What 213 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Kia Soul EV

Yellow check engine light came on. Next day was not on. Next day on again. Brought to local repair shop for diagnostic. They reported engine was completely empty of oil and a knocking sound was a chain. Said engine needed to be replaced. This is at 74k miles. No oil light was ever on. Safety inspection was completed three months prior when the car was purchased used from a dealership. Then took it to a Kia dealership after putting some oil in the engine. While driving there it stalled at every red light. Kia service inspected. Reported engine needs to be replaced and not covered under Powertrain warranty.

NHTSA ODI 11496329

car began knocking noise on highway, heard a loud boom, and coasted to the shoulder. the repair facility determined there was a hole in my engine that was caused by the knocking.

NHTSA ODI 11494710

Driving down Interstate 5 @60mph, w/out the engine light coming on, my Kia Soul starts to shake, turns off, and luckily as I was able to glide it safely to the right shoulder as I was in the slow lane. I restart the car, engine light now comes on and the car itself shakes. I managed to get it to work and after having a co-worker look at it, the oil was low/dry. It didn't make sense because the oil was topped off 2 weeks earlier. Granted I have 132k miles on it, oil changed it consistently, for the most part, a great commuter, but it doesn't account for the fact that the engine light didn't come on and where did all the oil go. After taking it to Kia, I was told there was a burnt valve on piston #1 and there was no way of me knowing it was burnt. I wasn't given a response as to why the engine light didn't turn on other than, "check the service that was provided on date xxxx as that may have caused it and the excessive oil may have been played a part in it" I was quoted for a new engine, 6750.00. My power train warranty had expired and I was told the Kia Lifetime Warranty on the engine was not covered because it was not a low bearing.

NHTSA ODI 11494425

Vehicle is using a large amount of oil, have to continually add about 2 quarts per 1000 miles. I have maintained the vehicle and have diligently changed the oil and filter. This started at about 100,000 miles and continues to get worse. I have seen class action is being brought against Kia for this issue. This could lead to engine failure, fire and serious injury. I feel a recall is in order for the safety of the road.

NHTSA ODI 11493582

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the engine made abnormal ticking sounds. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the failure persisted. The contact stated he was able to drive the vehicle, however, the engine was making abnormal loud knocking sounds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring more increasingly. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under TSB Number: PI2107 as the original owner of the vehicle failed to complete an unknown software update on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

NHTSA ODI 11493471

Engine started to die while on the highway after a loud knocking started. While braking , engine completely stalled in driving lanes. Defect seemed to be a duplicate of the sequence of events reported from a recall for 2014-2016 of the same engine.

NHTSA ODI 11491893

On 10/6/22, my 2018 KIA Soul's engine seized. The oil was shiny orange and the engine itself was incredibly hot and engulfed in smoke. I had my car towed to a KIA dealership, where the service manager determined that my engine had metal shavings and there was a connecting rod bearing failure. I was told that there was a recall to my airbags and update to the engine that they also performed. I knew about the airbag recall, but knew nothing about an engine update. I was told by the service manager that there was an update to KIA engines in regard to the connecting rod bearing and that if I had brought my car in for the update prior to the engine failure, that this would have been covered by extended warranty from KIA. Therefore, due to my financial situation I am forced to sell the car for a near measly amount due to a non-functioning engine and take on monthly car payments from the purchase of a new car. I was one of the 3.7 million involved in the “product improvement campaign” to enhance safety features, where I would have been warned if my engine would catch fire. A warning prior to engine failure, and fire? How is this a safety performance measure preventing crash, injury, and death? My entire engine was smoking and possibly on fire when I was driving through a busy city and could have been seriously injured or involved in a multi-vehicle crash. NHTSA reported that the automaker had provided inaccurate information about the problems, and there were owner complaints of more than 3,100 fires, 103 injuries, and one death. In September 2021, KIA sent out a letter urging 485,000 owners to park their vehicles outside because fires could start even after vehicles were turned off. With the knowledge that non-crash fires are affecting 3 million KIA vehicles, why wasn’t a recall done on every KIA model with a GDI engine and instead only a “product improvement campaign”, where one letter was sent out and not one ounce of information can be found on KIA website.

NHTSA ODI 11490714

My vehicle randomly started making a knocking noise. We took it to our local mechanic who stated he has seen a lot of these come from the Kia line lately. the knocking noise comes from the rods. He said the cost to get this repaired would be $4,000-$5,000, since the bottom portion of the engine would need to be replaced. This car is not driveable. We are the 2nd owners and the car only has $65,000 miles on it. We bought the car from carmax in November 2021, and they did a full investigation and found no fault with the car. The rod knock started in March 2022. We are hoping there would be a recall on this, as we see from forums, we are not alone. The check engine light did not come on at any point.

NHTSA ODI 11486667

Driving on Route 79 on Labor Day weekend, at 70mph in the passing lane, my 2018 Kia Soul+ with 77574 miles refused to accelerate and then the engine completely stopped. We were able to get to the side of the road unharmed but the engine was completely dead. We called triple A and has it towed to a local garage I called Kia corporate because the car is not yet 5 years old and the garage thought it might be under warranty. The Kia consumer line 800-333-4KIA took 5 hours to reach a human but gave me a claim number and the representative said it had to be seen at a dealer but that I was likely covered. I advised I was the second owner and that when I was trying to find their number I tripped upon an optional product improvement campaign I was not made aware of. I was very suspicious and surprised. I asked repeatedly what happened if it was towed and not covered. And they said to call back but I should be ok. Kia towed it to the dealership. The dealer took 2 weeks to look at it and make a determination. They are stating that because I did not have the improvement campaign completed that they will not cover the engine. I was told to call back Kia corporate which I did and after 3 hours of waiting I was informed that there was nothing they can do that I was out of warranty because the improvement campaign that I was never notified of had not been completed on my car. They state that they sent a letter in November of 2021 but I did not receive it. I'm now being charged diagnostic fees by the dealership and they still want $11,000 and 4 to 6 weeks to do the necessary repairs. I still have a loan on the vehicle for $12, 321.46. I called Kia corporate back they will do nothing to assist me because it is out of warranty and I did not have the campaign improvement done because it was never sent as notification to me via email or phone and I did not receive the document they claim to have mailed. The supervisor I spoke with told me that there is nothing that KIA can do.

NHTSA ODI 11486558

We bought this car from Carmax this year back in January for my daughters birthday. It had 63000 miles on it. Thought it was covered up to 100,000. We were driving down the interstate when the engine started knocking and loss of power. Pulled over and checked the oil, it was good but you could see a lot of shiney small metal shavings in the oil. Plenty of oil though and oil was changed a couple weeks before. There were no lights on the dash panel to warn you even as it sits there and knocks. Just got told by several mechanics the engine needs replaced but the warranty is out because I’m the second owner and it has over 60,000 miles on it so therefore it’s not covered under warranty. This seems to be a constant issue as I’m reading the same problem happening. Hoping Kia will work with me since I have 2- 2018 Kia Souls.

NHTSA ODI 11486241

My catalytic converter is going out on my car and i bought it last year in march

NHTSA ODI 11485242

Oil consumption issues Not normal Don’t understand why Kia knows about this issue but won’t fix it Over a year with this issue Place in poteau Cavanal Tire said it should be addressed By Kia not when my motor locks up! Kia says let pour gunk in your car to patch the issue they know about That should be addressed on why they have not fixed it.

NHTSA ODI 11484529

My car had regular maintenance done consistently but the motor still blew… I scheduled my oil change that morning since it was due but then as I’m driving I heard what I thought was a knocking sound but I didn’t think much of it since it was just now time to get the oil change done and the oil light hadn’t come on or anything… just assumed it was something in the road I had ran over so I drove the remaining 5 minutes home and as I pull in my driveway the check engine light comes on and “ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM: possible engine condition. Schedule service” displayed on the screen… so I then a few days later I had it towed to the Kia dealership nearest me, only for them to tell me that if I cannot produce copies of EVERY single maintenance record for the last 4 years (since I bought the car) they won’t honor my warranty that I paid extra for and it would be $7,600 to replace it… I then called all the local mechanic shops around me and received quotes of: $7,522.00 $8,200.00 $6,400.00 The worst part is, Kia knows about the excessive oil consumption of their engines (a lawsuit was filed against Kia/Hyundai for it and for the damage to the engine due to low oil levels caused by excessive oil consumption but unfortunately, it was dismissed by a judge due to lack of evidence)!!!!!! The car is available to be checked, I’ve had a mechanic shop and then the Kia dealership both tell me the engine is blown. No indicator lights came on before the check engine light did.

NHTSA ODI 11481315

Engine keeps burning oil Crazy that Kia wants me to pay $415 for an oil consumption test to prove to them my car burns oil. They should fix the issues with their Kia souls and any other automobile they make. They know it’s an issue but we have to pay out of pocket to get them to consider to fix it. Wish I had never bought a kia, life lesson learned.

NHTSA ODI 11473701

My name is [XXX], I own Kia Soul 2018 and I took my vehicle for an airbag recall and an ECU Update as part of a product improvement on May 7th of 2022. When I took the car out of the dealership store and I was on the freeway, the engine light turned on and the car wasn’t speeding more than 40mi/h. This happened two times, I was driving under the average speed of a freeway with no means to surpass other vehicles and get the freeway exits safety. On the third time this happened, the dealership said they would need to inspect the car and probably ask for an engine replacement. The product improvement activated the P1326 code, this happens when the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) detects vibrations indicating the onset of excessive connecting rod bearing wear. If vibrations caused by bearing wear start to occur, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) will blink continuously, and the vehicle will be placed in Limp Home Mode. This was exactly what happened with my car. I sent all the invoices and bank statements to Kia to prove that I was regularly changing the car oil and giving the proper maintenance. Kia sent a letter for costumers that own Kia Soul where they guarantee that vehicles who passed through this product improvement and had the KSDS activate would have the warranty extended for 150,000 miles. However, even though the own dealership said that the noise sounds like a rod bearing Kia denied extending my warranty. It has been two months since I don’t have a car to go to work and neither Kia nor the dealership gave me any assistance on this. Every time that I call Kia, I spend an average of 40 minutes just waiting for someone to help me. My vehicle is 2018 and has 90.000 miles and it is already needing an engine replacement that Kia denies covering under the warranty even though the car shows all the signs that it has a rod bearing failure. What was supposed to be an improvement turned out in a huge injury for me. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11472625

I was driving on Interstate 64.im Norfolk when the car started to smoke, I just made to the side of the road and my car turned off. My dad told me that I he had the same thing happen to him on his 2011 optima his car turned off on the road. Kia had a recall on Kia optima engines. I spoke to another person that has a sol the same thing happened to them and there car only had 70,000 miles. Kia has put bad dangerous engines in there cars.

NHTSA ODI 11471866

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and coast to the side of the road in neutral before the vehicle stalled again. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to the residence; the following day the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact was informed of three open recalls before the vehicle could be diagnosed. The recalls were completed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 139,354.

NHTSA ODI 11467361

Engine Failure. Car began knocking. Checked oil, it was very low and slugged. No sign of oil leakage. 8k cost to repair. Kia isn’t cooperating with warranty coverage. We are challenging them. About a week earlier car had done spontaneous system check and showed no adverse results. No warnings.

NHTSA ODI 11464350

I bought my 2018 Kia Soul from Fredy Kia Dealership in Houston, TX and after 3 years and 124K miles the engine failed. It started with the check light for 'engine knock sensor' code 1326. I had the sensor replaced but the mechanics mentioned that my oil was extremally low and needed oil. I just had my oil replaced by Archer Kia dealership 2 month prior how could that be? So they replace the oil and the sensor. I drove it for 4 hours and the check engine light came on again this time there is a knocking sound. The mechanics say its a blown piston and now the engine has to be replaced. This is incredibly sad and frustrating to know that these cars' engine fail after 100K and have to replace the engine. After researching on on this site and https://www.aboutautomobile.com/, this engine problem has been going on since 2012. How can this be? Why isn't Kia doing something to cover and fix this issue?

NHTSA ODI 11458696

MY ENGINE STARTED TO KNOCK OUT OF NO WHERE AND IT BLEW A ROD. I HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT THE CAR AND HE SAID THE ENGINE WAS GONE. HE SAID YOUR CAR SHOULD NOT BE HAVING ENGINE PROBLEM AT ALL FOR THE YEAR OF THE CAR. I HAD ONLY HAD MY CAR NOT EVEN A YEAR. I GOT MY CAR IN 2020. MY CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY YARD WITH A BLOWN ENGINE AND I AM MAKING MONTHLY PAYMENTS ON A CAR I CAN NOT DRIVE. I AM FURIOUS. I GOT MY CAR FROM HERTZ. I AM SO PISS. I NOTICE THEY RECALLED OTHER YEARS EXCEPT 2018. I NOTICE ALOT OF PEOPLE HAS REPORT THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11458170

Follow up to complaint number 11446088 submitted on 1/3/2022 Car was taken to dealership on 12/18/2021 for check engine light with code P1326 and car entered a limp home mode that limited engine RPMs to 1800-2000 RPM. I received a call from dealership on 1/12/2022 informing me that car was ready for pickup. Picked up car on 1/13/2022, where invoice says the following: "77240 p1326 DTC 39250fln/39250rq0 check engine light on arrival, trouble code p1326. bearing clearance test was not able to be performed due to no tsb opened yet for this year make and model. opened a pwa case performed compression and leak down test passed . performed few test tech line required and came to a conclusion that engine replacement is not approved, knock sensor was approved under warranty vehicle will be shipped with no dcts over 2 drive cycles of 10 miles" Two notes: (1) it appears that the manufacturer informed dealership that it would not approve replacing the engine, despite the engine being under warranty, because no recall has yet been issued on the 2018 model year. (2) the dealership say they performed 2 drive cycles, each of at least 10 miles. This was not done, as shown on the mileage in/out readings on the attached invoice (see attached document, "06 - 2022-01-12 - Kia Carson - Invoice"). Attached are 8 documents for all the documents I have related to this problem: (1) NHTSA - Vehicle Complaint - 11446088 - 2022-01-03 (2) Kia Product Improvement Campaign Letter - 2021-11-16 (3) 01 - 2021-12-04 - Kia Carson - Workorder (4) 02 - 2021-12-04 - Kia Carson - Invoice (5) 03 - 2021-12-07 - Kia Carson - Workorder (6) 04 - 2021-12-07 - Kia Carson - Invoice (7) 05 - 2021-12-18 - Kia Carson - Workorder (8) 06 - 2022-01-12 - Kia Carson - Invoice Answers to questions above: (1) not available for inspection. I no longer possess vehicle (2) see complaint 11446088 (3) dealer confirmed problem, see 2022-01-12 invoice (4) yes, see 2022-01-12 invoice (5) see complaint 11446088

NHTSA ODI 11447800

The contact's daughter-in-law owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The oil warning light illuminated, and the contact's husband poured oil into the oil reservoir. The vehicle was towed to the contact's daughter-in-law's residence. An unknown dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The vehicle was diagnosed by two independent mechanics with engine damage and connecting rod failure, which punctured the engine block. The engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they had issued a Product Improvement Campaign for the engine in November 2020; however, they did not have the contact's daughter-in-law's address. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11447464

My engine blew it just hit 80,000 miles on the dot and since I’m purchasing it threw Freedom Chevrolet Buick gmc by Ed Morse and not Kia directly my car cannot get fixed! I still owe a pretty penny and now I have no way of fixing when other Kia’s have had the same issue with engine blowing I just would like my car fixed. My safety and my kids what put in danger when it decided to do this On a busy road!

NHTSA ODI 11447348

On 16 November 2021, Kia sent a letter for a Product Improvement Campaign to install software called "Knock Sensor Detection System" ("KSDS") on my 2018 Kia Soul Plus. The software update was installed on 4 December 2021. The 16 November letter noted that if KSDS detected a problem, the car would enter a limp home mode that limited engine RPMs to 1800-2000 RPM and the Malfunction Indicator Lamp ("check engine light") would blink continuously. On 17 December 2021, the check engine light started to blink continuously, and the engine RPMs never exceeded 2000 RPM. I took the car to the dealership on 18 December 2021. The car is not safely operable. The dealership told me that they needed technical assistance from the factory, which they have not yet received as of 3 January 2022. I'm reporting the issue because it appears to be related to the known engine manufacturing defects in Theta, Nu, and Gamma lines of engines, and that these issues persist beyond the 2011-2016 model years (for which a recall has already issued) and at least into the 2018 model year. Answers to questions: (1) powertrain/engine failure, possibly other system(s) (2) safety risk is known fire danger in Theta, Nu, and Gamma engines (3) dealer is currently diagnosing/confirming the issue (as of 1/3/22) (4) only dealer has inspected vehicle (as of 1/3/22) (5) no issues prior to 12/17/21, when Malfunction Indicator Lamp ("check engine light") started to blink continuously and engine RPMs were limited to 2000 RPM.

NHTSA ODI 11446088

Buyer beware, DO NOT PURCHASE A KIA. Kept up with oil changes on the car. Purchased used in 2019 at 45k miles. While driving from work car just stopped working, and engine and oil light turned on. Electrical was working replaced battery maybe two months earlier. Wasn’t due for an oil change. Took car to a mechanic who said it was low on oil which seemed odd. Also replaced brake pads and rotors. $1000 later the car starts making a horrible rattling sound and the oil light and engine light turn on and car almost immediately dies. Took car to dealership, engine is done. This is happening to ALL of Kias cars that are being put on to the market. These cars are STILL being sold and they are all very much aware that these engines are bad. An entire decade of BAD ENGINES from Kia. And they are doing nothing. NOTHING. No recalls on this car. So now I am f*****. I have had this car for TWO years and it is only THREE years old and the engine is DONE. How is nothing being done about this???? Why are our voices being ignored?? There are complaints on this page with this EXACT issue. Why aren’t these cars being recalled?? I had my boyfriend and 3 dogs in the car, what if my car had caught on fire like their other crappy cars they have put out? Would I just be another person murdered by Kia and no one does a thing about it? (Allegedly)

NHTSA ODI 11445325