[pnoman]

Our town has some good potholes, but none like the one I "discovered" last night coming home from our Saturday evening service at church. It was dark, raining, and the road was awash with snow/slush runoff since the temps suddenly jumped to 35F. Needless to say, it was hard to see any detail in the road ahead. At about 30MPH, I hit the mother of all potholes past, present, and future. After the obligatory ^$&*#%# (now I need to go back to church for more forgiveness), I made it home and checked the tire/wheel for damage. None visually, but I'm wondering if it screwed up anything in the alignment and/or suspension. Since I just bought a new set of tires, I think I will splurge and go have it checked tomorrow at the local KIA dealer (a very honest dealership). It will be the first alignment check since new, and it has 32K miles and quite a few potholes on it's resume.

BTW - I drove by the pothole today, and there is an orange cone in it now - and it appears the base of the cone is at least 6 or 8 inches under water. The hole itself is almost square (about 24 inches each side) and the far side was perpendicular across the lane, like running straight into a 6-inch-high square curb at 30MPH. Ouch!

I drove the car about 80 miles on the interstate today and it seems OK - not pulling to one side or the other. Still tracking straight ahead.

QUESTION: Have any of you had any suspension/alignment damage due to potholes? Lucky I have the base model with 15-inch tires and steel wheels. I'm sure if I had low-profile tires, I would be buying a new rim.

I will update after I have it checked.

 

[Shaggy Wierdo]

If it were a major pot hole, it would have swallowed up a poor little soul . I have hit a few though and no damage on any of the cars from pot holes. Of course, here in Kentucky we don't have as big of ones as you guys to the east have. Good luck.

 

[TechnoMage]

Pnoman,
Sounds like we drive almost identical cars, mileage included. In 32k miles, I've hit some really bone jarring holes, but so far, there has been NO damage to the front end suspension, drive train, or wheel rims.

I don't want to go crazy and say the Kia Soul is built like an Army Tank, but...... it IS hard to hurt.

Recently, I did think I might have an alignment problem, because the car would head for the right shoulder when I'd let go of the steering wheel.
But after I rotated my tires and cleaned all the caked mud and sand out of the wheels, the apparent alignment problem was GONE. So I'm still running on the factory alignment, and going strong.

I always tighten my lug nuts with a Torque Wrench, set to 65 Ft/Lbs, as per my Kia Service Manager. Incorrect torque on your lug nuts can cause a wheel to warp and cause all sorts of ride and steering problems.

Good Luck!

 

[MT-ED]

Toronto is Pothole Hell every Winter/Spring and I've hit plenty, with (fingers crossed) no damage to either steel Winter wheels or aftermarket alloys during the Summer. But I know 2 people who've destroyed OEM KIA alloy rims by hitting potholes. I guess there's lots of factors at work that dictate whether you get away with it or not.

 

[jtgraphics]

One good reason not to run 17-18 or larger low profile wheels its not a hi speed sports car

Hope its nothing major!

 

[pnoman]

I don't want to go crazy and say the Kia Soul is built like an Army Tank, but...... it IS hard to hurt.

Well, apparently you are not wrong in your assessment (at least the part about the Soul being built like a tank LOL) - The alignment tech said I could watch, and when he hooked everything up and turned on the screen, all of the arrows were DEAD CENTER except front camber, which was still within specs (barely) but symmetrical on driver & passenger side front. And, no charge. (I did slip the tech a generous tip)

Sorry for the incredibly long run-on sentence

jtgraphics - Yes, that's another reason I went with the Base Soul and 15-inchers.

BTW - I went over to take a photo of the pothole early this morning, and it had already been filled in and neatly blacktopped - not just patched, but rolled smooth. My guess is that someone important hit it too. There are dozens of huge potholes around town that have not been touched for two years, and this one gets fixed in just over 24 hours??? Hmmmm.......

 

[TechnoMage]

I thank Goodness and Kia, every day, that my little Gertrude came with 15" STEEL wheels.
I won't go into all the Mechanical Engineering reasons why they work so well or why I love them, but suffice to say, "I DO!".

The biggest and most powerful car I ever owned, had 15" steel wheels. That car would have probably destroyed anything less.

Cheers Mates!

TechnoMage

 

[Buzz]

One good reason not to run 17-18 or larger low profile wheels its not a hi speed sports car

Hope its nothing major!

Yup did that when my Soul was new....had the dealer switch from 18's to 16's. Everyone laughed at me then....but who's laughing now!

 

[Stvek]

Yup did that when my Soul was new....had the dealer switch from 18's to 16's. Everyone laughed at me then....but who's laughing now!

I should've done that when I bought mine, the 18" rims were one thing I didn't like about the ! .
I have 15" winter tires so by the time I switch back to the 18s the winter pot holes have been filled!

 

[jdmartin]

I've been pretty fortunate to avoid most potholes, but the few good ones I've hit don't seem to have had any effect on the car whatsoever.

 

[Neanderthal]

I can't comment about potholes, I so far have avoided the big ones. knock knock knock.

I did have the alignment checked before our 2000 mile trip. It was spot on, just like my other Soul. And unlike my Charger and 200, which both needed adjustment.

 

[jtgraphics]

Well, apparently you are not wrong in your assessment (at least the part about the Soul being built like a tank LOL) - The alignment tech said I could watch, and when he hooked everything up and turned on the screen, all of the arrows were DEAD CENTER except front camber, which was still within specs (barely) but symmetrical on driver & passenger side front. And, no charge. (I did slip the tech a generous tip)

Sorry for the incredibly long run-on sentence

jtgraphics - Yes, that's another reason I went with the Base Soul and 15-inchers.

BTW - I went over to take a photo of the pothole early this morning, and it had already been filled in and neatly blacktopped - not just patched, but rolled smooth. My guess is that someone important hit it too. There are dozens of huge potholes around town that have not been touched for two years, and this one gets fixed in just over 24 hours??? Hmmmm.......

Not sure of your area but n some cases you can document the case report it send in your repair bills and city will pay!
Check into it.

 

[pnoman]

Not sure of your area but n some cases you can document the case report it send in your repair bills and city will pay!
Check into it.

I was ready to document and file, but luckily no damage other than a sore jaw from clenching my teeth at the impact. (I was a paralegal in the US Air Force and remember the importance of documentation)

 

[BondiBlue]

Our roads are junk here as the end of winter is approaching and the plows and snow/ice have done their damage. I have to say this little thing handles them quite well considering the short wheel base. Having the 15" wheels and tires with lots of sidewall help I'm sure.

 

[Sintacks]

I bought my '15 in Oct and hit a hole at a cross walk made of brick at about 30... so I hit a 4 inch right angle piece of granite (the outsides of the brick crosswalk) and it cut the tire in 5 spots and put a very minor dent in the wheel. This was at 3600 miles. Didn't have any issues with the car itself. I was out of a car for 18 hours though. It happened late evening and the tire was too damaged to use the kit. Didn't cost me anything because I have a road hazard plan.

This is the hole I hit. I sat with the car after I turned off the road to park for about 20 or 25 minutes and then I wanted to go see the hole so I walked back. When I got there, there was a cone in the hole, that wasn't there when I hit it.

This is the hole. Can't really see depth but meh.

 

[pnoman]

I bought my '15 in Oct and hit a hole at a cross walk made of brick at about 30... so I hit a 4 inch right angle piece of granite (the outsides of the brick crosswalk) and it cut the tire in 5 spots and put a very minor dent in the wheel. This was at 3600 miles. Didn't have any issues with the car itself. I was out of a car for 18 hours though. It happened late evening and the tire was too damaged to use the kit. Didn't cost me anything because I have a road hazard plan.

This is the hole I hit. I sat with the car after I turned off the road to park for about 20 or 25 minutes and then I wanted to go see the hole so I walked back. When I got there, there was a cone in the hole, that wasn't there when I hit it.

This is the hole. Can't really see depth but meh.

OUCH! I would definitely be filing a claim against the city or whoever is responsible for the crosswalk. Glad your car wasn't damaged beyond the wheel/tire.

Where in WV? I am in Morgantown.




.

 

[Bud16415]

I live in the pot hole capital of the world. When we bought the ! I took a look at the 18” wheels and thought how stupid in this area to have them on there. Talked it thru with the dealer and he said there is nothing he can say as to what wheels they come with if you want the ! package you get the 18’s.

I went home with the new car and started looking for used steel wheels, very easy to find once you know there are a many cars using that size rim. I had 16’s on within a few days of getting the soul. And I’m very glad I did because I have clobbered some dandies this winter. The dirt roads now are more pot hole than they are road and the paved roads have the huge blowouts like you hit. My plan was to put the 18’s on come spring but over the winter I collected more nice aluminum wheels and I might just get a set of 16’s for summer and keep the 18’s for going on trips south or something. So far the car with 16” studded snow tires has done very well with pot holes and the over 100” of snow we have had so far this winter. Ice storm coming in tonight so I’m glad I have studs.

 

[The Sradiator]

I should've done that when I bought mine, the 18" rims were one thing I didn't like about the ! .
I have 15" winter tires so by the time I switch back to the 18s the winter pot holes have been filled!

I'm in ny as well (queens)
By the time the potholes are filled, it will be winter once again!

 

[The Sradiator]

Here in NY, when out potholes get BIG enough, we rent them out as studio apartments!
I saw a family of 4 living in one nearby.

 

[MT-ED]

This just opened up bigger after we had some thaw. It's just 2 streets from our place and right on the right-hand wheel line imposed by the width of the road and the ice build up in the curb. I always go onto the centre of the road to avoid it.

Kind of like an Iceberg, there's much more below the waterline.