What 898 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Kia Soul EV

The contact owned a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle began to make a knocking noise which became progressively louder and backfired. There was white smoke coming from the exhaust as the contact moved to the side of the road and exited the vehicle safely. The vehicle then developed a small fire underneath the hood in the engine compartment, which quickly became engulfed in flames. The contact was approximately 30 to 40 feet away when this occurred. The smoke was described as having an electrical odor. The fire spread into the interior of the vehicle, resulting in damage to the dashboard, front seats and windows. No additional property damage was reported. Emergency services were contacted and the fire department extinguished the fire. The insurance company determined the vehicle to be a total loss. No injuries were sustained. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number 20V750000 (Engine). The approximate failure mileage was 74,000.

NHTSA ODI 11734927

As I was driving home on the highway, my car began making a noise I never heard before. I looked out of my rear view and began to see smoke coming from my car. As I was trying to get off the highway, my car began to lose control. I couldn’t get completely off the highway so I pulled into a small corner. I realized my hood was on fire when I stopped. I grabbed my purse and keys and ran down the highway as fast as I could. By this time my car was engulfed in flames. A woman saw me in distress and helped me and allowed me to get in her car for safety as she called 911. That’s when the car blew up and we drove off the highway to safety.

NHTSA ODI 11702495

There was a knocking sound, so I pulled over and smoke started coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. There was a fire and the car was later deemed a total loss.

NHTSA ODI 11681680

On April 24, 2022, while driving my 2015 Kia Soul, the vehicle suddenly caught fire. The fire originated in the engine compartment and destroyed the vehicle. This occurred despite the existence of a known safety recall related to the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS), which has been linked to engine fires in Kia vehicles. Following the incident, Kia America declined responsibility, and a joint investigation attempt by my insurer, USAA, was ignored. Kia proceeded with an independent investigation and later concluded that the cause was “undetermined” and that the fire originated in the engine compartment but could not determine the cause, which was likely due to the severe fire damage, per their own report. I have since been informed that USAA pursued subrogation against Kia, contrary to Kia’s recent claims. A letter of preservation was also sent to USAA following the incident to ensure the vehicle would remain in its post-fire condition. This was done to safeguard the integrity of the vehicle for investigative purposes. Following Kia’s refusal to assist, I was advised to explore reimbursement through other means, including the ongoing class action settlement related to this engine defect. I submitted a claim through that process but was ultimately denied due to a lack of “proof” that the fire was caused by the recall. However, my vehicle was so severely damaged in the fire that no conclusive cause could be determined , a point even Kia acknowledged in their own post-fire report, which stated the cause was “undetermined” but that the fire originated in the engine compartment. Over a year later, after the original dismissal of Kia, in September 2023, Kia America sent a letter via mail to the wrong address and email requesting documentation for reimbursement, which I provided only for them to again deny any responsibility. This delayed communication, along with the lack of transparency and accountability in handling a known safety issue, raises serious public safe

NHTSA ODI 11670410

Description of Incident: The engine has experienced a failure that causes oil to blow back from the engine, covering components both under and outside of the engine cover. This has resulted in oil accumulating on the exhaust and other hot components, creating a significant fire hazard. Safety Risks: This malfunction poses a serious risk to my safety and the safety of others, as the oil leakage could lead to a fire while driving. Additionally, the vehicle stalls at various speeds, which increases the risk of accidents or harm to other drivers and pedestrians. There is also a strong smell of oil inside the car, potentially indicating harmful fumes entering the cabin. Inspection Availability: The component/system causing the issue is available for inspection upon request. Reproduction and Confirmation of the Problem: The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by two SAE-certified mechanics. Inspection by Others: The vehicle has been inspected by two SAE-certified mechanics but not yet by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. Warning Signs Prior to Failure: Warning signs included consistently losing oil even after a fresh oil change, smoke from under the hood, a strong oil smell inside the cabin, and the car stalling during operation. These symptoms have been ongoing and progressively worsening, with the vehicle now stalling more frequently.

NHTSA ODI 11632078

Unknown . Engine or fuel mishap Car caught on fire as I was driving down the hwy with my 3 kids

NHTSA ODI 11588286

THE DEFECT MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER DUE TO OVERHEATING, RESULTING IN ABNORMAL ENGINE COMBUSTION AND DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE PISTONS. PISTON DAMAGE CAN RESULT IN A STALL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. IF A PISTON ROD BREAKS AND PUNCTURES THE ENGINE BLOCK, OIL CAN ESCAPE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE. The engine caught on fire while I was driving on the highway. I was sold this car without being told of any recalls. The dealership has refused to take responsibility for not informing me of the recall. Kia cooperate office has minimal contact with me. They are currently having it towed to a Kia dealer for diagnostic testing. Currently I own $400.00 just for the rental.

NHTSA ODI 11565765

The engine warning light and catalytic converter malfunction. The car is not currently available for inspection. The car exploded after turning the engine over. The car became disabled on the busy highway while driving at night and the car exploded in flames thereafter. Yes the problem was confirmed by the dealership The vehicle was inspected by insurance representatives, fire dept and police Yes the check engine light appeared several times, was checked and reappeared several times thereafter. I made a purchase of a car 9/15/23, The warning lamp appeared a few days later.

NHTSA ODI 11557354

Driving down the road and the car caught fire for no reason

NHTSA ODI 11515522

When driving this Vehicle my daughter was in a single car acciedent. The engine combusted. The piston rod went into engine. When we took it to the auto shop this is what they told us casued the engine to malfunction and my daughter run off the road. She is very luck she has not been hurt more than she has. We have tried to contact KIA. First we called Royal KIa in Tuscon then Jim Clickk Kia in Tucson. They told me it did not matter that the vehicke had a recalll. We would be financially responsable for fixing it. They would not even alow me to bring it in, THey asked us to csll Kia. Kia was no help. They said that if the car was over 150,000 miles they would not fix a recall. My daughter was in an acciedent due to malfuntion! At this point I did reach out to another dealership in Mesa AZ. If they can not help we need to take legal action. The exact same thing that the engine had a recall on is what happemed to our kia, No one will anwser or fix a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11501901

While driving my father-in-law in his 2015 Kia Soul to ironically get a lube and oil service done on the vehicle, there was a loud "pop," immediately followed by smoke coming out of the engine compartment and rear of the vehicle. Almost immediately, the engine shut down, and I pulled the vehicle over. There were no warning lamps indicating any kind of problem with the engine up to that point. Thankfully, there were two off-duty wild land firefighters that had been traveling the same roadway behind us, and they pulled over to help us. They got us out of the vehicle and immediately called 911. Once we were far enough away from the vehicle, they told us that when they heard the "pop" they saw flames shooting out the back of the vehicle. While waiting for the fire department to arrive, they checked to make sure that the fire was out, which it was. The fire department arrived, and determined that it was safe to have the vehicle towed, which we did, to our local Kia dealership. The service department inspected the vehicle and determined that there was a piston rod that broke and shot out the engine, leaving a "silver dollar size hole." The service department has since said that it was due to customer neglect, and refuses to help. Similarly, the insurance company is no longer willing to cover anything. My father-in-law tried to have the current recall for the overheating catalytic converter, however our local Kia dealership refused the repair saying the car didn't qualify for the recall, and instead tried to charge $1400 to complete the repair. I believe the necessary repair was a software download. Everyone traveling that roadway was in danger. My father-in-law and I were in danger. The residents in the adjacent neighborhood were in danger. Kia needs to stop blaming these issues on their customers and take care of these problems before they get hit with wrongful death lawsuits.

NHTSA ODI 11495488

As I was driving up a hill close to my house, there was suddenly a loud popping noise from the front of the vehicle and very quickly the cab of the car was filled with thick black smoke. I quickly exited the car and saw that the entire engine was completely engulfed in flames. I initially tried to throw snow on the fire but realized that it was already totally out of control and unable to be put out. I ran away to a safer distance from the vehicle and called 911. The entire car was completely engulfed in the flames by the time the police and fire department responded. It still took about ten minutes for the fire to be extinguished by the fire department. The vehicle is a complete loss including many personal items that I was unable to recover. There was absolutely no warning of any issues with the engine such as a notification from a gauge indicating that the engine was over heating or any other warning lights showing any issues. I maintained the vehicle with regular oil changes and other standard maintenance. It only had 41,000 miles on if at the time of the fire. I expected it to last for many more years. Thankfully my son and our dog was not with me at the time.

NHTSA ODI 11494187

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, a loud boom sound came from the engine without warning. The contact pulled over and upon inspection of the hood, she discovered flames emitting from the vehicle. Two fellow motorists witnessed the fire and were able to draw water from a nearby ditch to extinguish the fire before the fire department. A fire report was not filed once they arrived at the scene. No injuries were reported. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer a diagnostic discovered that a rod had blown through the engine block. The contact then discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000(Engine); however, both the dealer and the manufacturer notified her that the vehicle was not under the recall. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer but had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ODI 11488942

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, a thumping noise occurred under the vehicle and suddenly the speed was reduced and the vehicle would no longer accelerate. While coasting to the side of the road smoke was present coming from under the hood of the vehicle. Moments later flames from under the hood engulfed the vehicle. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was destroyed. A fire and a police report were taken and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.

NHTSA ODI 11487979

The vehicle was taken to highway and after an uphill ramp (from Stringfellow to I-66E), the vehicle lost power, started to smoke, brake system lost power (foot brake did not work, so side brake was used to stop the vehicle), then caught on fire at Mile Marker 56.6. Yes, it is available for an inspection. I had to evacuate the vehicle in the middle of interstate highway that did not have an emergency lane. 3 out of 4 lanes had been blocked, so, yes, it did put others at safety risk as well. Problem cannot be reproduced as the vehicle will be deemed total loss (pending insurance company's inspection). However, please note that the engine was replaced at the dealer, under the warranty, 2 weeks prior to the incident. Insurance company is inspecting the vehicle and the captain of the fire brigade has stated that he will be filing a report in Fairfax County, VA. Excessive smoke and smell. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer the next day after the vehicle was picked up 2 weeks ago due to loss of power, transmission shift lags, blinking engine light, excessive vibration, etc. At the time of the incident, the dashboard did not indicate any engine lights nor the thermostat indicated overheating.

NHTSA ODI 11457742

Now when I just went to check my engine oil it smelled of gas and was starting to get pretty low. I just checked it 2 weeks ago and it Was fine. No one has ever inspected the vehicle and yes it is very available for inspection. Still my fuel consumption is terrible and now my oil is low low with a gas smell to it. No warning lights have ever came on and it seems to drive fine.

NHTSA ODI 11447686

After reading in my instructions Manuel about what might be causing my fuel consumption to be way to high I learned that the gas cap was suppose to click which it has not since we got the vehicle in December of 2021so I went and bought a gas cap and now it clicks like it’s suppose to. My fuel consumption is way to high right now I have filled this car up with gas so many more times then any other vehicle I have owned. When I put fuel in you can smell the fuel for the next two days and every now and again you get a whiff of engine coolant smell and a burning smell I’m not sure what the burning smell is because I’ve never smelled it before. Yes the vehicle is available for inspection. No one has inspected it still since my last complaint. And no there has been not a single warning light.

NHTSA ODI 11447609

Driving the car up the 101 Cuesta Grade and lost acceleration. The speedometer went to zero and as the car died I pulled to the right side of the freeway / grade. Smoke started to enter my vehicle. A car stopped in front of me and one behind and the people ran from their cars to tell me to get out of my car as my front engine underneath was on fire. I got out of the car and opened the back hatch to remove my belongings as the engine burst into flames. This car has been maintained by KIA and by a personal mechanic and we were up to date on all recalls. We were NOT included in the most recent engine fire recall. The car is completely destroyed.

NHTSA ODI 11436178

The contact owned a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, the vehicle stalled then the contact saw on the rearview mirror that there was smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact pulled over and a bystander helped open the hood of the vehicle. The passenger side under the hood had caught fire and the contact attempted to put out the fire with soda when antifreeze from the radiator was spraying and splashed onto the contact. The contact was able to move away before the vehicle exploded but was hit by glass shards from the windshield. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A fire department report was filed. No medical attention was received. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.

NHTSA ODI 11429446

The contact's daughter owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while her daughter was driving 45 mph when she heard abnormal noise and saw smoke exiting from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated multiple warning lights were illuminated. The driver was able to park on the side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The driver called the local dealer and was referred to the manufacturer. The VIN was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (ENGINE). The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and they would not honor the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 101,027.

NHTSA ODI 11421852

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle jerked and failed to accelerate. An unknown dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed that the engine failed due to the catalytic converter and a burnt valve inside of the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the previous vehicle owner had received a recall notification on the vehicle. The failure mileage was 160,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11418880

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, there was a knocking sound then a loud boom heard. The contact and her passengers detected a smoke odor and saw that there was smoke coming from the hood. The vehicle would not accelerate so the contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The contact then tried to turn on the vehicle but the vehicle would not restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was a hole in the engine. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer and diagnosed that there was a hole in the engine which caused the oil to leak. The dealer notified the manufacturer of the failure however, the manufacturer informed the dealer that they were not responsible for the repair since the contact had not gotten the recall repair for the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) software update. The contact stated that she received the recall notification six days before the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 93,050.

NHTSA ODI 11418802

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, A BLACK SMOKE BEGAN TO EMIT FROM VEHICLE AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, FLAMES BEGAN TO IGNITE FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE AUTHORITIES WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE OF THE FIRE AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AT THE SCENE. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS LATER DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED HER THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. RECENTLY, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V750000(ENGINE) WHICH SHE LINKED TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 78,000.

NHTSA ODI 11405368

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE OIL LIGHT WAS FLASHING AND ILLUMINATED. THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL BURNING ODOR DETECTED. THE CONTACT HAD TO ADD ADDITIONAL OIL IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MANAHAWKIN KIA LOCATED AT 270 NJ-72, MANAHAWKIN, NJ 08050 (866) 851-1685, WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,814.

NHTSA ODI 11404412

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE STARTED TO SMELL SMOKE AND NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE STARTED TO LEAK OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART AND HAD TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V750000 (ENGINE). THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER VAN NUYS KIA (6115 VAN NUYS BLVD, VAN NUYS, CA 91401) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE ENGINE NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD CALL THEM BACK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 143,000.

NHTSA ODI 11403915