2019 Kia Soul engine problems
93 of the 139 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2019 Kia Soul name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 61 manufacturer bulletins, 1 NHTSA investigation. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database2 of the 93 reports a crash · 7 a fire · 1 injury. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2019: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2023: 13 · 2024: 14 · 2025: 39 · 2026: 15
Half of the 24 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 35,000 and 101,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
139 complaints in all about the 2019 Kia Soul, 15 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Kia Soul engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
1. Engine failure 2. No warnings, car started smoking and I was on the interstate driving 70 mph 3. Dealership refuses to acknowledge or take ownership 4. All insurance and dealership inspected vehicle as engine seized 5. No warnings
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over on the side of the road, restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as designed.
Car began to experience knocking sounds from engine. Was told by independent mechanic it was the lifters and the vehicle was burning oil. On the way to the dealership, while driving uphill on a road with no shoulders, the vehicle started smoking and lost all power.
Bought a 2019 Kia Soul+ and after hitting a few hundred miles outside the 60,000 warranty the engine dies to the point Kia has to replace the whole engine
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated and an abnormal odor appeared. The vehicle oil was replaced however the failure recurred. The vehicle was seen 3 additional times at the dealer.
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsNHTSA investigation
- DP22003 Loss of Motive Poweropened Sep 12, 2022 · closed Dec 12, 2023
- 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 i…
61 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- PI2107_OWNR_501 OtherApr 8, 2026
- PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (PI2107 Flight 501) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting an important Product Improvement Campaign to perform a software update on 2017-2019 MY Kia Soul vehicles equipped with 2.0-liter Nu GDI engines to protect the engine from excessive connecting rod bearing damage. The update will be done free of charge an
The 1 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P1326 P0420 P0011 P0014 P0016 P0017 P0020
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2019 Kia Soul names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2019 Kia Soul?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 93 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (67% of everything owners filed about it), and 61 manufacturer bulletins, 1 NHTSA investigation are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2019 Kia Soul?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 3 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the 2019 Kia Soul?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 73,000 miles; half of them between 35,000 and 101,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.