Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. 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. 15 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Unknown, I was just sitting at a red light and my back glass just shattered out of nowhere, I got out and looked to see if anything hit but there wasn’t a sign, I feel very unsafe in this vehicle between the recall and now my back window just shattering
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the sunroof shattered without impact. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 214,000.
Rear hatch glass shattered randomly out of no where. No impact to the glass or others around to cause it. Others safety was at risk due to glass falling off the car as I was driving. My safety was jeopardized due to when it happened as I was driving, I jumped and drove left of center.
THE PASSENGER INSIDE DOOR HANDLE IS PEALING AND SHARP THE COATING THAT'S ON THE HANDLE IS COMING OFF. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ALWAYS MAKING A HORRIBLE SOUND EVEN WHEN THEY ARE REPLACED
AS I WAS DRIVING ACROSS, WITH A GREEN LIGHT, A SIX LANE (PLUS ADDITIONAL TURN LANES) CITY STREET AT PERHAPS 25 MPH, A DRIVER RUNNING HER RED LIGHT STRUCK MY VEHICLE BROAD SIDE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I DO NOT KNOW HER SPEED BUT CAN SAY THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG AND BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, THE SPEED LIMIT ON THE ROAD SHE WAS TRAVELING IS 40 MPH. THE REASON FOR THIS REPORT IS THAT THE IMPACT CAUSED THE REAR VIEW MIRROR TO SNAP OFF AND BECOME AN AIRBORNE MENACE. THE MIRROR GAVE ME A LARGE LUMP JUST ABOVE MY RIGHT EYE AND CAUSED A CONTUSION ON MY RIGHT CHEEK THAT AFTER BLEEDING PROFUSELY NEEDED FOUR STITCHES TO CLOSE. I WAS LUCKY. THE JAGGED EDGE THAT CUT MY CHEEK WAS ONLY A COUPLE INCHES FROM MY EYE AND POTENTIAL BLINDNESS. THE MIRROR'S (MODEL ZTVHL3) PHYSICAL CONNECTION FAILED AT THE JUNCTURE OF THE BALL JOINT AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD AND THE METAL CONDUIT AT THE REAR OF THE MIRROR. THE METAL WAS UNABLE TO WITHSTAND THE FORCE OF THE SIDE IMPACT AND TORQUED OUT OF SHAPE. THE WIRING ALONE WAS UNABLE TO HOLD THE MIRROR IN PLACE, AND THE MIRROR WENT AIRBORNE.
OPEN THE DOOR TO GO TO WORK CLOSED THE DOOR AND THE BACK WINDOW SHATTED THIS HAPPENED FIRST THING IN THE MORNING CAR WAS PARKED ALL NIGHT
WINDSHIELD WIPERS TOO SLOW ON FASTEST SPEED. OLD CAR HAD FASTER WIPERS. SEAT BELTS HARD TO CLICK AND UNCLICK, VERY AWKWARD ACCESS TO SEATBELT BUCKLE. BRAKES: USER FORCE TOO HARD, VERY FATIGUING. WHEN ENGINE STARTS INITIAL IDLE SPEED CONTROL NOT SMOOTH GOES UP AND DOWN YET COMPUTER DOES NOT LOG AN ERROR. THIS IS MORE THAN 50 RPM. AMERICAN CAR WOULD PROBABLY LOG ERROR IF CAR DID THAT. CAUSES CAR TO LURCH UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH DURING SNOW WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO OPERATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA SOUL. WHILE GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE AND SHUTTING THE DRIVER DOOR, THE REAR GLASS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR GLASS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,195.
IN THE FRONT RANGE OF COLORADO WE FREQUENTLY GET SEVERAL INCHES OF WET, HEAVY SNOW IN THE FALL, WINTER AND SPRING. WE HAVE TO PARK THE CAR OUTSIDE A GARAGE AT HOME AND AT WORK. WE ALWAYS COMPLETELY CLEAR SNOW FROM ALL GLASS SURFACES AND CHECK THE OPERATION OF THE WIPERS BEFORE DRIVING THE CAR. WE BOUGHT AN EXPENSIVE TELESCOPING COMBINATION SCRAPER, BRUSH AND SQUEEGEE DESIGNED FOR CMVS TO CLEAR AS MUCH SNOW AS WE CAN REACH AND SEE FROM THE WHITE PAINTED ROOF OF THE CAR BEFORE DRIVING IT. AFTER THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR WARMS UP IT APPEARS TO LOOSEN THE BOND BETWEEN THE ROOF OF THE CAR AND ANY RESIDUAL OR NEWLY ACCUMULATED SNOW. NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN UNDER NORMAL BRAKING SNOW HAS SLID FORWARD OFF THE ROOF ON TO THE WINDSHIELD OBSCURING ALL FORWARD VISIBILITY AND INSTANTLY CREATING A SEVERE COLLISION SAFETY HAZARD. FURTHERMORE, WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE ACTIVATED TO CLEAR THE SNOW THE WIPER MOTORS ARE TOO WEAK TO MOVE THE SNOW REQUIRING THE DRIVER TO BLINDLY BRAKE TO A STOP UNABLE TO SEE WELL ENOUGH EVEN TO STEER THE CAR OUT OF THE LANE OF TRAFFIC TO A SAFE PLACE TO STOP. THIS HAPPENED A FEW DAYS AGO AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION IN SLICK SNOWY ROAD CONDITIONS DURING EVENING RUSH HOUR. AFTER COMING TO A STOP WITHOUT HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER MY FIVE FOOT, TWO INCH TALL 68 YEAR OLD WIFE HAD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IN DANGEROUS CONDITIONS AND MANUALLY REMOVE(FOR THE SECOND TIME) SNOW FROM THE WINDSHIELD WHILE BEING SUBJECTED TO HONKING HORNS AND ONE-FINGERED SALUTES FROM ILL-MANNERED MOTORISTS. UNTIL KIA CHOOSES OR IS REQUIRED TO CORRECT THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AN OTHERWISE GREAT LITTLE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN SNOWY CONDITIONS. *TR
I WENT TO MY CAR ON A COLD MORNING IN JANUARY AND FOUND A CRACK ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD AT THE LEVEL OF THE REARVIEW MIRROR. I DO NOT RECALL HEARING A ROCK CHIP PRIOR THE CRACK FORMING. I CONSIDER THIS CRACK A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE WINDSHIELD CRACKING POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF REARVIEW MIRROR LOADING OR UNUSUALLY CRACK PRONE WINDSHIELD GLASS. NOTE: THE AFFECTED PARTS PULL-DOWN IN THIS FORM IS NOT WORKING. I WOULD HAVE SELECTED THE WINDSHIELD AND THE REARVIEW MIRROR. *TR
OPENED DRIVERS DOOR, GOT IN AND SHUT THE DOOR AND THE REAR HATCH WINDOW BLEW OUT. VEHICLE IS NOW AT DEALERSHIP AND THEY CALLED TO SAY CAR IS NOT TO BE TOUCHED BECAUSE PRODUCTS INVESTIGATIONS IS GOING TO LOOK AT THE CAR BEFORE ANOTHER WINDOW CAN BE INSTALLED. THERE ARE OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT ARE THE SAME AS MINE AND THE WINDOW BROKE IN SHARDS AND SPLINTERS UNCOMMON TO A NORMAL CAR WINDOW. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEY CLOSED THE DOOR AND THE WINDOW ON THE HATCH SHATTERED OUTWARDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 1,000. *TR
I WAS HIT BY A SMALL ROCK GOING AROUND 40MPH WHICH RESULTED IN A CHIP/CRACK. IN THE 3 WEEKS SINCE THEN IT HAS HAPPENED 2 MORE TIMES. SPEEDS WERE NOT EXCESSIVE AND THE ROCKS WERE SMALL. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN IN 20 YEARS OF OWNING CARS UNTIL THIS NEW CAR. *TR
I HAVE WASHER FLUID FOR LOW TEMPS. THE WASHER LINES KEEP FREEZING MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE OUT OF WINDSHIELD. THIS IS VERY HAZARDOUS, ESPECIALLY IN NORTHEASTERN OHIO WEATHER. I CALLED KIA AND WAS TOLD BY KIA THAT THEY HAVE BEEN GETTING CALLS NONSTOP ABOUT IT AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. APPARENTLY THE WASHER LINES ARE NOT NEAR ENGINE BLOCK SO THERE IS NO WARMTH TO PREVENT THEM FROM FREEZING IN COLD TEMPS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS CAR MODEL ASAP. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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