2020 Kia Soul

I was driving on I-75 in heavy holiday traffic, suddenly no acceleration and car started slowing. Transmission just quit working. My car only has 20,000 miles on it. I was able to get to the side of the road without getting hit. Online there are many reports of this issue with the 2020 Kia Soul, with it occurring in vehicles with as little as 5000 miles. It has been noted by Consumer Reports. There were no warnings and no indications other than the sudden loss of power with 7000+ rpm showing on the tachometer.

Purchased car on 7/16/19 with 13 miles. On 1/26/20 the car had 6,764 miles when the car started to appear as though it was in neutral while driving down the highway at 70 miles per hour. Even when giving it gas the RPM would increase and engine sounded revved up but transmission was not working. Then it would sporadically kick in enough that I put my 4 ways on, got off the interstate (81) and limped that car home because the car would not go more that 20 MPH once it came to a full stop, it couldn't even make it up the very small grade to get onto my driveway. Called KIA roadside and it was towed to the dealer, Fred Beans Mechanicsburg PA. Told it needed a new transmission, got car back a month later 2/25/20. On 4/19/21, car has 14,953 miles and the same exact thing happens, I'm on Interstate 83 and the car starts lunging, going in and out of neutral. Once at a full stop car would limp along till reaching a total MPH of 20. Car was towed to Fred Beans KIA, Mechanicsburg PA and yes the transmission again. Dealer said transmission was replaced , this time it took 2 weeks, got the car back on 5/1/21. I asked why does this keep happening and the dealership refused to provide any information, shrugged their shoulders. The attendant at the service counter just kept saying I just work here and don't know anything about the cars! Very scary situation, I or anyone driving with this problem could cause a terrible accident and even a fatal accident. The first time this happened could have been manufacture defect but the second time creates a question as to the potential harm this vehicle can cause to all drivers. No explanation and no trust in this car's dependability. I am not able to financially unload this car at this time. Worst car I have ever purchased and I have purchased many brand new cars but first and last time for KIA.

WE PURCHASED A 2020 KIA SOUL IN JANUARY 2020, WITH 11 MILES ON IT. EVERYTHING WAS FINE FOR THE FIRST FEW MONTHS, UNTIL ONE DAY MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR AND WAS SLOWING DOWN TO TAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND SHE ALMOST WRECKED, THANKFULLY SHE JERKED THE WHEEL HARD ENOUGH TO BREAK IT LOOSE, BUT IN DOING SO THE SPEEDO CLUSTER GLAD SHATTERED. IT WAS FIXED BUT THE DEALERSHIP TRIED TO BLAME US SAYING SOMEONE HAD TO OF PUNCHED IT. BUT WHEN LOOKING AT THE GLASS CLUSTER IT'S OBVIOUS THAT NOT EVEN A BABY'S HAND COULD FIT DOWN INTO THE CLUSTER TO HIT THE GLASS. THEN AT 20K MILES ALMOST EXACTLY, THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, AGAIN THE DEALERSHIP TOOK CARE OF IT, TOOK ABOUT 2 WEEKS FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. IT STARTED REVVING UP AND WOULD JERK LIKE IT WAS BEING DOWN SHIFTED WHILE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH. SINCE THEN WE'VE PUT ABOUT 9K MILES ON THE NEW TRANSMISSION AND IS DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THERE WAS 2 RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE FOR THE TRANSMISSION WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED, ONE WAS FOR AN ELECTRONIC UPDATE, THE OTHER WAS FOR THE ACTUAL TRANSMISSION, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY RECALLS POSTED, THIS IS THE WORST NEW CAR I'VE EVER OWNED

STOPPED AT STOP LIGHT, LIGHT TURNED GREEN. PRESSED GAS AND DASHBOARD SYMBOLS CAME ON AND CAR DIED. TRIED STARTING AGAIN AND IT WAS DEAD. PUSHED IT TO PARKING LOT AND TRIED TO JUMP IT. DIDNT JUMP.. PUSHED TO AUTO ZONE. TESTED BATTERY IT WAS AT 10%. THEY DIDN'T HAVE A BATTERY. USED A JUMP BOX AND CAR STARTED. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT HOME.

IN MAY 2020, FOUR MONTHS AFTER LEASING NEW CAR, CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING IT (WHEEL LOCKED AND ENGINE SHUT DOWN). LUCKILY ONLY ON A RESIDENTIAL ROAD AND NOT HIGHWAY. CAR MADE SLIGHT ENGINE SOUNDS, BUT NO DASHBOARD LIGHTS INDICATORS AT ALL AT ANY POINT.. MANAGED TO DRIVE CAR 10 MINUTES HOME (IT STALLED AGAIN). TOWED CAR TO DEALERSHIP. ENGINE (ONE CYLINDER) HAD TO BE REPLACED WAS TOLD PUT TOGETHER INCORRECTLY AT FACTORY, AND THAT OIL WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY USED UP, ENGINE COULD HAVE EXPLODED. CONFIRMED COULD HAVE STALLED ON HIGHWAY. REPLACED AT NO CHARGE. ASSURED TRANSMISSION FINE AND SAFE TO DRIVE. REPORTED TO KIA CORPORATE RIGHT AWAY AND ASKED THAT CONVERSATION BE RECORDED.. IN APRIL 2021 LEARN OF RECALL FOR SOUL THAT SEEMS TO DESCRIBE THE SAME ISSUE. WENT IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTANENCE, TOLD THAT IT WAS A DIFFERENT PROBLEM AND A DIFFERENT MODEL.

THE CAR STALLED IN TRAFFIC WHILE I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, AND THE ENGINE RE-STARTED. THE CAR HAD 6,595 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, AND THE FIRST SERVICE WAS DUE AT 7,500 MILES. AFTER THIS STALLING INCIDENT, IN ORDER TO PREVENT THIS HAPPENING AGAIN, EVERY TIME I HAD TO STOP AFTER THAT, AT A LIGHT OR INTERSECTION, I PUT THE CAR IN PARK. THE NEXT DAY, DRIVING AT 25 MPH ON A CITY STREET, LOUD RATTLING AND METALLIC SOUNDS CAME FROM THE ENGINE. I CHECKED THE OIL. THERE WAS NO TRACE OF OIL ON THE DIPSTICK. I PUT IN 2 QUARTS OF OIL, AND THE DIPSTICK SHOWED THE SUMP WAS NOW FULL. I CHECKED THE TAILPIPE AND FOUND A CARBON DEPOSIT ON THE INSIDE, INDICATING THE BURNING OF OIL. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT - KIRBY KIA IN VENTURA CA - AND THEY DIAGNOSED A SEVERE ENGINE MALFUNCTION WITH EVIDENCE OF METAL SHAVINGS AFTER REMOVING THE VALVE COVER, AND IN THE OIL FILTER. THEY SAID THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THEY PROVIDED ME WITH A COMPLIMENTARY RENTAL CAR FOR 10 DAYS, THEN A LOANER, AND RETURNED MY VEHICLE TO ME AFTER 21 DAYS. IN THE PAPERWORK THEY GAVE ME ON RETURNING MY VEHICLE IT STATES THEY INSTALLED A REMANUFACTURED LONG BLOCK ENGINE AND INTAKE MANIFOLD. AT NO POINT IN THIS WHOLE PROCEDURE WAS I ASKED TO CONSENT TO THE ENGINE BEING REPLACED, AND I SIGNED NO DOCUMENT AUTHORIZING THIS TO BE DONE. AT THE END, I WROTE THAT MY SIGNATURE ONLY INDICATED MY CAR HAD BEEN RETURNED TO ME. NO APOLOGY WAS EXPRESSED TO ME BY KIA FOR THE MAJOR INCONVENIENCE THE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE IN THIS NEW CAR HAD CAUSED ME, EXCEPT WHEN I INFORMED THE MANAGEMENT OF THE DEALERSHIP OF THIS FACT, THEY CALLED ME TO EXPRESS REGRET.

ON MARCH 2ND. WE WERE DRIVING OUR 2020 KIA SOUL S. WE WERE DRIVING ON I95NORTH. THE RPM'S KEPT PULSING, WE TOOK THE CAR OFF OF CRUISE AND IT SEEMED BETTER FOR A FEW MINUTES. AFTER THE FEW MINUTES THE PULSING RETURNED, GIVING IT THE GAS THE RPM'S WENT UP BUT OUR SPEED WAS SLOWING. WE GOT IN THE INSIDE LANE PLANNING ON GETTING OFF THE NEXT EXIT. THE ENGINE STARTED RACING WITH NO CHANGE IN OUR SPEED. WE GOT OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT STATE ROAD 527 IN SOUTH CAROLINA. WE HAD TO PRACTICALLY FLOOR IT TO GET OFF THE ROAD. WE PULL TO THE SIDE AND CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. THE CAR AT THIS POINT HAD 8006 MILES ON IT. WE COULD NOT MOVE THE CAR AT ALL AT THIS POINT. IT TOOK A FEW HOURS, BUT THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSET DEALER, IN FLORENCE SC. THE NEXT DAY THE DEALER CHECKED THE CAR AND SAID THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED. AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 PM, THE DEALER CALLED TO LET US KNOW THAT KIA HAD APPROVED SUBSTITUTE TRANSPORTATION. THE FOLLOWING MORNING THE DEALER PICKED US UP AND DROVE US TO GET A VEHICLE. WE UNLOADED MOST OF OUR BELONGINGS FROM OUR CAR TO THE RENTAL AND CONTINUED OUR DELAYED JOURNEY TO MASSACHUSETTS. I HAVE CALLED THE DEALER TWICE, AND LEFT MESSAGES. AFTER THE SECOND CALL, I DID GET A CALL BACK. I WAS TOLD THAT THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION WAS ON BACKORDER AND SHOULD BE DELIVERED MAY 11TH. AFTER READING MANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON THIS SITE, THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE AND IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I AM NOW SEEING THAT THE 2020 SOUL HAS AN ENGINE RECALL. OBVIOUSLY THESE VEHICLES HAVE PROBLEMS.