2019 KIA SOUL EV — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
6
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
4
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2019 KIA SOUL EV
The 2019 KIA SOUL EV has received a total of 6 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 13 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL), ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE. 4 technical service bulletins have been issued by Kia America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Electrical System (1 complaint), Parking Brake (1 complaint), and Power Train (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 2019 KIA SOUL EV
NHTSA has recorded 13 recalls for the 2019 KIA SOUL EV, potentially affecting up to 2,088,899 vehicles.
Recall 23V724000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
| 6,262 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 23V724000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
| 6,262 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 23V724000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
| 6,262 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 23V724000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
| 6,262 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 23V218000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
| 2,689 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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,...
View full details →Recall 23V218000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
| 2,689 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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,...
View full details →Recall 23V218000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
| 2,689 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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,...
View full details →Recall 23V218000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
| 2,689 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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,...
View full details →Recall 22V031000 — AIR BAGS
| 410,619 vehicles 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 deploy in a crash.
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...
View full details →Recall 22V031000 — AIR BAGS
| 410,619 vehicles 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 deploy in a crash.
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...
View full details →Recall 22V031000 — AIR BAGS
| 410,619 vehicles 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 deploy in a crash.
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...
View full details →Recall 22V031000 — AIR BAGS
| 410,619 vehicles 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 deploy in a crash.
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...
View full details →Recall 22V031000 — AIR BAGS
| 410,619 vehicles 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 deploy in a crash.
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...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2019 KIA SOUL EV
6 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2019 KIA SOUL EV. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Power Train | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Trainautomatic Transmissiongear Position Indication Prndl | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul EV. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. The contact drove the vehicle out of the street and into a parking space. Additionally, the contact stated that on two occasions the cellphone charger cord melted in the charger port while the cellphone was charging. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact was informed that the transmission failed, and the transmission needed to be replaced; however, a diagnostic test had not been completed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul EV. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. The contact drove the vehicle out of the street and into a parking space. Additionally, the contact stated that on two occasions the cellphone charger cord melted in the charger port while the cellphone was charging. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact was informed that the transmission failed, and the transmission needed to be replaced; however, a diagnostic test had not been completed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
Please note this was in our driveway and we have a video of the incident. Driver parked the car on slight hill and engaged the parking break and exited the vehicle. The car was still "On". Driver opened the door and reached in and pushed the ON button to shut down power. The brake disengaged by itself, car rolled, knocked down and almost rolled over driver. Rolled into street in oncoming traffic. Damage to door, slight injury to driver who was nearly run over.
Please note this was in our driveway and we have a video of the incident. Driver parked the car on slight hill and engaged the parking break and exited the vehicle. The car was still "On". Driver opened the door and reached in and pushed the ON button to shut down power. The brake disengaged by itself, car rolled, knocked down and almost rolled over driver. Rolled into street in oncoming traffic. Damage to door, slight injury to driver who was nearly run over.
Please note this was in our driveway and we have a video of the incident. Driver parked the car on slight hill and engaged the parking break and exited the vehicle. The car was still "On". Driver opened the door and reached in and pushed the ON button to shut down power. The brake disengaged by itself, car rolled, knocked down and almost rolled over driver. Rolled into street in oncoming traffic. Damage to door, slight injury to driver who was nearly run over.
Safety Rating for the 2019 KIA SOUL EV
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2019 KIA SOUL EV in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2019 KIA SOUL EV
Kia America, Inc. has issued 4 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2019 KIA SOUL EV. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
SC267A_DP — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO (SC267A) - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to update the battery management system (BMS) software to the latest version on certain 2015-2017 MY Soul EV vehicles manufactured from July 15, 2014 through...
SC267A_DP — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO (SC267A) - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to update the battery management system (BMS) software to the latest version on certain 2015-2017 MY Soul EV vehicles manufactured from July 15, 2014 through...
TSB_ELE044_R3 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY ORDERING AND RETURN PROCEDURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin outlines the ordering and return procedure for high-voltage Lithium-ion batteries equipped on EV/hybrid vehicles...
TSB_ELE044_R3 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY ORDERING AND RETURN PROCEDURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin outlines the ordering and return procedure for high-voltage Lithium-ion batteries equipped on EV/hybrid vehicles...
NHTSA Investigations for the 2019 KIA SOUL EV
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the KIA SOUL EV
- 2014 KIA SOUL EV — 2 complaints
- 2015 KIA SOUL EV — 7 complaints
- 2016 KIA SOUL EV — 8 complaints
- 2017 KIA SOUL EV — 23 complaints
- 2018 KIA SOUL EV — 4 complaints
- 2019 KIA SOUL EV (current)
- 2020 KIA SOUL EV — 0 complaints
Other KIA Models
- KIA SORENTO — 13,451 total complaints
- KIA OPTIMA — 10,045 total complaints
- KIA SOUL — 7,147 total complaints
- KIA SPORTAGE — 6,540 total complaints
- KIA FORTE — 3,450 total complaints
- KIA SEDONA — 3,334 total complaints
- KIA SEPHIA — 3,080 total complaints
- KIA TELLURIDE — 2,109 total complaints