This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Catalytic converter is clogged, car is stalling and engine is damaged which leads me to believe that like the other recalls on this model of vehicle may be also happening to this one, Almost got into an accident due to the stalling. Piston damage may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. A broken connecting rod may puncture the engine block allowing engine oil to escape. The leaking oil may contact the exhaust, increasing the risk of a fire. Kia recall number is SC176
Recall 19V120 was received on 4-12-19 for our 2012 Kia Soul. We had the COP ECU logic taken care of at our dealer on 5-21-19, per the recall notice instructions. In October 2022 we took the car back to the dealer when it threw a code and began losing power at certain speeds. Kia diagnosed it as needing a new catalytic converter. We contacted the Consumer Assistance Center at Kia to file a complaint as the recall notice clearly states that Kia will replace the catalytic converter and/or engine as part of this recall if applicable. We've had claim number 15122079 opened with Kia for resolution for over a month and cannot get this resolved. We keep being advised it's still under review after waiting on hold for over an hour each time. Called today (11-28-22) and advised the representative that we need an answer today and I've been on hold for over 2 hours. We are looking for Kia to replace the catalytic converter/engine (if damaged) free of charge to us as a result of this recall. It's apparent that the COP ECU logic upgrade did not prevent the catalytic converter failure and other Kia owners may be experiencing the same issue now.
I had my Kia in the shop for 2 months from August 22, 2022 until about the middle of October because it went into limp mode and they were waiting on Kia consumer to ok a new engine because the dealership heard a knock. I was originally told my Kia had a lifetime warranty on the motor but when it went into limp mode with 156.044 miles on it they then said 150,000 mile warranty so I had to pay out of pocket to have the part fixed. I-€™ve have my car back less than a month haven-€™t even put a 1,000 miles on it and it-€™s went right back into limp mode in the middle of a four lane. Almost got rear ended because the speed bogged down to below 45mph. It-€™s throwing the same code as it didn-€™t previously.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle inadvertently shut off and required several attempts to restart. The contact then stated that while accelerating, the vehicle failed to exceed 40 MPH. Additionally, the contact stated that within a 15-mile radius, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was awaiting a call back to schedule an appointment. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
- Flomaton, AL, USA
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While driving in traffic, the engine began making a clicking sound and the vehicle lost power. I was barely able to coast out of the traffic lane onto the shoulder. The vehicle is available for inspection. My safety and that of other drivers was put at risk since the vehicle lost acceleration while I was driving in traffic. The problem was confirmed by the dealer. The dealer charged me for a diagnostic analysis to confirm the problem. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the loss of power.
"play" and clicking noises in steering wheel have increasingly gotten much worse and noisier, clicking and clunking on turns. I feel like any moment my steering is going to go out and I am going to put everyone in my car and around me at risk. Called dealership and they said it is a common problem which I researched and found that the coupler in steering wheel fails. Kia used the same part in presvious years same model and even years afterward and those years were recalled but not my year. Makes no sense. The next issue was I was driving on the highway at 70 and all of a sudden lost power and car would not accelerate beyond a speed of 45 mph. Black smoke came out of my tail pipe and I limped home at 20 mph. Mo engine warning lights but I could smell something was hit like melted plastic. After letting the car sit a couple hours, I started it and it sounds like there is a hole in the exhaust all of a sudden. There lots of black ish grey soot under my car as if a balloon burst with soot in it from underneath the car somewhere. I called the dealer and described the issue and all they did was look up my vin and tell me there is no recall and that I must have gotten bad gas somewhere.
Car started ticking, small repair shop told me it was engine lifters, I paid $2000 to replace them. After replacing the engine lifters the mechanic said it would be quite and stop making the ticking noise on idle and acceleration. However 5 months later it was still ticking, low power, brought it back in and they said I need to replace the engine lock block. This mechanical defect is a recall on my vehicles make model and year however it-€™s VIN is not under the recall. Car will stall, doesn-€™t want to accelerate quickly, will shake, and tap, or tick noise from the engine at start, and the entire time car is running, th ticking increases when I accelerate.
When I first Bought my Kia the dealership told me they changed the battery because the car had trouble starting. A month goes by and my car had trouble starting again. I took It back to the dealership and they told me nothing was wrong with it and they needed a check engine light to fix something. Another month went by and my car was still having problems. I called The dealer ship and I told Them I thought It was my crankshaft position sensor and they told me they would look at it again. When I took It in they said nothing was wrong. Another month went by and still problems starting. I was At a red light and all of the sudden my car turned off. Once I got It to start the check engine light was on. I went And checked what the code was and believe it or not it was the crankshaft position sensor. I am Not the only one who has had this replaced on this car.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact stated that he heard a knocking sound in the engine but overlooked the sound. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Coolant) and referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V101000 (Engine). Additionally, the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine was damaged and needed to be replaced. The contact then stated that the dealer declined to perform the recall repair because the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer offered to perform the repair once the engine was replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the decision was left to the dealer to determine what repair was needed. In addition, the contact stated that the manufacturer offered an option to cover half the cost for a trade-in, but the contact declined. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the mechanic stated that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle then stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. Additionally, the contact stated that she smelled a strong fuel odor. The contact was able to continue driving; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 5 MPH. The contact drove to her father's residence and parked the vehicle. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine, and Engine Cooling) which she associated with the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 190,150.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at unknown speed, the check engine warning light appeared illuminated. Shortly after the light illuminated, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who discovered that the vehicle was low on oil; however, there was no evidence of an oil leak. Oil was added, however, the vehicle failed to restart. The mechanic then diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where they confirmed the engine failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) which he linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) however, after retrieving the vehicle, the failure was still present. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,378.
A loud thumping noise accompanied by a large amount of smoke in exhaust along with sudden loss of engine power while traveling at highway speeds. Oil was spewing from a hole that was blown through engine block.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, she saw smoke exiting the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road and after exiting the vehicle, she saw a fire that started under the vehicle. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The contact was unaware if a fire report was filed. The contact stated no one was injured or sought medical attention. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to her sister's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 186,000.
The contact's daughter owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at various speeds, the vehicle would stall with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic and the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective catalytic converter. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) however, upon a VIN search, she discovered that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle made a clicking noise. The check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not offer any assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 158,000.
Took it in to the shop. Had have problems with vehicle start up, stalling, and smell of gas. It has 107000 miles on it. Was told engine will need to be replaced. It is a Hazzard while driving.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the contact was advised by the dealer that her vehicle could not be repaired at the moment. The contact stated that she had been waiting to receive an appointment date to have the vehicle repaired for over a year. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Los Fresnos, TX, USA