2010 Kia SOUL: complaints, problems and recalls

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE REVS EXCESSIVELY WHENEVER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS RELEASED. THE RPMS WILL GO FROM 1,500 TO 3,000. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE. A REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT IT WAS NOT A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A FEW DIFFERENT DEALERS, BUT THEY ALL STATED THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES. THE VEHICLE IS STILL EXPERIENCING THE ISSUE AND THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT A CRASH COULD OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE …

Owner-reported narrative. 5 miles reported. Look up ODI 10277569 at NHTSA ↗

2010 KIA SOUL WINDSHIELD HAS BROKEN THREE TIMES SINCE WE BOUGHT IT 4 MONTHS AGO. YES, CAUSED BY SMALL ROCKS FROM THE ROAD. THE FIRST TWO TIMES WE PAID OVER $50.00 TO HAVE THE CRACKS "BLOWN". THEN A FEW WEEKS LATER A ROCK HITS AGAIN THIS TIME THE SMALL ROCK HAS CREATED A MASSIVE CRACK AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED.I CANT AFFORD TO REPLACE BUT IF I DID ISN'T IT GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN? I'VE BEEN DRIVING A LONG TIME AND I HAVE HAD TO REPAIR A WINDSHIELD ONE TIME. NOW IN THE SPAN OF 4 MONTHS ITS BEEN 3 TIMES. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10279739 at NHTSA ↗

WITHIN A WEEK OF TAKING DELIVERY ON 7/24/09, THE INTERIOR AND MOST ESPECIALLY THE DOOR SKINS WERE ALREADY ACQUIRING MARKS AND SCRATCHES - A SLIGHT FINGER NAIL SCRATCH REQUIRED A SPECIAL PRODUCT TO REMOVE ETC. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS. 1. WHEN RELEASING THE CLUTCH PEDAL THERE WAS A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A CABLE THAT HAS SINCE BECOME MORE CONSISTENT. ON 8/3/09, I HAD AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE CABLE CONNECTED TO THE THROW-OUT BEARING WHICH WAS SAID TO BE NORMAL. HOWEVER, THIS CABLE NOISE HAS NOT BE…

Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10284471 at NHTSA ↗

ON AUGUST 5, 2009 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE 2010 KIA SOUL WHEN IT BROKE DOWN. THE ENGINE GOT STUCK IN SECOND AND IT TOOK FOR EVER TO GET TO THIRD DESPITE PUSHING DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL. ONCE IT DID IT WOULD JERK HER AROUND. IT WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2009 THE SAME ISSUES CAME BACK. ADDITIONALLY THE VEHICLE WILL NOT GO IN REVERSE. ALSO WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IT DOWN SHIFT ON ITS OWN WHILE JERKING YOU FORWARD. IT THEN RELEASES LUNGING THE VEHICLE FORWARD. THE VEHICL…

Owner-reported narrative. 9,486 miles reported. Look up ODI 10285861 at NHTSA ↗

I JUST PURCHASED A NEW 2010 KIA SOUL. I AM VERY CAREFUL AND TAKE EXCELLENT CARE OF MY CARS, BUT I HAVE TO SAY THE DOOR PANELS ON THIS VEHICLE TEND TO SCRATCH UP WITH THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH OF EVEN A FINGER NAIL. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE HOW HORRIBLE IT GETS WITH NORMAL WEAR, AND I CONSIDER MYSELF OBSESSIVELY CAREFUL WITH MY CARS AND ITS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO NOT SCRATCH THESE PANELS. HORRIBLE WORKMANSHIP TO THE POINT THAT IT MUST BE SOME SORT OF DEFECT. HAS ANYONE ELSE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ? MY PURCHASE DATE WAS 9/18/09 AND MY INTERIOR DOOR PANELS …

Owner-reported narrative. 275 miles reported. Look up ODI 10285894 at NHTSA ↗

FACTORY INSTALLED WINDSHIELD CHIPS AND CRACKS FROM THE EDGE EASILY AND OFTEN. I HAD THE FIRST WINDOW REPLACED AT ABOUT 5,000 MILES AND THAT WINDOW WAS A GENUINE KIA WINDOW INSTALLED AND NOW IT HAS TWO SMALL CHIPS AND A CRACK FROM THE EDGE OF THE GLASS AND ONE BIG CHIP AT 8,000 MILES. I HAVE NOT CHANGED MY DRIVING AND HAVE NEVER OCCURRED THIS MANY WINDOW DEFECTS. I BELIEVE THE WINDOW TO BE NOT PROPERLY ANNEALED OR TREATED IN THE FURNACE OR IT IS JUST TOO THIN. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10291310 at NHTSA ↗

OUR NEW SOUL+ WAS PURCHASED IN AUGUST 2009 NEW. IT WAS ALMOST IMMEDIATE THAT SCRATCHES AND SCUFFS WERE COMING OUT ON THE INTERIOR PANELS. THE SLIGHTEST SCUFF OR EVEN JUST SCRATING WITH A FINGERNAIL WAS ENOUGH TO MAKE A PERMANENT SCRATCH. VERY POOR QUALITY PANELS AND AFTER SPEAKING WITH OTHER OWNERS ON A SOUL FORUM...I AM NOT ALONE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 1 miles reported. Look up ODI 10291320 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE CONTACT HIT A DEER WHICH CAUSED THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR TO CRUSH INWARD. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS IN THE VEHICLE DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 4276.

Owner-reported narrative. 4,276 miles reported. Look up ODI 10292493 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2010-08-31 (August 31, 2010)

KIA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 SOUL AND MODEL YEAR 2011 SORENTO VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 7, 2009 THROUGH JULY 30, 2010. A LIMITED NUMBER OF WIRING HARNESSES SUPPLIED BY JCI AND USED FOR THE LIGHTING IN THE KIA SOUL VEHICLE'S ADVANCED LIGHTING SPEAKERS, LOCATED IN THE FRONT DOOR TRIM PANELS, AND THE KIA SORENTO VEHICLE'S INTERIOR ACCENT ILLUMINATION, LOCATED IN THE FRONT AND REAR DOOR TRIM PANELS, MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY SOLDERED.

Consequence: WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, AN ELECTRICAL SHORT MAY OCCUR THAT CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESSES FOR THE LIGHTS IN THE KIA SOUL VEHICLE'S ADVANCED LIGHTING SPEAKERS, AND THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE KIA SORENTO VEHICLE'S INTERIOR ACCENT ILLUMINATION. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA CONSUMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800-333-4542.

Reported: 2013-04-01 (April 1, 2013)

Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.

Consequence: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.

Reported: 2014-12-29 (December 29, 2014)

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Kia Soul vehicles manufactured January 8, 2009, to October 2, 2013, equipped with a sun roof. A headliner plate may detach during deployment of the curtain air bag.

Consequence: A detached headliner plate may increase the risk of injury to the occupant during a vehicle crash.

Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install industrial adhesive strips to secure the headliner plates, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 2, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC112.