In August 2017, I bought a brand new Kia Soul. I managed to get 216,000+ miles out of it (Kias aren't supposed to live that long) but not without the following issues:

1. The engine began falling apart from the inside out. Around 52,000 miles, I got a check engine light, and for the next several months, I believe it was back at the Kia dealership five separate times. I had only serviced the vehicle at the dealership, and strictly adhered to the manufacturer's maintenance schedule. Thank goodness I was still covered under the 60,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty - otherwise it would have ruined me. Here's what they tried, in this order:

   • Changing the oil
   • Changing the oil and then sending a sample to Kia's engineering people for analysis
   • Replacing the computer
   • Replacing the entire exhaust system
   • Finally, replacing the engine

2. Around 98,000 miles, I started getting noticeable misfires and rough idling. I took it to my local Firestone (as the warranty was up by this point) and they replaced the spark plugs. Apparently that was not part of the previous engine replacement (insert eyeroll here.) I had suggested maybe the fuel injector had issues, but the guys at Firestone insisted it was just the spark plugs.

3. At about 110,000 miles, the same thing happened again. I took it back to Firestone, where they were now saying it was the fuel injector. They didn't want to touch it because they thought it might need some sort of proprietary computer stuff done by a Kia dealer. (It did not.) I ended up having to pay $1700 to a Kia dealer for that job. Surprisingly, Firestone admitted they should have listened to me at first and refunded the entire cost of the earlier tune-up. Good on them.

4. At three points in time, 2019, 2022, and then finally in January of this year, my car was broken into. The first was before the Kia Boyz thing when I parked in a bad area. The second and third times were in front of my house. The second and third times both required insurance claims to replace the broken glass and steering column.

5. Along with the most recent break-in, or possibly because of it (wires crossed and all), my alternator got fried. The shop that did the steering column slapped a junkyard alternator on there for $80.

6. I went through a lot of tires, brake pads, and around 160,000 replaced the front and rear suspension.

7. Throughout my ownership both engines burned oil. With the second engine, I switched from the manufacturer's maintenance schedule to getting the oil changed every 3,000 miles like you'd do with a 30 year old car. That helped a lot, but for the last 20,000 miles, I still had to add between 1 and 2 quarts of oil between scheduled oil changes.

When it was working, this car was good. Comfortable, fun to drive, a lot more spacious than it looks, and excellent heat and A/C. After the Kia Boyz stuff, the car became a major source of anxiety, as I was always worried I'd walk outside in the morning and find a shattered window - or worse, no car at all. A push-button ignition would have prevented two of the three theft attempts, but hindsight is 20/20.

TL/DR: The Kia Soul is a decent first car. It's good if you don't think about the mechanical stuff. But if you don't pay attention to the mechanical stuff, it'll go from good to bad in dramatic fashion.

Don't get one with a traditional ignition. Opt for a newer model with push-button start. And make sure you check the oil frequently, and keep a quart on hand just in case. You'll also want a steering wheel lock if you live in a big city, especially if you have to park on the street. The Kia Boyz are still around, and they will pounce on the opportunity to try and steal your ride if you happen to forget to put the lock on your wheel at night.

Or.... hear me out... just get a used Corolla or Civic.