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2019 Kia Soul EV problems & recalls

NHTSA has issued 3 recalls covering the 2019 Kia Soul EV and owners have filed 139 complaints. The most-reported area is engine (87 complaints). 8 complaints describe a fire and 13 complaints describe a crash.

Other model years:2018201720162015
Recalls
3
Complaints
139
Crash reports
13
Fire reports
8
Injuries
14

Recalls (3)

Oct 26, 2023#23V724000

Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (prndl)

Kia America, Inc. (KIA) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles. The parking mechanism may be damaged, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the gear shift lever is in the Park 'P' position and the parking brake is not applied while the vehicle is powered on.

Risk: Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will update the electronic control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 21, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC287. This recall expands and replaces recall number 20V-389. Vehicles previously repaired under 20V-389 will need to have the new remedy completed.

Mar 29, 2023#23V218000

Electrical system › Propulsion system › Traction battery

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles equipped with an E400 battery. The high-voltage battery pack may experience an electrical short-circuit while driving.

Risk: A battery electrical short-circuit increases the risk of a fire.

Fix: Dealers will update and/or replace the battery management system and software, as necessary, free of charge. The new software will illuminate the EV warning light, limit charging capacity, and reduce vehicle power if abnormal voltage is detected. If this occurs, the battery will be replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 18, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC267.

Jan 25, 2022#22V031000

Air bags

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.

Owner complaints (139)

What owners reported to NHTSA, by component. One complaint can name several components.

  • Engine87
  • Unknown or other20
  • Electrical system15
  • Air bags15
  • Fuel/propulsion system12
  • Service brakes9
  • Power train7
  • Engine and engine cooling6
  • Seat belts6
  • Steering5
  • Exterior lighting5
  • Structure4

Complaints over time

Feb 2019: 1 complaintMar 2019: 4 complaintsApr 2019: 1 complaintMay 2019: 0 complaintsJun 2019: 2 complaintsJul 2019: 0 complaintsAug 2019: 1 complaintSep 2019: 1 complaintOct 2019: 0 complaintsNov 2019: 1 complaintDec 2019: 1 complaintJan 2020: 0 complaintsFeb 2020: 0 complaintsMar 2020: 0 complaintsApr 2020: 0 complaintsMay 2020: 0 complaintsJun 2020: 0 complaintsJul 2020: 0 complaintsAug 2020: 1 complaintSep 2020: 1 complaintOct 2020: 0 complaintsNov 2020: 1 complaintDec 2020: 3 complaintsJan 2021: 1 complaintFeb 2021: 1 complaintMar 2021: 0 complaintsApr 2021: 0 complaintsMay 2021: 1 complaintJun 2021: 2 complaintsJul 2021: 0 complaintsAug 2021: 1 complaintSep 2021: 0 complaintsOct 2021: 0 complaintsNov 2021: 0 complaintsDec 2021: 0 complaintsJan 2022: 2 complaintsFeb 2022: 0 complaintsMar 2022: 0 complaintsApr 2022: 1 complaintMay 2022: 1 complaintJun 2022: 2 complaintsJul 2022: 2 complaintsAug 2022: 0 complaintsSep 2022: 0 complaintsOct 2022: 2 complaintsNov 2022: 0 complaintsDec 2022: 1 complaintJan 2023: 0 complaintsFeb 2023: 1 complaintMar 2023: 0 complaintsApr 2023: 1 complaintMay 2023: 0 complaintsJun 2023: 1 complaintJul 2023: 2 complaintsAug 2023: 7 complaintsSep 2023: 1 complaintOct 2023: 2 complaintsNov 2023: 1 complaintDec 2023: 1 complaintJan 2024: 4 complaintsFeb 2024: 4 complaintsMar 2024: 4 complaintsApr 2024: 1 complaintMay 2024: 0 complaintsJun 2024: 0 complaintsJul 2024: 2 complaintsAug 2024: 1 complaintSep 2024: 2 complaintsOct 2024: 0 complaintsNov 2024: 2 complaintsDec 2024: 3 complaintsJan 2025: 3 complaintsFeb 2025: 3 complaintsMar 2025: 9 complaintsApr 2025: 1 complaintMay 2025: 4 complaintsJun 2025: 2 complaintsJul 2025: 2 complaintsAug 2025: 3 complaintsSep 2025: 5 complaintsOct 2025: 8 complaintsNov 2025: 4 complaintsDec 2025: 2 complaintsJan 2026: 2 complaintsFeb 2026: 2 complaintsMar 2026: 1 complaintApr 2026: 5 complaintsMay 2026: 0 complaintsJun 2026: 1 complaintJul 2026: 5 complaintsAug 2026: 1 complaintSep 2026: 1 complaint2020202120222023202420252026
Complaints filed per month. Peak: 9 in Mar 2025. Hover a bar for its count.
Complaints filed per month
MonthComplaints
Feb 20191
Mar 20194
Apr 20191
May 20190
Jun 20192
Jul 20190
Aug 20191
Sep 20191
Oct 20190
Nov 20191
Dec 20191
Jan 20200
Feb 20200
Mar 20200
Apr 20200
May 20200
Jun 20200
Jul 20200
Aug 20201
Sep 20201
Oct 20200
Nov 20201
Dec 20203
Jan 20211
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Jun 20212
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Jan 20222
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Jan 20230
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Jan 20244
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Jan 20253
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Mar 20259
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Apr 20265
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Sep 20261

Recent owner reports

Sep 15, 2026Engine

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.

Aug 24, 2026Electrical system, Air bags

My 2019 Kia Soul has been professionally diagnosed with DTC B162000, “Internal Fault – Replace SRSCM,” 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 Airbag Control Unit defect in certain 2017-2019 Kia Souls and specifically addresses vehicles exhibiting DTC B1620. However, I have been informed that my VIN is not included in the recall and the recall repair is therefore unavailable for my vehicle. I am concerned that my vehicle may have the same safety de…

Jul 28, 2026Engine and engine cooling

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 the dipstick indicated that the engine oil level was extremely low. The contact stated that engine oil was added to the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it failed the oil consumption test; however, the manufacturer declined to replace the engine and informed the contact that the vehi…

Jul 15, 2026Electrical system, Structure, Unknown or other

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 method. I had possession of my keys during the incidents. The repeated thefts created a significant safety risk, financial loss, and left me without reliable transportation. I am concerned the vehicle’s theft-deterrent system did not provide reasonable protection against unauthorized operation. Police…

Jul 14, 2026Engine

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 service center where a diagnostic was performed. It was found to be engine failure due to the connecting rod to the pistons. It resulted in a loud rod knock and white smoke from the engine. There were no warning lights or sounds or quality of driving prior to the failure until the vehicle suddenly stopped…

Jul 7, 2026Engine

My engine has suffered a mechanical failure that makes the vehicle stall or lose power while driving, creating a massive highway safety hazard. Kia is using a software update loophole to deny fixing a physical, dangerous manufacturing defect.

Jul 1, 2026Engine

My engine has suffered a mechanical failure that makes the vehicle stall or lose power while driving, creating a massive highway safety hazard. Kia is using a software update loophole to deny fixing a physical, dangerous manufacturing defect.

Jun 12, 2026Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system⚠ Fire

Engine and engine components caught fire while driving. This put my husbands life at risk and could have caused harm to other drivers if he was driving on a busier road. Car fire could have completely engulfed the car and caused harm or even death. Fire department was called to assist with extinguishing the fire and to ensure that further danger did not persist.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall and complaint records, updated Oct 1, 2026. Complaints are owner reports and are not verified by NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.