IllustrationLast April 2, 2023 Brake pedal went to floor would not stop.... veered off highway..... No brake light appeared... Brought to Kia Dealership on 04/07/2023.. They replaced master brake cylinder under warranty......
2019 Kia Soul
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2019 Kia Soul do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 225.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Soul years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
150–25K
725–50K
850–75K
475–100K
11100–150K
0150K+
45 reports with mileage · 91 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 87 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
11 crash reports8 fire reports7 injury reports
Service Brakes complaints
5 reportsDriving on the freeway car brakes don’t work, first oil light blinking a very loud noise like metal scraping and all the lights turned on very dangerous situation was able to pulled over until car stopped . Kia dealer knows about all the problems car still under guaranty and they ignore the problem.
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.
I HAVE A TOTALED CAR DUE TO A WRECK. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS HIT MULTIPLE TIMES EXTREMELY HARD.
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 I…
Read full complaint
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. ON THE WAY BACK, STILL OVER 700 MILES FROM HOME AND JUST PRIOR TO TRAVELLING THROUGH THE SMOKEY'S, THE BRAKES HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I'M TYPING THIS AS I FRET ABOUT WHETHER HE WILL MAKE IT HOME SAFELY. I CALLED THE SHOP HE IS SCHEDULED TO GO BACK IN ON MONDAY. I HOPE HE MAKES IT HOME SAFELY TO GET TO THAT APPOINTMENT AND THAT THEY CAN REALLY CORRECT THE PROBLEM.
Official recalls
122V031000 · Air Bags
Jan 25, 2022
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP22003 · Loss Of Motive Power
Opened Sep 12, 2022 · Closed Dec 12, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
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 susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing. There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.