general problems of the 2013 Kia Motor Soul - part 1

There is a distinct click when the steering wheel is center (car going straight). There is a click and a notch feeling when you turn the wheel back and forth from center. Appears to be a common problem with the kia Souls from 2010 - 2015. (flexible rubber steering coupler) dealer is charging $688 to change this $12 part. Dealer also mentioned it is important to fix because as it gets worse you can potentially lose steering control of the car. This type of safety concern I think should be a recall and fixed by kia.

Steering wheel column coupler clicking and wore out.

I have noticed an audible “clunk” in the steering mechanism for a few weeks. I had the rack-and-pinion inspected by a local alignment shop to avoid a catastrophic failure. On 12/29/2025 while rapidly decelerating from highway speed on a downhill exit ramp, the steering wheel began to shake violently. My personal research has indicated that the steering coupler disk has failed/disintegrated causing unnecessary looseness between the electrical assist steering motor and steering shaft which has been identified by kia in a tecnical safety bulletin (TSB) as it's a known safety issue despite being a service campaign rather than a massive single recall for all vehicles.

Steering wheel vibration violently . Is on kia safety recall. Has 15 year warranty started slowly about two months ago contact dealer on safety recall repairs and refused to honor safety recall. Steering gear assembly flexible coupling very dangerous at high speed . Safety recall for that particular year. Thank you.

There is a loud clicking in the steering wheel and the car is all over the place while driving. I was told by three mechanics that it is the steering coupler gear. I could lose control which would be putting others life at risk as well as myself. I was told this my be a recall. I need help. This is a safety risk and needs attention.

The steering wheel has a knocking in it. Kia has issued TSB cha074 for the problem, the deterioration of the mdps flexible steering coupler. The bulletin covers my 2013 kia Soul. It's annoying and sounds dangerous.

It is making a noise when turning steering wheel to one side and it has play and clinking noise in steering wheel. Is this included in sc155 recall?.

Steering wheel making a loud clunk sound. Possibly the steering wheel coupler. Concerned that steering wheel might malfunction while driving. Checking for any recalls prior to making an appointment with dealer. Vehicle has not been inspected. Noise started about a month ago and progressively has gotten worse.

Steering not tight, car shakes around 70 mph.

My steering column will make a clicking sound, and the steering wheel and column will vibrate excessively.

Steering wheel is making a knocking sound when I turn left or right.

Broken coupler. They want 2800 dollars to fix.

Feel no control of steering clicking sound when turning steering wheel tight/ hard to steer wheel…doesn’t want to turn.

Mdps coupler worn and causing steering wheel instability and noise when driving over 60 mph. There was a recall previously that I wasn't aware of but my car had not yet experienced the problem. I am experiencing it now, but kia says I must fix at my own cost since the recall period is passes, though I didn't have the issue then or recieve the notice.

On [xxx], we were driving on [xxx] from wisconsin into minnesota to park at msp airport. Near the state border, we began to hear a clunk sound in the steering column. We chose to park the car at a friend's home near the airport in her garage in case we needed service upon our return from texas where we travelling to. Prior to driving back to our home from minneapolis on [xxx] (1. 5 hours), we checked with our local mechanic to see if it were safe to drive. He could not diagnose over phone, but suggested coupling issue and that we drive carefully. We made it back home, took car to our local mechanic on 7 October, and thought it would be better to check dealership in eau claire, WI (another 30 minute drive). We drove there, slowly, on 18 October, and were told that it was probably the mdps/flexible coupling, but that it would cost us 175 to check, and another 250-300 to replace the 15. 00 part. We drove home and had a family emergency out of state and will return now to wisconsin soon and want to get this fixed as soon as possible. We understand now that this is a persistent problem for many kia 2013 Soul and other kias and that NHTSA has been supportive to some owners over this matter. We do not object to paying for the repair, but not at price-gouging levels. From what we understand, the inspection needed to check for the flex coupling is not difficult nor time consuming. We are afraid to drive the car for safety sake, but we need the car to drive! do we have any rights to a free inspection if this is a problem with many kias? there were no warning lights and no symptoms prior to the sudden noise and now there is a persistent and regular clunk when the steering wheel is moved. Thank you for any information regarding this issue. Again, no accident and no injuries or results from clunk, but kia history seems to suggest a potential recall need. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Steering coupler. Recalled for 2014 up but not covered for 2013.

The steering wheel is making a noise and is having a caution sign with the steering wheel on it.

Steering wheel shakes violently when going over 75mph and is extremely shaky on side streets as well. The steering wheel feels like it’s going to fall off! got it checked out by kia and they said the flexible steering coupling needs repairing and it would be over $900 to do so for a part that costs less than $10! I have an extended warranty and I was told the warranty doesn’t cover this issue, but at the bare minimum it seems like it should as it feels dangerous at times to drive the car. Also, this issue should be a recall for kia as I have seen a ton of other people with this issue! it’s a defect in the car and should be a free recall to be fixed .

The contact owns a 2013 kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v652000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer for the recall repair however, the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the steering coupler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the unknown recall had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,234.

The contact owns a 2013 kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle shook violently while driving above 40 mph. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the steering coupler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

No warning indicators but my steering couple has worn and my steering now has play. Many forums says this is a know problem for kia and they should cover but I do not see a recall.

There is a known issue with the mdps flexible coupling effecting a large number of kias but kia apparently hasn't included all cars manufactured during this period of time.

I'm already aware of the recalls on alot of vehicles including my 2013 kia Soul and am aware of a judges ruling on this. How can kia Soul play god with peoples lives? I already filed a claim but still not not getting any help until the end of April. I'm a single 63 year old woman who is at risk of getting hurt not to mention other people/and or other people close to my vehicle. This is just beyond wrong. I saved for 2 years to get a more dependable vehicles and now have to worry about an explosion. I already filed a claim but I'm scared. The radio has been funky since I got it last year. It's a used vehicle buy to me it looked new to me. I love it bur now afraid to even get in it but really don't have a choice since I'm 63 yrs and don't have anyone else to get help or have another vehicle to use. I depend solely on myself. I need help with getting another vehicle until all of this mess is taken care of. I have gas gauge issues, revinng up randomly, caution light staying on now and yesterday I had smoke coming out under the dash and then it just stopped while I was trying to pull off and call for help but it stopped so I came back home. The oil was changed right after I got it last year and I put new tires on it with the money I got from a junk yard in johnson city that came to get my 98 Ford escort that my church family helped for me after a very traumatic accident that killed my little senior rescue pommy, totaled my vehicle and I spent several days in icu. I live on a very strict monthly income and this has caused more anxiety and panic issues that I can't even get under control with breathing exercises, journaling and taking my fur baby for walks and am back on my regular meds. Please someone needs to help me or I'm just going to give up. Thank you trudy yates 423-930-5864 yates_trudy@comcast. Net 362 14th street NW norton va 24273.

Steering coupler failure causes excessive vibration and notchiness in the steering. Kia informs me that this was covered by an extended warranty which expired in January 2023. I believe this to be a serious safety risk and this vehicle should be recalled by kia to replace this part at no cost to the consumers.

The contact owns a 2013 kia Soul. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was making an abnormal clicking sound. Additionally, while driving 65 mph, the steering wheel tuned left and right with a loud clicking sound. The contact also stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the flex coupling was defective. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

I looked it up. It's called the steering coupler. The manufacturer is aware of the problem but I was never notified about it before the warranty ran out August 2023. Now it affects the steering. Here is a service notice that I found online if that helps: TSB 10159268. Thank you.

Steering coupler needs replaced per dealership. Vehicle has 72,000 miles only. No recall notice received. One owner. I feel they could replace an expensive item less than $550. Goodwill.

My steering coupler is bad.

My mdps steering wheel coupler has completely failed. I never recieved a letter from kia and only found out they had a warranty extension through searching the web to see what the horrible noise and play in my steering wheel was. I dont qualify for this extension by 9 months. I purchased my car 1/2013 and that puts me past the 10 year mark. I see kia has extended this warranty to 15 years/150,000 miles on the newer cars with the same mileage, is there a chance they will do it with the Souls or have they and maybe I am missing it.

I’ve had the steering slip several times and recently the steering coupler went out causing loose, bumpy steering and a popping sound when turning.

The steering on my 2013 kia Soul makes a clunking noise when steering left or right. The steering feels very unstable while driving. If I reach 75 mph the steering gets very noisy and loose. I’m now afraid to drive the vehicle. Upon researching this issue, I found that I am not the only one experiencing this problem. I haven’t taken it to a dealer as of yet. I wanted to see if there was a recall on it. There has been no warning lamps or messages appearing.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? mdsp, steering wheel. The steering wheel makes a loud click/clang sound when turning the wheel right or left. This occurs when car is in parking or moving condition. Yes, it is available upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? my teenage son (high school) and wife are the main drivers and are now very concerned about their safety. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? no not yet. Kia has informed us that the 10 yr extended warranty has expired and they will not be able to cover this issue. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? no not yet. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no.

Steering coupler is going out. Kia will not cover repair even though it covers 10 years and unlimited miles.

The dealer originally said it was the steering coupler that was bad and needed replaced for $2000. Then they call back two weeks later to say the steering assist motor was bad and it needs to be replaced for an additional $2400. Still waiting for the parts and repairs. I see many other complaints on the steering, should this be a recall?.

My 2013 kia Soul does not currently have a recall issued for it, but there is a known steering problem that has resulted in 345,000 kia Souls being recalled. The recall starts with models manufactured in 2013, and yet my model has been excluded. The recall that was issued affects Souls manufactured for the 2014, 2015, and 2016 model years, spanning manufacture dates from July 21, 2013 though September 30, 2015. Warning signs of an impending failure could be a clunking noise from the steering rack when turning. My 2013 kia Soul has been experiencing this same clunking noise that has been increasing in severity and causing issues with steering. I am extremely concerned about the safety of driving a car with known steering issues. When I contacted my kia dealer directly about this concern, they said that the recall wasn't issued for my VIN number. The issue appears to be prevalent for kia Souls dating back further to 2012, as I have researched to see if others have experienced the same or similar issue. I have attached screenshots of other consumers who have experienced this issue and were also not included in the recall years. There were no warning lamps or messages and the issue has gotten progressively worse, and much more severe, over the past few weeks.