2019 Kia Soul
Electric Gas Wagon
The 2019 Kia Soul is sold in the U.S. as a electric and gas wagon with 5 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the Soul Electric, is EPA-rated at 111 miles with 108 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 138 complaints, most often about engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Range | kWh/100mi | Charge (240V) | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soul Electric | Electric | FWD | 81 kW AC PMSM | 124 | 93 | 108 MPGe | 111 mi | 31.2 | 5 h | $700 |
| Soul | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo | 26 | 31 | 28 | — | — | — | $2,250 |
| Soul | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl | 26 | 31 | 28 | — | — | — | $2,250 |
| Soul | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 25 | 30 | 27 | — | — | — | $2,300 |
| Soul | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl | 24 | 30 | 27 | — | — | — | $2,300 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
The 2019 Kia Soul is in the years where high-voltage electronics and module repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.
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Recalls (3)
Electrical System
minorProblem: 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.
Electrical System
criticalProblem: 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.
Air Bags
highProblem: 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.
NHTSA investigations
Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Internal:Park Pawl — Vehicle Rollaway (closed)
On July 2, 2020, Kia America Inc. (Kia) filed safety recall 20V-389 for model year (MY) 2015-2016 Kia Soul EV vehicles. This recall was in response to allegations of unintended vehicle movement while in Park and provided updated electronic control unit software for the electronic parking brake logic as the remedy. The updated logic, which was included during production for MY 2017-2019 Kia Soul EV vehicles, automatically activates the electronic parking brake when the vehicle is powered off while the gear shift lever is in the Park position. On September 10, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ23-005) to investigate allegations of unintended vehicle movem
Opened Sep 10, 2023 · closed Jan 16, 2024 · action RQ23005
Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds (closed)
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005
Engine — Loss of Motive Power (closed)
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 back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are
Opened Sep 12, 2022 · closed Dec 12, 2023 · action DP22003
Owner complaints
138 complaints filed
13 involved a crash, 8 a fire, 14 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2019: 12 · 2020: 6 · 2021: 6 · 2022: 11 · 2023: 17 · 2024: 23 · 2025: 46 · 2026: 17
Most-cited components
- Engine — 86
- Unknown Or Other — 20
- Air Bags — 15
- Electrical System — 15
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 12
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 15% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Other Soul model years
2025 Soul
0 recalls · 12 complaints
A2024 Soul
0 recalls · 29 complaints
F2023 Soul
4 recalls · 50 complaints
B2022 Soul
1 recalls · 88 complaints
C2021 Soul
2 recalls · 231 complaints
B2020 Soul
1 recalls · 375 complaints
C2018 Soul
3 recalls · 216 complaints
C2017 Soul
3 recalls · 288 complaints
F2016 Soul
5 recalls · 812 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 40768, 40203, 40251, 40204, 40252). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.