NHTSA Complaint #11696779 — 2019 KIA SOUL

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.