2021 KIA Soul

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled on several occasions. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road as possible, and the vehicle was able to restart after an extended time. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that oil was added every two days to prevent the vehicle from stalling. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and the dealer deployed the Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software on the vehicle; however, no further service was performed, and the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the dealer should repair the vehicle; however, the dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer had advised to deploy the Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software and to only replace the engine if an abnormal sound was present. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

My vehicle is part of an active engine recall related to defective piston oil rings. When I brought my car to the dealership for the recall inspection, I informed them and Kia Corporate that my car had been stalling and shutting off while driving for months. I have text message documentation of these incidents. This safety concern was ignored. The dealership performed only a basic visual inspection (removing coils and air filter, checking battery, alternator, starter, and attempting to start the engine) and refused to perform a full recall diagnostic or engine tear-down. They claimed the engine was “hydrolocked” and stated that water in the engine “voids any recall” and that outside influence is not covered. I requested that Kia Corporate dispatch a Field Service Engineer (FSE) for an independent inspection, but corporate told me that I cannot request an FSE directly and that only the dealership can request it. Since the dealership refuses, corporate will not act. Safety Concern: Stalling and shutting off while driving is a serious safety hazard that can lead to accidents. The vehicle is part of a federally mandated engine recall, but the dealership and corporate have refused to perform the proper recall inspection. The refusal to inspect the engine or acknowledge stalling incidents leaves me and other potential drivers at risk of unsafe operation. Requested Action: Investigate the dealership’s refusal to perform the recall inspection. Ensure Kia performs a full recall diagnostic, including internal inspection of piston oil rings and related engine components. Require corporate or a Field Service Engineer to review the vehicle given the dealership’s refusal. Address the stalling incidents as a potential safety defect related to the recall.

Auto Start Stop Issue - Vehicle will stall and not start when waiting at a red light after you let go of break. All warning lights would turn on and stall.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (ENGINE), but the failure occurred. The contact stated that DTC: P0004 was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an oil consumption test was scheduled to be performed. The contact was asked to provide the maintenance history on the vehicle. The contact was unable to provide the documents, and the dealer refused to repair the vehicle. The dealer reset the code and sent the contact home. The contact stated that on the drive back to the residence, the DTC: P0004 became displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The dealer requested the maintenance records. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. Most recently, an abnormal sound was coming from the engine, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. After several attempts, the vehicle restarted. The failure persisted, and the vehicle remained at the residence unrepaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the engine was making a grinding sound while the vehicle was being started. Additionally, the contact stated that the engine oil had to be changed every week. While receiving an oil change, the contact was informed that the engine seemed to be defective, and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. While the vehicle was idling at a red light, the vehicle suddenly stalled without warning. The contact shifted to park(P) and made two attempts to restart the vehicle before being able to continue driving. While decelerating to come to a stop at a red light, the vehicle stalled a second time. The contact shifted into park(P) and several attempts were made before the vehicle restarted. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer who had installed the piston-ring noise-sensing system software and determined that the remedy was completed, and that the engine did not need to be replaced. The dealer also informed the contact that the heck engine warning light had failed but had been repaired and should properly illuminate whenever needed. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.