FLAT TIRE. KIA SERVICE CLAIMED A METAL SHARD. PROBLEM IS SAME THING OCCURRED AGAIN 06/06/2012. FLAT TIRE. KIA SERVICE CLAIMED A METAL SHARD. THIS IS OCCURRING IN REGULAR TRAFFIC, NOT CONSTRUCTION ETC. CONCLUSION: TIRES AREN'T SAFE. *TR
2012 Kia Soul complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2012 record →
2012 KIA SOUL. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL COULD NOT BE SEEN. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED KIA NEEDS TO CHANGE THE BACKGROUND COLOR OF ITS INSTRUMENTS TO WHITE LETTERS OVER A BLUE BACKGROUND. THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS HARD TO SEE, THE RED NEEDLES ON A BLACK BACKGROUND. *JB
TWO OCCUPANTS IN FRONT SEATS OF 2012 KIA SOUL. INVOLVED IN A PASSENGER SIDE COLLISION AT THE FRONT DOOR. OTHER CAR WAS TRAVELING AT THE SPEED OF 40MPH OR GREATER AT THE TIME OF COLLISION. CAUSED MORE THAN $8500 TO THE KIA SOUL. THERE WAS NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. *TR
CAR HAD AN OIL CHANGE AND WAS WASHED THEN CAME HOME. CAR'S FRONT DEFROSTER WAS NOTED TO BE STUCK ON AND WHITE SMOKE STARTED TO BILLOW OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. QUICK CHECK UNDER THE CAR NOTED A FLAME THAT WAS EITHER COMING FROM THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER OR REFLECTING IN THE EXHAUST FROM SOMEWHERE ON THE BOTTOM/SIDE OF THE ENGINE. NO FLUIDS WERE SHOWN TO BE LEAKING ONTO THE DRIVEWAY OR WERE VISIBLE. CAR THEN RAPIDLY WENT UP IN FLAMES AND WAS A COMPLETE LOSS. FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO PUT OUT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONCE SHIFTED INTO PARK, THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY UNLOCKED ALL OF THE DOORS. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THE FAILURE TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE FEATURE WAS UNABLE TO BE TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING TO STANDARDS AND THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ALTER THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,200.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 35 MPH WHEN THE TIRE FAILED. THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. WHEN THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE TIRE THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A REPAIR KIT INSTEAD OF A SPARE TIRE. THE REPAIR KIT WAS FIX-A-FLAT AND A DC AIR PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THEY WERE AWARE THAT SOME VEHICLES DO NOT HAVE SPARE TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7200.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THE BLOWER, WHICH OPERATED THE AIR CONDITIONER AND DEFROSTER, MALFUNCTIONED. THE WINDOWS DID NOT DEFROST AND IMPAIRED THE FIELD OF VISION. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE UNDER WIRE CABLE AND THE BLOWER SYSTEM, BUT NONE OF THE REPAIRS REMEDED THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000. UPDATED 05/21/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER SEVEN TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. UPDATED 05/23/12
OPERATIONAL WARNING LIGHTS FOR BRAKES-STABILITY CONTROL-ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. I HAVE RETURNED TO DEALER 3 TIMES AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX. THIS CREATES A SAFETY CONCERN.I.E. DO THESE SYSTEMS FUNCTION AS REQUIRED WHEN DRIVING CONDITIONS PRESENT THEMSELVES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 60 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED AS THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE UPHILL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE DEALER STATED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A SOFTWARE UPDATE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600.
I POSTED A COMPLAINT EARLIER WITH THE BLINKER AND HEADLIGHT NOT WORKING. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER 3/17/12 IT WAS A LOOSE GROUND THEY FIXED IT AND I THANK GOD IT WAS SOMETHING SIMPLE. *TR
DRIVING HOME FROM WORK TURNED RIGHT BLINKER ON TO MAKE TURN AND NOTICED THE BLINKER ARROW IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STAYED ON.WHEN I GOT HOME I CHECKED THE LIGHTS AND BLINKER AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE THE HEADLIGHT AND BLINKER WERE NOT WORKING .I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY ARE GOING TO LOOK AT IT .I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR 24 HOURS I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS .I AM PRAYING IT IS JUST SOMETHING SIMPLE . *TR
I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW KIA SOUL IN NOV OF 2011. WITHIN 200 MILES OF OWNERSHIP, THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND FALSELY ACTIVATED. THE ESC NOT ONLY FALSELY ACTIVATED BUT REMAINED ACTIVATED. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED UP AND COULD ONLY BE TURNED IF CONSIDERABLE FORCE WAS APPLIED TO IT. I CAREFULLY PULLED OVER THE TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TURNED OFF MY VEHICLE THEN STARTED IT BACK UP HOPING THE ESC WOULD TURN OFF. IT DID NOT. I ENDED UP HAVING TO GET THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MY DEALER. THE KIA DEALER SERVICE SHOP ULTIMATELY HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN TO "FIX" THE PROBLEM. ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND ATTEMPTED TO DO A LANE CHANGE. AGAIN THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL FALSELY ACTIVATED AND CAUSED ME TO COLLIDE WITH THE VEHICLE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN THE ESC ACTIVATED, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND CAUSED A SUDDEN LOSS OF CONTROL, RESULTING IN THE ACCIDENT. THESE ARE JUST 2 OF MANY INCIDENTS I HAVE EXPERIENCED. *TR
NOT SURE IF MODEL IS 2012 OR 2011. A KIA SOUL WAS IN FRONT OF ME AT A STOP LIGHT. THE STOP LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE WERE SO BRIGHT AS TO ALMOST BLIND ME. IS THERE A NATIONAL STANDARD THAT LIMITS THE MAXIMUM LIGHT ON BRAKE TAILLIGHTS? *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DECELERATE ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THIS FAILURE RECURRED AT LEAST THREE TIMES SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO ADVISED THAT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR A VEHICLE THAT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 860.
THE 2012 KIA SOUL DOES NOT COME WITH A SPARE TIRE, INSTEAD IT COMES WITH A CAN OF FIX- A- FLAT AND A AIR PUMP. THERE IS NO JACK EITHER. THE FLAT MAY BE FIXED IF THE DAMAGE IS ON THE TREAD AND THE HOLE IS UNDER 1/4 INCH IN DIAMETER. IF THE DAMAGE IS ON THE SIDEWALL OR GREATER THAN 1/4 INCH, THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE TOWED. FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE NO CELL PHONE OR ARE IN AN AREA THAT GETS NO RECEPTION THEY WILL BE STRANDED UNTIL ANOTHER MOTORIST COMES ALONG AND THESE DAYS MOST MOTORISTS DON'T STOP FOR OTHER DRIVERS. KIA OFFERS ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE WITH THE VEHICLE, BUT IF YOU ARE TRAVELING IN A REMOTE AREA, IN THE SOUTHWEST (LIKE DEATH VALLEY FOR EXAMPLE) WHAT DO YOU DO WITHOUT A SPARE? IF YOUR CELL PHONE QUITS, YOU'RE DONE. EVEN IF YOU HAVE AAA, THEIR DRIVER WILL HAVE TO TOW THE VEHICLE AS HE WON'T HAVE A SPARE EITHER. I PURCHASED A SPARE,JACK, AND TOOLS FOR A 2011 KIA SOUL WHEN I REALIZED I HAD NO SPARE.KIA TOLD ME THAT ALL THE MANUFACTURES HAVE GONE TO THE FIX- A -FLAT AND PUMP VERSES THE DONUT SPARE AND JACK. THERE ARE GOING TO BE A LOT OF ANGRY PEOPLE WHEN THEY START REALIZING THEY DON'T HAVE A SPARE AND THEY ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE AND CAN'T GET A CELL SIGNAL. MY CONCERN IS TRAVELING AT NIGHT IN REMOTE AREAS AND BECOMING PRAY TO OTHER MOTORIST WITH NOT SO GOOD INTENTIONS. I THINK THIS IS A POTENTIAL DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. MOST DRIVERS DON'T CHECK FOR A SPARE WHEN THEY BUY A NEW VEHICLE, THEY JUST ASSUME IT HAS ONE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS TREND. IF NOTHING ELSE
VEHICLE SUFFERED SUDDEN LOSS OF PERFORMANCE, WOULD ONLY ACCELERATE SLUGGISH, RPM WOULD NOT GO BEYOND 2500 RPM, HAD TO GET VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, LOST DRIVEABILITY. *TT
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2012 Kia Soul → · Every Soul year → · How the figures are calculated →