2019 KIA SOUL Recalls, Complaints & Safety

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 there is obviously a known issue with the steering coupling that has impacted my 2019 Kia Soul. The cost to repair is in the $650-$1,500 range.

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.

Crash

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 in there’s issues with oil consumption and between oil changes, I would have to top off my oil multiple times sometimes even five and then I started getting oil changes before I even needed to get them because I was nervous and then on January 22, 2026 driving on the highway my engine started to smoke and I pulled over and took it to the nearest dealership by way of tow truck and they told me that the fuel issues had destroyed my second cylinder in my engine, and it was not repairable and then told me that I needed to replace my engine, but the engine in my car is no longer being made. I was told that my car was running lean due to the fuel injector issues.

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 was approximately 122,000.

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, valves, and cylinders. This engine has been the subject of a class action lawsuit due to a manufacturing defect of the connecting rod bearings and premature failures in thousands of engines. The engine is part of a class action lawsuit, but we are ineligible for the extended warranty since it had not yet received the knock sensor software update that was required by the lawsuit. However, this software update does not fix the defective connecting rod bearings and only provides a possible warning of an impending failure. I was never notified of this required update. This engine should have been part of a mandatory recall, but instead, KIA chose to release an update that made warranty eligibility impossible for customers who were unaware of its existence. This defective engine is a serious hazard and almost caused a major accident when the engine suddenly failed.

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 severely damaged, but the air bags did not deploy. Additionally, the seat belt malfunctioned and failed to secure the contact in the seat, causing the contact's chest and stomach to impact the steering wheel. The contact sustained a bruised chest and neck injury but had not yet sought medical treatment. The contact stated that an appointment was schedule to see her Primary Care Physician. The contact was unaware of any injuries to the other driver. A Police report was filed at the scene but was not available. The vehicle was towed away from the scene. The contact stated that the vehicle was destroyed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.

Crash 1 injured

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 severely damaged, but the air bags did not deploy. Additionally, the seat belt malfunctioned and failed to secure the contact in the seat, causing the contact's chest and stomach to impact the steering wheel. The contact sustained a bruised chest and neck injury but had not yet sought medical treatment. The contact stated that an appointment was schedule to see her Primary Care Physician. The contact was unaware of any injuries to the other driver. A Police report was filed at the scene but was not available. The vehicle was towed away from the scene. The contact stated that the vehicle was destroyed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.

Crash 1 injured

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 severely damaged, but the air bags did not deploy. Additionally, the seat belt malfunctioned and failed to secure the contact in the seat, causing the contact's chest and stomach to impact the steering wheel. The contact sustained a bruised chest and neck injury but had not yet sought medical treatment. The contact stated that an appointment was schedule to see her Primary Care Physician. The contact was unaware of any injuries to the other driver. A Police report was filed at the scene but was not available. The vehicle was towed away from the scene. The contact stated that the vehicle was destroyed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.

Crash 1 injured

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 $4,100. Car is valued at $3,000-$3500, with dealership saying without replacement car is worth less than $1,000. Other KIA’s in years before and after this vehicle have recalls for this specific issue, and this year car and this vehicle specifically should be added to the recall.

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 they told me it was bad spark plugs in my engine . He sent me to Firestone because he said the process would be cheaper or faster .( mind you I told them I am doing the oil consumption test) they proceeded to send me to Firestone .firestone checked my oil and that’s when they found out there was no oil in my vehicle .they asked me if I was doing the oil consumption test I told them yes Firestone would not allow me to drive the car back to Kia so I ended up waiting 2 hours for a tow truck . When it got back to Kia they told me I had a bad engine without checking it . They said I don’t qualify for the warranty because I am not the first owner . According the website it said the engine should be good up to 100,000 miles .

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** involving the **piston rings**, leading to oil migration into the combustion chamber. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. **Safety Risk:** This rapid oil depletion poses a severe safety hazard. The engine could suffer **sudden, catastrophic failure** due to oil starvation while operating at highway speeds. Such an event would cause an immediate loss of power and control, placing the occupants and surrounding traffic at significant risk of a serious accident. **Prior Symptoms:** The primary symptom is the **consistent, rapid drop in the measured oil level** observed between scheduled maintenance intervals. **No prior warning lamps, messages, or fault codes related to low oil pressure** appeared before the issue was discovered and confirmed by the owner through monitoring the dipstick. **Manufacturer Inspection/Response:** The manufacturer, Kia America, has **refused to conduct a technical inspection or acknowledge the defect** across multiple documented case files (Case #XXX, #XXX, #XXX). The manufacturer has stated a policy of non-assistance due to the vehicle being outside the standard warranty period. This lack of investigation, despite the serious safety risk, is the basis of this report. This issue aligns with widely documented **structural defects** in the manufacturer’s GDI engine line. The current safety risk necessitates immediate federal review.

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 class-action settlement. Component failed: Engine. The engine is available for inspection. Safety risk: The engine stalls unpredictably, creating a major risk of collision or being stranded in traffic. The stalling has occurred more than once, and the car is unsafe to drive, per Moritz Kia. Confirmed by: Moritz Kia Fort Worth, which diagnosed internal engine failure and quoted $6,230 for replacement. Kia Consumer Affairs refused to open a case or perform the recall, claiming it was “past due,” though the vehicle is within the 15-year/150,000-mile lifetime warranty coverage. Maintenance history: CARFAX confirms regular oil and filter changes, most recently on 05/30/2025, proving the vehicle was properly maintained. Inspection: Completed by Kia dealership; no outside inspection yet. Warning symptoms: Engine knocking and stalling Summary: Kia is refusing recall service and case creation despite this being a known manufacturing defect, not a maintenance issue. The KSDS system only detects failure after it occurs and does not fix the defect. This creates a continuing safety hazard for consumers. Kia consumer affairs dates of contact and reference numbers: 09/11/2025-#2563091, 10/15/2025-25603091 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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 Kia Souls from 2021-2023- SC336 Recall which his known to result in fire or destruction of engine. Date below is approximate date when car stopped working.

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 this be related to the 2021 to 2023 engine oil burning and KIA. I have been towed on the last three or four oil changes that it was almost a half a quart low each time.

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 called the Salesperson and informed the Salesperson of the failure. The Salesperson stopped by the residence and took the vehicle away. An independent mechanic hired by the Salesperson informed the contact that the failure was related to the engine. The contact had purchased a 2013 Ford Fusion from the same dealer and while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and there was a large amount of oil leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased and diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was then replaced by the 2019 Kia Soul. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

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.

Crash 2 injured

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 to occupants and other motorists. The problem has been confirmed by me, the vehicle owner, through the observation of consistent and rapid oil level depletion. Prior to a complete failure, there were no specific warning lamps or messages related to this issue. The manufacturer, Kia Motors, has declined to perform a proper technical review, citing an expired warranty and my status as a second owner. I have opened three separate cases with Kia regarding this matter, all of which were closed without a proper resolution. I am requesting an investigation into this defect by NHTSA.

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.

The engine is having oil consumption since May 2025. It is a 2019 Kia Soul, 1.6L GDI engine. I have taken it to get oil changes, however there is no leak. It is also making a rattling noise and having a hard time to accelerate. I was informed by a mechanic that it is the pistons knocking around, due to the overheating and oil consumption. Even the dealership told me that it is dangerous to drive. I bought the car brand new and am the only owner, it's crazy that it's falling apart after 6 years.

On Sunday, September 21st, 2025, my engine stalled and would not start. AAA looked at it and tried to jump it, and could not get it to start. I was stranded an hour and a half away from home, so I had to have it towed to my home. On Monday, September 22nd 2025, I had a mechanic come look at my car. He ran diagnostics,a compression test, replaced my spark plugs, literally every test he could do, and said there was an issue with my engine. I know there was a class-action lawsuit against Kia, and tried to find out of my car qualifies for the extended warranty, but upon searching my VIN, was told it does not. Even though I have all the same symptoms. And I have been excessively burning oil for a few months, having to put about two (2) quarts of oil in my car a week.

Excessive oil consumption leading to complete engine failure. My wife bought this car to be her daily commute to work. When we took the car for its first oil change after hitting the change sticker milage, the mechanic noted that the engine had no oil. We filled it up with full synthetic. History of the Vehicle showed proper and on-time maintenance schedule, that's why we bought it. At the time of purchase there were no codes or engine lights. Clean title and no accidents. The engine had oil at the time of purchase. There were no indicators of problems. We also took the car to the Kia dealership for recalls and campaigns, they told us nothing about this issue. One day, first came the engine light, my wife was driving to work, the car started shaking heavily, then the vehicle failed to supply enough power to go above 50 mph. She was in the middle of the interstate, she felt that she was going to crash, or someone will crash into her. She was terrified, rightly so. When she finally reached a safe place to stop, she called me. When I came to check it out, I let the engine cool down first then checked the oil, it was very low. I put some oil and took it again to the same Kia dealership for diagnostics - the engine turned off multiple times on me at traffic lights (when near stop), the dealership took about a week to diagnose it and they finally told us that the cylinders misfired and the pressure in the cylinders were lower than capacity; they said the engine must be replaced and quoted us a used Engine of 114k at $7k replacement fee. Kia must be held responsible for their engines. We did everything in our capacity to ensure the vehicle is maintained as best as we could, my wife took loans from her family to pay for this car, and we are left with a lime.

In february 2025 I had taken to the garage the first moment the check engine light came on and had to have the catalytic convertor replaced, costing me over 4300.00 It could have caught on fire the garage said. I have all documention and reciepts for all work since I have had the vehicle I am the 2nd owner and still making payments on this. I have kept up to date on every oil change and have the proof of that also. The car has been burning oil excessively and now the garage has determined it needs a engine replacement or rebuild costing over 5000.00 and the car only has 93,000 miles on it. I know KIA is known for issues with their engines burning excessive oil , but i found no recalls of it for my VIN.

For some reason my 2019 Kia Soul is not included in the previous engine recall. My vehicle is experiencing severe oil burn which has caused the failure of a second catalytic converter. The first was replaced on 11/25/2024 and it is being replaced again on 8/28/2005. This failure is due to improperly heat-treated piston oil rings that lose their ability to seal, leading to cylinder wall damage, increased oil consumption, and potentially engine failure or fire.

Hello, my oil rings in my engine failed, which there is a recall of 2021 and newer but same issues, causing my oil to burn and get trapped in the catalytic converter, then burning it out the exhaust, also I kept loosing oil. Under further diagnosis from a mechanic, I had to get a full rebuild of my engine at a cost of $5,000, and also I had to get a new catalytic converter with a cost of 500.00. PLEASE look into this and let me know what I can do further. Thank you!

Engine burns oil at a rapid rate. Has been inspected & confirmed by dealer. Was informed it may be a piston issue that has been located on similar Kia vehicles, but is not on the recall list. No warning lights appear. No warning light indicating low oil either, which means I must check the level daily & add oil as needed (about one quart per week).

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic receiving an undercoating, the independent mechanic performed an inspection of the vehicle. The contact stated that during the inspection, the independent mechanic identified that there was severe corrosion on the fuel tank straps. The contact was informed that the fuel tank straps needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was scheduled for inspection. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact referenced an unknown recall however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 46,200.

I tired to let the KIa dealer in Evans Ga know my Kia was consuming oil about a quart a week. They did an oil consumption test and stated it was within normal range. That’s 4 quarts of oil a month. This was done before the warranty ran out. Now they are saying it’s 14000 to replace the engine. I looked up the 2019 Kia Souls and there are recalls on this model and year but not by the VIN. It is now using 5 plus quarts of oil a month with no visible oil leak.

Burning oil have to put a quart in every 500 miles

The contact owned a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at 50 MPH, the brakes failed to operate upon depression as heavy, black smoke began to emit from the under the hood of the vehicle. The contact's daughter managed to pull off to the shoulder of the highway as all occupants quickly exited the vehicle. The vehicle quickly became engulfed in flames as police arrived immediately on the scene. The fire department also arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported. A police report was filed but when the contact called for a copy, he was informed that the report was not yet produced. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard were the vehicle was deemed a total loss. The contact went to view the vehicle and linked the failure the engine's connecting rod which he saw hanging from what remained of the engine. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Fire

Excessive oil consumption

My 2019 Kia Soul has had excessive oil consumption issues since we bought it in 2022 or 2023. This week, the check engine light came on, and the mechanic says it is the catalytic converter. This could be a potential fire hazard if we don't take care of it, and the cost to do this is almost as much as the car is worth.

My 2019 Kia Soul had an engine misfire, breaking down and requiring new spark plugs. My car has been consuming oil excessively for the past 8 months, causing me to change the oil myself once a week. The engine light has been on, leading me to fix both catalytic converters. The engine light came back on right after this and pulled up two codes related to the camshaft position. I asked Kia for an oil consumption test and was told they do not perform that. The oil continues to burn excessively and requires constant changing. Other mechanics have informed me that this could lead to a serious fire hazard and engine issue, posing a high safety concern.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled on several occasions. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that cylinder #3 was faulty. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 67,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the check engine and oil warning lights became illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. The contact stated that an abnormal clanking sound was coming from the engine while driving at various speeds. The contact checked under the hood and discovered that the engine oil level was extremely low. The contact topped off the engine oil; however, the oil level was extremely low two days later. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

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.