2019 Kia SOUL

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Below Average

Quick Summary

The 2019 Kia SOUL has 189 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 2.4x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (47% of all complaints), specifically: when idling at a traffic light or stopped in traffic, with foot on brake in normal position, car occasionally jumps and inches very slightly forward. to prevent this from happening driver must be pressing very very firmly on brake to the point where driver feels tension in her leg. this has happene. ⚠️ 12 fire reports filed.

12 fire reports 18 crash reports 17 injuries

189

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

2.4x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

88 complaints

47%

• WHEN IDLING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR STOPPED IN TRAFFIC, WITH FOOT ON BRAKE IN NORMAL POSITION, CAR OCCASIONALLY JUMPS AND INCHES VERY SLIGHTLY FORWARD. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING DRIVER MUST BE PRESSING VERY VERY FIRMLY ON BRAKE TO THE POINT WHERE DRIVER FEELS TENSION IN HER LEG. THIS HAS HAPPENE
• DRAIN PLUG MISSING WHICH CAUSED A LEEK IN VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED ENGINE TO BREAK WHILE DRIVIVNG CAR STOPPED WORKING, WAS TOWED THEN FOUND THE DRAIN PLUG WAS MISSING PLEASE HELP I HAVE BEEN READING AND FOUND OTHER CASES LIKE MINE ON THE KIA SOUL. MY CAR WAS STATIONARY ON THRE HIGHWAY. I HAD TO GET IT
• WHILE IN PARK OR WHEN DRIVING AND THE BRAKES ARE PUSHED DOWN FOR RED LIGHTS AND SUCH THE CAR WILL SHAKE AND 'SKIP' UNCONTROLLABLY.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 7 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“WHEN IDLING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR STOPPED IN TRAFFIC, WITH FOOT ON BRAKE IN NORMAL POSITION, CAR OCCASIONALLY JUMPS AND INCHES VERY SLIGHTLY FORWARD. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING DRIVER MUST BE PRESSING VERY VERY FIRMLY ON BRAKE TO THE POINT WHERE DRIVER FEELS TENSION IN HER LEG. THIS HAS HAPPENE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

18 complaints

10%

• THE KIA BACKUP CAMERA DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY WHEN ITS DARK. YOU CANNOT SEE ANYTHING YOU CANT DISTINGUISH A GARBAGE CAN FROM A PERSON. I WENT TO THE DEALER WITH THIS PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THIS THE WAY THEY ARE. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I CHECKED OTHER KIA SOULS AND THEY HAD THE
• CAR WAS PARKED UNDER CARPORT ALL NIGHT. GOT IN THIS AFTERNOON TO GO GROCERY SHOPPING, STARTED CAR, CLOSED DRIVER'S DOOR AND THE REAR HATCHBACK WINDSHIELD EXPLODED. IT DID NOT IMPLODE, IT EXPLODED. NO BODY DAMAGE, NO TREE LIMB, NO ROCK, NOTHING HIT OR TOUCHEF THE CAR WHILE UNDER CARPORT. CAR WAS STAT
• AFTER STARTING THE CAR AND PLACING THE CAR INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE THE CAR SHUTTERS OR SHAKES HORRIBLY TO THE POINT IT SHUTS OFF/ DIES. ONE TIME IT DID SHUT OFF ON ME I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT TURNING ON THE A.C. AT IDLE SOMETIMES MIMICS THE ENGINE SHUTTER/SHAKING OR THIS COULD BE LINKED TO TWO DIFFERE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“THE KIA BACKUP CAMERA DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY WHEN ITS DARK. YOU CANNOT SEE ANYTHING YOU CANT DISTINGUISH A GARBAGE CAN FROM A PERSON. I WENT TO THE DEALER WITH THIS PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THIS THE WAY THEY ARE. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I CHECKED OTHER KIA SOULS AND THEY HAD THE ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

15 complaints

• DRAIN PLUG MISSING WHICH CAUSED A LEEK IN VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED ENGINE TO BREAK WHILE DRIVIVNG CAR STOPPED WORKING, WAS TOWED THEN FOUND THE DRAIN PLUG WAS MISSING PLEASE HELP I HAVE BEEN READING AND FOUND OTHER CASES LIKE MINE ON THE KIA SOUL. MY CAR WAS STATIONARY ON THRE HIGHWAY. I HAD TO GET IT
• 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
• 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

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports

“DRAIN PLUG MISSING WHICH CAUSED A LEEK IN VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED ENGINE TO BREAK WHILE DRIVIVNG CAR STOPPED WORKING, WAS TOWED THEN FOUND THE DRAIN PLUG WAS MISSING PLEASE HELP I HAVE BEEN READING AND FOUND OTHER CASES LIKE MINE ON THE KIA SOUL. MY CAR WAS STATIONARY ON THRE HIGHWAY. I HAD TO GET IT”

— NHTSA complaint filing

AIR BAGS

14 complaints

• I HAVE A TOTALED CAR DUE TO A WRECK. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS HIT MULTIPLE TIMES EXTREMELY HARD.
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH AND GOING THROUGH AND INTERSECTION, ANOTHER VEHICLE FAILED TO YIELD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY AND PULLED OUT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR
• 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 1

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 9 crashes

“I HAVE A TOTALED CAR DUE TO A WRECK. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS HIT MULTIPLE TIMES EXTREMELY HARD.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

12 complaints

• Seat belts do not lock in place when braking, but randomly lock in place while cruising. Severe electric discharge from vehicle, as well as power surges causing lights to burn out repeatedly.
• The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated and the power steering became inoperable causing the driver to lose control of the steering and nearly crashed into a second vehicle. Moments later, the vehicle lo
• The dash had a electrical burn smell then smoke started coming out. There were children in the car. Unsure if the dash was on fire we stopped and started removing the area the smoke was coming from. The knob that controls the fan speed for the heat/ac had burnt and melted the plug the sensor to the

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“Seat belts do not lock in place when braking, but randomly lock in place while cruising. Severe electric discharge from vehicle, as well as power surges causing lights to burn out repeatedly.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 189 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: WHEN IDLING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR STOPPED IN TRAFFIC, WITH FOOT ON BRAKE IN NORMAL POSITION, CAR OCCASIONALLY JUMPS AND INCHES VERY SLIGHTLY FORWARD. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING DRIVER MUST BE PRESSING VERY VERY FIRMLY ON BRAKE TO THE POINT WHERE DRIVER FEELS TENSION IN HER LEG. THIS HAS HAPPENE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: THE KIA BACKUP CAMERA DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY WHEN ITS DARK. YOU CANNOT SEE ANYTHING YOU CANT DISTINGUISH A GARBAGE CAN FROM A PERSON. I WENT TO THE DEALER WITH THIS PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THIS THE WAY THEY ARE. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I CHECKED OTHER KIA SOULS AND THEY HAD THE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: DRAIN PLUG MISSING WHICH CAUSED A LEEK IN VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED ENGINE TO BREAK WHILE DRIVIVNG CAR STOPPED WORKING, WAS TOWED THEN FOUND THE DRAIN PLUG WAS MISSING PLEASE HELP I HAVE BEEN READING AND FOUND OTHER CASES LIKE MINE ON THE KIA SOUL. MY CAR WAS STATIONARY ON THRE HIGHWAY. I HAD TO GET IT
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
AIR BAGS: I HAVE A TOTALED CAR DUE TO A WRECK. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS HIT MULTIPLE TIMES EXTREMELY HARD.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)