Home · 2019 Kia Soul EV · Complaints

What 136 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Kia Soul EV

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (136)Crash / fire / injury (21)Engine (86)Fuel system (15)Airbags (14)Electrical system (14)Brakes (9)Transmission & drivetrain (7)Seat belts (6)Engine & cooling (5)Lights (5)Steering (5)

6 of 136 complaints match · Seat belts · clear filters

Jan 15, 2026Transmission & drivetrainSeat beltsEngine

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.

NHTSA ODI 11711092

Nov 25, 2025BrakesAirbagsSeat beltsCrash1 injury

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.

NHTSA ODI 11701523

Oct 24, 2023Engine & coolingSeat belts

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. Additionally, the seat belt warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an oil change was performed, and the contact was informed that the vehicle had consumed two quarts of engine oil. The oil consumption test was completed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

NHTSA ODI 11551525

Aug 26, 2023AirbagsSeat beltsCrash1 injury

On April 05, 2022 I was struck head-on by a negligent driver who rounded a blind turn at a rate of speed of above sixty miles per hour. His vehicle drifted across the double yellow lines into my lane and hit three quarters of my front bumper. He was driving a four door sedan and I was driving a 2019 Kia Soul. My vehicle was lifted off of the ground, slid across his hood and roof, landed on its side and grinder against the passenger side of the car along the floor and the roof grinded the guard rail. My steering wheel air bag did not deploy, causing my head to go through the windshield. All of this is evidenced by my dual camera dash cam. The front panel of my car was crushed, which caused the side curtain airbags to deploy. Unfortunately, even though the main impact was the front bumper, the steering wheel airbag did not deploy. I suffered severe permanent injuries from this accident. I have emailed the claims department of Kia motors, but have yet to hear a reply. Thank you! I pray that no one else has to endure such a travailing experience due to a faulty product prevent vehicles from being crash worthy.

NHTSA ODI 11540896

Jan 5, 2022Electrical systemLightsSeat belts

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 ODI 11446269

Sep 12, 2020Seat belts

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY DURING THE SUMMER WHERE THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 95 DEGREES. THE SEAT BELT LIGHT DOWN THERE BY THE CONSOLE CAME ON. IT STAYED ON FOR FIVE MINUTES UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO PARK THE VEHICLE AND TURN IT OFF, THEN TURN IT BACK ON AGAIN. IT HAPPENS AGAIN LESS THAN A YEAR LATER. THIS TIME THE LIGHT CAME ON THREE TIMES IN TEN MINUTES.THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS AGAIN 95 DEGREES. I DID TAKE IT TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE CONDITIONS TO SEE IF IT WOULD DO IT AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI 11354562

Working with the data? Download all 136 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 21, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2019 Kia Soul EV verdict →