NHTSA Complaint #11384121 — 2017 KIA SOUL

WHEN CRANKING MY VEHICLE ON MONDAY EVENING, 12/14, APPROXIMATELY 40 DEGREES OUTSIDE, I NOTICED A NOISE AFTER INITIAL STARTUP THAT SOUNDS LIKE WHEN YOU PUT A CARD OR A SODA CAN ON THE TIRE OF YOUR BIKE. THE NOISE DIDN'T CONTINUE SO I DROVE IT HOME, APPROXIMATELY 17 MILES FROM WHERE IT WAS PARKED INITIALLY. I DIDN'T HEAR IT ON THE DRIVE HOME, UNTIL I ROLLED DOWN MY WINDOW SLIGHTLY AS I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT, AND IT WAS MAKING THE SAME TICKING NOISE, BUT MUCH LOUDER, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED MY FIANCE, AND WHEN I PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY HE IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED I TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. PULLED THE OIL STICK, AND NOTED THAT IT WAS ALMOST BONE DRY. WHICH IS CRAZY BECAUSE WE PERFORM ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON MY CAR, AS IT'S THE DAILY DRIVER FOR MY 7 YEAR OLD AND MYSELF. THE LAST OIL CHANGE WAS ROUGHLY END OF SEPTEMBER. HE PUT OIL IN IT, AND HOPED IT WOULD STOP THE NOISE, BUT IT DIDN'T. AFTER HAVING IT EVALUATED, WE'RE TOLD IT WILL NEED A NEW MOTOR. I CALLED KIA, AND EVEN THOUGH THE PREVIOUS YEAR MODELS 2012-16 ALL HAVE THESE SAME EXACT ISSUES, THEY WILL NOT FIX THE MOTOR, SINCE THERE ISN'T A RECALL ISSUED FOR MY YEAR MODEL YET. THIS IS SO CONCERNING, AS MY CAR IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD, AND IT HAS BEEN TAKEN SUCH GOOD CARE OF.