What 512 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Kia Soul

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SOUL. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V120000 (ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 35 MPH. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, HOWEVER THERE WAS BLACK SMOKE DETECTED COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD WHICH LED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER TOWED THE VEHICLE TO CASA KIA 1374 GEORGE DIETER DR, EL PASO, TX 79936 (915) 856-2982 WHERE THE CONTACT WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE RESULTS FROM THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE RESULTS WAS SENT DIRECTLY TO THE MANUFACTURER AND THE REPAIRS WERE DENIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 178,000.

NHTSA ODI 11207248

I STOPPED MY CAR AT TOP OF MY STEEP DRIVEWAY,PULLED UP EMERGENCY BRAKE,PUT CAR IN PARK BUT LEFT CAR RUNNING TO LISTEN TO SONG ON RADIO. I SAW A PROBLEM IN MY YARD,OPENE THE DOOR, TOOK CARE OF PROBLEM THEN GOT PARTIALLU BACK IN THE CAR TO CUT OFF ENGINE. AS SOON AS I SWITCHED OFF THE ENGINE THE CAR STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS, STILL IN PARK WITH THE EMERGNCY BRAKE UP AND MY LEFT LEG DRAGGING THE GROUND AS IT ROLLED ACROSS THE STREET AND INTO MY NEIGHBORS BEDROOM. IT IS A VERY COSTLY ACCIDENT. ALL WAS FINE UNTIL I CUT OFF THE ENGINE SO I THINK THAT CUTTING OFF THE ENGINE CAUSE A GLITCH IN THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION TO CAUSE IT TO GO INTO NEUTRAL WHILE STILL SHOWING IN PARK.

NHTSA ODI 11021248

BOUGHT WIFE BRAND NEW 2012 KIA SOUL IN 2012. GOT STANDARD TRANSMISSION. AT AROUND 20K I NOTICED A SQUEAL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN THE CLUTCH WAS COMPLETELY DISENGAGED, BY THAT I MEAN VEHICLE RUNNING FOOT COMPLETELY OFF CLUTCH. I PRESUMED IT WAS A THROW OUT BEARING. TOOK IT TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE AGREED. SO I TOOK IT TO LOCAL KIA DEALER. BOUGHT VEHICLE IN DENTON TEXAS, BUT HAD MOVED 7 HOURS SOUTH TO CORPUS CHRISTI AREA. WHEN I TOOK IT TO KIA IN CORPUS I GOT THE RUN AROUND. YES OF COURSE THEY COULD HEAR IT BUT EVERYTHING WAS WORKING MECHANICALLY. SO I WAS BASICALLY TOLD TOO BAD. WIFE REALLY WANTED THE SOUL. AND NOW I HAVE TO TELL HER KIA DOESN'T CARE IF IT MAKES EMBARRASSING NOISES WHILE SHE'S DRIVING, JUST AS LONG AS I'M MAKING THE PAYMENTS. THROW OUT BEARINGS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO SQUEAK OR SQUEAL. THAT NOISE IS METAL ON METAL FRICTION, THE ENERGY IT TAKES TO MAKE THAT NOISE HAS TO BE MADE BY SOME SORT OF FUEL. IN THIS CASE IT'S METAL RUBBING ON METAL IN A FASHION THAT CAUSES AN UNBEARABLE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE UNTIL SOMETHING FINALLY GIVES PREMATURELY. WIFE DECIDED SHE WOULD DO HER BEST TO IGNORE IT. AND JUST ENJOY HER NEW CAR. HERE WE ARE 2015. HAS MADE THAT HORRIBLE NOISE ALL THESE YEARS. WE BOTH DESPISE THE VEHICLE AND KIA IN GENERAL FOR THE LACK OF ETHICS. LAST MONTH SHE WAS DRIVING BEHIND A WORK TRUCK AND THE WORK TRUCK HAD A MAJOR MALFUNCTION. FRONT PASSENGER TIRE BROKE OFF OF THE TRUCK AT THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS. THE ASSEMBLE FLEW BACK AND SMASHED INTO MY WIFE'S CAR. THE GUYS INSURANCE CLAIMED HIS RESPONSIBILITY. THEY HAD THE VEHICLE AT ALLEN SAMUELS FOR 5 WEEKS. PICKED IT UP LAST NIGHT. THROW OUT BEARING IS UNBEARABLY LOUD AND NEW SQUEAL AS WELL. BODY SHOP SAID NOT THEIR PROBLEM. SHOULD HAVE REPLACED IT WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT. THEY REPLACED WHOLE FRONT RIGHT OF VEHICLE, BUT DIDN'T TOUCH LOUD NEW SQUEAL.

NHTSA ODI 10811867