Problem. Engine control unit, ECU allowed catalytic converter overheat. Engine knocking and stalling. Engine monitor light came on while driving the car when it began to knock and stall while driving it. Can cause piston to break and.puncture the engine block, leaking oil into the hot exhaust and start a fire
2013 Kia Soul: engine stalls while driving
56 of the 671 complaints about the 2013 Kia Soul describe engine stalls while driving.
- owner complaints
- 56
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical repair cost reported
- $6,200
- typical mileage
- 122,432
- recalls
- 1
Engine stalls while driving by model year
What owners say
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled and experienced a loss of automotive power, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the catalytic converter and the engine were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 136,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from under the hood before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was previously taken to a local independent mechanic, and it was determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel injector needed to be replaced due to a misfire in cylinder #2. The vehicle was repaired out of pocket. The vehicle was also taken to a local AutoZone, where it was determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
First, my engine and oil light went on. Second, there began a loud prominent engine knock. I had it serviced for an oil change and after the oil change, the knock persisted and my car began to stall. Third, I took it to Midas for a diagnostic and they told me my engine is about to fail, that this is typical of Kia Soul engines, they said there are metal pieces of broken pistons in my engine and that my car will soon break down and to "pray" it doesn't happen on the road. I then drove my Kia Soul to secure a rental vehicle, but on the way my engine died in the middle of a busy intersection and I had just enough time to pull it to the bike path on the side of the road, passenger side still in the road. I then had it towed to a repair shop and paid for a second diagnostic, which aligned with the first diagnostic from Midas. I then received a recall letter from Kia Manufacturer that my specific vehicle had a safety recall from the NHSTA and to bring my car to the nearest Kia dealership for immediate repair, free of cost to me, upto engine replacement. I had my Kia Soul towed to Kia of New Port Richey, Florida and explained the recall letter. They have since done nothing in a week and said that I needed to have the first recall addressed to have this recall repair complete. Then, they said I needed to have my car registered to complete the repair. Then, they said I need to provide a maintenance record to complete this recall repair, and failure to do so will result in Kia refusing to complete my engine repair, in accordance with their recall letter I received. Therefore, I contacted the NHSTA.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact received notifications of the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer declined to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle vibrated and then stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 188,028. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact's daughter owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and the low oil pressure warning lights illuminated. The contact's daughter was able to drive to the contact's residence. Additionally, the contact stated that while his daughter was driving 40-50 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering, and there was smoke coming out from underneath the hood. The vehicle stalled. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that on another occasion, the vehicle started shuddering and jerking and almost stalled. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed a misfire and a failure in cylinder #4. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the dealer had previously performed an unknown recall repair on the vehicle. The contact stated that after the repair, the vehicle stalled while driving on several occasions. The vehicle was able to restart but failed to exceed 25 MPH while driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to another dealer, Tameron Kia Westbank (1884 Westbank Expy, Harvey, LA 70058), where it was diagnosed that the engine was blown. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), which she related to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the vehicle stalled in traffic. While driving the following day, the vehicle stalled again. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact stated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine, and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an oil change; however, the contact stated that after the oil change was performed; while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal pop underneath the hood and then the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that he was able to restart the vehicle. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where the contact was informed by the technician of an engine oil leak that was unmentioned at the time of the oil change. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the mileage was over the warranty coverage. The failure mileage was approximately 129,890.
My engine failed and I thankfully was able to get my car to my mechanic but had I not, I could have stalled on the highway and caused a car accident.
Driving on the highway when my car started making a popping sound, No lights came on on the dash We pulled over thinking it was the tire, we pulled over just in time the car cut off completly while we were still moving towards an exit. Car had plenty of oil plenty of water everything was up-to-date Besides of steering coupler. Tried cutting the engine back on and it started smoking and wouldn't cut back on or it would stall out. If we didn't hear that noise a few seconds sooner we would have gotten to a terrible accident on a 4 lane highway, which we were all the way on the far left side before the engine cut out. There was no problems prior to any of this it just happened randomly
Service bulletins that may apply
- Subsequent repair action: catalytic converter replacement and engine inspection/replacement (SC176Y)
- Excessive oil consumption nu/gamma/theta/kappa engines
- Product improvement campaign: engine replacement instructions for DTC P1326 (PI2002Y/z)
- Subsequent repair action: catalytic converter replacement and engine inspection/replacement (SC176Y)
- Pitstop: low oil pressure at idle after gamma 1.6L GDI short block engine replacement
- Pitstop: DTC P0011/ P0014/ P0016/ P0017 due to incorrect camshaft reluctor wheel configuration
- 1.6L GDI with MIL on DTC P050A ECM logic improvement (SA485)
- Engine replacement instructions for DTC P1326 (PI2002Y/z)
Related recalls
Engine
- What is wrong
- Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Kia Soul vehicles equipped with 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines. High exhaust gas temperatures may damage the catalytic converter, possibly resulting in abnormal engine combustion and damage to one or more of the engine's pistons and possible piston connecting rod failure.
- Risk
- Piston damage may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. A broken connecting rod may puncture the engine block allowing engine oil to escape. The leaking oil may contact the exhaust, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Kia will notify owners, and dealers will upgrade the Catalytic Overheating Protection Engine Control Unit logic to prevent overheating of the catalytic converter. In addition, the catalytic converter will also be replaced if it has been damaged. Depending on the extent of any damage, the engine may also be replaced, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC176.
Recall number 19V120000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2013 Kia Soul stalling
Is engine stalls while driving a common problem on the 2013 Kia Soul?
56 of 671 owner complaints about the 2013 Kia Soul (8%) mention engine stalls while driving. The model year with the most reports is 2016.
How much does it cost to fix engine stalls while driving on the 2013 Kia Soul?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $6,200 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2013 Kia Soul?
There is 1 recall and 32 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2013 Kia Soul
Check engine light 129Knocking 74Engine failure 65Fire or smoke 59Steering noise 59Oil consumption 30Harsh shifting 29Overheating 26Loss of power 25Won't start 16Misfire 15No deployment 9Headlights 9Hesitation 9Steering lock-up 9ABS 8Jerking 8Warning lights 8Adaptive cruise 7Grinding brakes 6Power steering loss 6Shudder 5Won't shift 5Wipers 5
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