[KiaSoulOwner2015]

Hello All,

I own a 2015 Kia Soul Exclaim, I've been driving it since 2016 and put about 95K miles on it. Well last week the original tires Nexen 235/45 R18 started to show some wear of an alignment problem. I took it to the KIA dealership and they put a brand new set of Nexen 235/45 R18 tires on the car and did a wheel alignment as well as wheel balance. They told me everything looks good mechanically with the car other then it needed to tires and alignment. Well after I left the dealership it didn't take me long to notice it rides rough now, its very bumpy and just not a comfortable ride as it was before, I took it back to the dealership to have them inspect the work they did and they weren't too happy with me suggesting maybe they didn't do a good job. They drove it around and then put it up on the rack and inspected it and said they cant see any issue with the car and it felt fine to them. Have any of you had any experience like this when changing the tires of your KIA soul? I'm at a loss as what to do about it other then maybe taking it to another shop and god forbid buying another set of tires.
I guess my question is can any of you guys think of a reason why the ride would feel so much different with basically the same tires that it had before except for that the tires are brand new?

 

[Hammerhead]

Maybe 1 or more of the new tires are out of round.

 

[KiaSoulOwner2015]

Thanks for the reply Hammerhead, what do you mean by out of round, like they are not balanced? I have considered taking the car to NTB and asking them to give me a second opinion on if the tires were balanced correctly

 

[Nobutter69]

Can you clarify what you mean by bumpy ride? Does the car shake, steering wheel shake, feel rough over bumps? Absolutely amazed that you got 95k out of a set of tires, that might actually be a record! Did they give you a reason for needing an alignment. Generally an alignment doesn't just "go bad." It is usually because of a bad or worn part or bushing, and if the alignment was off the whole time, there is no way you got that mileage out of a single set of tires. In the end, just let us know if it is a shaking, or vibration, or just hitting bumps hard, and where you are feeling it in the car!

 

[Tree 44]

If it’s just harsh on bumpy/rough road, check the tire pressure. Do it when the tires are cold, at least 3 hours after driving or first thing in the morning. It may be the tires are way over inflated.

 

[KiaSoulOwner2015]

Hello Nobutter69 thanks for the reply, the steering wheel doesn't shake, I'm mainly feeling a much more bumpy ride on the floor board and and my seat its as if the car is more bouncy, but if I let go of the steering wheel the car remains perfectly straight while driving so I feel confident the wheels are aligned correctly. Yea man I did 95k on the same set of tires, it was mostly highway driving and I drove the car like an old lady so maybe that's why I haven't required a new set of tires. The dealership said maybe I had hit a really large pothole which might have caused the cars wheels to become so out of alignment, and I do hit a lot of pot holes out here in Houston so that would make sense, but other then that they said they couldn't find anything mechanically wrong with the car

 

[Hank3]

As @Tree 44 pointed out, check to see if the tires are overinflated (don't check right after you've driven - wait till it cools). I believe the OEM recommendation is 32 PSI (check your driver's side door sticker to confirm).

 

[Nobutter69]

Yeah, overinflated tires is where I was headed if all else seemed ok as well.

 

[KiaSoulOwner2015]

Thanks guys I'm gonna check the pressure on the tires, the dealership said they checked that this morning. On my way home from work it felt really bumpy and just weird so I set an appoint at firestone their going to check to see if the tires are aligned and balanced

 

[MonsterSoul]

You got the same size and even same brand tire as before. This can make a difference. So that question is out.
I also suspect tire pressure too high.

 

[KiaSoulOwner2015]

Hey guys thanks for all the replies, I took it to firestone this morning and they said the back wheels needed to be balanced, they checked the tire pressure and said that was correct. I paid them to do a wheel balance and to check to see if the wheels were properly aligned. They said that the front right tire was very slightly out of alignment even though the dealership just aligned the tires last week. I did not pay them to do another alignment because I wanted to see if the wheel balancing would fix the issue. It drives slightly better but after leaving firestone but overall its still kind of a rough ride compared to before.

 

[MonsterSoul]

Hey guys thanks for all the replies, I took it to firestone this morning and they said the back wheels needed to be balanced, they checked the tire pressure and said that was correct. I paid them to do a wheel balance and to check to see if the wheels were properly aligned. They said that the front right tire was very slightly out of alignment even though the dealership just aligned the tires last week. I did not pay them to do another alignment because I wanted to see if the wheel balancing would fix the issue. It drives slightly better but after leaving firestone but overall its still kind of a rough ride compared to before.

So a second opinion, which is never a bad thing. Sounds like it is in spec. Hmm....

Can you drive on a while and recalibrate your seat of the pants feel butt o meter?
I got nothing else.

 

[SnotRocket]

Is it possible you had been driving on the old set under-inflated?
This would have given a softer ride.

 

[SailDesign]

After 95k miles on the original set, they might simply have started to delaminate in the sidewall, which would give a softer (and more dangerous) ride.

 

[Soul.Master.007]

Check the manufacturing Date...!!! They may be OLD Stock... I don't think they make them any more .Nexen 235/45 R18.. WalMart was dumping Old Stock Tires in that size for $99.00 each installed and balanced... They were 2 years Old... Tires are rated for 6 years from New...
Note: To bad you didn't come here first... We would have told you to go to Discount Tire Store, and Get Michelin Touring Tires, and Road Force Balancing... "Be Happy All Day Long"

 

[Neanderthal]

KiaSoulOwner, are you out there? What was the outcome of your investigation?

If it’s just harsh on bumpy/rough road, check the tire pressure. Do it when the tires are cold, at least 3 hours after driving or first thing in the morning. It may be the tires are way over inflated.

 

[Rock the Box]

If you're vehicle was parked for a long time the tire(s) could be flat-spotted. You could have them all dismounted and the insides checked for belt separation. Or buy new tires.

 

[Soul.Master.007]

Yes, the Nixen's were the WORST flat spotting tires I ever Owned....!!!... I had 3 of them with belt separations all at the same time...? They were 6 years old, with all easy road miles on them...
Note: I'm still Frosty about that...!!!