Body Problems of Kia Motor Soul - part 1

As I was driving home on the highway, my car began making a noise I never heard before. I looked out of my rear view and began to see smoke coming from my car. As I was trying to get off the highway, my car began to lose control. I couldn’t get completely off the highway so I pulled into a small corner. I realized my hood was on fire when I stopped. I grabbed my purse and keys and ran down the highway as fast as I could. By this time my car was engulfed in flames. A woman saw me in distress and helped me and allowed me to get in her car for safety as she called 911. That’s when the car blew up and we drove off the highway to safety.

See all problems of the 2015 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

Paint chipping and peeling in several places.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

Brake petal sensor broke keeping the tail light on. Has trouble accelerating and throws the traction light on burnt up battery, both front door locks have broke with no reason. Wipers broke does not give water.

See all problems of the 2013 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

Driving on freeway,two pieces of paint, flaking flew onto my windshield obstructing my view. Pulled over to see what happened and it was paint on my hood was flaking off. The paint was stuck to my windshield. My safety was definitely at risk as paint blocked my view.

See all problems of the 2018 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

I was driving on the highway when I heard a whistle. When I arrived at my destination, I was surprised to see that the front driver’s side windshield trim panel was missing and flew off when I was driving. Earlier, I had a similar issue with the front passenger side trim panel. I reported these safety concerns to kia on 9/2. I received a standard form letter on 9/4 (copied below). I was surprised by kia’s response because I think parts flying off during typical driving use is more than standard repair and is a safety concern for all of us who travel on our roads. I’m reporting to you because I care about safety as both a driver and a passenger. I attached the photos I took and sent to kia. —- thank you for contacting kia customer care. We’re sorry to hear about the concern with your kia. The standard limited basic warranty for your vehicle has expired (5 years/60,000 miles whichever comes first. ). As such, any repairs recommended outside of warranty coverage, or not included in an applicable campaign, would be the responsibility of the vehicle’s owner. If you have any additional questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to call us at 800-333-4542 (option 2, then 5) and provide your case number. Sincerely, kia America.

See all problems of the 2012 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

My 2020 kia Soul is not even five years old yet and under 20k miles and I noticed that the paint has started to lift and this should not happen. I have heard that other kia models with the same paint, snow white pearl, have had the same reported issue over the past few years. The paint started bubbling/lifting on the side of the back passenger door.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

November 26, 2024 dear NHTSA, I am writing to report a serious safety concern regarding my 2015 kia Soul. On November 25, 2024, I was involved in a severe car accident. Despite the significant impact, the airbag system failed to deploy. I have attached photos of the vehicle damage for your reference. This incident is particularly alarming as the vehicle had recently been serviced for recalls at phil smith kia (4250 n federal hwy, lighthouse point, FL 33064). The failure of the airbag system to deploy raises serious concerns about the safety and quality control of kia vehicles. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this incident thoroughly and take appropriate action to ensure the safety of all kia vehicle owners. Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter. Sincerely,.

On Saturday, [xxx], I was driving from daytona beach to our home in melbourne, florida. The time was about [xxx]. The weather was characterized by strong and constant rain for the first 25 minutes of our trip home. The next day I noticed many areas on the roof and the rear driver's side quarter-panel where the paint had DE-laminated. Our insurer denied a claim of weather related paint failure. Since then, I have examined scores of claims regarding premature paint failure on kia vehicles. The descriptions of the paint DE-lamination, as well as the proffered photos are/were identical to the paint failure on my kia Soul. The passenger's side of the vehicle was repaired . And repainted following a 2022 deer strike in south carolina. That whole repainted area was totally unaffected by the strong rain storm experienced on [xxx]. Only the original kia factory applied paint exhibited multiple DE-lamination failures. The paint designation is '1d'. Kia needs to steps up and take appropriate responsibility for the failures of their paint finishes. This vehicle is mostly garage kept. My wife and I are retired and this vehicle is always at home unless we are on an errand or doctor's appointment. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

The entire car is infested with mold due to a prior evaporator leak that was improperly installed prior to my purchase of the vehicle. The dealership lighthouse point kia in pompano, florida, refusing to fix the car issues.

My 2020 kia Soul s is not even five years old yet and far under 100k miles and I noticed that the paint in several places has started to lift and this should not happen. I have heard that other kia models with the same paint, snow white pearl, have had the same reported issue over the past few years. The paint started bubbling/lifting on the hood and above the drivers side rear door handle which has now peeled off.

The pearl white paint is pealing. And chipping.

To whom it may concern, I need a recall letter send to me to get my 2012 kia Soul repaired. My catalytic converter needs to be replace, and my engine is leaking oil and that will need to be replace, and the pillars on the front of my car, on the right & left side, needs to be replace, they flew off my car while I was driving on [xxx]. I looked up the information on the computer, that the vehicle emission warranty extends beyond the manufacturer's. Along with others emission control devices, federal law requires to replace a defective catalytic converter & engine for up to 15 years or 150,000 miles, the miles on my car is 128, 684. I took my vehicle to get check by brake world , on [xxx] they said I needed a crankshaft position sensor & a new catalytic converter. I have the printed out receipt from brake world. I did get my crankshaft position sensor replace with a shop call economical auto care llc. Do I get a refund for that, the price was 182. 73, I got it done on [xxx}, I do have my receipt for that. I did take my vehicle to kia auto on 735 south military trial #c, west palm beach, FL 33415, on [xxx]. I had a recall letter for the hecu, and the dealer al told me I needed my catalytic converter replace, but he did not put it on the receipt when I pick my car up & he did not let me know it was a recall on it, until I looked it up. My car was making a loud knocking noise & would cut off when I stopped at a red light and I had to keep on starting my car up every time and my vehicle would jerked and shake and the engine light comes on. So when I got the catalytic converter sensor on it, the loud knocking noise stop, but the engine light stills comes on. But I still needs the catalytic converter replace on my car. So please send me the recall letters for I can get my vehicle completed. Thank you & god bless. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The paint of my white kia Soul 2016 has been peeling on the cars hood, roof, doors. It gets worst every day. I checked for paint recalls but there is no recall at this time.

The clear coat peeled off of the driver and passenger side mirrors in the beginning of 2024. The white paint started chipping off in a one inch straight line where the red roof meets the white side panel on both sides. You can tell it is where a strip of tape was that maybe separated the two paint colors in the process of painting. This began at the end of 2024. Then in early 2025, the white paint on the hood started flaking off in random spots all over the hood of the vehicle. The paint is completely gone in those areas and the gray body is now showing through where the white paint used to be.

Paint started peeling on the side mirrors, door handles within the last year and seems to have progressed really quickly. They are bubbling, cracking and then just chipping off to reveal the unfinished layer underneath. This seems like it will expose the car body to more elements and encourage rusting. I'd like to avoid that.

I purchased this car (used) on 8/1/2023 and on 8/7/23 I called kia and stated that the car started shaking while driving and I took the car to the dealership on 8/10 and they stated they could not find any problem, they would have if they had taken it out for a drive. After waiting all day from 9:30 until 4pm they found nothing. I saw my car just sitting there and no one doing any work or anything on my car. My car still shakes so bad while driving that even the steering wheel is shaking and now when I stop at a red light the car takes a few minutes before it will move. I have had this car for a month and 2 weeks and they will not return my calls to setup an appointment. Kia corporate can't even get them to respond. What can I do to get help with this. I am even afraid to drive this car (2020 kia Soul). I need some advice on what I need to do. Help.

Paint on the car is delaminating and chipping off and the vehicle is becoming compromised due to the paint coming off the car. This has been confirmed by my dealership where I take the vehicle for service. Kia dealership has inspected the vehicle no, there are not warning lamps to tell me the paint is coming off the vehicle.

See all problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

Paint adhesion. Pearl white color coats flaking off in several parts of body.

The steering wheel ignition lock is easy bypassed by using only a small screwdriver or usb cord. This makes the car easily stolen and therefore violates the requirements of 571. 114 which requires a "starting system which, whenever the key is removed from the starting system prevents. . The normal activation of the vehicles engine or motor". This affects all kia / Hyundai vehicles with a normal keyed ignition and without a vehicle immobilizer produced from approximately 2009-2022. Since the technology required to comply with the regulation (I. E. A vehicle immobilizer) is readily available and available on other cars from this maker, the vehicle manufacturer knowingly violated this regulation. I request a NHTSA inquiry into this clear safety defect.

The paint on my 2017 kia Soul is peeling (delaminating) on the hood of the vehicle. The paint color is pearl white, mileage is 81k, photos taken August 13, 2022.

Paint is bubbling up and peeling off everywhere on my car.

This car has experienced paint issues due to poor bonding of the primer. The paint is literally peeling off the car in sheets. It has been going on for the last 1. 5 years , and kia states that it is not their problem. I have worked patiently with them for almost a year as they have instructed me to go, and get paint estimates. After this was completed they then stated the case was determined “ no goodwill”. As far as they were concerned ; they determined they were not going to pay to have the car painted.

See all problems of the 2014 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

On November 18th, 2021, at 7. 20 am while driving at posted speed limit of 45mph, the hood on my 2011 kia Soul suddenly flew open, hitting the window, causing me to slow down and stop on the side of the road. After inspecting the destroyed hood, hinges and severally damaged roof, I proceeded to secure the hood so I can get back to my home and begin the process of working this out. To my knowledge, there have been no recalls or complainants on the hood latch mechanism that should have prevented this. I was the only occupant at the time and could have resulted in serious injury or even death, if there were more cars at the time who knows what the outcome would have been. Unknow about reproducing the issue. The vehicle has now been estimated 2 times by the insurance company and still ongoing. No warning lamps of any kind were given. As of today I am still dealing with the insurance company as they are not wanting to pay what the estimate is, leaving me stranded. Kia needs to make this right and step in.

See all problems of the 2011 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

Spontaneous paint loss down to the bare metal. Yesterday I noticed a large fist-sized paint loss on top of my car above the drivers side. There is no damage to the area just the paint loss out of nowhere. I also noticed a couple of tiny paint losses somewhat near the large loss, which are about 1/2 the size of a peppercorn. I'm confident they will get larger.

My husband was driving the car and had just pulled onto the interstate and he heard a "pop" sound, so he pulled over to check it out. When he got out and opened the hood the engine was on fire and engulfed the whole car. There was no warning anything was wrong prior to him hearing the sound. It never lost power, never had any smoke coming from under the hood, never a check engine light, over heating light, low oil pressure light, nothing. It was running 100% fine. The car is a total loss, and I am just thankful he stopped and got out and is safe and did not have our children in the car with him at the time this occured.

My car caught on fire. The whole car is damaged. There is no front the interior is gone. I have started a case with kia. My vehicle was going up a hill about 30 minkes an hour when it started smoking. It was pulled over and the hood was popped. The engine was on fire. Soon the whole front and middle of the car was on fire. This was at 14000 jericho street at the entrance of bowie state university in bowie MD. Police and fire departments were called.

Car caught on fire. There was no accident involved. It started smoking and seconds later caught on fire. My son was driving on a city street, the car started smoking, he turned into a parking lot, got out of the car and the car caught on fire.

The crash at about 2:30am early Tuesday morning on Nov. 24, 2020, on her way home from her nearby 2nd shift job, my wife's 2016 kia sol was hit hard on the driver's side by a car being pursued by police. Luckily, and possibly because my wife is short and sits high, she appears uninjured although visibly shaken and very nervous about night driving. My wife had pulled her car over to the right side of the 4+ lane road when she heard sirens. While pulled over with the car running and her foot on the brake, the perpetrator's vehicle crashed into the driver's side and pushed her car several feet further to the right, crumpling the doors and breaking off the left rear wheel and suspension from the impact. The police report showed that the perpetrator's vehicle approached her car from the front left, but the vehicle hit the very short kia squarely and only in the two driver's side doors with no damage to the front or rear fenders. Clearly not sideswiped where the entire side would have been damaged. Allstate insurance totaled the car and photos from the accident scene and towing yard are attached, as is the police report. No airbags deployed! none of the kia's airbags deployed. We bought the car new in late 2015 and it has been completely serviced since then at the original kia dealer. They recently updated the car's computer under a kia recall. On Dec. 4, 2020, I contacted the kia consumer assistance center (kaylee c at 949-468-4689) and asked why the airbags failed. After looking at photos I sent her and from the copart lot, she quickly said the car was "sideswiped and not hit hard enough to deploy the airbags". Her response was protecting kia line as any review of the photos shows that he car was hit from the side very hard and not sideswiped. I ask that NHTSA investigate this incident as it's unlikely that only my vehicle has this potentially fatal flaw.

I was driving home on the highway from dinner with my fiance and son who's 10 years old doing about 65. The engine felt like it was stuttering shaking and I looked at my dash board and all my lights were blinking. I pulled off the highway and started to smell something burning. I got out and looked under the hood and it was on fire. I took our sodas from the car from the restaurant to try n put it out but it didn't help so I told both my fiance and son to get out of the car and we got away from it so we didn't get injured and all we could do is stand there and watch it burn.

I was traveling southbound on rte 13 with my 4 children. The speed limit is 55mph and the flow of traffic is between 55-60 mph. . . Which is the speed I was driving. As im approaching to proceed pass intersection rte 13 & eden allen rd there's a car at the stop sign which is supposed to wait for rte 13 to clear before entering. The driver decided to dash out to go across directly in front of me. I slammed on my breaks and tried avoiding collision but it wasn't enough time. None of my airbags deployed causing my upper body to slam against steering wheel causing injuries. Myself and my passengers where taken to the hospital for evaluation. My vehicle was taken to caliber collison where to this day im being told that nothing was wrong with my vehicle and the repairs are almost complete. Because of the accident myself along with 2 of my passengers were injured. Two of us are in therapy. I submitted images below but was unsure to upload police report since it has sensitive information. Either contact state farm with my name, etc or my email for police report and further information.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Soul 🔎.

At 2am on Saturday August 22nd my husband's 2018 kia Soul, which was stationary in our driveway and not in operation at the time, was set ablaze for unknown reasons. We were asleep and were woken up by the sound of, what was possibly, the tires exploding, the car was completely on fire by the time we were able to wake up and evacuate the property. We have a doorbell camera that would have picked up a person in our driveway so we do not believe the cause was arson. Online research after the incident indicates that this could be related the the recent recalls of kias and hyundais, which our model was not included as far as we know.

Two years ago the paint started to fall off the hood , sides and the top. The dealer inspected and refused any correction in the problem.

When driving this vehicle my daughter was in a single car acciedent. The engine combusted. The piston rod went into engine. When we took it to the auto shop this is what they told us casued the engine to malfunction and my daughter run off the road. She is very luck she has not been hurt more than she has. We have tried to contact kia. First we called royal kia in tuscon then jim clickk kia in tucson. They told me it did not matter that the vehicke had a recalll. We would be financially responsable for fixing it. They would not even alow me to bring it in, they asked us to csll kia. Kia was no help. They said that if the car was over 150,000 miles they would not fix a recall. My daughter was in an acciedent due to malfuntion! at this point I did reach out to another dealership in mesa az. If they can not help we need to take legal action. The exact same thing that the engine had a recall on is what happemed to our kia, no one will anwser or fix a recall.

I was involved in a car accident on July 11 2020. The other driver ran a red light and I t-boned him. My car substantial amount of damage to the front end and was deemed totaled by the insurance company. In this accident none of my airbags deployed.

Dashboard is becoming sticky and glossy causing a glare on the windshield.