What 898 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Kia Soul EV

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the brakes became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the local dealer for Service Campaign SC334 - Brake Line Corrosion. The vehicle was repaired after 35 days, but the failure recurred. While driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the brakes became inoperable. The driver began pumping the brake pedal, but the brakes failed to respond. There was an exclamation symbol displayed on the instrument cluster, and the battery light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven through the parking lot. The vehicle was then towed to the residence. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.

NHTSA ODI 11717476

The engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle began to hesitate and lose power while driving, making the vehicle unsafe to operate. The problem involves the engine and powertrain. A Kia dealer inspected the vehicle and found a timing-related engine fault code (P0014). The dealer stated the condition is consistent with the Kia engine bearing failure recall and referenced recall SC200PS, but said this VIN was not included. The vehicle has reduced power and cannot be safely driven. This creates a safety risk because the engine can lose power without warning while the vehicle is in motion. Warning lights were present before and during the failure. The vehicle has not been repaired and is available for inspection.

NHTSA ODI 11710722

Headlamp Multi-Function Switch Service Campaign Hazwewdiouse may cause colition or vision impairment. from ongoing traffic and or insufficient illumination While driving lights will flicker, causing drivers to high beam you, it does not matter if the high beams are on or not, the light will randomly flicker and turn off, very dangerous in southern and eastern areas, there is limited to no street/road Lights It has been noted that For some 2014 Kia Soul models, Kia issued a warranty extension and a service bulletin (SC330) to address intermittent flickering of the low/high beams. This is caused by wear on the contact points inside the multi-function switch, which controls the headlights and turn signals. Kia has extended the warranty on this specific component from 5 years/60,000 miles to 15 years/unlimited mileage from the date of the vehicle's first service. If your headlights are flickering, you can have a Kia dealer diagnose and replace the switch at no cost to you under this warranty extension. This malfunction is not just happening to the specific year, Component: Headlamp Multi-Function Switch Problem Description: The vehicle's headlights and/or high beams intermittently flicker and turn off while driving. This is a severe safety hazard, as it causes momentary vision impairment and can lead to a collision. Hazardous Condition: The flickering and sudden deactivation of the headlights cause temporary blindness for the driver and can lead to a loss of control or a collision. The erratic light behavior causes a "high-beam" effect on oncoming traffic, causing other drivers to react by flashing their high beams in an unprovoked manner. This issue is extremely dangerous in areas with limited or no streetlights, where visibility is already compromised. History: I have experienced this issue on multiple occasions. I am aware that Kia has issued a service campaign (SC330) for certain Kia Soul models regarding this issue, but my vehicle is not included in

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When I signal a lane change, the lights flicker or turn off completely. Happens often.

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When using the blinker, the headlights turn off completely or temporarily. I’ve seen this as a normal thing on Reddit and other sites

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The concern, is that Kia recently (2023) recalled the BMS (and potentially the HV Battery) for vehicles as old as 2015 on the Koa Soul EV, and their warranty on said parts is 10 yrs or 100k miles. The concern is that there is no extended warranty period FOR the cars. So if the cars fail again within a yr, you end up paying out of pocket for the repairs. There are plenty of forum posts that talk about their batteries being replaced with re-manufacturered, only to need to be teplaced AGAIN within less than a yr. I think Kia needs to be forced to extend the warranty on these batteries to cover any potential future issues.

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My headlights turn off when I use my blinkers. They also flicker sometimes.

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I was driving about 50mph when my car suddenly stopped accelerating. I rolled down the hill a little before I hit the brake and put the car in park right in the middle of the street in traffic

NHTSA ODI 11630433

Car burning oil every 1,000 miles or less causing catalytic converter to over heat, which could cause fire. Wiring harness on driver side shorting lights out which could cause a fire. Vehicle can be ready for inspection at anytime. Have been calling dealer about it since 2019 said recall was fixed but wasn’t done properly. Electrical issues started around 01/15/2024.

NHTSA ODI 11593303

On April 11,2024, I attempted to drive my Soul EV out of the parking lot of my place of employment going less than one block only to have the power severely limited (from a speed of 40mph to 15mph on a busy road at rush hour). I was able to safely get myself to a parking lot and placed the car in park. I noticed both the triangle with the exclamation mark and EV in the center plus the turtle lights illuminated on the dashboard. I searched those lights and discovered there was an immediate warning about the EV battery and a failure within the battery plus a problem with the temperature of the battery cooling system. I turned the car off, placed it in park and attempted to drive again within the parking lot only to have the same scenario repeated. I was informed by the Kia Service Center that "Kia engineers are aware of this problem but there's no solutions. This is the THIRD time I have received a notice that the EV battery may malfunction or ignite and cause a fire. This car just had a battery recalled due to a malfunction as I had the car stop suddenly on a 3 lane highway. I waited months to get a replaced battery, then I got a recall notice but my battery had been replaced but I had to have some "wiring harness" repaired with the computer upgrade. Now suddenly the car stopped and showed a warning light about the temperature of the motor is too high. The service advisor acknowledged the car is unsafe to drive and has been unsafe.

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Car stalling on highway and blowing smoke out of the exhaust. No warning lamps or messages. Mechanic thinks it’s the catalytic converter.

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The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul EV. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V218000 (Electrical System) and the vehicle was repaired under the recall. The contact stated that after the repair was completed, the vehicle went into "Reduced Power" and "Power Limp Mode" while driving at various speeds and initially after starting the vehicle. The vehicle was returned to the dealer where the recall repair was completed the recall repair; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 111,400.

NHTSA ODI 11574931

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that after a software update was completed while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle went into SAFE Mode. The battery warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V724000 (Power Train, Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The dealer informed the contact that the battery was on backorder. 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 and opened a case. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11569281

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

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while parked, the entire instrument panel had become inoperable and the vehicle had started to smoke. The origin of the fire was unknown. The check engine and electrical warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to New York Auto. The vehicle had been diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the failure was due to an electrical issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000. The VIN was not available

NHTSA ODI 11556121

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V218000 (Electrical System) 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. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11546573

Headlights turn off after using the turn signal switch. Started happening once in a while but now it happens not only after using the turn signal switch but the headlights will turn off for a few seconds and then turn back on. Other times they will just flicker for several seconds. This is a SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. The headlights turning off or flashing at night is not a safe way of driving. There are many reported cases of this issue on the Kia Owners Portal so they can't say they didn't hear about it. I would think I could take it into Kia to have them replace the turn signal switch since that is the only thing that makes sense. And I can recreate the issue by wiggling the switch. (This is not related to the light sensor since I do not have automatic headlights.) Why hasn't there been a safety recall issued??? This has been happening for over a year and I just try to drive only during the day until Kia is forced to fix the problem. That is no longer possible as I am now working nights. What are my options to have this resolved without costing me any money??? Please have someone reach out to me at [XXX] to assist me in my research. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11544399

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V218000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was 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 stated that the check "EV System Light" was displayed. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

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Kia issued recall 23V218 in relation to the High Voltage Battery being able to short curcut and catch fire. They don't know for sure the cause, nor do they have a remedy in place yet. If my car can randomly catch fire, that sounds like a pretty big saftey recall issue. That recall was issued 4 months ago. I asked about being given a loaner car until there's a fix and I was told no. I asked about them repurchasing the car since they don't have a fix, they said no. I asked about the battery being replaced as a precaution and was told that they don't yet have a way to make sure the replacement battery won't have to same issue. So there are all these ppl driv9ng down the street because we don't have any choice BUT to drive our car and Kia isn't willing to help us in any way shape or form.

NHTSA ODI 11535224

This would be the third time of car breaking down without any warning. When there is a problem with the car there is never no indication that there are any problems. No warning lights, no nothing car just breaks down.

NHTSA ODI 11526728

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, an abnormal, rattling sound was coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure persisted, and the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. The contact called the dealer and was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.

NHTSA ODI 11524831

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that upon research, he became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V389000 (Power Train, Electrical System) and 23V218000 (Electrical System) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11524707

I bought this vehicle new (under 3k miles) from the dealer Kiefer Kia. The very next day I brought the car back as there were obvious problems with it immediately. The car would hesitate, almost as if it were about to die, while driving or even sitting at a light. When I took it in the repair person heard the problem but said "that's normal for a new car". I wanted to reopen the car but they said there were no returns. I came in 2 other times. On the 4th time they finally replaced the computer. It did nothing to fix the problem but from that time I had electrical problems. They denied the electrical problems. 2 more visits they replaced the computer again and some other recall. Both problems continued. I've had to replace the battery more than once a year. It still hesitates but covid happened and now I'm in a wheel chair and have problems getting around so brining it in is even more difficult. I don't trust any more repairs they're doing I just want my money back. I stopped driving it on the highway as I'm to afraid of the engine catching fire with how it eats oil. If I want to go out of town I have to rent a car!

NHTSA ODI 11519194

I have had several issues with my car. The check engine light is on, and now my traction control light comes on all the time now. When that happens my car won't tact. I had auto zone check out the check engine light, was told it was the catalytic converter. My mechanic changed my oil and told me to start checking my oil every 500 miles, that it was consuming oil. I paid Kia 170.00 to confirm what auto zone told me. So I average a quart of added oil every 750 to 1000 miles. I see no point in replacing the catalytic converter until we know what is going on with the engine. This started at 113,000 miles, my car has 127.000 now. I have talked to The dealership where I purchased my car, basically they can't help me unless my check engine light flashes and the speed cuts down to 40 miles an hour. My car is having the same issues that are described in recall (SC176) and (SC200). I would appreciate it if you could tell me if my car should have been in the recalls. Thank you for your time and assistance.

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My car is susceptible to theft due to the fact, Kia did not place immobilizer unit in my 2015 Kia soul. I’m trying to find out where I go to get the software update on my vehicle so it doesn’t get stolen and I can’t find anywhere nobody’s contacted me from Kia please help me with this situation. thank you in advance for your time and consideration in this matter.

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