2013 Kia Soul Engine

Engine knocking

I bought a Kia Soul at 130k miles and by 140k or so it was dead. the engine started knocking and will no longer turn over. I did regular oil changes and usual maintenance. Within 2 days after knocking the engine refused to turn over. I was driving when it stopped working so at any time someone could have rear ended me and caused a traffic jam. The car was toed to a mechanic who said it was done for and if they needed the specifics they would have to tear down the engine. not going to pay 600 to find out my engine is gone when i already know the engine is gone. no warnings light or messages prior to failure. My vehicle experienced catastrophic engine failure consistent with well-documented defects in Kia GDI engines. Kia has acknowledged these defects through recalls, settlements, and extended warranties covering later model years. However, Kia has refused repair or good-faith assistance for my vehicle solely because my VIN is excluded, despite the engine design being materially identical to covered models. I contacted Kia Corporate directly, provided my VIN, and was assigned a case number. Kia informed me that: - My VIN is not eligible for recall or settlement relief - No good-faith repair would be offered - Denial was based on model year/VIN classification, not engine design or failure mode - I am not the original owner, which Kia cited as an additional reason for denial Why This Is Concerning: - The 2013 Kia Soul was equipped with the same GDI engine architecture later acknowledged as defective - Consumers are being denied relief based on administrative cutoffs rather than engineering reality - Kia continues to avoid responsibility for early-year vehicles that suffer identical failures - The cost of engine replacement far exceeds the vehicle’s value, leaving consumers with unrecoverable losses I am requesting - Review Kia’s handling of known GDI engine defects - Assess whether Kia’s exclusion of certain VINs constitutes an unfair

First, my engine and oil light went on. Second, there began a loud prominent engine knock. I had it serviced for an oil change and after the oil change, the knock persisted and my car began to stall. Third, I took it to Midas for a diagnostic and they told me my engine is about to fail, that this is typical of Kia Soul engines, they said there are metal pieces of broken pistons in my engine and that my car will soon break down and to "pray" it doesn't happen on the road. I then drove my Kia Soul to secure a rental vehicle, but on the way my engine died in the middle of a busy intersection and I had just enough time to pull it to the bike path on the side of the road, passenger side still in the road. I then had it towed to a repair shop and paid for a second diagnostic, which aligned with the first diagnostic from Midas. I then received a recall letter from Kia Manufacturer that my specific vehicle had a safety recall from the NHSTA and to bring my car to the nearest Kia dealership for immediate repair, free of cost to me, upto engine replacement. I had my Kia Soul towed to Kia of New Port Richey, Florida and explained the recall letter. They have since done nothing in a week and said that I needed to have the first recall addressed to have this recall repair complete. Then, they said I needed to have my car registered to complete the repair. Then, they said I need to provide a maintenance record to complete this recall repair, and failure to do so will result in Kia refusing to complete my engine repair, in accordance with their recall letter I received. Therefore, I contacted the NHSTA.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from under the hood before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was previously taken to a local independent mechanic, and it was determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel injector needed to be replaced due to a misfire in cylinder #2. The vehicle was repaired out of pocket. The vehicle was also taken to a local AutoZone, where it was determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

Problems with our 2013 Kia Soul! started [XXX] @ 78,388 miles. We took the car to Kia Country in Manteca for an oil change, when leaving the dealership white plumes of smoke where coming out of the exhaust. Took the car back to the dealership who told us not to worry about it, drive it on the freeway to burn it off. Returned to the dealership 4-7-21 @ 80,414 miles smoke is still coming out of the exhaust, Kia performed an oil consumption test, we were told to come back in a couple of months or 3,500 miles to check on the vehicle. 6-4-21 @ 81,737 miles took the car back for inspection, engine oil checked out ok, they couldn't find any issues. [XXX] @ 91,239 miles took the car to Kia Dublin, blue smoke was coming out of exhaust and car won't start. Tech performed tests they recommended to drive the car and wait for a check engine light to be active. They can't open a tech line if there is nothing wrong with the car and they can't duplicate the concern. [XXX] @ 124,770 miles took the car back to Kia Dublin, the car is shutting off at stop lights or at idle, won't go over 40 miles an hour. After being at the dealership for 4 days, spoke to Will on 4-16-25 states the engine needs to be replaced due to the connecting rods and pistons creating an engine failure, there is also an oil leak. There is a recall for the smaller 1.6L engine but not for our 2.0L engine, even though the issues are exactly the same. Will recommended calling Kia Customer Care for help. I called Kia Customer Care 4-17-25 and was given a case number. I have been dealing with both Kia Customer Care and Kia Dublin for over 5 weeks and no one wants to own up to selling us a defective engine or give us a replacement. I have called almost everyday and I am given a different story, meanwhile the car sits on the lot at the dealership. My daughter is without a car and we are struggling to get her to work, we have not been offered a loaner car, as the car has not been approved for an engine replacement. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I was driving home from work and got about 5 miles and I see smoke and pulled over. I had it towed to repair shop and they said they found a hole in my engine block and a broken connecting rod. They told me I should take it to KIA as I only have 132,179 miles and that repair should be under warranty. I took it to Kia and they denied the repair due to a class action lawsuit and I did not qualify for that as a recall was missed KSDS update. I bought the car used in late 2019 and the last ower has since died. I was never notified of these updates.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer made the contact aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

I recently serviced my Kia Soul 2013 in May and March 2024. Completing oil service, air filter replacement and new brakes and rotors. End of June, the car's engine light went on and there was a jump when idle. Took it to Kia Service Center and they reported there is an internal failure in the top assembly with an unknown cause. The car is currently unsafe to drive and needs further diagnosis, which Kia is refusing to complete. I was not notified of the recent recall issue with engire fire safety concern until the end of June 24.

There is a history of engine failure. The check engine light does not remain on for a diagnostic to be completed. This has been going on for about a year. One day it would run then the next day the engine would fail. It is happening more frequently such as after filling up with gas, waiting at stop lights, reversing, and DURING driving. The vehicle now will not restart when the engine fails. After investigating the failure, I related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). Kia's number for this recall is SC176. The manufacturer was notified of the failure due to the local dealership not replacing the catalytic converter due to being “out of warranty”. A case was opened and I am awaiting a response from a caseworker. I have a code in the History: P0172 code, which stands for "Fuel System Too Rich (Bank 1)". What this means in plain language is that there's too much fuel being delivered to combustion chambers on bank 1, or not enough air. Manufacturers are required to fix the problem by repairing it, replacing it, offering a refund, or in rare cases repurchasing the vehicle. However, that is not what I’m experiencing rather I am being dismissed and neglected even after the engine failed on the highway going 70mph with a semi-truck behind me nearly running over me. I then had to be towed to the dealership, which was expensive. I have spent thousands of dollars in attempts to repair/remedy this problem to only recently find out that there is a related recall. Kia's number for this recall is SC176. I refuse to drive this car as it is unreliable and unsafe. Also, the recall below has still not been repaired since the Notice was received in 2023. Manufacturer Recall Number: SC284AM NHTSA Recall Number: 23V652 Recall Status:”Recall Incomplete, remedy not yet available”

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started making abnormally loud sounds and lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact resumed driving; however, the failure persisted. The contact was able to drive to the residence and noticed that the oil level was low. The contact added oil to the vehicle and started the vehicle. The contact stated upon checking the oil level again, there was no oil left in the vehicle. The contact then inspected the ground, but there was no oil on the ground. The contact researched the failure online. The contact then inspected the exhaust pipe and noticed that the oil had leaked into the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the repair was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) because the failure was not related to the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. The VIN was not available.

I cranked car letting it warm up, pulled out of my park onto main road, got approximately 300 yards to the red light, while sitting at the red light the cars idling went aradic, I opened the driver's side door and looked under the car, the catalytic converter was glowing red, solid red, I tried to pull into the store next to the red light, the check engine light came in and the car had no power when I mashed the gas, people behind me helped me push it into the store, after getting home that evening I checked and seen they had a catalytic converter recall on my car stating that the catalytic converter can catch on fire and harm the engine, I took the car to Kia south in Union city they gave us the run around stating that I had to have a new engine I told them the catalytic converter recall states that the catalytic converter will cause fire and engine damage, before even inspecting the car their tech had already made up his mind that's not what killed the engine, then started stating that my car wasn't under the recall I ask him how us that possible when it did the same thing 749.000 kia cars did, then was called a week later tech saying he couldn't do the recall cause he couldn't get the car to crank, but the tech said he did a diagnostics on I asked how if he couldn't get the car to crank, we took a mechanic to Kia with us, to look at the car ,after looking at the car, the mechanic told us this is the exact same damage that he has work on because of the catalytic converter, the tech showed us a picture on his phone stating the were metal pieces in the oil , that the car was ran out of oil, upon further inspection of his pictures the tech was caught in a lie, the picture wasn't even a picture of my car , our mechanic told the tech that this falls under the recall and Kia knows it.. Kia and the tech acknowledge my car falls under the recall but said I have more than 150.000 miles on it, so if i want it fixed it would cost $8000 dollar for new engine

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while the vehicle was serviced for routine maintenance, the independent mechanic became aware of excessive oil consumption. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was not diagnosed since the contact refused to pay for the diagnostic test. The contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty and was not under a recall for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

NHTSA Recall 23V652000 recalled September 2023. Possible engine fire, Kia request we do not park car near buildings or other cars as fire is possible. It is now May 23, 2024 and no further action by KIa. Issue still unresolved. That is ten months and no solution. Vehicle is a 2023 Kia Soul. Can't even sell the car with such a serious recall! Hoping you can light a fire under Kia so they come up with fix to prevent my car from catching fire. Thanks [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Recall is still unresolved?. This is ridiculous, how long should I be inconveniences?.. I read it's a fuse replacement?. Can't they produce a fuse?. Kia shouldn't be allowed to sale any more of their death traps, until they handle these unresolved issues with there existing customers.

The recall that was put out in September 2023 still has not been remedied as of March 28, 2024. I believe the remedy has not been fixed in a timely manner considering the direct dangers posed as a result of the HECU default. Six months without remedy, when the danger has existed since before then, is an egregious inaction on the part of Kia to myself, the customer.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the catalytic converters. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,000.

Engine Light is flashing rapidly on my car, I am unable to drive the vehicle due to safety reasons and the vehicle started slowing down then the wheel locked up and the car cut off while driving a short distance. There is a knocking and ticking sound coming from the engine. Took the car to KIA dealership they said they couldnt fix the issue with the Engine and gave me no solution. I had to pay for a rental car and do ride shares (lyft and Uber) to get around because I was told by the Dealership Adviser that doesnt supply Loaner cars or put you in a rental until you car is serviced for the recall. My car was at the Kia Dealership for two weeks. When I picked up my car i was told by the Dealership Adviser that the Engine is going bad and it will not last very much longer in need to purchase a new one soon.

Check engine light threw a code for catalytic converter overheating. Kas dealer says not to worry unless light is flashing, which it's not. Engines have been known to be destroyed by the excessive heat from the converter

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 25 MPH, he observed smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road to cool down. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the cylinder head exhaust valve had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,461.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle overheated and started losing motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she exited the expressway and pulled to the side of the road until the vehicle cooled down. The contact continued driving; however, after 10 minutes of driving the failure recurred. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving, and the contact pulled to the side of the road each time. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was awaiting to be towed to the dealer. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was 159,203.

While driving vehicle speed becomes disrupted and inconsistent regardless of pressure on accelerator. Engine rods are knocking and dealer determined that a new engine is needed. Kia was contacted by dealer as this is the same problem as other engine models in this Kia manufacture year but Kia denied request to replace as a defective engine.

My engine failed and I thankfully was able to get my car to my mechanic but had I not, I could have stalled on the highway and caused a car accident.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an oil change; however, the contact stated that after the oil change was performed; while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal pop underneath the hood and then the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that he was able to restart the vehicle. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where the contact was informed by the technician of an engine oil leak that was unmentioned at the time of the oil change. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the mileage was over the warranty coverage. The failure mileage was approximately 129,890.

Engine bad sound. Engine knocking noise. No crash was issued. The strange sound appeared one day and engine seems to have inside damage for unknown reason.