RoadVitals

2013 Kia Soul Exterior lighting Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Exterior lighting 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.
10
Latest Apr 26, 2024
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.
2%
of 660 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.
0
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 headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2013 Kia Soul submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 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 exterior lighting

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

Exterior lighting
Filed Apr 26, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the low beam headlights started to flicker off and on. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 110,000.

NHTSA ID
11585388
Incident
Apr 23, 2024
Mileage
110,000 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Jun 3, 2023

The brake lights go out all the time. They work one day and then not the next. This is a known issue with Kia vehicles. Apparently this is a wide spread issue that effects many Kia brand cars not just the Soul model that I drive. I have people stop me saying they did not see my brake lights come on at all when I obviously had to. Why hasn't this been a recall? This is a problem that could end in fatalities.

NHTSA ID
11525165
Incident
Jun 3, 2023
BrakesElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Mar 18, 2023

I have been having major battery issues switching out my batteries and them going out fast. Also when I'm driving my car shakes when it goes above 60 miles per hour, also when I change gears I noticed I get a hard thump when I change my gears. The electrical in the car sometimes it goes off and on my radio has completely went out it comes on when it wants. Cruise control when I put it on sometimes just cuts off when I'm driving. Engine runs kind of rough when I first got my car everything was smooth but after 6 years I noticed everything started running the little rough.

NHTSA ID
11512559
Incident
Jan 1, 2022
Driver assistanceElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Mar 19, 2020

WELL THE FIRST ITEM IS THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE DRIVER SIDE PANEL DOOR. THE SECOND PROBLEM RIGHT LOW BEAM LIGHT HAS BEEN OUT NOW FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS I HAVE BEEN EVERYWHERE WE HAD SWITCHED BULBS WE HAVE TRACED WIRES EVERYTHING REPLACE THE RELAY STILL CAN I GET THAT TO WORK AND SOMETIMES HE DOES LUNDS HIGHWAY ROAD YOU HIT BUMPS ALL THE LIGHTS COME ON IN CAR IT IS SOME KIND OF ELECTRICAL SHORT IN A CAR SOMEWHERE

NHTSA ID
11318693
Incident
Sep 3, 2017
Mileage
95,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Jun 12, 2019

THE HEADLIGHT JUST WENT OUT - NO WARNING NO FLICKERING NOTHING. CHANGED THE LIGHT BLUB, CHANGED THE WHOLE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY - STILL DOES NOT WORK - ONLY HAPPENED TO ONE SIDE - FUSES, REPLYS, EVERYTHING ELSE WORKS

NHTSA ID
11219553
Incident
Mar 1, 2019
Mileage
80,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Jan 26, 2019

BOTH LOW BEAMS WENT OUT AT SAME TIME. HI BEAMS ARE WORKING. FUSES AND BULBS ARE OK. WAS PARKED IN GARAGE AND WHEN STARTED CAR IN EVENING NOTICED DIDN'T HAVE LOW BEAMS.

NHTSA ID
11172247
Incident
Jan 25, 2019
Exterior lightingSteering
Filed May 7, 2018

FOR THE PAST 6 MONTHS I HAVE BEEN TO THE CAR DEALER FOR HEADLIGHTS AND OTHER LIGHTS OUT ON THE CAR AS WELLL AND THE STEERING COLUMN IS MAKING CLICKING NOISES.

NHTSA ID
11092304
Incident
May 1, 2018
Exterior lighting
Filed Oct 14, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA SOUL. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTIONED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

NHTSA ID
10916121
Incident
Oct 7, 2016
Mileage
45,000 mi
Driver assistanceExterior lightingSuspension
Filed Aug 12, 2016

CRUISE CONTROL HAS UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. ALSO HAS RANDOM TURN OFFS. ALSO THE WAY IT TURNS ON IN CANNOT SLOW DOWN DURING TURN ON UNLESS YOU PRESS THE SLOW (SET - ) BUTTON A SECOND TIME. DIFFERENT THAN AMERICAN. DANGEROUS. SOMETIMES CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGES WITH THE RESUME BUTTON, SOMETIMES NOT. SUSPENSION: DURING A TURN ON HIGHWAY AT 45 MI HOUR CAR HOPS OVER WHEN YOU HIT EVEN A SMALL BUMP. MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WILL LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. NEVER HAD A CAR IN 40 YEARS THAT DID THIS. LIGHTING: AUTOMATIC LIGHTS TURN OFF, AND CHANGE POSITION FUNCTION DUE TO POOR DESIGN ON TIP OF BLINKER STICK. RESULTS IN LIGHTS NOT COMING ON AT DUSK WHEN EXPECTED. STEERING: DOES NOT HOLD A STRAIGHT LINE ON A WINDY DAY ON FLAT HIGHWAY ROADS. SAME ROAD 15 YEAR OLD 100K MILE CAR WE TRADED IN WAS FINE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. ENGINE: SHAKES TERRIBLE AT AT IDLE WHETHER IN PARK, NEUTRAL, DRIVE OR WITH OR WITHOUT A/C ON. NO MATTER. TRANSMISSION: GRINDING NOISE TURNING LEFT LOUDER THAN RIGHT. TOLD DEALR ALL THESE THINGS, THEY DENIED IT AND WOULDN'T FIX. HUGE BANG AS CAR SLOWS DOWN WHEN TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS. LURCHES FORWARD AS YOU TRY TO STOP, MAKING YOU PASS YOUR EXPECTED STOP POINT. GAS MILEAGE LOW: 26 OR SO, OLD CAR HAD 120 HP MORE AND GOT 31MPG ON HIGHWAY AND WAS 700 POUNDS HEAVIER. DEALER HAD ALREADY REMOVED STICKER BEFORE WE PICKED UP CAR. ONGOING.

NHTSA ID
10895402
Incident
Sep 13, 2013
Mileage
125 mi
Body & structureInterior & seatsExterior lighting
Filed Jun 25, 2014

2013 KIA SOUL. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO PROBLEMS ON THE DASH BOARD INVOLVING THE LIGHT INDICATOR FOR THE HEAD LIGHTS AND PARKING LIGHTS. *SMD THE CONSUMER DID NOT KNOW, HIS HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT ON. HE DISCOVERED THE INDICATOR DISPLAYED THE SAME PICTURE FOR THE PARKING LIGHTS AND THE HEADLIGHTS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SECOND TIME, AS HE ENTERED HIS PARKING SPOT, IT BECAME OBVIOUS THE HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT ON, YET THE DASH BOARD INDICATED THERE WERE.

NHTSA ID
10605256
Incident
Mar 8, 2014

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 .