Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
27–28 mpgcombined; city 24–26, highway 30–31; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$11,600–$12,030U.S. average; Ohio $10,370–$10,750 at local prices; every version of this model year, electric versions apart; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026. Electric versions: $4,290 at U.S. average electricity prices
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2019 Soul. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 139 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Soul. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
87
2
6
1
Unknown or other
20
3
1
2
Air bags
15
9
1
12
Electrical system
15
1
2
0
Fuel/propulsion system
12
0
1
0
Power train
7
1
0
1
Engine and engine cooling
6
0
1
0
Seat belts
6
2
0
2
Service brakes
6
2
0
1
Exterior lighting
5
0
0
0
Steering
5
0
0
0
Structure
4
2
0
3
8 more parts
Visibility/wiper
4
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
3
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
3
1
0
1
Wheels
3
0
0
0
Parking brake
1
1
0
1
Suspension
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2019 Soul over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Electrical system: software; Power train: automatic transmission
Kia America, Inc. (KIA) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles. The parking mechanism may be damaged, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the gear shift lever is in the Park 'P' position and the parking brake is not applied while the vehicle is powered on.
Risk: Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the electronic control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 21, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC287. This recall expands and replaces recall number 20V-389. Vehicles previously repaired under 20V-389 will need to have the new remedy completed.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles equipped with an E400 battery. The high-voltage battery pack may experience an electrical short-circuit while driving.
Risk: A battery electrical short-circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will update and/or replace the battery management system and software, as necessary, free of charge. The new software will illuminate the EV warning light, limit charging capacity, and reduce vehicle power if abnormal voltage is detected. If this occurs, the battery will be replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 18, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC267.
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.
Risk: 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 118 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2019 Soul, the latest on Aug 28, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (45), engine and engine cooling (41), equipment (19), fuel system (14), gasoline (14).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2019 Soul.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: small station wagons. EPA greenhouse gas score: 6–10 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Soul Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM7)
Regular Gasoline
26 / 31 / 28
Soul Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
26 / 31 / 28
Soul Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 30 / 27
Soul Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
24 / 30 / 27
Soul Electric Front-Wheel Drive
81 kW AC PMSM
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 111 miles of range
124 / 93 / 108 MPGe
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data