What 802 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Soul EV

TAMARA RECALL: MY CAR HAS BEEN LOSING OIL BUT DO NOT SEE OIL ANYWHERE. RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER REGARDING CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDING REPLACED. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY REPLACED THE CONVERTER, GAVE ME AN OIL CHANGE AND REPLACED A PRESSURE VALVE. FOUR DAYS AFTER I RECEIVED MY CAR BACK, THERE WAS NO OIL IN THE ENGINE. I TOOK IT BACK TO KIA AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO REPLACE THE ENGINE.

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I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND MY CAR STARTED MAKING A CLICKING SOUND. A COUPLE MINUTES LATER IT SLOWED DOWN UNTIL IT COMPLETELY STOPPED. I'M THANKFUL I WAS PULLING UP IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE BEFORE THE CAR COMPLETELY DIED. I REPLACED THE BATTERY BUT IT STILL WON'T CRANK. THE LIGHTS, RADIO, AND AIR CONDITIONING WORKS. I WAS TOLD IT MAY BE THE ALTERNATOR.

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1ST ISSUE THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP CAME ON. CAR HAS 44K MILES ON IT. THE CAR HAS LOSS OF POWER AND CUTS OFF WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. THE GAS MILEAGE HAS DROPPED CONSIDERABLY AND THE ENGINE IS RUNNING EXTREMELY HOT

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I WAS DRIVING HOME ON THE SEPULVEDA PASS WHICH IS A 45-50 MPH ZONE AND SUDDENLY MY CAR LOST POWER AND FROM GOING 45MPH I AS GOING UPHILL AT 10MPH. I THEN LOST ALL CONTROL AND MY BATTERY DIED. I GOT TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND SAID IT WAS AN ALTERNATOR PROBLEM AT FIRST THEN SAID IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I THEN HAD A SENSOR CHANGE AND NEW BATTERY BOUGHT WHEN THOSE TWO THINGS WEREN'T THE PROBLEM.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE UNINTENTIONALLY SLOWED DOWN TO A COMPLETE STOP WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CHECK ENGINE AND OIL WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

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HAS A SMALL MISS IN THE ENGINE SINCE I BOUGHT IT JULY 2016. THE DEALERSHIP CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. JUST A SMALL HESITATION.

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MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAS GONE BAD I WAS TOLD ITS A RECALL ISSUE, YET HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED AND OTHER VEHICLES SAME YEAR AND MODEL HAVE REPORTED THE SAME ISSUE YET NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER DUE TO A LOT OF CAR OWNERS ARE PAY COSTLY REPAIRS FOR SEAMS AS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THANK YOU

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I WAS DRIVING AND MY 2016 KIA SOUL STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY THE CAR BEHIND ME ALMOST CRASHED INTO ME AND BEGIN BEEPING. WHEN I PUSHED ON THE GAS IT WOULD HESITATE GIVING ME JUST ENOUGH TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE RIDE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER REPAIRED THE LONG ENGINE BLOCK FREE OF CHARGE AT 66,000 MILES THIS TIME THE DEALER TOLD ME IT'S THE SAME EXACT THING WRONG BUT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THEY ALSO SAID I DON'T HAVE REGULAR OIL CHANGES BUT I HAVE RECEIPTS FROM BOTH KIA DEALERSHIPS THAT I HAVE MY CAR SERVICED BUT THEY ONLY ARE GOING BY THERE RECORDS FROM THEY DEALERSHIP, I DO SEE THERE WAS A RECALL (SC176)ON THE ENGINES FEB 2019 AND WANT TO KNOW IF AND WHY MY VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. MY FIRST COMPLAINT ABOUT MY ENGINE WAS 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING IT. TO HAVE YOUR CAR STALL IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGHWAY IS VERY SCARY AND A HAZARD TO EVERYONE

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WHILE ACCELERATING ON THE HIGHWAY THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING AND WOULD NOT RESTART. AFTER OVER IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A PISTON BROKE AND POKED THROUGH THE CRANK CASE CAUSING MAJOR OIL LOSS.

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MY CAR WAS NOT STARTING. I DO NOT DRIVE IT EVERYDAY AND BEGAN TO THINK IT WAS THE BATTERY. I HAD IT TESTED AT THE AUTO ZONE AND THERY SAID IT WAS GREAT NO PROBLEMS. SAID IT COULD BE THE STARTER BUT THOUGHT THAT ODD WITH AS FEW MILES AS ON IT. I ALSO NOTICE THE RECALL FOR THE STEERING ISSUE I WILL SCHEDULE AN APPT FOR. I ALSO HAVE A LIGHT IN MY DASH THAT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME.

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CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. VEHICLE TAKEN INTO A AUTO SHOP. TOLD IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I SAW THAT 2016 KIA SOULS WERE BEING RECALLED WITH DAMAGED CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. WANTING TO KNOW IF MY VEHICLE QUALIFIED.

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DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND CAR STARTED SLIPPING GEARS AND HAVING TROUBLE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND IT HAD NO OIL, ADDED PROPER AMOUNT AND TYPE OF OIL. WHEN IDLING CHECK OIL LIGHT FLASHES RED EVEN WITH PROPER OIL LEVEL. DEALERSHIP STATES SOUNDS LIKE, THEY CURRENTLY ARE CHECKING IT, ENGINE AND ROD ISSUE.

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I PURCHASED MY KIA SOUL IN FEBRUARY 2016. I'VE DRIVEN AROUND 45,000 MILES AND REALLY ENJOYED IT UNTIL THE OTHER NIGHT. DRIVING ABOUT 45MPH ON A MAJOR STREET WHEN A LOUD SCREECH CAME FROM THE ENGINE. THE CAR JERKED AND I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO STALL BUT IT DIDN'T. A LOUD KNOCKING SOUND STARTED FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THE OIL LIGHT FLICKERED A COUPLE OF TIMES. DROVE ABOUT 1/4 MILE TO THE NEAREST GAS STATION. ADDED AROUND 1 QUART OF OIL SINCE I SAW THE OIL LIGHT FLICKER. I THEN DROVE HOME (ABOUT 5 MILES) AND THE OIL LIGHT FLICKERED A COUPLE OF TIMES ON THE WAY. THE NEXT DAY I STARTED THE CAR, THE OIL LIGHT WAS OFF BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. SO, I DROVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP (1.5 MILES AT THE MOST) AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED A WHOLE NEW ENGINE. I WAS QUOTED $4,000 TO $6,000 FOR A USED ONE AND FOR A NEW ONE IT WOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY MORE. I'VE TAKEN GOOD CARE OF THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE MAINTAINED AND REGULAR OIL CHANGES. SEVERAL OF THE OIL CHANGES WERE PERFORMED AT AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP THAT WENT BANKRUPT. I HAVE NO WAY TO OBTAIN COPIES OF THOSE RECEIPTS. ALL I COULD SUPPLY THE DEALERSHIP WAS ONE RECEIPT AND THEY HAD ONE RECEIPT IN THEIR SERVICE RECORDS. THEREFORE, NO COPIES... NO WARRANTY. I CAN'T AFFORD THE COST TO REPAIR IT AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO AT THIS POINT. THE DEALER WILL BUY THE CAR BACK FOR AROUND $4,000 AT BEST. WHY IS IT THAT ONE MINUTE A 3 YEAR OLD CAR IS RUNNING GREAT WITHOUT A PROBLEM AND THE NEXT MINUTE IT'S PARKED AND IN NEED OF A NEW ENGINE? SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT ABOUT THAT AND I AM AT A LOSS OF WHAT TO DO NEXT.

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AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC FOR AN OIL CHANGE, I WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A LOUD BANGING SOUND ON START UP. MY MECHANIC HAD THE VEHICLE OVER NIGHT AND THE ENGINE WAS STARTED COLD IN THE MORNING ON A QUIET STREET. I HAD NOTICED THAT WEEK, THAT WHILE IDLING AT RED LIGHTS, IT FELT AS THOUGH THE CAR WAS STALLING. THE DEALERSHIP HAD THE CAR FOR TWO FULL DAYS AND WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE BANGING SOUND AND SO COULD NOT DO ANYTHING. THE CAR WENT BACK TO MY MECHANIC FOR AN OIL CHANGE, WHICH THEY COMPLETED AND AGAIN HAD THE CAR OVER NIGHT. WHEN I PICKED IT UP, THEY MENTIONED THAT THE BANGING SOUND HAD CEASED; HOWEVER, HE MENTIONED THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL "MISSING" ON START UP AND WHILE IDLING. GIVEN THE RECENT INCIDENTS WITH KIA MOTORS, AM I JUST WAITING FOR MY CAR TO CATCH ON FIRE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS? IT APPEARS THAT ONLY THE 1.6 LITERS TRIM LEVEL IS CURRENTLY INCLUDED (BASE MODEL).

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AFTER A SHORT DRIVE, I PARKED MY 2016 KIA SOUL IN THE GARAGE AND 15 MINUTES LATER I HEARD A NOISE IN THE GARAGE. MY HUSBAND OPENED THE DOOR TO THE GARAGE AND FOUND FLAMES COMING FROM THE STATIONARY KIA. THE ENTIRE GARAGE CAUGHT FIRE AND INCLUDED MY OTHER CAR WHICH WAS AN INFINITI G35. THE PRIMARY FLAMES WERE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD/FRONT RIGHT FENDER SEAM WITH MINOR FLAMES UNDERNEATH THE KIA. WE KNOW THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE KIA SOUL. THE VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN ONE YEAR OLD, HAD APPROXIMATELY 6000 MILES, AND HAD ONLY BEEN SERVICED ONCE AT THE HENDERSON KIA DEALERSHIP FOR AN OIL CHANGE. WE BELIEVE THAT THE CAUSE OF THE SAFETY RISK WAS THE FUEL VAPOR LEAK BECAUSE MY SON'S 2016 KIA FORTE, ALSO PURCHASED FROM HENDERSON KIA, HAD A SEVERE FUEL VAPOR LEAK THAT HE HAD REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THREE MONTHS AFTER MY KIA SOUL FIRE. THE SPEED OF MY GARAGE FIRE IS CONSISTENT WITH A FUEL VAPOR LEAK THAT WAS DOCUMENTED BY THE HENDERSON KIA SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON MY SON'S KIA FORTE. WE HAD TO MOVE OUT OF OUR HOME FOR FIVE MONTHS WHILE THE HOUSE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THERE WAS OVER $142,000 DAMAGE TO OUR HOME AND PERSONAL PROPERTY.

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OIL LIGHT CAME ON, PULLED OVER TO CHECK OIL. AS CAR SLOWED DOWN THE OIL LIGHT STARTED TO BLINK, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO KNOCK AND MISFIRE. WHEN THE CAR GOT TO ABOUT 15-20 MPH IT STALLED / CUT OFF AND I HAD TO COAST TO A PARKING LOT TO STOP. CAR TURNED BACK ON, BUT IMMEDIATELY BEGAN SQUEAKING AND KNOCKING BADLY. CAR WAS TOWED TO A SHOP WHERE WE WERE TOLD THE MOTOR IS "BLOWN". SINCE ALL SERVICE RECORDS COULD NOT BE PROVIDED KIA WILL NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY (UNDER 60K MILES), EVEN THOUGH THE OWNERS MANUAL SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT A LACK OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS CANNOT BE THE SOLE REASON WARRANTY CLAIMS ARE DENIED. THE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THIS MOTOR IS ALREADY RECALLED, AND THIS VERSION IS ALREADY SUSPECTED TO BE DEFECTIVE AS WELL. QUOTED ROUGHLY $6,000 TO REPAIR THE MOTOR, HAS A REPLACEMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE, AND ALL MOTORS ARE BACKORDERED FROM THE MANUFACTURER.

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VEHICLE IS USING OIL. BOUGHT EXTENDED WARRANTY AND AROUND 60,000 MILES, TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP. WAS TOLD IT'S NORMAL FOR IT TO USE OIL. I'M HAVING TO ADD 1-2 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 800-1000 MILES. IT ALSO RUNS VERY ROUGH AND WAS TOLD SINCE IT'S NOT THROWING A CODE, THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. I'VE HAD ALL ROUTINE MAINTENANCE DONE AND HAVE THE OIL CHANGED REGULARLY. THERE IS SIGNIFICANT BLOW-BY WHEN ENGINE IS RUNNING AND THE OIL CAP IS OFF. AGAIN, I WAS TOLD THIS IS NORMAL. I KNOW THIS ISN'T RIGHT. I'M APPROACHING MY 100,000 MILE WARRANTY AND I THINK THEY JUST KEEP TELLING ME EVERYTHING IS NORMAL, WAITING FOR ME TO PASS THE WARRANTY MILEAGE. NOT IMPRESSED AT ALL WITH KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY DO NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT.

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I WAS GETTING READY TO MERGE ONTO THE INTERSTATE WHEN I HEARD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WHEN I GOT ONTO THE INTERSTATE THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, SO I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER, AND THE ENGINE DIED. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AND TWO MEN IN TWO VEHICLES STOPPED AND OPENED THE HOOD AND FLAMES WERE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THEY HAD WATER AND A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND ALSO THREW SOME DIRT ON THE FIRE TO PUT IT OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS BOUGHT. THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAD THE KIA SOUL TOWED TO DENVER COLORADO TO HAVE THEIR AGENT LOOK IT THE KIA. IT WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS AND WAS NOT AN ARSON FIRE. THE KIA DEALERSHIP FROM WHICH THE KIA SOUL WAS BOUGHT NEVER INSPECTED THE SOUL. ALL ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WAS DONE ON SCHEDULE BY THE KIA DEALERSHIP FOR THE 9 MONTHS I OWNED THE KIA. IT WAS BOUGHT NEW IN DECEMBER OF 2016 AND CAUGHT FIRE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2017. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS NEVER DETERMINED AND KIA NEVER TOOK ANY RESPONSIBLE.

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MY SOUL HAS BEEN OVER HEATING,STALLING,AND BACK FIRING,EVEN HAD SMOKE COME FROM ENGINE 2 TIMES.HAS BEEN IN SHOP OVER 7 TIMES FOR THERMOSTAT ISSUE, THAT THEY SAID THEY CAN NOT FIX .PLUS MY CAR HAS BEEN IN A NUMBER OF TIMES FOR IT NOT HAVING ANY GET UP AND GO .IT HAS TO BE REALLY FAST TO GO UP HILLS .ON HIGHWAY OR MAIN ROADS .

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CAR WAS IN GOOD CONDITION AND WELL MAINTAINED ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER'S SERVICE SCHEDULE. IT WAS LAST SERVICED ON 7/31/18 WHEN IT PASSED NYS INSPECTION. THE OWNER WAS INFORMED ON 9/18/18 @ 7:03 PM BY DAUGHTER THAT CAR STARTED MAKING A STRANGE SOUND ON 9/17/18. PLANNED TO HAVE DEALER CHECK OUT CAR ON 9/19/18. ON 9/18/18 @ APPROXIMATELY 8:35 PM, WHILE BEING DRIVEN ON THE LOCAL PORTION OF AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, THE CAR'S OIL LIGHT BLINKED ON AND OFF. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE CAR ENGINE BEGAN TO SMOKE AND SMOKE CAME INTO THE CAR THROUGH THE AIR VENTS. THE DRIVER, MY DAUGHTER'S BOYFRIEND, PULLED OVER INTO THE BREAKDOWN LANE, TURNED OFF THE CAR, GOT OUT, STEPPED AWAY FROM IT AND THE ENGINE ERUPTED IN FLAMES. BY APPROXIMATELY 8:50 PM THE CAR WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE CAR LOOKS LIKE IT WAS FIRE BOMBED.

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TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING WHILE DRIVING. THEN TRANSMISSION SLIPPED WHILE GOING 45 AND ENGINE RED LINED THEN DIED. WOULD NOT RESTART.

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MY CAR IS 2016, ITS 18 MONTHS OLD HAS 19K MILES AND THE ONLY THING DONE TO THE CAR WAS OIL CHANGES WHICH WERE PERFORMED AT THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT MY CAR. ON JAN 19, 2018 MY CAR STOP WORKING WHILE DRIVING 45 MILES AN HOUR ON THE STREET. IT HAPPENED ON NW 36TH STREET GOING EAST IN MIAMI, FLORIDA ZIPCODE 33166 WHEN TOWED TO THE DEALER WAS TOLD ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY THE PISTON PUSH THE ROD BLOCK AND THE ENGINE LOCK UP. ITS STILL AT THE DEALER. ON MONDAY IT WILL BE A MONTH. AND EVEN THOUGH I AM DRIVING A RENTAL ( WHICH THE DEALER IS PAYING FOR) THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THE CAR WILL BE FIXED. EVERYTHING IS UNDER WARRANTY. MY CONCERN IS HOW CAN THIS MANUFACTURE BUILD CARS WHICH THEIR ENGINES LOCK UP AFTER LESS THAN 2 YEARS. THANK GOD I WAS NOT DRIVING IN AN EXPRESSWAY. I AM BEYOND SCARED TO DRIVE THIS KIND OF CAR AGAIN. *TR

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