2019 Kia Soul Problems

What owners report

Owner reports for the 2019 Kia Soul center on the engine: excessive oil consumption, oil burning with no visible leak, and in some cases knocking or loss of power that ended in engine replacement. Most complaints in the sample arrive around 50,000 miles or more, though some drivers noticed oil use much earlier and several say dealers described the consumption as normal or asked for oil change records before acting. Smaller groups of complaints describe fuel injectors stuck open, air bags that did not deploy in a crash, and brakes that went to the floor.

1. 1
   Engine

   Excessive oil consumption (burning oil, no visible leak)

   • 49 complaints (36%)
   • median 81,603 mi at 5.2 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $5,615 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2021–2026

   Owners describe the car using large amounts of oil between changes with no puddle under it — sometimes a quart a week or several quarts per month, and occasionally so low it barely registers on the dipstick. Dealers often performed an oil consumption test; owners report being told the oil use was normal, being asked for maintenance records, or having a warranty replacement declined. Many say they simply topped the oil off themselves and kept driving. Reported from roughly 35,000 to 110,000 miles, with most mentions in the 50,000-100,000 mile range.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for oil change records and whether an oil consumption test was done and what it showed; check the dipstick level and smell for fuel, and plan to monitor oil level between changes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I am not the original owner but after changing my oil on 10/05/24 I have had to add oil on three different times, twice I myself put oil into my car and oil change at Valvoline instant oil change and other added quart today and all between 98,219 to 99,967 mileage,”

   NHTSA complaint #11635055, filed 2025-01

   “My car is burning oil fast. 3 times a month I have to add oil. Sometimes it doesn't even register on my dipstick. When I take my car to kia of muncie for a oil change, they keep saying its my oil pan gasket that needs resealed. I park my car in my garage, I have no oil spots in my garage. When I take my car to midas for a pill change, they don't say anything about the oil pan gasket. I don't understand why my car keeps burning oil so fast.”

   NHTSA complaint #11651594, filed 2025-03
2. 2
   Engine

   Engine knock, stall or loss of power, engine replacement

   • 43 complaints (31%)
   • median 73,000 mi at 5.1 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Complaints describe a knocking or clanking noise, a sudden drop in power, stalling at speed or at a light, and in some cases smoke or a hole in the block. Symptoms sometimes appear with no warning light. Owners report being told the engine needed replacement, while others say the dealer declined to replace it because it had not seized, leaving the bill with the owner. Spread from under 30,000 miles to beyond 120,000 miles, with many reports past 60,000 miles.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Listen for a knock at cold start and during a test drive, and ask whether the knock sensor detection software update or any engine replacement work has been done under the campaign.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Last year my car started knocking and there was a smoldering smell. I expected Kia to consider the function of the rod knock sensor which caused P1326code. I advised capitol kia of both knocking noises and a significant burning smell. Per an extended warranty, if the rod bearings go bad, then the engine should be replaced. Capitol Kia avoided the latter and was not fully compliant with maintaining driver's safety. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11575205, filed 2024-03, 136,779 miles

   “My 2019 Kia Soul caught fire while I was driving it. I was driving and all of a sudden there was a light knocking sound in the engine. I was going up a slight hill and the knocking got super loud and then something went bang in the engine, the abs and engine lights started flashing and I pulled over. The lady who was traveling behind me, pulled in front of me, ran up to my door and yelled at me to get out and run away from the car as it was on fire. Within 30 seconds the car was completely engulfed. Total loss.”

   NHTSA complaint #11614118, filed 2024-09, 110,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Air bags did not deploy in a crash

   • 9 complaints (7%)
   • median 100,000 mi at 2.1 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe front-end and side impacts where the steering wheel, dash and curtain air bags stayed folded, along with a case where the seat belt did not hold an occupant. Separately, several say the seat belt reminder light came on intermittently in hot weather and the dealer could not reproduce it. Reported in crashes across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles to over 100,000; the belt light reports came in hot weather above 90 degrees.

   Recall 22V031000

   What to check: Ask whether the air bag control unit recall has been completed for this vehicle, and check that the air bag and seat belt warning lights behave normally on start-up.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was traveling southbound on rte 13 with my 4 children. The speed limit is 55mph and the flow of traffic is between 55-60 MPH...which is the speed I was driving. As im approaching to proceed pass intersection rte 13 & eden allen rd there's a car at the stop sign which is supposed to wait for rte 13 to clear before entering. The driver decided to dash out to go across directly in front of me. I slammed on my breaks and tried avoiding collision but it wasn't enough time. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11378418, filed 2020-12, 130,000 miles

   “On April 05, 2022 I was struck head-on by a negligent driver who rounded a blind turn at a rate of speed of above sixty miles per hour. His vehicle drifted across the double yellow lines into my lane and hit three quarters of my front bumper. He was driving a four door sedan and I was driving a 2019 Kia Soul. My vehicle was lifted off of the ground, slid across his hood and roof, landed on its side and grinder against the passenger side of the car along the floor and the roof grinded the guard rail. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11540896, filed 2023-08
4. 4
   Fuel system

   Fuel injectors stuck open, causing stalls and flooding

   • 8 complaints (6%)
   • median 56,000 mi at 5.7 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2019–2025

   Owners report the car losing power and decelerating at highway speed, then stalling; one complaint says diagnostics found injectors stuck in the fully open position and flooding the engine. Several injectors on the same car were replaced, and drivers describe delays in throttle response at low speed as well. Reported from a few thousand miles up to around 60,000 miles, including highway speeds.

   What to check: Test acceleration from a stop and at highway speed, ask whether injectors have been replaced, and have a scan tool check for stored misfire or fuel trim codes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The fuel injectors get stuck open causing the engine to flood with gas. One was diagnosed as faulty by moritz Kia in hurst texas in october and they replaced it however they only replaced the faulty one l. Today a second one was diagnosed as faulty. So 2 out of the 4 fuel injectors were faulty on a car that's not even a year and a half old. I plan to replace all the original fuel injectors so it will not be a problem in the future however I believe this part is beyond just a accidentally faulty one. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11390822, filed 2021-01, 60,000 miles

   “The vehicle stalls and no response when gas pedal is depressed, after about 4 or 5 seconds the engine responds to gas pedal. This happens at speeds of less than 5 MPH when turning or in stop and go traffic. When turning across oncoming traffic and it happens, then it is a safety problem. I have not taken vehicle in to dealer yet.”

   NHTSA complaint #11288532, filed 2019-12, 4,500 miles
5. 5
   Brakes

   Brake pedal goes to the floor or fails to stop the car

   • 7 complaints (5%)
   • median 750 mi at 0.5 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2024

   Complaints describe the pedal sinking to the floor intermittently, the car creeping forward at a stop, and in some cases nearly no braking at highway speed. Owners report master cylinder replacement, sometimes more than once, and a related report of ABS and brake warning lights traced to a hydraulic control unit relay. Reported from the first few hundred miles up to about 80,000 miles, with several cases early in ownership.

   What to check: With the engine running, hold firm pressure on the pedal and confirm it stays high and hard rather than slowly sinking; ask for service records on the master cylinder and ABS unit.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While braking, the brake pedal is going to the floor board: scary. Not every time--intermittently. What if the brakes fail altogether? We bought the car new and within the first 400 miles experienced the problem. It was in the shop from 3/16 to 3/21 they replaced the master cylinder and cylinder assembly. They finished it just in time for my husband's planned vacation. The vacation included driving the Kia over 2000 miles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11192614, filed 2019-03, 400 miles

   “I can be stoped on the road with the break pedal pushed all the way and the car still moves forward. At some points at stop lights I put my car in park so it won't move forward. This has happen a lot since I have bought the car in october of 2018.”

   NHTSA complaint #11258855, filed 2019-09, 15 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection check oil consumption history, listen for engine knock, and confirm any open recall or engine-related campaign work has been completed. Because many complaints appear well past 50,000 miles, maintenance records for oil changes matter more than usual on this model year.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.