2014 Kia Soul: jerking or lurching

Filed Aug 27, 2025 · Airbags, Engine · 67,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact received notifications of the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 22V096000 (AIR BAGS), 15V123000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL), 17V608000 (STEERING), and 19V120000 (ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, the vehicle jerked and vibrated abnormally. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle idled down to 5 MPH. The contact continued to drive; however, the contact had to pull over several times. The contact drove to the mother's residence. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic, who diagnosed that the catalytic converter was clogged or had melted and damaged the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was informed of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was missing several updates, and the dealer refused to perform the recall repairs. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied assistance with the recall repairs. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

Filed Jan 22, 2024 · Airbags, Engine · 144,000 miles · SC

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly jerked and shook abnormally before returning to normal functionality. The contact retrieved the vehicle from the dealer following the repair under the federal safety agency Campaign Number 20V750000 (Engine) and the federal safety agency Campaign Number 22V096000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 144,000.

Filed Jun 1, 2023 · Transmission · PA

Three repeat incidents, a few months apart, introduced same hazard to passengers and others: End of year 2022 (date not remembered): Car was stopped at stop sign at T-intersection to enter busy roadway. Break depressed. Engine RPMS started high revving, and unexpected forward motion of car lurched into busy intersection - almost collision. April 2023 (two incidents in same month): 1. Car was at lighted intersection on state highway. Break depressed. Engine RPMS started high revving (loudly noticed). Was familiar with condition so heavily leaned on break while RPMs continued to climb. When intersection light turned green, break released, and car lunched forward. 2. Car traveling in heavy stop-and-go city traffic in downtown urban area. Break was momentarily depressed and held. Again, engine RPMs regain to REV loudly. Pressed down on break harder and harder and could not control forward motion of car - almost bumped into car ahead of us. So, next put car in neutral and then in park then back in drive. Revving condition stopped. Made appointment with Kia dealership 6/1/23 to address, but I think this might be a recall condition to report.

Filed Apr 24, 2023 · Engine · 94,000 miles · TN

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle jerked significantly and hesitated to respond. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving under 40 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would jerk while at a complete stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer declined to cover the repair as the vehicle had passed the bearing clearance test. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Filed Apr 20, 2023 · Electrical, Engine · MI

Since I bought this car, I have experienced hesitation, stalling, high RPM idle, fluctuating idle, burning smell, lurching, running though gas very fast (not due to increased driving), engine noises, dash panel half lighting up, hard to accelerate when the headlights are on, or heat, or air con, odd noises..and through this entire time, check engine light comes on and off and on and off...along with my gas gauge saying empty when its full. I have reported ALL of this throughout the entire time since all bought it. Every single time they say "software update" and send me home with nothing ever fixed. EVER. Now again check engine and false fuel reading, hesitations, etc....again! This engine and fuel pump is bad and explains all of my complaints since 10kmiles. My car has under 80k mi on it, its been a lemon from the start. Hesitation with no pick-up at an intersection and noises....just beyond dangerous. I have not driven my car on the freeway in 5 years because itis not safe, but Kia NEVER checks out problems. They charge for inspection and say "software update". Its maddening.

Filed Dec 13, 2022 · Acceleration, Engine · NJ

The engine is the system that is malfunctioned and yes it is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle accelerates at a slower pace than actual acceleration pressure put on pedal and then it lurches/jerks forward at a fast pace and then slows down and repeats that process over and over. Yes the problem has been confirmed. It has been inspected by the dealership. Yes the warning lamps that often illuminate are the check engine light and the oil light. They first appeared to my knowledge on 01/2020. I have been told numerous times by the Kia dealership where I get the vehicle serviced as well as Kia America Inc. Corporate Headquarters, that the engine has a malfunction and needs to be replaced. I attempted to have this problem fixed and I have missed work and spent thousands of dollars for this vehicle to work correctly.

Filed Nov 28, 2022 · Engine · NC

My catalytic converter continuously fails. I have fixed it once, but yet my car still jerks and uses a lot of oil. As for being put at risk, my accelerator takes time to accelerate which can prevent any accidents on the road, putting myself and my family in danger. I have visited my local car dealer and they never mentioned anything about all the recalls my car had. I went in to get my airbags fixed but nothing was ever risen of the rest on the list. From what I know this car was never inspected by manufacturer police. I began to have this problem the first year (2020). This Kia Soul was purchased preowned, and was rarely use by its owner (Pristine Condition). Once I started to drive it more it began to jerk a lot, make clicking noises and the engine oil and check engine light would turn on. It took a while for it to even alert me. I paid all this out of pocket and wasn’t ever brought up anything about the recalls this car had.

Filed Oct 11, 2022 · Engine · TX

My car was jerking, and smoking broke down in OK, the mechanic that fixed my car told me to reach out to KIA and you because he said that Oil was leaking down into the coils and I was lucky that A. it didn't catch fire with me and my child in the car and B. that it didn't burn up my motor. Since this happened on 9/5/22 I have to put 2qts oil in my car ever week and half because the oil is "burning up". I have the receipt with details from the shop in Oklahoma. I have reached out to Kia several times, but nobody calls me back.

Filed May 4, 2021 · Engine · GA

On april 13, 2021 kia completed the recall for catalytic converter and and computer system recall/update. On april 13, 2021 I was traveling out of town when there was a rotten smell coming from the car. Then under the driver's seat started to feel warm, like it was heating up. The car then violently jerked and the RPM dropped suddenly and the car started shaking and sputtering and smoking from the exhaust, the check engine light began flashing as well. I got off on highway 151 in metter georgia and pulled over to a local gas station. I turned the car off and tried to call for help but didn't have a phone signal in the area. I had the car looked at by a local mechanic and was told that the catalytic converter failed causing the engine coil 3 to misfire because more than likely the part was faulty. The spark plugs were wet because the oil and fuel mix from what was described to me as blowback from the catalytic converter clogging the engine. The car doesn't go past 2000 rpms and it has little to no acceleration. Once kia got the car they're saying it could take almost 30 days to diagnose the car on their end. They're also saying that they possibly won't cover the engine work because the recall only covers the catalytic converter. I dispute that because the catalytic converter is the cause of the engine damage.

Filed Jan 11, 2021 · Engine · 154,000 miles · TX

December 2020 while driving on the freeway my 2014 kia soul started stalling and threatening to lose power, and then, without warning the engine light appeared. My car jerked and threatened to turn off-acceleration was decreased-it was very alarming and very sudden. The engine light stayed on for a few seconds then it started flashing off and on. I took my soul to a nearby mechanic and was informed that I needed motor. In september 2020 the same thing happened, my kia soul started stalling and jerking, engine light came on, I had decreased acceleration-started losing power. I was close to a kia dealership service center, at that time, and kia diagnosed my kia soul-and per the invoice there was a 'cylinder 3 misfire detected. Cylinder 3 coil has open circuit'. I paid $500.00+ in repairs. Three months later december 2020-same symptoms but worse, and now there is a much larger problem. I reached out to the kia dealership who performed the repair in september 2020, and informed them of the problem, and shared what the mechanic informed me of, and was told to bring it in for a diagnosis which would cost approximately $200.00, so that the kia service center could determine whether or not my soul needed a motor. I'm sorry, but I just paid $500.00+ for repairs in september 2020, and I had to pay $79.00+, to the mechanic who diagnosed my soul, I did not, and still do not, have $200.00 extra dollars for kia to run a diagnostic and give me the same diagnosis. Nor did I, or do I have, the extra money to tow my soul to kia. I had one tow, and I made the decision to have my kia soul towed to my residence where she sits today. Sadly in the cold weather, and during a pandemic, I have to seek a ride or take the bus to and from work, and the grocers etc.. This is not good for me or my family at this time.

Filed Oct 29, 2020 · Engine · 104,000 miles · NC

When I was driving today down the highway, the car started to jerk while I pushing on the accelerator. The engine light began to blink continuously. I get home safely and the car is still shaking. So I take it for an engine testing and come to find out cylinder 3 is misfiring and now the car won't even pull the hill.

Filed Sep 11, 2019 · Driver assistance, Lights · 5 miles · CA

Pretty much since I have had vehicle car jerks at time, check engine light comes on at times,the fuel needle drops up and down to empty even when I just filled it up. And rang number turns to lines and flashes like car fuel is empty even though it is full. Also left head light is burnt I replaced the bulb but it didn't fix issue. So I think the whole head lamp needs to be replaced. This was purchased like this. It seems there might be a emissions issue.