[goldtop]

Looking at the Kia Soul EV and the ones available in the Kia dealerships - Approved Used cars. From £9200 for one with 80,000m on the clock, others are around £10,500. Many are not much more expensive than the asking prices for private sales on AT/Ebay/etc. They have some of the 7-yr warranty left and Kia says that's extendable, which could be useful for a 2015 car.

Anyone know a typical cost for extending it?

(Not called my local Kia dealership yet. I want to wise up before speaking to the blood-suckers.)

 

[IanL]

If the extended warranty covers the main battery, it would be well worth having.
If you are buying from a Kia dealer, I strongly recommend you insist on a KDS printout of the battery SOH. See this thread. If it is a healthy 90% or so, you can buy with confidence. If its below 70%, or just above, I would not buy unless the battery is replaced.

 

[goldtop]

Thanks, excellent question to ask (KDS).

 

[SoulGW]

I dont know if the warranty will be a Kia one or the dealers own - something to check

 

[Sputnik72]

If the extended warranty covers the main battery, it would be well worth having.
If you are buying from a Kia dealer, I strongly recommend you insist on a KDS printout of the battery SOH. See this thread. If it is a healthy 90% or so, you can buy with confidence. If its below 70%, or just above, I would not buy unless the battery is replaced.

I asked for this when mine was serviced at Kia in Derby in December, they wouldn't provide it, after I told them I'd seen people getting them on here before, they checked with Kia and were told that they should not provide it. They told me a SOH check on the battery should only be done if there is concern about the condition of the battery. Needless to say I'll be using a different dealership for my next service..

 

[IanL]

What a peculiar decision. Does KIA imagine that, by withholding the information, they acquire some benefit? It can only sow suspicion and distrust. I suspect their cash flow is suffering from the number of battery replacements they have had to make, so their approach is to attempt to put off the evil day.

 

[SoulGW]

How many battery replacements have they made?

I know of a few guys who work for Kia, and not one dealership they know of have had to replace a single traction battery - so how many is it do you know?

 

[Sputnik72]

What a peculiar decision. Does KIA imagine that, by withholding the information, they acquire some benefit? It can only sow suspicion and distrust. I suspect their cash flow is suffering from the number of battery replacements they have had to make, so their approach is to attempt to put off the evil day.

Not sure, and to tell you the truth they were pretty clueless to be honest. When I initially asked for a report on the health of the battery they gave me a printout stating the 12V battery was in excellent health!! I've not heard of too many UK cars having to have replacement packs? I've mainly read about lots of cars on the Facebook groups having new packs in the States / Canada... unless I'm missing something.

 

[SoulGW]

I’m not aware of any, but the sales of Soul / e-Niro globally have been huge and battery replacement a mere handful - I doubt it’s impacted cash flow by as much as the head office coffee bill!

I know some other manufacturers with major problems, not Kia

 

[IanL]

There have been a considerable number of cases in South California and Arizona (the heat). Also in South Korea (Probably hot there in summer, too). The early cars there apparently did not have battery cooling - hence the afterthought fan unit in the spare wheel well in the boot, or so I'm told. Probably the reason the North American side of KIA have not marketed the 2020 model in the US, only in Canada.

 

[IanL]

My impression is that the dealers are strongly briefed by KIA, and the instructions are from Head Office in Korea, in which case the UK policy would be affected by the experience in North America.

You can get a feel for the numbers from this board, which is largely used by North Americans: Link

 

[MarkyM]

I’m not aware of any, but the sales of Soul / e-Niro globally have been huge and battery replacement a mere handful - I doubt it’s impacted cash flow by as much as the head office coffee bill!

I know some other manufacturers with major problems, not Kia

I am not sure you can now say that. Hyundai and Kia by association are going to mount one of the biggest ever recalls to change their batteries due to an apparent (small) risk of fire when fast charging.
And in terms of the dealers, I would not expect any of them to have needed to change many batteries as the cars are so new- in practice 3- 4 years old. Still early days. When they are 7-10 years old, that is what we want to see. Not just Hyundai/Kia but all batteries from all makes. There has always been a suggestion from the beginning that an EV's battery would need replacement after 8 years or so but that SEEMS to have been disproved by Tesla etc.
But buying second hand I would want and I think it should be a standard request and criteria before selling a second hand EV by a dealer to know the battery SoH.
We are a 2 EV family already so I am interested in the answer.

 

[SoulGW]

I’ve heard nothing from Kia about a recall?

Although Hyundai and Kia same parent company, quite possibly only a batch of batteries affected?

 

[MarkyM]

I’ve heard nothing from Kia about a recall?

Although Hyundai and Kia same parent company, quite possibly only a batch of batteries affected?

Hyundai recalls electric cars due to battery fire risk

Hyundai will recall 82,000 electric cars globally in order to replace their battery packs due to a fire risk.

www.fleetnews.co.uk

 

[freddym]

Wow, this thread probably of nil significance to UK owners of 27 and 30kWh Souls😜

 

[MarkyM]

Hyundai recalls electric cars due to battery fire risk

Hyundai will recall 82,000 electric cars globally in order to replace their battery packs due to a fire risk.

www.fleetnews.co.uk

OK. Looks like I may buy a Kia instead!

 

[GMat]

I’ve heard nothing from Kia about a recall?

Although Hyundai and Kia same parent company, quite possibly only a batch of batteries affected?

Hyundai UK has not released any details of the recall yet even though it is quite widely known in the press.
You won't hear anything from Kia about this battery recall because it does not affect the eNiro or 64kwh Soul, It relates to LG batteries and Kia uses SK batteries.

 

[SoulGW]

I did wonder if they were different