Car stuck at dealer for 3 months awaiting warranty battery replacement (2017 Soul EV)

[ksoul2084]

Good the see you folks are finally getting your cars back. It will be interesting to see how the new SW performs over time in terms of generating warnings, etc. It seems like they determine a "false alarm" issue with the original SW, not that any explanation was provided by KIA.

Also, I can't believe they didn't even wash your car for you after all that time. KIA are the worst.

 

[Ationg]

I got my 2016 Soul back yesterday also after a software update. It charged up to 113 miles. Fingers crossed.

 

[RubberToe]

Wife is getting her 2015 Soul EV back today or tomorrow after 4 months in the shop. Will keep the thread here updated with the results. Just a SW update after they said they were waiting for a battery replacement.

RT

 

[Russwig]

It charged up to 98 mi at 100%. This was off my Level Two, 32 amp charger. So far so good!

 

[ClayPete]

Got mine back on Wednesday after 4 months. The range says 80 because it hasn't been able to reset yet - but I drove over 100 on a charge and had 10 left to go.

Woohoo! Glad the update seems to be working.

 

[kimdavi]

A question for those who had the turtle mode issue fixed with the newer BMS update: Has anyone had this update applied to a Soul that experienced a second turtle mode after receiving a replacement battery due to the first turtle mode triggered from battery fire recall?

 

[RubberToe]

Wife is getting her 2015 Soul EV back today or tomorrow after 4 months in the shop. Will keep the thread here updated with the results. Just a SW update after they said they were waiting for a battery replacement.

RT

Car has successfully done two days of commuting. Commute is 50 miles round trip. Keeping our fingers crossed.

RT

 

[kimdavi]

Car has successfully done two days of commuting. Commute is 50 miles round trip. Keeping our fingers crossed.

RT

Wife is getting her 2015 Soul EV back today or tomorrow after 4 months in the shop. Will keep the thread here updated with the results. Just a SW update after they said they were waiting for a battery replacement.

RT

Is Kia suggesting that with the recent BMS software update, which resolved the turtle-mode issue caused by the original BMS update, you no longer need a replacement battery?

 

[RubberToe]

Is Kia suggesting that with the recent BMS software update, which resolved the turtle-mode issue caused by the original BMS update, you no longer need a replacement battery?

I don't know what Kia is suggesting, but there was no work done on the battery, only a software update. The wife has been dealing with the situation. If you want, I can see if I can get the work invoice and provide further details. Let me know. That might provide software update details.

RT

 

[kimdavi]

I don't know what Kia is suggesting, but there was no work done on the battery, only a software update. The wife has been dealing with the situation. If you want, I can see if I can get the work invoice and provide further details. Let me know. That might provide software update details.

RT

Yes please.

 

[Ationg]

My car is still going after I got it back last week. It only got a sw update, no new battery--after 6 mths at the dealership waiting... I drove it down to 40% and have since charged it back to 100% / 115 miles which it went to from 85 / 90 miles once they changed the harnesses and it went to turtle mode. Fingers crossed.

 

[ksoul2084]

So it seems like KIA's new BMS and SW to catch potential battery failures that could cause a dangerous fire was either too conservative and flagged a bunch of safe batteries erroneously, causing 6 months of needless grief and disruption for many of you, or once KIA saw the large number of battery replacements they were facing tweaked exactly what "safe" means in the SW to reduce the numbers. It will be interesting to see how many (or if any) batteries are flagged by the BMS SW going forward.

Either way we're the 1st generation guinea pigs for KIA's EV learning curve.

If KIA was smart they'd offer every 1st gen Soul EV owner a massive discount on a current EV model as a show of goodwill for their extremely patient customers.

 

[kimdavi]

Here’s the latest update on my ongoing battery recall saga:

Last September, a BMS update triggered a cell voltage warning (turtle mode). As a result, Kia approved and installed a replacement battery on October 31, 2023. I thought I was lucky to be one of the first to get a replacement and felt pretty happy. Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived. Within two weeks, the dreaded turtle mode was back and has been constant ever since. I was hopeful this week when the latest BMS software update came through.

After three days of waiting, Kia service finally called. They told me I need yet another battery replacement. Stay tuned—next week I’ll find out how long my third battery replacement will take.

 

[JejuSoul]

Here’s the latest update on my ongoing battery recall saga

After three days of waiting, Kia service finally called. They told me I need yet another battery replacement. Stay tuned—next week I’ll find out how long my third battery replacement will take.

I'm not surprised. All the battery data you have provided over the last few months suggested the replacement battery you had been given was a Frankenstein mix with cells of varying capacities.
It was bound to fail any BMS check.

Supposedly Kia has terminated the contract with the Re-Manufacturer, which hopefully means you will get a replacement battery with new cells. Let's hope it's not a long wait.

 

[kimdavi]

I'm not surprised. All the battery data you have provided over the last few months suggested the replacement battery you had been given was a Frankenstein mix with cells of varying capacities.
It was bound to fail any BMS check.

Supposedly Kia has terminated the contract with the Re-Manufacturer, which hopefully means you will get a replacement battery with new cells. Let's hope it's not a long wait.

Where did you get this information about the re-manufacturer termination?

 

[JordanRieger]

OP here: Important to note that my problem (and many others' in this thread) is NOT the recall/BMS/harness update, but rather the original battery SOH simply degrading earlier than designed. No recall or update was done on my car before the degradation started at around 50K miles.

In the meantime, as no ETA on the battery replacement was ever provided, I've agreed to a buyback offer, and I'm relieved that it was reasonable. Maybe 10~20% lower than market value, but that's debatable. Strangely, they based it on the original purchase price I paid for the vehicle, minus mileage incurred since then, which I think is the wrong approach. (What if I bought it for $1 from my uncle?) Still a few steps to get to the actual legal "surrender" of the vehicle and receiving my cheque for payment.

Will update here as I go through the process.

 

[Nigel]

Just picking up on the thread of harness change and increased range - We had our battery replaced a couple of years ago (E400 cells I think). It took a while but Covid was going on then so understandable. Since then all has been good. Got the recall for SW update and harness change done when the recall came out and this is our first period of warm weather since it was done. Winter range reduction out of the way we are now seeing a real range of 115-120 miles on our 2016 Soul EV. Impressed with our local dealer here in Burlington, Ontario - very knowledgeable and responsive to customer problems.

 

[edman98]

Our 2015 Soul EV was out of warranty over 100k miles and had battery replaced once. Since then full charge was steady at ~70mi

After wiring harness recall and subsequent 6 mo of BMS and refurb battery replacement, now at ~95mi and thus far been working great

Kia HQ is offering $3500 Goodwill Offer “as full settlement of your concerns” and keep car, guessing to waive any future liabilities (maybe if house burns down while charging). Other option is that Kia will repurchase at purchase price minus “deduction for use”

Anyone taking these options?

 

[spidermonkey]

OP here: Important to note that my problem (and many others' in this thread) is NOT the recall/BMS/harness update, but rather the original battery SOH simply degrading earlier than designed. No recall or update was done on my car before the degradation started at around 50K miles.

In the meantime, as no ETA on the battery replacement was ever provided, I've agreed to a buyback offer, and I'm relieved that it was reasonable. Maybe 10~20% lower than market value, but that's debatable. Strangely, they based it on the original purchase price I paid for the vehicle, minus mileage incurred since then, which I think is the wrong approach. (What if I bought it for $1 from my uncle?) Still a few steps to get to the actual legal "surrender" of the vehicle and receiving my cheque for payment.

Will update here as I go through the process.

Yeah, my problem was the battery degrading ahead of schedule. Nothing to do with wiring or software. I'm waiting for a buy out offer on my car as well, but the more I think about it the less likely I am to accept the offer. My car, which I am certain is similar to yours, has less than forty thousand miles on the clock, my car still has that "new car smell". There is no meaningful buy out they can offer me that will afford me a vehicle in the same condition. I will not purchase another Kia, ever.

Kia sold us a vehicle with a warranty, thats their contract and they should honor it. They should figure it out. They should make it work.

 

[spidermonkey]

Our 2015 Soul EV was out of warranty over 100k miles and had battery replaced once. Since then full charge was steady at ~70mi

After wiring harness recall and subsequent 6 mo of BMS and refurb battery replacement, now at ~95mi and thus far been working great

Kia HQ is offering $3500 Goodwill Offer “as full settlement of your concerns” and keep car, guessing to waive any future liabilities (maybe if house burns down while charging). Other option is that Kia will repurchase at purchase price minus “deduction for use”

Anyone taking these options?

Interesting information. I think a "Good Will" payment is the least they could do.

When the day finally arrives and I have my car back with a new battery I would certainly agree to a voided warranty and a "Good Will" check. I'm not giving them back my car.

I'm not sure how much money it cost you while your car was in the shop, but I know how much its been costing me to have my car sitting at the shop month after month.