Just a quick question.

I've just looked at a 7 year old Kia soul which seemed quite nice however when ever you shut a door it makes a sound that sounds like a little tap on the roof from the outside would . Is this normal and why is this.

Thanks for any help

Not a clue!.

But as long as the door shuts properly and the shut lines are even, I really wouldn't worry about it.

Also, on a separate point, be aware that if this is one of the fancier versions on large alloy wheels, the ride is apparently pretty harsh.

Is this a petrol?. If so they are pretty sound and reliable cars, mechanically simple with not much to go wrong.

Diesel?, not too bad as modern diesels go, but I'd still be wary going that route unless I actually needed a diesel.

I have a soft spot for the Soul, I like its quirky looks and chunkiness, but they're not everyones cup of tea!.

just a quick update .

I've looked at the soul and can only see a couple of issues,

a slight boot alignment issue not so flush bottom right but bottom left a little raised by a couple or so mil.

and the roof sound. I noticed when you close doors roof on the outside moves to create a sound but the issue I have is on a long drive all was fine except 3 times going over a bump in the road the roof made the noise but only the 3 times not on the hundreds of other road bumps.

this is the thing that is concerning me and I don't want to say no to it because otherwise it looks a really nice low mileage car.

one more question when I open the boot on the under side ( bottom inside of the door ) the paint has no gloss to it or on the top of the boot where the hinges are . Is this normal or am I being over picky

I noticed when you close doors roof on the outside moves to create a sound but the issue I have is on a long drive all was fine except 3 times going over a bump in the road the roof made the noise but only the 3 times not on the hundreds of other road bumps.

Not really sure what to say about the noise you are talking about, maybe if we could hear it some guesses could be made.

a slight boot alignment issue not so flush bottom right but bottom left a little raised by a couple or so mil.

The boot being out of alignment could be a worry, but then again, probably not. The car is seven years old, so it is quite possible some parking incident may have resulted in a replacement tailgate which hasn't been aligned properly. But also, it could have left the factory like that. I assume you have checked to ensure the the car has not been written off?. If it hasn't, the only thing I'd be worried about is the possibility of water getting in, but if it was, I'd imagine that would be obvious from the smell and excessive condensation.

one more question when I open the boot on the under side ( bottom inside of the door ) the paint has no gloss to it or on the top of the boot where the hinges are . Is this normal or am I being over picky

This is normal. Paint costs money, clear lacquer costs money, so manufacturers will use as little as they can get away with.

At the end of the day, you don't have to buy it if your gut is sending you warning signs!. Might be worth trying another to see if it has the same odd noise?

Not the best time to be looking for a second-hand car, given the market (significant price rises due to the lack of availability of new cars due to the pandemic), you do have quite a good number of similar sized cars to choose from, though many came onto the markert within the last 5-6 years, so may not be affordable based on your Kia Soul possible car. You may have to look at 'standard' Fiesta-sized hatchbacks as well.

What's your requirements (est. annual mileage, type of journey, space, boot size, performance/handling, styling, mpg, budget, etc), in case the Soul is a poorly-repaired accident car or has enough issues to make it a no-go?

Given you're looking at a 7yo Kia, its unlikely any car you buy will come with more than a 1 year warranty if bought via a main dealer, thus the specific make/model and condition (including maintenance/MOT record) is very important.

If you're buying privately, even more so, given no warranty. The seller (if it is one in this case) might be now offloading it at as the warranty expeires because they know something major is wrong with it (not saying that's the case).

If you're having doubts, then possibly this isn't the (specific) car for you. Often a 'gut feeling' about a possible problem can turn out right.