2013 Kia Soul Steering
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
I have noticed an audible “clunk” in the steering mechanism for a few weeks. I had the rack-and-pinion inspected by a local alignment shop to avoid a catastrophic failure. On 12/29/2025 while rapidly decelerating from highway speed on a downhill exit ramp, the steering wheel began to shake violently. My personal research has indicated that the steering coupler disk has failed/disintegrated causing unnecessary looseness between the electrical assist steering motor and steering shaft which has been identified by Kia in a Tecnical Safety Bulletin (TSB) as it's a known safety issue despite being a service campaign rather than a massive single recall for all vehicles.
There is a distinct click when the steering wheel is center (car going straight). there is a click and a notch feeling when you turn the wheel back and forth from center. Appears to be a common problem with the Kia Souls from 2010 - 2015. (Flexible rubber steering coupler) Dealer is charging $688 to change this $12 part. Dealer also mentioned it is important to fix because as it gets worse you can potentially lose steering control of the car. This type of safety concern I think should be a recall and fixed by Kia.
Steering wheel vibration violently . Is on Kia safety recall. Has 15 year warranty Started slowly about two months ago Contact dealer on safety recall repairs and refused to honor safety recall. Steering gear assembly flexible coupling Very dangerous at high speed . Safety recall for that particular year. Thank you
Steering wheel making a loud CLUNK sound. Possibly the steering wheel coupler. Concerned that steering wheel might malfunction while driving. Checking for any recalls prior to making an appointment with dealer. Vehicle has not been inspected. Noise started about a month ago and progressively has gotten worse.
There is a loud clicking in the steering wheel and the car is all over the place while driving. I was told by three mechanics that it is the steering coupler gear. I could lose control which would be putting others life at risk as well as myself. I was told this my be a recall. I need help. This is a SAFETY RISK AND NEEDS ATTENTION.
The steering wheel has a knocking in it. KIA has issued TSB CHA074 for the problem, the deterioration of the MDPS Flexible Steering Coupler. The bulletin covers my 2013 KIA Soul. It's annoying and sounds dangerous.
My steering column will make a clicking sound, and the steering wheel and column will vibrate excessively.
Steering wheel is making a knocking sound when I turn left or right.
Steering coupler. Recalled for 2014 up but not covered for 2013
It is making a noise when turning steering wheel to one side and it has play and clinking noise in steering wheel. Is this included in SC155 recall?
steering not tight, car shakes around 70 mph
The steering wheel makes a loud clocking sound. It’s sounds like the pinion plug is broken or loose
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle shook violently while driving above 40 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the steering coupler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Feel no control of steering Clicking sound when turning steering wheel Tight/ hard to steer wheel…doesn’t want to turn
Broken coupler. They want 2800 dollars to fix.
MDPS coupler worn and causing steering wheel instability and noise when driving over 60 mph. There was a recall previously that I wasn't aware of but my car had not yet experienced the problem. I am experiencing it now, but Kia says I must fix at my own cost since the recall period is passes, though I didn't have the issue then or recieve the notice.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer for the recall repair however, the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the steering coupler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the unknown recall had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,234.
Steering wheel shakes violently when going over 75MPH and is extremely shaky on side streets as well. The steering wheel feels like it’s going to fall off! Got it checked out by Kia and they said the Flexible steering coupling needs repairing and it would be over $900 to do so for a part that costs less than $10! I have an extended warranty and I was told the warranty doesn’t cover this issue, but at the bare minimum it seems like it should as it feels dangerous at times to drive the car. Also, this issue should be a recall for Kia as I have seen a ton of other people with this issue! It’s a defect in the car and should be a free recall to be fixed .
The Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) Flexible Coupling part failed. Steering is difficult and causes pull to the left/right. Appears the issue has occurred across various Kia and Hyundai models.
My steering coupler is bad
No warning indicators but my steering couple has worn and my steering now has play. Many forums says this is a know problem for KIA and they should cover but I do not see a recall.
There is a known issue with the MDPS Flexible coupling effecting a large number of KIAs but Kia apparently hasn't included all cars manufactured during this period of time
I looked it up. It's called the STEERING COUPLER. The manufacturer is aware of the problem but I was never notified about it before the warranty ran out August 2023. Now it affects the steering. Here is a service notice that I found online if that helps: TSB ID: 10159268. Thank you
Steering coupler failure causes excessive vibration and notchiness in the steering. KIA informs me that this was covered by an extended warranty which expired in January 2023. I believe this to be a serious safety risk and this vehicle should be recalled by KIA to replace this part at no cost to the consumers.
The steering wheel is making a noise and is having a caution sign with the steering wheel on it
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Quick Summary
The 2013 Kia Soul has 128 Steering complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.