2020 Kia Soul

CAR HAD ISSUES ACCELERATING AFTER STOPPING AND TURNING ON THE AUTO ENGINE SHUTOFF . 24 NO LIGHTS CAME ON. 12 HOURS LATER DRIVING ON INTERSTATE RPMS REDLINED WHILE GOING ABOUT 60-65 . I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE INTERSTATE . AT THE STOP LIGHT DIRECTLY OFF THE INTERSTATE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, SMELT HEAVILY OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. ROADSIDE PICKED ME UP. DEALERSHIP SET ME UP IN A RENTAL AND TOLD ME SEVERAL HAD THIS ISSUE AND A MISSIONS ARE ON BACK ORDER.

WE DRIVE A 2020 KIA SOUL GT-LINE 2.0 WITH 2681 MILES AND BUILD DATE 06/19. I WAS TRAVELING AT 75MPH WHEN THE RPM'S STARTED SURGING ABOUT 300 BACK AND FORTH IN THE STANDARD AUTO MODE. IT WENT AWAY IN MANUAL SHIFT MODE. MY GAS MILEAGE WAS SHOWING 21MPG. I PROCEEDED FOR ABOUT 30 MORE MILES IN MANUAL (7TH) THEN THE RPM'S REDLINED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER. I LET IT SIT 5 MINUTES AND MADE IT 2 MILES ON THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE TO THE NEXT EXIT AT ABOUT 30 TO 40MPH IN AUTO MODE. THAT IS ALL IT WOULD DO. IT WAS A SLIGHT CLIMB AFTER THE RAMP. THE SOUL STRUGGLED. I TRIED TO SHIFT INTO MANUAL AND IT SAYS IT IS IN 5TH, AND IT WILL NOT SHIFT. I FIGURED I WOULD ADD THIS WHILE CURRENTLY WAITING FOR THE TOW. THIS SOUL WAS NEVER DRIVEN HARD. IT WAS ABOUT 95% HIGHWAY MILES. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF FAILURE BEFORE THIS. THIS HAPPENED QUICKLY.THE SOUL WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST KIA DEALERSHIP, WHICH IS 3 HOURS FROM HOME, AND HAD TO RENT A CAR TO DRIVE HOME. THE OFFICIAL DIAGNOSIS IS TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND WE'RE WAITING FOR A REPLACEMENT, WHICH COULD TAKE 6-8 WEEKS.

WHILE DRIVING ON A SOUTHEAST TEXAS 2 LANE ROAD WITH A POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 70MPH, I WAS FOLLOWING A TRUCK GOING LESS THAN 50MPH. WHEN VISIBILITY WAS CLEAR, I PULLED OUT TO PASS THE TRUCK. AT ABOUT 3/4 THROTTLE, THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED TO PROVIDE MORE POWER BUT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER IN THE ONCOMING LANE OF THE ROADWAY ABOUT HALFWAY AROUND THE 18 WHEELER. AT THIS POINT, I STARTED TO SEE ONCOMING VEHICLES, AT WHICH TIME, I APPLIED WOT. THE ENGINE LIGHT IMMEDIATELY CAME ON AND FLASHED 3 TIMES AND THE CAR FELT TO BE SPUTTERING AND IN SOME TYPE OF LIMP MODE. I MADE A SPLIT SECOND DECISION TO BRAKE HARD AND SQUEEZE BACK IN BEHIND THE 18 WHEELER TO AVOID A HEAD ON COLLISION. THE SITUATION WAS MADE WORSE BY A VEHICLE BEHIND ME SIMULTANEOUSLY TRYING TO PASS THE 18 WHEELER. STOPPING AT THE NEXT GAS STATION I NOTICE SPUTTERING EVEN IN PARK AT EVEN VERY LIGHT THROTTLE. I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE HOPING THAT THE ECU NEEDED TO RESET. IT DID RESET AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. HAD I NOT MADE THE DECISION I DID WHEN PASSING AND HAD THE PERSON BEHIND ME NOT ALSO APPLIED THE BRAKES QUICKLY, I WOULD LIKELY HAVE BEEN IN SOME TYPE OF COLLISION WHETHER IT BE HEAD ON OR HAVING TO SWERVE OFF THE ROADWAY COMPLETELY TO AVOID ONCOMING VEHICLES.

I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW WITH APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES ON IT. ON DAY 34, WHILE DRIVING ON A TWO LANE RURAL ROAD THE RPMS BEGAN GOING UP AND DOWN WILDLY, A STRONG SMELL (WHICH I NOW KNOW IS TRANSMISSION) AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD. BEING IN AN S CURVE WITH FLASHERS ON, I WAS ALMOST HIT BY A CAR COMING AROUND THE CURVE. TWO MORE VEHICLES WERE BEHIND THE FIRST ONE AND STOPPED, HELPING ME PUSH THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. AS THE NIGHT THIS OCCURRED WAS CHRISTMAS EVE, IT TOOK 3 HOURS TO GET THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER IT WAS PURCHASED FROM. I AM TOLD THE TRANSMISSION WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATES KIA CORPORATE WILL SEND A NEW TRANSMISSION AND HAVING THAT PERFORMED IS MY ONLY OPTION.

WITH JUST UNDER 1800 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION ABRUPTLY SHIFTED INTO 5TH GEAR AND THE RPMS JUMPED UP. AS WE SLOWED AND PULLED OVER THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT DOWN SHIFT AND REMAINED IN 5TH GEAR AS WE CAME TO A STOP. PUT IT INTO PARK AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. THEN STARTED THE CAR, PUT IT INTO DRIVE AND IT WAS STILL IN 5TH GEAR. TURNED IT OFF AND WAITED 5 MINUTES, WHEN WE TURNED IT BACK ON AGAIN A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, THE CODE DESCRIPTION WAS "SPEED INPUT SENSOR DOES NOT MATCH THE SPEED OUTPUT SENSOR". TOOK IT TO A KIA DEALERSHIP, AND THEY HAVE HAD IT EVER SINCE. THEY ARE AWAITING AN ARRIVAL OF A TRANSMISSION TO REPLACE IT.

WHEN USING THE AUTO START AND STOP FEATURE WHEN RELEASING THE BRAKE AND THE ENGINE CRANKS BACK I HEAR A STRANGE NOISE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A CAT SQUALLING WHEN THE ENGINE STARTS. THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN WHEN YOUR NOT USING AUTO START. PLUS WHEN YOU SHIFT INTO PARK WHILE STOPED IT DOESN'T MAKE THIS NOISE. MY WIFE ALSO HAS THE SAME ISSUE WITH HER CAR SAME YEAR MODLE AND MAKE. NO CLUE I FEAR THIS MAYBE RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION. AS WHEN PLACING IN PARK IT DOESN'T MAKE THE NOISE WHEN YOU RELEASE THE BRAKES. MY WIFE'S CAR HAS LESS THAN 12000 MILES AND MINE HAS 6000 MILES AND IT'S STARTING TO MAKE THE NOISE. SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE WHEN HARD BRAKING OCCURS . SOUND IS COMMING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE CAR.

AT 11,200 MILES THE TRANSMISSION ABRUPTLY MALFUNCTIONED IN HEAVY HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. RPM WOULD SHIFT WILDLY FROM IDLE TO REDLINE, AND THE TRANSMISSION SHUDDERED HARD AND LOST ALL POWER. I HAD TO MERGE FROM THE INSIDE LANE OF A 65MPH HIGHWAY TO THE OUTSIDE, NEARLY GETTING INTO A COLLISION IN THE PROCESS. THE VEHICLE WAS RENDERED IMMOBILE AND NEEDED TO BE TOWED. IT IS NOW AT THE DEALERSHIP WAITING ON A NEW TRANSMISSION TO BE INSTALLED. FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, THIS VEHICLE SHARES A POWER TRAIN WITH THE 2019 KIA FORTE. THAT MODEL HAS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT FAILED TRANSMISSIONS, AND I SUSPECT MY MODEL WILL AS WELL.

I BOUGHT THE CAR IN MAY 2020. I FIRST REPORTED THE PROBLEM IN JULY. IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE IDLE STOP AND GO FEATURE, AS IT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN THIS IT IS BEING USED. WHEN I COME TO STOPS AT RED LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS. EVERYTHING SHUTS DOWN. WHEN I RELEASE MY FEET OFF THE BREAKS THE CAR MAKES A DULL QUAKE LIKE NOISE. I HAVE HAD THE CAR IN THE SHOP AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR 7 DAYS ALREADY. THEY CHANGED THE BREAK BOOSTER THINKING IT WAS THE PROBLEM, BUT IT WAS NOT. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SCHEDULE SOMEONE AT THE DEALERSHIP TO RIDE WITH ME FOR A FEW MINUTES TO LISTEN TO THE NOISE. ABOUT A WEEK AND HALF AGO I GOT AN REPLY TO AN EMAIL TELLING ME TO HOLD OFF ON THAT, BECAUSE ANOTHER CAR HAS COME INTO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THEY WILL CONTACT ME WHEN THEY FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS. THIS PROBLEM HAD BEEN GOING ON WORKING ON 5 MONTHS NOW.