NHTSA Complaint #10733190 — 2013 KIA SOUL

BOUGHT THE KIA SOUL NEW IN AUGUST 2012. SINCE NOVEMBER 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 30K MILES THE CAR HAS DEVELOPED A SUDDEN PRONOUNCED HARD DOWNSHIFT IN THE TRANSMISSION WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO A STOP. IT'S AS THOUGH THE BRAKE WERE ABRUPTLY APPLIED. THIS HAS BEEN A CONSTANT PROBLEM SINCE THEN BEING WORSE IN COLD WEATHER AND MADE DRIVING THE CAR A SAFETY CONCERN. THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE KIA WESTSIDE DEALER IN KATY TEXAS THREE TIMES THUS FAR. FIRST TIME THEY DEALERSHIP CHECKED BRAKES ONLY DESPITE BEING TOLD IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION THAT WAS SUDDEN HARD DOWNSHIFTING; THEY DID NOT TEST DRIVE THE CAR. WE WERE TOLD ONLY THE BRAKES WERE CHECKED AND ARE GOOD. SECOND TIME THE SAME SERVICE DEPARTMENT TEST DROVE THE CAR EARLY IN MORNING AND EXPERIENCED THE SUDDEN HARD DOWNSHIFT AND AGREED THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THE DEALER STATED THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED; CANNOT CONFIRM, WILL ASSUME THEY DID. THE PROBLEM STILL REMAINED ABSOLUTELY NO CHANGE. THE CAR WENT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR A THIRD TRY A MONTH LATER. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT THEN CONTACTED THE KIA TECHNICAL SUPPORT DEPARTMENT; THE DEALERSHIP WAS TOLD THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AS IT IS DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED. THE DEALERSHIP AT THE TIME HAD ANOTHER 2023 KIA SOUL IN WITH SAME PROBLEM AND CHECKING INTERNET FOUND OTHER OWNERS OF KIA'S WITH SAME COMPLAINT. THE SAFETY IN DRIVING THE CAR IS A CONCERN NOW WITH A MIND THAT IT WILL GET WORSE AND PERHAPS LATER CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.