The 2019 Kia Soul has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 410,619 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 190 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS22V0310002022-01-25410,619 affected
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…
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.
Complaints by component
ENGINE
84
2crashes6fires1injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
18
2crashes1fires1injuries
AIR BAGS
14
9crashes1fires12injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
12
1fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
10
1crashes2fires
SEAT BELTS
6
2crashes2injuries
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
5
POWER TRAIN
5
SERVICE BRAKES
5
1crashes
STEERING
5
Total complaints190
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“My engine has suffered a mechanical failure that makes the vehicle stall or lose power while driving, creating a massive highway safety hazard. Kia is using a software update loophole to deny fixing a physical, dangerous manufacturing defect.”
“Engine and engine components caught fire while driving. This put my husbands life at risk and could have caused harm to other drivers if he was driving on a busier road. Car fire could have completely engulfed the car and caused harm or even death. Fire department was called to assist with…”
“Engine and engine components caught fire while driving. This put my husbands life at risk and could have caused harm to other drivers if he was driving on a busier road. Car fire could have completely engulfed the car and caused harm or even death. Fire department was called to assist with…”
“Engine and engine components caught fire while driving. This put my husbands life at risk and could have caused harm to other drivers if he was driving on a busier road. Car fire could have completely engulfed the car and caused harm or even death. Fire department was called to assist with…”
“On [xxx], while my vehicle was at the dealership for a federally mandated engine replacement recall (campaign pi2107y/z), the service department attempted to obstruct the completion of the safety repair. The dealership informed me that unless I paid a 264.40 fee for maintenance and fluids, they…”
“The contact owns a 2019 kia soul. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle began shaking violently and made a loud knocking sound. The contact experienced a loss of automotive power, and the vehicle was unable to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the catalytic converter…”
“The contact owns a 2019 kia soul. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle began shaking violently and made a loud knocking sound. The contact experienced a loss of automotive power, and the vehicle was unable to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the catalytic converter…”
“I have always taken my 2019 kia soul to the dealership in quincy il, where I had purchased it from as the first and only owner. I have recently drove it to work and it made an awful noise and started to run rough. Upon taking it to the dealership I learned that cylinder number 3 had blown and even…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP22003 Opened 2022-09-12 · closed 2023-12-12
Loss of Motive Power
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…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2019 Kia Soul as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.