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2019 Kia Soul

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2019 Kia Soul do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 225.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

45 reports with mileage · 91 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 87 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

11 crash reports8 fire reports7 injury reports

Engine complaints

87 reports
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Mileage unknown · Aug 10, 2023
Engine

Engine control system is coming on. My engine is knocking and rattling my car will just cut off and steering will get really hard

NHTSA ODI #11537605

80,000 miles · Aug 4, 2023
Engine

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an unusual sound that came from the hood of the vehicle, and inadvertently, the smoke came from underneath the hood; however, the check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to her…

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The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an unusual sound that came from the hood of the vehicle, and inadvertently, the smoke came from underneath the hood; however, the check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to her residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the failure fits the same description as a safety recall for Kia Soul engines, in which this vehicle's VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI #11536571

50,000 miles · Jul 28, 2023
EngineExterior Lighting

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the driver's and passenger’s side rear brake lights malfunctioned and were replaced on several occasions. While replacing the brake light bulbs, the contact discovered that the light bulb sockets were charred and melted. Additionally, the vehicle had experienced excessive…

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The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the driver's and passenger’s side rear brake lights malfunctioned and were replaced on several occasions. While replacing the brake light bulbs, the contact discovered that the light bulb sockets were charred and melted. Additionally, the vehicle had experienced excessive oil consumption. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 50,000.

NHTSA ODI #11535016

101,003 miles · Apr 11, 2023
Engine

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle consumed 4 quarts of oil within 3,000 miles. The contact pulled into …

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The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle consumed 4 quarts of oil within 3,000 miles. The contact pulled into a service station and added two quarts of oil to the vehicle and resumed driving; however, after driving approximately 20 miles, there was a loud banging sound and there was smoke coming from the engine. The contact veered to the side of the road and noticed that there was no engine oil in the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a friend's residence. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The dealer submitted a goodwill request to the manufacturer; however, the request was denied. The vehicle was towed to a second dealer, Kia of Greer (14345 E Wade Hampton Blvd, Greer, SC 29651), where the same diagnostic information was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 101,003.

NHTSA ODI #11516535

Mileage unknown · Feb 24, 2023
Engine

1. Engine failure 2. No warnings, car started smoking and I was on the interstate driving 70 mph 3. Dealership refuses to acknowledge or take ownership 4. All insurance and dealership inspected vehicle as engine seized 5. No warnings

NHTSA ODI #11508859

100,000 miles · Oct 18, 2022
Engine

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over on the side of the road, restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer b…

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The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over on the side of the road, restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. No further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ODI #11489805

Mileage unknown · Oct 18, 2022
Engine

Oil plug fell out damaging engine

NHTSA ODI #11489750

Mileage unknown · Jul 16, 2022
Electrical SystemEngine

This happened July 8th, 2022. I was 2 hours away from home. I was driving on the highway and the vehicle shut-off. Before the car shut off, I heard a knocking sound. I got the car started, it went a few miles, and shut off again. It did this several times. It never over -heated. The oil light and check engine light came on onc…

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This happened July 8th, 2022. I was 2 hours away from home. I was driving on the highway and the vehicle shut-off. Before the car shut off, I heard a knocking sound. I got the car started, it went a few miles, and shut off again. It did this several times. It never over -heated. The oil light and check engine light came on once after the failure, and abruptly went off. The car did not start again. My son had to push the vehicle off the highway. I did an oil check and it was extremely low. I had my car towed to the local Kia dealership. The mechanic there said my Kia Soul had a rod hanging. He also said I needed a new engine that would cost $6701.01. I was told that someone else had just brought a Kia in with the same problem. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure to alert me of any engine problems like low oil or overheating.

NHTSA ODI #11474231

Mileage unknown · Jun 10, 2022
Engine

Car began to experience knocking sounds from engine. Was told by independent mechanic it was the lifters and the vehicle was burning oil. On the way to the dealership, while driving uphill on a road with no shoulders, the vehicle started smoking and lost all power. There was a line of cars behind me and coming in the lane of opp…

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Car began to experience knocking sounds from engine. Was told by independent mechanic it was the lifters and the vehicle was burning oil. On the way to the dealership, while driving uphill on a road with no shoulders, the vehicle started smoking and lost all power. There was a line of cars behind me and coming in the lane of opposite traffic. The vehicle would not regain any type of power to the engine to make it up any hills to a safe space. If it wasn't for a random driveway my vehicle would've likely rolled back downhill and caused a many car collision which could have seriously injured myself, my young child, and drivers in other vehicles. There is a TSB reported with this issue, but unfortunately most consumers are not notified of active TSBs. The dealership was able to replicate the problem after having it towed there. We were told it would be in excess of $5000 to repair as the engine sustained some damage. I have read of others experiencing similar situations, which could kill a passenger or driver if they lost power in a freeway or a road with no shoulder.

NHTSA ODI #11468726

Mileage unknown · Apr 18, 2022
Air BagsEngine

Tiene problemas de bolsas de aire y se enciende el bombillo constantemente

NHTSA ODI #11461237

Official recalls

1

22V031000 · Air Bags

Jan 25, 2022

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles. The Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the ACU, and either update the software or replace the unit, as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 21, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC226.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP22003 · Loss Of Motive Power

Opened Sep 12, 2022 · Closed Dec 12, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing.  There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.