RoadVitals

2011 Kia Soul Suspension Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Suspension reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Jan 22, 2019
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 193 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2011 Kia Soul submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming suspension

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Suspension
Filed Jan 22, 2019

LOUD CLUNK IN RIGHT REAR OF CAR PROBABLY THE TRAILING ARM BUSHINGS LOUD CLUNK WHILE DRIVING AND HATTING ANY BUMP IN THE ROAD

NHTSA ID
11171529
Incident
Dec 10, 2018
Mileage
145,000 mi
EngineSuspension
Filed May 4, 2017

REPLACED BOTH BALL JOINTS. HEAT SHIELD IS VIBRATING WHILE ACCELERATING. ALSO HAVE OIL PAN LEAK, CAUSING A PUDDLE IN THE DRIVEWAY.

NHTSA ID
10983604
Incident
Feb 1, 2017
Mileage
65,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Jul 23, 2015

AFTER A ROUGH WINTER IN PA. STARTED HEARING A LOUD THUNKING NOISE IN REAR OF CAR. NEVER COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. THIS YEAR 2015 WHEN GOING FOR A INSPECTION, MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THE REAR TRAILING ARM BUSHING WAS COMPLETELY WORN AWAY. HE WAS VERY SUPRISED FOR THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR FOR THIS TO OCCUR. WAS MORE SUPRISED THERE WASNT A RECALL FOR THIS ITEM. WAS VERY COSTLY TO REPAIR

NHTSA ID
10736109
Incident
Feb 4, 2014
Mileage
50,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Mar 13, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, A LOUD CLUCKING NOISE WAS HEARD NEAR THE REAR DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD. THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

NHTSA ID
10694037
Incident
Feb 24, 2015
Mileage
85,000 mi
Body & structureSuspension
Filed Nov 4, 2014

VEHICLE HAS SOUND COMING FROM REAR. AFTER SOME RESEARCH IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS A BOLT LOOSE ON THE SUSPENSION ACCORDING TO HTTP://WWW.KIASOULFORUMS.COM/10-SOUL-PROBLEMS/19930-CLUNKING-RATTLE-NOISE-LEFT-REAR-SOUL.HTML#/FORUMSITE/20709/TOPICS/19930 I AM A SINGLE NEW MOM AND HAVING ONLY HAD THIS CAR LESS THAN A YEAR IM HIGHLY CONCERNED DIRECTLY BEHIND ME AND U CAN FEEL IT SHIFT. HILLS *TR

NHTSA ID
10652544
Incident
Oct 23, 2014
Mileage
38,200 mi
SuspensionTires & wheels
Filed Apr 24, 2014

THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGER TIRE MAKES A CLUNKING NOISE EVERYTIME I HIT A BUMP OR TURN THE VEHICLE. FEELS LIKE THE AXLE IS GOING TO FALL OFF. I SAW THAT OTHERS ARE HAVING OR HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. WANTED TO POST THE COMPLAINT, HOPING THAT SINCE IT IS A COMMON ISSUE, KIA IS FORCED TO HAVE IT FIXED OR REIMBURSE US. IT'S OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM WITH THE MAKE OF THE CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10584713
Incident
Apr 22, 2014
Suspension
Filed Feb 25, 2014

TOOK CAR TO KIA DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF A CLUNKING NOISE IN REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF CAR WHEN CAR HIT BUMPS IN ROAD. TECHNICIAN WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM ON THIS TYPE OF CAR. THEY RETORQUED THE REAR CONTROL ARM BOLTS. I DO NOT KNOW IF THEY DID OR DID NOT HAVE A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM. I JUST WONDER HOW SERIOUS A PROBLEM THIS COULD HAVE BECOME. *TR

NHTSA ID
10565895
Incident
Feb 24, 2014
Mileage
73,000 mi
Other / unspecifiedSteeringSuspension+1 more
Filed Nov 4, 2012
Crash reported

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK, MAKING A LEFT TURN INTO THE PARKING LOT WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE BLEW. THE STEERING WHEEL PULLED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT AND I WAS PULLED INTO A CURB. THIS CAUSED OVER $1600 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE CAR. THERE WAS A HUGE HOLE IN THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE AND NO EVIDENCE OF ANY METAL OR ANYTHING IN THE TIRE. ALSO, THE TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR LIGHT HAS NEVER COME ON, SO I KNOW THEY WERE AT THE PROPER PSI. I CONTACTED THE DEALER WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED, AND WAS TOLD THEY HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TIRES. THEY ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THE CAR AND ALL THEY SAID WAS "THIS IS JUST BAD DRIVING." I THEN CALLED THE KIA COMPANY AND TALKED TO THREE DIFFERENT PEOPLE. THEIR CONCLUSION WAS THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TIRES. ONE PERSON EVEN ASKED HOW MUCH I WEIGHED! THIS VEHICLE IS A 2011 AND ONLY HAS 8,200 MILES ON IT. I HAD TO GO THROUGH MY INSURANCE TO GET IT FIXED. I BELIEVE THAT KIA SHOULD STAND BY THESE TIRES, BECAUSE NEXXEN COME STANDARD ON THEIR VEHICLES. SINCE THIS HAS HAPPENED, I HAVE RESEARCHED ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND PEOPLE HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRES ON KIA VEHICLES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10483323
Incident
Oct 22, 2012
Mileage
8,200 mi
Suspension
Filed Jul 16, 2012

ON JULY 2, 2012 WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSPENSION SYSTEM FAILED RESULTING IN THE FRONT WHEEL GOING UNDER THE CAR. THIS RESULTED IN THE ENTIRE COLLAPSE OF THE SUSPENSION, FAILURE OF STEERING CAPABILITIES AND LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. THE RESULTING DAMAGE AFFECTED THE BODY AND VEHICLE STRUCTURE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10465904
Incident
Jul 2, 2012
Mileage
22,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .