2020 Kia Soul: What to check before buying

Oil burns off until the dipstick runs dry, often with no low-oil warning, and the engine then knocks, stalls, or fails outright. Owners describe stalling at highway speed and in intersections, flashing check engine lights, and dealers calling for full engine replacement, sometimes after finding metal shavings in the oil. Oil loss shows up from about 29,000 miles to past 135,000. Several under-hood fires are reported, one at just 600 miles, plus one case of unintended acceleration while parking. Some owners say their car passed a dealer oil consumption test or that coverage was refused.

Power drops, the car stalls, and the motor fails with loud banging or rattling, sometimes with blue smoke coming into the cabin or out of the exhaust. Owners report burning a quart of oil every 1,000 miles with no visible leak, and dry dipsticks between top-offs, one at 135,637 miles. Diagnoses include a failed engine rod and complete engine failure, and some owners were told the car was out of warranty. One early report involves a thermostat failure and coolant repair at about 9,408 miles.

Transmissions fail suddenly at highway speed. The engine revs, the tachometer surges or swings, and the car slows or will not move at all, often with no warning light. Most reports come early, between about 2,300 and 20,000 miles, and owners describe being stranded on interstates and bridges. Dealers typically replaced the transmission under warranty, but some owners waited weeks for parts. Other complaints here cover oil burning, engine knock, and engine failure. In one crash, the car rolled forward after being shifted into park.

Many electrical complaints overlap with engine trouble: stalling, hard restarts, shaking, and check engine lights, sometimes after an engine replacement. Others describe every dash light coming on at random, a horn that cuts out intermittently, and an auto stop-start that switches on and off by itself. Theft comes up repeatedly, with break-ins through the ignition area and owners reporting higher insurance rates or limited coverage. Several owners say dealers could not reproduce the problem or wanted diagnostic fees before starting work.

The electric power steering can lock up or stop working, most often at startup, with a steering warning light on. Restarting sometimes brings back assist, but some cars are towed. Other complaints describe a loud clunk from the base of the column at low speed starting around 2,300 miles, a faulty steering wheel assembly at 8,960 miles, and a wheel that will not return to center at very high mileage. A few owners report a sharp pull to the right, which a dealer blamed on lane keeping assist. At least one steering repair was covered under warranty.

This small group covers unintended acceleration and stalling. Reports describe the car surging on its own from highway speed to over 80 mph, lurching forward into a parked car when stop-start restarted the engine, and stalling at 35-40 mph with warning lights on. One car caught fire after an oil leak. Other owners link the stalling to heavy oil consumption, and an independent mechanic replaced a failed throttle in one case.

Most of this small group is about the idle stop-start system, not the brakes themselves. Owners hear a loud groan and feel the car shudder as the engine restarts at a light, and some switch the feature off every time they drive. One report describes a stuck valve in the ABS module that disabled a front caliper and caused a brake fluid leak. Another describes a hard brake pedal after the engine stalled, linked to a crash. The remaining entries mention oil burning or a no-start.

Paint lifts, bubbles, and peels on white cars, specifically Snow White Pearl, on the doors and hood, in one case on a car under 20k miles. Paint is the only clear pattern here. Single complaints describe fog lights filling with moisture on a nearly new car and mold throughout a car after an evaporator leak that happened before the current owner bought it.

Airbags fail to deploy in frontal crashes, according to two reports. One crash at about 45-50 mph sent two occupants to the ER, and the other involved hitting a guardrail at highway speed. A third owner saw a passenger airbag warning light right after purchase. A dealer confirmed the system was defective, but the repair was delayed more than five months because parts were unavailable.