This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Shattered hatchback glass. I was just getting in MY2010 Kia Soul after work. I opened driver side, sat in, as I closed driver door the hatchback glass simply shattered and fell apart. I was in total shock.
I was returning from a trip when I got a small rock chip. I had it filled and everything seemed fine. This morning, when I drove to work, my windshield was fine, but this afternoon, there was an L shaped crack in the bottom middle of my windshield. I am finding that this windshield cracks and chips with great ease. At this point, that crack cannot be "filled, " the windshield needs to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2010 Kia Soul. The contact was driving 30 mph when the windshield was struck by a small rock causing extensive damage to the glass. The vehicle was taken to a glass specialist who advised the contact that the windshield would fracture again if struck and recommended replacing with tougher glass. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised that they would have an engineer further examine the windshield glass. The failure mileage was 5,000 and the current mileage was 10,813.
Windshield cracked at base of window covered by the wiper not where a rock could access it. The crack has since spread across the entire surface of the window. This happened in March of 2010 after having the car for 4 months. I am unwilling to fix due to the other complaints. This should be recalled and replaced with american glass that is not so soft.
My 2010 Kia Soul has such severe interior damage from the sub-standard material they used that the market value has depreciated far beyond the norm. Any metal, even plastic that touches the doors (seat belt buckle) pillars, center console, glove box, etc....becomes damaged. The material has no padding under it so there is no absorption and it is "honey comb" design which when scratched breaks the "honey comb" which has a light grey under it. My father bought the same car at the same time and he too has this problem. The cars showing this damage immediately. The dealership has no way of fixing it and the manufacture is telling us to wait for their solution, many people have been waiting for over a year. Kia has put other 2010 Souls on the lot with completely different material so this should be the solution. They will not send me anything in writing stating that they acknowledge this problem though they have given out hundreds, if not thousands of reference # and tell everyone they are working on the solution. I feel as though they are wasting time, letting time lapse so they can either claim that it is normal wear and tear or they are waiting for the lemon law time limits to expire. What company acknowledges a defect but won't put it in writing? I am furious, this is a brand new car and there are other issues that are also present, like chipping paint that has started to rust with 6000 miles on it. We deserve consumer protection. Please check www.kiasoulforum.com for even greater awareness of this very public issue. Rear view window so small and high it is a danger.
I have had my Kia Soul since May 2009. I have experienced chips in the glass and paint as well as scratches to the glass from a plastic ice scraper ai have used on 3 other vehicles without issue. I do not use ice scrapers often here in Texas, but this is the first time I have had windows scratched by a plastic utensil designed for the task I was performing. I think the windows are made of a hybrid compound that is not fully glass to be so easily chipped and scratched. It reminds me of the polycarbonate used in the glasses I wear. They are "scratch resistant", but when push comes to shove I will have scratches from the most benign occurrences. I believe the glass in this vehicle will be a hazard over the long term by creating issues with viewing the road. The scratches catch the light and cause star effect lighting right in the portion of the windshield in front of the driver. This car has less than 5000 miles.
Factory installed windshield chips and cracks from the edge easily and often. I had the first window replaced at about 5,000 miles and that window was a genuine Kia window installed and now it has two small chips and a crack from the edge of the glass and one big chip at 8,000 miles. I have not changed my driving and have never occurred this many window defects. I believe the window to be not properly annealed or treated in the furnace or it is just too thin.
2010 Kia Soul windshield has broken three times since we bought it 4 months ago. Yes, caused by small rocks from the road. The first two times we paid over $50 to have the cracks "blown". then a few weeks later a rock hits again this time the small rock has created a massive crack and will need to be replaced.I cant afford to replace but if I did isn't it going to happen again? I've been driving a long time and I have had to repair a windshield one time. Now in the span of 4 months its been 3 times.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Portsmouth , VA, USA