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Adding light duty trailer hitch - warranty?

10K views 31 replies 17 participants last post by  soulman420 
#1 ·
Just wondering if adding a trailer hitch to pull a single motorcycle trailer would cause me any grief should l have a drive train warranty claim sometime in the future. 2015 base M6.
 
#5 ·
I agree as is most always the case whatever happens they have to show your actions caused it. Even if the owner's manual said trailer hitches are prohibited (and it does not say that in mine) they still would have to show using one caused whatever the warranty claim is. They may have an easier path to do it if you do something prohibited.
 
#6 ·
Could you just remove the trailer hitch before bringing the car in IF a warranty issue crops up? I don’t know how the hitches are installed, so I don’t know if it would be readily apparent that you’d had one.

I thought I remembered reading somewhere that in the UK the Soul is rated to trailer 1,000 pounds, but I can’t remember offhand where I saw it. That might be worth looking into. If so, it would seem to indicate the car is capable of light duty towing, but maybe recommendations are more conservative in the U.S. Unless the vehicles have vastly different specs overseas, knowing the towing capacity allowed in other countries would give you an idea of what might be a reasonable amount to haul that wouldn’t compromise your vehicle’s performance or lifespan. If you always stayed within that limit, I don’t think it would be sneaky to remove the trailer hitch — it would just prevent a possible unnecessary snafu with warranty coverage. But it wouldn’t be cool if you exceeded that weight, hauled way beyond what you should, broke something, then removed the hitch and pretended you’d never towed anything and claimed a repair under warranty. (I’m sure you wouldn’t do that.)
 
#7 ·
Could you just remove the trailer hitch before bringing the car in IF a warranty issue crops up? I don’t know how the hitches are installed, so I don’t know if it would be readily apparent that you’d had one.
...
Removing a hitch could be a pain, plus cars don't usually suffer from catastrophic failures conveniently in your driveway.
 
#13 ·
Hello, I had a hitch installed by the KIA dealership I bought it from. When I bought the car I worked it out that they threw in the hitch and installation. I love it and it works great. I pull a 5x8 aluminum trailer with no issues. I take it easy and never go very far, but use it often. I never pull heavy loads. Maybe a few hundred pounds at most. I make sure to regularly change my oil, but my 2015 Soul has been awesome. I would never recommend removing it after installation unless you are going to keep it off. Too many issues could happen. Good luck and happy towing.
 
#16 ·
Conflicting info?

I've had same question for sometime now as I am looking to add a jetski to the family. I found some conflicting information: The US and Canada Soul owner manuals say towing is "not recommended" but the KIA UK site says yes you can tow. Beside steering wheel on "wrong side" ;-) and Metric labelling I assume car/drivetrain is same around the world?
I searched the site and found this post from 2009 where several members say they do tow.

So am still a bit confused on what to do. Did you decide?

https://www.kiasoulforums.com/16-owners-photo-gallery/1938-summer-toy-hauling.html
 
#17 ·
I've had same question for sometime now as I am looking to add a jetski to the family. I found some conflicting information: The US and Canada Soul owner manuals say towing is "not recommended" but the KIA UK site says yes you can tow. Beside steering wheel on "wrong side" ;-) and Metric labelling I assume car/drivetrain is same around the world?
I searched the site and found this post from 2009 where several members say they do tow.

So am still a bit confused on what to do. Did you decide?
no, drive-trains can be different on European Souls. EG: they get diesel engines, Canada and US don't.
 
#18 ·
My only advice is use common sense. If you are only towing it a short distance and not going up and down big hills or doing anything to put major strain on your engine or transmission, you'll be fine. Follow the guidelines. Keep the load light and you will be fine. When driving with my trailer, I shift the transmission manually and take it off automatic. I do not want to make the engine "lug" at all. I'd rather increase the RPM more and not put so much torque on the engine. So far, 3 years of towing and no issues at all. PS - I also make sure to never go over 55 mph when towing and take my time. Also make sure to get the correct t-switch as the 2015 Soul has LED lights. Good luck.
 
#21 ·
DBM — a google search about whether installing a hitch voids the warranty shows that this is a widespread concern, with lots of folks afraid it might void coverage, but I didn’t see anyone relating a direct experience to that effect. A lot of people share your concern. Only you can decide if the potential risk of some warranty repair possibly being denied in the future outweighs the benefit of towing what you’re wanting to tow.

For a more definitive answer, you could look into the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and/or talk to someone in the Kia service department to see if they give you an answer you feel comfortable with.

One factor to consider is would the trailer require wiring? If so, it wouldn’t be so easy to say you just used it for a hitch mounted bike rack.
 
#22 ·
Also, Magnuson-Moss would require Kia to PROVE that installing a hitch/towing caused a failure, but I’m assuming if you have a trailer hitch with wiring they would probably at least TRY to deny your claim. They’d have to prove you caused the damage, but that requires labor for them to investigate. You might be on the hook for the tear-down costs if the decision doesn’t come back in your favor. It sounds like a potential headache.
 
#23 ·
I tow my bike 750lbs and trailer 220lbs all over the place and have zero issues and have been doing this for over two years. If you have steep hills or worse you will be shifting into 5th and maybe into 4th once in a while. Fuel milage will drop 4 to 5 mpg.

 
#24 ·
I tow a small trailer with no issues. I had read somewhere that the towing capacity was 1,000 lbs. I wouldn't even come close. The hitch is removable and the wiring is as well. They would have to prove it was the hitch that caused the issue to deny the warranty claim and that's just way too hard.
 
#25 ·
Australian rules towing.

(I haven't posted enough yet to add a link, so here are the important bits.)

Towing Capacity
Towing capacity unbraked (kg) 550
Towing capacity braked (kg) 1,100
Max. towball download (kg) 130

It's in Kg, so you might have to buy a Canadian trailer.
 
#28 ·
It's a bolt on, but some, including me, have had issues with the mounting holes aligning properly. I was able to attach one side and then use a jack to align the other, but some have had to enlarge the holes.

Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk
 
#31 ·
DBM, great bike!! I had one when they first came out. There is an outstanding CB1100 forum online as well. The only things I added were foam grip covers and bar end weights. Could be a little "buzzy" after awhile. Oh, I also added brake lever and clutch lever "thingies" go on the CB forum to find out what I'm talking about.
 
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