What 898 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Kia Soul EV

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

Car has an heavy gas smell like when the car is started ,has to crank up and car shakes when it’s started steering is off and etc.

NHTSA ODI 11555795

ON THE EVENING OF JULY 22,2019 I WAS LEAVING TARGETS PARKING LOT PUT MY VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND WHEN I PUT IN DRIVE MY 2015 KIA SOUL TOOK OFF. THE RPMS WERE THE HIGHEST IT COULD GO GOING 40 MILES P HOUR IN A BUSY LOT ALL I COULD WAS HONK MY HORN. I TRIED THE BREAKS PUTTING IN PARK AND TURNING THE KEY OFF. MY WIFE AND I WERE IN SHOCK. WE HIT THE CURB FLY ACROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC THE MEDIAN AND HIT TWO CARS. MY WIFE WAS PINNED THERE WAS WHITE SMOKE IN THE CABIN. PEOPLE GOT HER OUT FIRE DEPT CAME. MY WIFE WAS TRANSPORTED TO UCI TRAMA AND I WENT BACK THE NEXT DAY TO CONCERNED FOR MY WIFE RATHER THAN MYSELF. WIFE HAD 8 BROKEN RIBS SEPARATED AND A BROKEN BACK MYSELF 7 BROKEN RIBS AND BLEEDING OF THE BRAIN. ONE HOUR PRIOR APPROX TO THIS ACCIDENT WE WERE NEXT STORE EATING AND WHEN LEAVING TO GO TO TARGET THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A LOUD CLICKING NOISE I TUNED IT OFF AND WAITED A FEW MINS TRIED AGAIN AND STILL THE SAME NOISE. THEN THE 3RD TIME IT WAS FINE PROCEEDED TO TARGET. ALL MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE AND ON TIME PRIOR TO THIS TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. OUR LIVES HAVE CHANGE DRAMATICALLY

NHTSA ODI 11282007

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN, SHIFTER, AND BRAKES FAILED TO OPERATE. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A SIDE IMPACT COLLISION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEN TO THE DEALER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V736000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THERE WERE TWO INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT SUFFERED FROM A CERVICAL STRAIN AND MILD THORACIC FACIAL STRAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 11,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ODI 10897902

I WAS COMING OUT OF A RED LIGHT INTERSECTION AND WHEN I TRIED TURNING TO THE LEFT THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN AND KEPT GOING STRAIGHT. IT TURNED MINIMALLY AND HIT THE CURB SCRATCHING THE 2 PASSENGER SIDE WHEELS (FRONT AND BACK). NO AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED AS I WAS ONLY AT MAYBE 20-30MPH. AS THE CAR ALIGNED WITH THE ROAD AGAIN I NOTICE THE STEERING IS 90% IMPAIRED. I STILL MANAGE TO DRIVE HOME AS THERE WERE VERY FEW CARS ON THE ROAD BUT THE CAR WOULD RANDOMLY SOMETIMES, VERY STRONGLY VEER TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT, MAKING IT EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I REMEMBER THERE WAS A RECALL LETTER I HAD RECEIVED AND WHEN I GOT HOME I CHECKED IT OUT AND IT DESCRIBED EXACTLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO ME: "THE PINION PLUG WHICH SECURES THE PINION GEAR TO THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY MAY LOOSEN DUE TO THE USE OF ADHESIVE WITH INSUFFICIENT BONDING STRENGTH DURING ASSEMBLY. IF THE PLUG LOOSENS SUFFICIENTLY, THE PINION GEAR MAY SEPARATE FROM THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY WHICH COULD CAUSE LOSS OF STEERING AND RESULT IN A CRASH.". I THINK IN MY CASE THIS PINION CAME COMPLETELY LOOSE AND THAT CAUSED THE CRASH. THE CAR WAS JUST TOWED TO A KIA DEALERSHIP BUT NOW THEY WILL INSPECT AND DECIDE IF THAT WAS THE CASE OR NOT. WHAT IF THEY SIMPLY DECIDE THEY WILL SAY THIS WAS CAUSED TO SOMETHING ELSE AND NOT THE RECALL ISSUE?

NHTSA ODI 10822052

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED, THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, VEERED LEFT, AND CRASHED INTO AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES, WHICH INCLUDED A SEVERED AORTA AND FRACTURED CERVICAL SPINE. THE CORONER INDICATED THAT THE FATAL INJURIES MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE AIR BAG. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. ...UPDATED 02/02/16 *BF UPDATED 02/05/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE STEERING SYSTEM WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSE THE ACCIDENT. UPDATED 02/10/16.*JB..UPDATED 03/16/16 *BF *TR

NHTSA ODI 10818664

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V736000 (STEERING). WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, WITHOUT WARNING, THE STEERING FAILED. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN AND, AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000.

NHTSA ODI 10818800

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DROVE UP ONTO A SIDEWALK, WHERE ALL FOUR TIRES WERE PUNCTURED, THE OIL PAN WAS DAMAGED, THE SUBFRAME WAS BENT, AND THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 10816705

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE STEERING LOST POWER AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER FIVE TIMES BEFORE CRASHING INTO A MAILBOX. ALL THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE LOCAL POLICE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THE PARAMEDICS WERE AT THE SCENE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE MINOR INJURIES THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT DID NOT ASSIST. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.

NHTSA ODI 10806346