Kia has denied responsibility for what is clearly a defect in the engine affecting other Kia owners not currently being reimbursed for their loss by previous recalls and legal settlements.

NHTSA ODI 11543503

The vehicles steering wheel makes a clunking sound and there is a lot of play in it. It makes noise from left to right and vibrates at higher speeds. I have to drive with both hands gripping the wheel to hold it steady. I drive on the freeway at least once a week to visit my son and grandkids and now to nervous to drive it as it’s an hour drive. I am a senior and cannot afford to pay out of pocket. I’ve had my 2012 Kia Soul since 2013. I bought it used with 22,000 miles on it. I now have reached the 100,000 mile mark. I paid $20,000 for this vehicle over time and now I need Kia to step up and pay for this defect. Since it’s happening in almost all their cars it must be their fault. I don’t understand why they are not fixing the 2012’s but all other years are covered. That is a mistake that will kill someone soon and then they will have a lot more problems than they are facing now. They recently offered me a steering wheel lock so that my car can’t be stolen, that’s funny cause I don’t think that it would be worth stealing cause the steering is already compromised. Please get them to step up and take care of all their customers as it’s their fault. The part is a little rubber star thing that costs $8.00 but labor is 400 dollars and up. Thank you for listening.

NHTSA ODI 11541331

2012 KIA SOUL - Steering Column makes horrible clicking / shaking noise when turning wheel. Car only has 36k miles on it. KIA has identified this repair nationally already and offered to extend warranty to 10 years / unlimited miles due to a failed MOTOR DRIVEN POWER STEERING (MDPS) FLEXIBLE COUPLING. Turns out mine conveniently failed right outside of this 10 year mark and they allegedly mailed a letter in 2019 to a home address that I moved from 5 years ago, even though I have been to the KIA dealership many times since, was never told of this and they had my updated address for sure. I firmly believe this is a safety issue and life or death situation as this is causing my car to shake on the roads / highway and for the steering handling to be extremely frightening to me when driving. KIA HQ was called by me today on this and refuses to step up. They simply told me no exception and this is a customer paid repair. This repair is likely $ 500 and I am certainly not going to accept this when this should be a recall as it impacts steering !!!

NHTSA ODI 11540812

Beginning of June 2023 started noticing a problem with steering wheel, rattles and feels loose when turning left or right. Kia dealership said its the flex coupling needs to be replaced can get worse to the point can't steer car. This should be a recall on this car. I've never had a car that had problem with steering, can be pretty serious if it can cause an accident. Im getting it inspected, will cost approximately $400.00 to replace.

NHTSA ODI 11539894

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the engine was misfiring. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road for 20 minutes. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle responded as needed; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred a week later. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.

NHTSA ODI 11537138

In our 2012 Kia soul, the steering wheel is giving out and sticking resulting in the wheel, not being able to be controlled by the driver as it’s being yanked out of their hands. This is especially dangerous on the highway where there was almost an accident when my daughter was driving, the car and the car wheel stuck, and then abruptly yanked out of her hand. The Kia souls 2014 through 2016 have recalls on their steering wheel and the same issue is happening with our 2012 Kia soul. When we contacted Kia dealership and Kia customer service they told us that they would not help us, because it was not recalled and there was no current warranty for it past 98,000 miles but online it says 100,000 miles. Even though we are the third owner of the car we have received the car from her grandparents and have fold all recall information and then keeping tabs on keeping the car up-to-date to make sure that is mechanically sound, and always in good condition. We are scared for the dangerous situation that the steering wheel is putting us in to the point where we are not comfortable driving the vehicle. The Kia dealerships reached out to you about the safety concerns not only told us that they would charge us an obscene amount of money to bring it in for a diagnostic, but that they would not cover the cost to repair it, even if they found that it was related to the recall of the 2014 2016. The 2012s have the same steering an engine as the 2014 and 2016. We fear for the safety of our family, and Kia will not even look at it without charging us, and said that even if it was related to the same problem that they would not allowed to be covered under warranty, because there is not a specific warranty on the 2012 Kia soul model. I am reaching out to report that the same problem is happening with the 2012 version of the Kia soul in terms of the steering problems from recall on the 2014 and 2016 Kia souls. This is extremely dangerous and could weren’t a lawsuit if an accident happens

NHTSA ODI 11535795