2019 KIA Soul Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Soul years
- Fewer complaints than other years 11th of 16 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 136 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 KIA Soul. That ranks 11th out of 16 Soul model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (87 complaints, 64%), typically at around 50,045 miles. Complaints mention 11 crashes, 8 fires, 12 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 136owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 11complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2019 KIA Soul problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 87 | 64% | 50,045 | “oil consumption” (26%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 19 | 14% | 7,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 15 | 11% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 14 | 10% | 30,882 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 12 | 9% | 29,441 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 4% | 81,604 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 4% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 4% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 4% | 22,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 4% | 400 | — | — |
| Steering | 5 | 4% | 77,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 3% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 3% | 3,250 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 2% | 46,200 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 2% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 2% | 4,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2019 KIA Soul recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags
Problem: 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.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Loss of Motive Power (DP22003) — opened Sep 12, 2022, closed Dec 12, 2023.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Burns way to much oil then it should for a 2019. I have to put a quart of oil in every 1,000 miles due to the oil consumption the motor does.
My 2019 Kia Soul has been professionally diagnosed with DTC B162000, âInternal Fault â Replace SRSCM,â involving the Supplemental Restraint System/Airbag Control Module. My repair shop documented this diagnosis on August 24, 2026. Kia Safety Recall SC226 / NHTSA Recall 22V-031 addresses an…
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a burning odor and smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. Additionally, the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact pulled over and checked the engine oil level, and…
I purchased a 2019 Kia Soul in June 2022. Since purchasing the vehicle, it has been stolen three separate times. During at least one theft, the steering column was damaged to bypass the ignition, and responding officers indicated the theft method was consistent with the widely reported Kia theft…
I was driving through a busy intersection when the vehicle stopped accelerating causing risk to myself and other drivers. I was able to get the vehicle through the intersection and pulled over. I turned the vehicle off and it would not restart. I had the vehicle towed to my local independent…
Other KIA Soul years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Soul | 12 | 0 |
| 2024 Soul | 30 | 0 |
| 2023 Soul | 54 | 4 |
| 2022 Soul | 94 | 1 |
| 2021 Soul | 238 | 2 |
| 2020 Soul | 386 | 1 |
| 2019 | 136 | 1 |
| 2018 Soul | 219 | 1 |
| 2017 Soul | 272 | 1 |
| 2016 Soul | 816 | 2 |
| 2015 Soul | 901 | 4 |
| 2014 Soul | 902 | 5 |
| 2013 Soul | 666 | 3 |
| 2012 Soul | 514 | 3 |
| 2011 Soul | 194 | 3 |
| 2010 Soul | 135 | 3 |
See all KIA Soul problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
Similar KIA models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2019 KIA Soul?
Owners most often report engine, unknown or other, air bags problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 87 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2019 KIA Soul?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2019 KIA Soul a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Soul model years, the 2019 has fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.