2019 Kia Soul Safety Report
2019 KIA SOUL Safety Report
Safety Decision Cockpit for the 2019 Kia Soul
This page is the hub for deciding what to inspect next on the 2019 Kia Soul. It connects recall campaigns, owner complaint patterns, service bulletins, sibling model years, component issue hubs, and the model buying guide so a shopper or owner can move from a single report into the wider safety graph.
| Signal | Value | What to inspect next |
|---|---|---|
| Recall burden | Moderate (1) | Review campaign numbers, affected components, and dealer remedies below. |
| Owner complaints | High (123) | Scan complaint narratives for recurring symptoms, mileage, crashes, fires, injuries, and dates. |
| Crash and fire reports | 18 | Treat any crash, fire, injury, or fatality-linked pattern as a priority pre-purchase inspection item. |
| Primary component hub | Engine | Compare engine issues across vehicles. |
| Cleaner nearby model year | 2022 | Compare against the 2022 Kia Soul with 72 complaints and 1 recalls. |
| Riskier nearby model year | 2016 | Check the 2016 Kia Soul before buying across this generation. |
Kia Soul Year-by-Year Comparison
The safest purchase decision usually comes from comparing neighboring model years, not reading a single page in isolation. The table below uses only validated Kia Soul years already present in the cleaned NHTSA dataset, so each comparison links to a real vehicle safety report rather than a generated combination.
| Model Year | Complaints | Recalls | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Kia Soul | 337 | 1 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2018 Kia Soul | 199 | 1 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2021 Kia Soul | 187 | 2 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2017 Kia Soul | 259 | 1 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2022 Kia Soul | 72 | 1 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2016 Kia Soul | 779 | 2 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
2019 Kia Soul Complaint Theme Map
Complaint counts become more useful when they are grouped into inspection themes. For the 2019 Kia Soul, these are the component areas with the clearest NHTSA complaint signals. Use each link to jump from this single vehicle into broader component hubs and make-specific issue pages.
Engine
51 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Engine issues Kia onlyUnknown Or Other
7 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Unknown Or Other issues Kia onlyEngine,Fuel/Propulsion System
5 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System issues Kia onlyAir Bags
4 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Air Bags issues Kia onlyUnknown Or Other,Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System
3 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Unknown Or Other,Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System issues Kia onlyFuel System, Gasoline
3 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Fuel System, Gasoline issues Kia onlyAI Safety Analysis for the 2019 Kia Soul
Reliability Score
The 2019 Kia Soul receives a reliability score of 55 out of 100 based on analysis of NHTSA complaint data, recall history, crash reports, and safety ratings. This indicates average reliability — some notable concerns exist that prospective buyers should be aware of.
NHTSA Safety Ratings for the 2019 Kia Soul
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) evaluates vehicles through controlled crash tests and assigns star ratings from 1 to 5, with 5 being the safest.
Known Issues for the 2019 Kia Soul
The following issues have been identified from NHTSA complaint data and owner reports for the 2019 Kia Soul:
| Issue | Severity | Frequency | Typical Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bag Deployment Failure Several reports indicate that air bags may not deploy in a crash, posing a serious safety risk. |
High | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Engine Oil Consumption The vehicle experiences severe oil consumption, requiring frequent refills. This can be costly and may indicate a defect in the engine. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Engine Failure There have been reports of catastrophic engine failures, including piston ring issues and engine blowouts. |
High | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Steering Wheel Issues A few reports mention that the steering wheel can become loose and vibrate, potentially affecting control. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
Common Problems Reported by Owners
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the following components account for the majority of reported issues with the 2019 Kia Soul:
Air bag deployment failure is a critical issue.
Engine problems, including oil consumption and failures, are common.
Steering wheel issues have been reported.
Electrical system issues have been reported.
Recall Details for the 2019 Kia Soul
The following 1 recall has been issued for the 2019 Kia Soul by NHTSA:
Summary: 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: 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.
NHTSA Complaint Summaries for the 2019 Kia Soul
Below are complaint narratives filed by owners of the 2019 Kia Soul with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 3 complaints involved crashes. 1 involved fires. 2 reported injuries or fatalities.
2019 Kia Soul has an issue with the steering wheel coupling that needs to be replaced. This has been confirmed by a mechanic. There is a warranty extension on the MDPS (Motor Driven Power Steering) rubber coupling - 10 years/100,000 miles - for the 2019 Kia Soul. For some reason, my 2019 Kia Soul is not showing up under the warranty campaign extension. I am seeking a goodwill repair by Kia as ther...
This vehicle was seriously damaged in a crash. No airbags deployed. The vehicle was totaled. Another vehicle went through red light and crashed into my car.
Unknown but told by multiple mechanics that the kia soul eats oil and the engine constantly runs dry which is pricey and unfair
I’ve had nothing but problems with this car since about a year after getting it in 2021. Constant noises with the engine engine check light coming on all the time I would bring it in and no one would be able to figure out what was going on. And then it started to get worse and I had my catalytic converter replaced and not even a couple months later I had to have had another catalytic converter put...
Sudden vibration on the engine while driving. No power upon acceleration. Heavily oil consumption. Had a problem on the seat belt with in couple of year of purchased, however the dealer fixed it for free. Catalytic converter was brooked at 80k milage exactly when the warranty over. It was costly to replace.
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became loose, vibrated, and made a knocking sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and a dealer, and it was determined that the steering coupler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage w...
I was driving approx 70mph on the highway when a piston ring popped off and blew a hole in the engine, causing the engine to fail once the oil spilled out.
The vehicle had a catastrophic engine failure while driving in traffic. The engine would turn over making loud grinding noises but would not start, and the vehicle had to be towed. The engine had only 92,077 miles on it when it failed. Subsequent engine teardown found pieces of the connecting rod bearings which had disintegrated (see attached photos). This failure damaged the piston, crankshaft, v...
The contact owned a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, another vehicle stopped in front of the contact’s vehicle and the brake pedal was depressed to attempt to avoid a crash; however, the vehicle skidded and crashed into the rear of the other vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. During the crash the front end and the hood of the vehicle was seve...
This is a 6 year old car, with just under 108,000 miles. The catalytic converter is clogged, most likely from oil getting past the piston rings and contaminating the catalytic converter. High oil consumption, resulting in 1 qt needed to be added every 850-875 miles on average. Extended warranty company excludes this part. KIA warranty covers exhaust parts only up to 80,000 miles. To replace is $4,...
I took the car to the shop because it had been consuming a lot of oil within the last 2 months and everytime I went to the shop they would just top off my oil . They ended up doing an oil consumption test and my car failed it and mind you they had just put oil in my car the week prior . I took my car Monday because my engine light had came on . When arriving the guy scanned my car with a machine ...
The vehicle, a 2019 Kia Soul, is experiencing **severe and abnormal engine oil consumption** requiring frequent, unscheduled oil replenishment. The vehicle has approximately 117,000 miles. **Component or System Failure:** The malfunction is in the **powertrain system**, specifically the **GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) engine**. The root cause is assessed to be a **structural or design defect** ...
Vehicle: 2019 Kia Soul 2.0L GDI VIN: [XXX] Mileage: 92,200 The engine and connecting rod bearings failed — a known defect in Kia’s Theta II GDI engines. The vehicle began making a loud knocking noise and would stall when turning to start the engine within days of purchase. This is consistent with the same defect addressed in Kia’s KSDS / PI2107 Product Improvement Campaign and Theta II Engine cl...
started smelling burning oil intermittently shortly after purchase as new vehicle. When checked by service at Kia, could not find anything. Then vehicle started to stall on multiple occasions while on the road. Spent $1500 at Kia to try and fix it. Service folks couldn't find the problem. Vehicle stopped working and car won't start now. These are the same exact symptoms under this recall for Ki...
I was traveling on Saturday at about 40 miles an hour down the road car just all of a sudden lost power and started smoking. No engine light or anything else came out to indicate a problem. Got it too a repair shop waiting to hear Monday exactly all the damage but they did say it had no oil in the car. It’s only been 2 1/2 months since an oil change checked that last month had plenty of oil could ...
The contact owned a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact purchased the vehicle four months ago. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. In addition, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal and stalled. The contact was close to the residence and pushed the vehicle to the driveway. The contact cal...
I was in a collision while stopped at a red light. Other vehicle impacted the entire drive’s side including back passenger rotating the vehicle over 90 degrees and pushing vehicle about 25 yards out into the intersection. The airbags didn’t deploy and experienced head, neck, and back injuries.
My 2019 Kia Soul is experiencing severe and abnormal engine oil consumption. This issue requires frequent refilling of engine oil to prevent damage. The malfunction is in the powertrain system, likely within the GDI engine, specifically related to the piston rings. This type of structural defect can lead to a sudden and catastrophic engine failure while driving, which poses a serious safety hazard...
Engine shut off while driving, Would not restart, vehicle VIN included in PI2107 campaign, Kia refused to cover repair. This is a serious safety hazard.
There is water filtration in the upper stop lamp. This happens while driving under heavy raining conditions.
Showing 20 of 123 complaints. Additional complaints are available via the NHTSA database.
NHTSA Defect Investigations for the 2019 Kia Soul
NHTSA defect investigations are higher-signal than ordinary complaints because they indicate the agency opened a formal review of a potential safety defect. Some investigations later connect to recall campaigns; others close without a recall after review.
Component: Engine
Opened 2022-09-12 · Closed 2023-12-12
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...
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2019 Kia Soul
Has the 2019 KIA SOUL been recalled?
Yes, the 2019 KIA SOUL has 1 recall on record with NHTSA. Each recall addresses a specific safety defect identified by the manufacturer or NHTSA.
How many complaints does the 2019 KIA SOUL have?
The 2019 KIA SOUL has 123 complaints filed with NHTSA. Of these, 11 involved crashes. 12 injuries and 0 deaths have been reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2019 KIA SOUL?
The 2019 KIA SOUL received an overall NHTSA safety rating of excellent (5/5). Frontal crash: 5/5. Side crash: 5/5. Rollover: 4/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2019 KIA SOUL?
The most commonly reported problems with the 2019 KIA SOUL involve engine (51 complaints), unknown or other (7 complaints), engine,fuel/propulsion system (5 complaints). Other affected components include air bags, unknown or other,engine,fuel/propulsion system, fuel system, gasoline.
How many crash reports does the 2019 KIA SOUL have?
There are 11 crash reports associated with the 2019 KIA SOUL out of 123 total complaints (8.9% of complaints involved crashes).
How many fire reports does the 2019 KIA SOUL have?
There are 7 fire reports for the 2019 KIA SOUL out of 123 total complaints. Fire reports are among the most serious safety concerns tracked by NHTSA.
Are there any deaths reported for the 2019 KIA SOUL?
No deaths have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2019 KIA SOUL.
How many injuries are reported for the 2019 KIA SOUL?
12 injuries have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2019 KIA SOUL. These are self-reported by vehicle owners as part of their safety complaints.
Should I buy a 2019 KIA SOUL?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2019 KIA SOUL is acceptable with caveats. It has 123 complaints, 1 recalls, and a excellent (5/5) safety rating. Always have a pre-purchase inspection done by a qualified mechanic.
What components fail most on the 2019 KIA SOUL?
The components with the most failures on the 2019 KIA SOUL are: 1. ENGINE (51 complaints), 2. UNKNOWN OR OTHER (7 complaints), 3. ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM (5 complaints), 4. AIR BAGS (4 complaints), 5. UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM (3 complaints). ENGINE is the single most-reported problem area with 51 complaints.
What should I know before buying a 2019 KIA SOUL?
Be cautious of air bag deployment issues and engine problems, especially oil consumption and failures. Consider the warranty and potential for costly repairs. The 2019 KIA SOUL has 123 NHTSA complaints and 1 recalls on record. NHTSA rates it excellent (5/5).
How reliable is the 2019 KIA SOUL?
The 2019 KIA SOUL receives a reliability score of 55/100, indicating average reliability. This is based on 123 owner complaints, 1 recalls, and 18 crash/fire reports in the NHTSA database. Key known issues include Air bag deployment failure and Engine oil consumption.
What are the known issues with the 2019 KIA SOUL?
Known issues with the 2019 KIA SOUL include: Air bag deployment failure, Engine oil consumption, Engine failure, Steering wheel issues. These are based on patterns found across 123 NHTSA complaints. 1 of these patterns resulted in formal recalls.
Are air bags reliable in the 2019 KIA SOUL?
Reports indicate that air bags may not deploy in a crash, which is a serious safety concern.
What are the common engine issues in the 2019 KIA SOUL?
Engine oil consumption and sudden failures are the most common engine issues.
Can the steering wheel become problematic in the 2019 KIA SOUL?
Yes, some owners have reported that the steering wheel can become loose and vibrate.
Buyer Advice
Our recommendation: Be cautious of air bag deployment issues and engine problems, especially oil consumption and failures. Consider the warranty and potential for costly repairs.
NHTSA Data Summary for 2019 Kia Soul
This safety report is based on a comprehensive analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the 2019 Kia Soul. The data includes 123 consumer complaints filed by vehicle owners, 1 manufacturer-initiated safety recalls, 11 reported crashes, 7 fire incidents, 12 reported injuries, and safety rating assessments associated with this vehicle.
The NHTSA has assigned the 2019 Kia Soul an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with a frontal crash rating of 5 stars, a side crash rating of 5 stars, and a rollover rating of 4 stars. These ratings are determined through controlled crash testing conducted by the NHTSA.
All data presented in this report is sourced from public NHTSA databases. Our AI analysis identifies patterns across complaint narratives, correlates them with recall history, and produces the safety assessment above. This analysis is updated as new complaints and recalls are filed with the NHTSA.
Consumers are encouraged to report vehicle safety problems to the NHTSA at nhtsa.gov. If your vehicle is subject to a recall, contact your dealer to schedule the free repair.
Disclaimer: This analysis is AI-generated from NHTSA public data and does not constitute professional automotive or safety advice. Always verify recall status at NHTSA.gov and consult a qualified mechanic.
Analysis last updated: 2026-05-16