2019 Kia Soul

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 extinguishing the fire and to ensure that further danger did not persist.

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 were required by the manufacturer to drain the old, contaminated coolant from my failed engine and reuse it in the brand-new replacement engine. This threat of intentional contamination poses a severe safety risk, as reusing old fluid from a failed engine can lead to premature engine failure or overheating, potentially creating another hazardous situation on the road. I contacted the manufacturer corporate office (Case [XXX]), and they confirmed that no such requirement to reuse old coolant exists and that the dealership had not even attempted to file a claim for fluids. The dealership misrepresented manufacturer policy to monetize a free safety recall and threatened to sabotage the integrity of the new engine to force a sale. This issue was confirmed to be a dealership-level fabrication by the manufacturer’s corporate customer service line. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Engine has 86k miles and has been well maintained. Recently it started to consume oil rapidly as per last oil change report. We took it to dealership after oil change mechanic suggested needing to have problems looked at per Kias recent service bulletins on high oil consumption issues. I requested the car be evaluated for the oil issue and the dealership service tech confirmed "engine damage DUE TO high oil consumption" but would not perform oil consumption test. The particular vin is not included in current recalls or bulletins but has the same engine as other model years that are in the recall/bulletins for engine oil consumption. Dealership suggests engine replacement but the car is out of warranty because it changed owners before 100k miles. I have opened a case with kia and, to date, they continue to deny the engine replacement due to car being out of warranty. This oil consumption issue is a MAJOR SAFETY RISK and ALL KIAS HAVING THIS ENGINE ISSUE should be offered replacement by Kia, assuming regular maintenance is proven. Other Kias with this same engine are being replaced at Kias expense but Kia is trying to save money by only approving certain year models, leaving thousands of Kia owners left at having to replace engines at the owners expense (over $9000 dollars) when the car itself is no longer worth barely half of that cost. The NHTSA needs to step in to protect the consumers and issue a bulletin for any Kia model having this type of oil consumption issue before more people die or suffer major breakdowns and wrecks from car fires or engine lock ups.

I have a code of P0420 show up on a vehicle diagnostic test. This is directly related to recall SA363 ECU LOGIC . The engine light kept coming on. I was driving on the highway and the car stalled and then stopped as I was coming off the exit.

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 needed to be repaired. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. However, the dealer stated that the engine had to seize for the replacement to be covered. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,009.

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 melted the coil pack connector boot to the spark plug. It has used more oil than usual over the years in-between oil and filter changes. Since this problem has occurred, I have learned that the engine manufacturer has had similar issues with engine failure in multiple models. Including 2019 Kia Soul such as mine. I would like for it to be replaced under the same settlement for this engine type and it's flaws.

2019 Kia Soul has an issue with the steering wheel coupling that needs to be replaced. This has been confirmed by a mechanic. There is a warranty extension on the MDPS (Motor Driven Power Steering) rubber coupling - 10 years/100,000 miles - for the 2019 Kia Soul. For some reason, my 2019 Kia Soul is not showing up under the warranty campaign extension. I am seeking a goodwill repair by Kia as there is obviously a known issue with the steering coupling that has impacted my 2019 Kia Soul. The cost to repair is in the 650-1,500 range.

This vehicle was seriously damaged in a crash. No airbags deployed. The vehicle was totaled. Another vehicle went through red light and crashed into my car.

Unknown but told by multiple mechanics that the kia soul eats oil and the engine constantly runs dry which is pricey and unfair

I’ve had nothing but problems with this car since about a year after getting it in 2021. Constant noises with the engine engine check light coming on all the time I would bring it in and no one would be able to figure out what was going on. And then it started to get worse and I had my catalytic converter replaced and not even a couple months later I had to have had another catalytic converter put in there’s issues with oil consumption and between oil changes, I would have to top off my oil multiple times sometimes even five and then I started getting oil changes before I even needed to get them because I was nervous and then on January 22, 2026 driving on the highway my engine started to smoke and I pulled over and took it to the nearest dealership by way of tow truck and they told me that the fuel issues had destroyed my second cylinder in my engine, and it was not repairable and then told me that I needed to replace my engine, but the engine in my car is no longer being made. I was told that my car was running lean due to the fuel injector issues.

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.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became loose, vibrated, and made a knocking sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and a dealer, and it was determined that the steering coupler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

I was driving approx 70mph on the highway when a piston ring popped off and blew a hole in the engine, causing the engine to fail once the oil spilled out.

The vehicle had a catastrophic engine failure while driving in traffic. The engine would turn over making loud grinding noises but would not start, and the vehicle had to be towed. The engine had only 92,077 miles on it when it failed. Subsequent engine teardown found pieces of the connecting rod bearings which had disintegrated (see attached photos). This failure damaged the piston, crankshaft, valves, and cylinders. This engine has been the subject of a class action lawsuit due to a manufacturing defect of the connecting rod bearings and premature failures in thousands of engines. The engine is part of a class action lawsuit, but we are ineligible for the extended warranty since it had not yet received the knock sensor software update that was required by the lawsuit. However, this software update does not fix the defective connecting rod bearings and only provides a possible warning of an impending failure. I was never notified of this required update. This engine should have been part of a mandatory recall, but instead, KIA chose to release an update that made warranty eligibility impossible for customers who were unaware of its existence. This defective engine is a serious hazard and almost caused a major accident when the engine suddenly failed.

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.

This is a 6 year old car, with just under 108,000 miles. The catalytic converter is clogged, most likely from oil getting past the piston rings and contaminating the catalytic converter. High oil consumption, resulting in 1 qt needed to be added every 850-875 miles on average. Extended warranty company excludes this part. KIA warranty covers exhaust parts only up to 80,000 miles. To replace is $4,100. Car is valued at $3,000-$3500, with dealership saying without replacement car is worth less than $1,000. Other KIA’s in years before and after this vehicle have recalls for this specific issue, and this year car and this vehicle specifically should be added to the recall.

I took the car to the shop because it had been consuming a lot of oil within the last 2 months and everytime I went to the shop they would just top off my oil . They ended up doing an oil consumption test and my car failed it and mind you they had just put oil in my car the week prior . I took my car Monday because my engine light had came on . When arriving the guy scanned my car with a machine they told me it was bad spark plugs in my engine . He sent me to Firestone because he said the process would be cheaper or faster .( mind you I told them I am doing the oil consumption test) they proceeded to send me to Firestone .firestone checked my oil and that’s when they found out there was no oil in my vehicle .they asked me if I was doing the oil consumption test I told them yes Firestone would not allow me to drive the car back to Kia so I ended up waiting 2 hours for a tow truck . When it got back to Kia they told me I had a bad engine without checking it . They said I don’t qualify for the warranty because I am not the first owner . According the website it said the engine should be good up to 100,000 miles .

The vehicle, a 2019 Kia Soul, is experiencing **severe and abnormal engine oil consumption** requiring frequent, unscheduled oil replenishment. The vehicle has approximately 117,000 miles. **Component or System Failure:** The malfunction is in the **powertrain system**, specifically the **GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) engine**. The root cause is assessed to be a **structural or design defect** involving the **piston rings**, leading to oil migration into the combustion chamber. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. **Safety Risk:** This rapid oil depletion poses a severe safety hazard. The engine could suffer **sudden, catastrophic failure** due to oil starvation while operating at highway speeds. Such an event would cause an immediate loss of power and control, placing the occupants and surrounding traffic at significant risk of a serious accident. **Prior Symptoms:** The primary symptom is the **consistent, rapid drop in the measured oil level** observed between scheduled maintenance intervals. **No prior warning lamps, messages, or fault codes related to low oil pressure** appeared before the issue was discovered and confirmed by the owner through monitoring the dipstick. **Manufacturer Inspection/Response:** The manufacturer, Kia America, has **refused to conduct a technical inspection or acknowledge the defect** across multiple documented case files (Case #XXX, #XXX, #XXX). The manufacturer has stated a policy of non-assistance due to the vehicle being outside the standard warranty period. This lack of investigation, despite the serious safety risk, is the basis of this report. This issue aligns with widely documented **structural defects** in the manufacturer’s GDI engine line. The current safety risk necessitates immediate federal review.

Vehicle: 2019 Kia Soul 2.0L GDI VIN: [XXX] Mileage: 92,200 The engine and connecting rod bearings failed — a known defect in Kia’s Theta II GDI engines. The vehicle began making a loud knocking noise and would stall when turning to start the engine within days of purchase. This is consistent with the same defect addressed in Kia’s KSDS / PI2107 Product Improvement Campaign and Theta II Engine class-action settlement. Component failed: Engine. The engine is available for inspection. Safety risk: The engine stalls unpredictably, creating a major risk of collision or being stranded in traffic. The stalling has occurred more than once, and the car is unsafe to drive, per Moritz Kia. Confirmed by: Moritz Kia Fort Worth, which diagnosed internal engine failure and quoted $6,230 for replacement. Kia Consumer Affairs refused to open a case or perform the recall, claiming it was “past due,” though the vehicle is within the 15-year/150,000-mile lifetime warranty coverage. Maintenance history: CARFAX confirms regular oil and filter changes, most recently on 05/30/2025, proving the vehicle was properly maintained. Inspection: Completed by Kia dealership; no outside inspection yet. Warning symptoms: Engine knocking and stalling Summary: Kia is refusing recall service and case creation despite this being a known manufacturing defect, not a maintenance issue. The KSDS system only detects failure after it occurs and does not fix the defect. This creates a continuing safety hazard for consumers. Kia consumer affairs dates of contact and reference numbers: 09/11/2025-#2563091, 10/15/2025-25603091 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)