2019 Kia Soul: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2019 Kia Soul
On the 2019 Kia Soul, the failure owners report most often is other engine problem, and the reports cluster around 50,000 miles. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 50,000 miles. Overall it scores 75 out of 100, high risk for a 2019.
High risk for a 2019 — 152nd riskiest of the 245 2019 vehicles we can rate. 198 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 46 named failure modes on the 2019 Kia Soul, and the three most-reported carry 35% of everything filed.
Other engine problem leads with 33 reports, about 1.0 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 19k to 100,000 miles.
Excessive oil consumption follows with 29 reports, usually reported between 50k to 100,000 miles. 1 of those report mention a fire.
Airbag failed to deploy in a crash follows with 8 reports, median 80,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into engine (86), electrical (12) and airbag (10).
The mileage the reports cluster at
63 of the reports on the 2019 Kia Soul came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 50,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 49% by 50,000 miles and 79% by 100,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 21% of the dated reports.
48% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 46. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
Severity, and what it costs
Across the named modes, 15 mention a crash, 10 a fire and 10 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 5.26, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other engine problem at $300–$4,000, excessive oil consumption at $900–$6,500, airbag failed to deploy in a crash at $1,000–$5,000 and other fuel system problem at $300–$2,200. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
51% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures, so more than half of what owners complained about here is expensive.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other engine problem | engine | 33 | 12 | 19k | 51k | 102k | 1.0 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Excessive oil consumption | engine | 29 | 8 | 50k | 70k | 99k | 0.8 | $900–$6,500 | High |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 8 | 3 | — | 80k | — | 0.2 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 8 | 5 | — | 38k | — | 0.2 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 6 | 1 | — | 29k | — | 0.2 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Complete engine failure or seizure | engine | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $4,500–$12,000 | Critical |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 5 | 3 | — | 20k | — | 0.1 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Head gasket failure | engine | 4 | 1 | — | 74k | — | 0.1 | $1,400–$4,000 | Critical |
| Oil leak | engine | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 4 | 2 | — | 44k | — | 0.1 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 4 | 3 | — | 20k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 3 | 1 | — | 22k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Overheating | cooling | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 3 | 1 | — | 121k | — | 0.1 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 3 | 1 | — | 5k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 3 | 1 | — | 5k | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure | engine | 2 | 2 | — | 73k | — | 0.1 | $1,200–$4,500 | Critical |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Dual-clutch or clutch-pack failure | transmission | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $1,800–$5,500 | High |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 2 | 2 | — | 33k | — | 0.1 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 2 | 1 | — | 65k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 2 | 2 | — | 7k | — | 0.1 | $200–$900 | High |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Engine knock or bearing noise | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 137k | — | 0.0 | $2,500–$9,000 | High |
| Lifter, cam or cylinder-deactivation failure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $1,800–$7,000 | High |
| Torque converter failure | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 70k | — | 0.0 | $1,100–$3,200 | High |
| Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,400 | High |
| Differential or transfer case failure | drivetrain | 1 | 1 | — | 106k | — | 0.0 | $900–$4,200 | High |
| Fuel leak or fuel odor | fuel | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Fuel gauge or level sensor failure | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 72k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 1 | 1 | — | 1k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Master cylinder or brake booster failure | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 400 | — | 0.0 | $450–$2,200 | Critical |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Rust or structural corrosion | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $500–$6,000 | High |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 1 | 1 | — | 2k | — | 0.0 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Unclassified problem | other | 23 | 7 | — | 22k | — | 0.7 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2019 Kia Soul draws about 5.8 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 85th percentile of complaint rates among 2019 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 34,218 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2019 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
Recalls on the 2019 model year
NHTSA has issued 1 recall campaign covering the 2019 Kia Soul, affecting an estimated 34,218 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover air bags. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
AIR BAGS
410,619 vehicles 2022-01-25- Defect
- 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
- 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.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2019 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Where 2019 sits in the model line
High risk for a 2019 — 152nd riskiest of the 245 2019 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
Across the 16 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2025 comes out best at 59 and 2020 worst at 82, with 2019 itself at 75.
If the model year is negotiable, 2025, 2024, 2016, 2012 and 2013 score lower than 2019 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2017–2019 generation specifically, 2017 is the strongest year at 74 and 2019 the weakest at 75.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2017-2019 generation, 2017 Kia Soul scores best at 74 and 2019 Kia Soul worst at 75.
Where to spend the inspection money
The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other engine problem from about 19k and excessive oil consumption from about 50k.
On a 2019 Kia Soul with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other engine problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.
Treat it as where to point the inspection, not as a prediction. A well-maintained example can sail past every mileage on this page, and a neglected one can fail well before the first of them.
Where these figures stop being useful
198 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 198 reports, 63 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 32% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Kia Soul?
The most-reported failures are other engine problem (33 reports, median 50,000 miles), excessive oil consumption (29 reports, median 70,000 miles) and airbag failed to deploy in a crash (8 reports, median 80,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
At what mileage do 2019 Kia Soul problems start?
Other engine problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 50,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 20,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 50,000 miles.
Is the 2019 Kia Soul reliable?
It scores 75 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 152nd riskiest of the 245 2019 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2019 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Kia Soul is best?
Within the 2017–2019 generation, 2017 scores best at 74 out of 100 and 2019 worst at 75. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed