2019 Kia Soul — Known Issues & Recalls

While driving on the highway at around 70 mph, a piston ring broke and damaged your engine, causing it to fail when oil leaked out. This resulted in a complete engine failure and the vehicle could no longer run.

Your engine failed suddenly while driving in traffic after only 92,077 miles, making grinding noises but refusing to start. An inspection found that the connecting rod bearings had disintegrated, damaging the piston, crankshaft, valves, and cylinders. This engine is part of a known class action lawsuit involving manufacturing defects in connecting rod bearings that have caused premature failures in thousands of vehicles. The fix will require either a complete engine replacement or a full engine rebuild with new connecting rod bearings and related internal components.

Your car has been consuming oil rapidly over the past two months, and when the shop performed an oil consumption test, it failed. The check engine light came on, and while one shop diagnosed bad spark plugs, Firestone found your engine had no oil and wouldn't let you drive it. Kia then told you the engine is bad but denied warranty coverage because you're not the original owner, even though the website indicated engine coverage up to 100,000 miles. The repair will likely involve either engine diagnostics to confirm the problem or potentially an engine replacement or major overhaul.

Your 2019 Kia Soul is burning through oil much faster than normal, requiring frequent top-ups between service intervals. This is likely due to worn piston rings allowing oil to leak into the engine's combustion chamber. Without proper oil levels, your engine could suddenly seize while driving at highway speeds, causing you to lose power and control of the vehicle. The fix will likely involve engine repair or replacement, including new piston rings or a complete engine overhaul.

Your 2019 Kia Soul's engine has experienced internal bearing failure, causing loud knocking noises and unexpected stalling when you try to start it. This stalling creates a serious safety risk of collision or being stranded in traffic. A Kia dealership confirmed the engine needs replacement at a cost of $6,230, but Kia Consumer Affairs has refused to cover it under warranty or open a recall case. Fixing this issue will require a complete engine replacement.

Your engine shut off while you were driving and wouldn't restart. Your vehicle is part of a known Kia safety campaign (PI2107), but Kia refused to cover the repair under warranty. This is a serious safety issue since your engine can fail without warning while on the road.

Your car is burning through oil quickly, requiring about 1 quart every 850-875 miles, which suggests oil is leaking past the piston rings into the engine. This contaminated oil has clogged your catalytic converter, and replacing it costs $4,100 — far more than your car's current value. Your Kia warranty only covers the exhaust system up to 80,000 miles, and your extended warranty won't cover this repair. The fix would require replacing the catalytic converter and addressing the root cause of the excessive oil consumption.

Your engine started making abnormal knocking sounds while driving at 40 MPH, and your car lost power when you pressed the accelerator pedal, causing it to stall. An independent mechanic confirmed the problem was engine-related. The issue occurred around 120,000 miles. The repair will likely require engine diagnostics and possibly engine repair or replacement depending on what caused the knocking and stalling.

Your engine has experienced multiple serious problems since 2021, including constant noises and a check engine light that comes on repeatedly. You've had to replace the catalytic converter twice within months and your engine consumes excessive oil between changes, requiring top-offs up to five times before the next scheduled service. On January 22, 2026, your engine began smoking while driving on the highway, and the dealership determined that fuel injector issues caused the engine to run lean, destroying the second cylinder beyond repair and requiring a full engine replacement—however, your engine model is no longer manufactured. Resolving this will require either sourcing a used compatible engine from a salvage yard or exploring engine swap options with your dealer.

While driving at 40 mph, your car suddenly lost power and began smoking without any warning lights. The repair shop found your engine had no oil in it. You'd had an oil change just 2.5 months earlier, but noticed the engine was running low (nearly half a quart down) at each of the last three or four oil changes, suggesting your engine may be burning through oil abnormally fast. The repair shop will assess the full damage on Monday, but the fix will likely involve addressing whatever caused the severe oil loss and engine damage.

Your 2019 Kia Soul is burning through engine oil much faster than normal, requiring frequent top-ups to avoid engine damage. The problem appears to be in the GDI engine's piston rings, which can eventually lead to catastrophic engine failure while driving — a serious safety risk. Kia has refused to investigate because the warranty has expired and you're the second owner. Fixing this will likely require rebuilding or replacing the engine.

Your engine is consuming oil faster than normal, requiring frequent oil top-ups between scheduled oil changes. Multiple mechanics have confirmed this is a known issue with your vehicle. This requires regular monitoring and adds to your maintenance costs over time. The fix may involve checking for internal engine leaks, worn piston rings, or valve seal issues that are allowing oil to escape or burn off.

Your car was hit in a crash where another vehicle ran a red light. Despite the serious damage that totaled the vehicle, the airbags did not deploy. A dealer or manufacturer inspection would be needed to determine why the airbag system failed to activate during the collision.

You were hit on the driver's side by another vehicle while stopped at a red light, which spun your car over 90 degrees and pushed it 25 yards into the intersection. Your airbags failed to deploy during this collision, and you sustained head, neck, and back injuries as a result. The airbag system should have activated to protect you during this significant impact.

Your steering wheel coupling has failed and needs to be replaced, as confirmed by a mechanic. Kia has issued a warranty extension covering this part for 10 years/100,000 miles on 2019 Soul models, but your vehicle isn't showing up in the system for this coverage. You're requesting Kia cover the repair as a goodwill gesture since this is a known issue affecting your car, with repair costs estimated between $650–$1,500. The fix will involve replacing the motor-driven power steering (MDPS) rubber coupling.

Your steering wheel became loose and vibrated while driving, making a knocking sound. A mechanic and dealer both identified that your steering coupler needs to be replaced to fix the problem. Replacing the steering coupler should restore proper steering control and eliminate the noise and vibration.

While driving at 40 mph, you braked hard to avoid hitting another vehicle but your car skidded and crashed anyway. Your airbags did not deploy during the front-end collision, and your seat belt failed to hold you in place, allowing your chest and stomach to hit the steering wheel. You suffered a bruised chest and neck injury. No warning lights appeared before the crash.

Your car has been smelling like burning oil on and off since you bought it, and a Kia service center couldn't find the cause. Later, your car began stalling while driving, and after $1,500 in repair attempts, the service center still couldn't identify the problem. Now your car won't start at all. These symptoms match a known recall (SC336) affecting 2021-2023 Kia Souls that can lead to engine fire or failure. The issue likely involves the engine's internal components or fuel system and may require diagnostic testing or engine replacement.

Your engine vibrates suddenly while driving, and you're experiencing a loss of power when accelerating. Your car is also consuming oil at a higher than normal rate. Additionally, your catalytic converter failed at 80,000 miles right after your warranty expired, requiring an expensive replacement.

Water is getting inside your upper brake light during heavy rain while driving. This is a sealing issue with the light assembly that allows moisture to enter.