2019 Kia Soul Engine

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the RPM revved extremely high, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 65 MPH. Additionally, the check engine warning light flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road where the contact saw smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle then stalled. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that either cylinder #1 or the entire engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 115,932.

I am experiencing excessive oil consumption and potential engine failure in my 2019 Kia Soul. Despite regular maintenance, my vehicle has suffered from multiple major repairs, including a top-end engine rebuild and catalytic converter replacement in 2024. The excessive oil consumption issue persisted, ultimately requiring a full engine replacement in 2025. Kia has delayed repairs and provided minimal support, leaving me without a vehicle for extended periods. Service History & Progression of the Issue: March 11, 2024: Took my vehicle to Planet Kia dealership after noticing excessive oil consumption and performance issues. Kia initiated an oil consumption test but did not approve immediate repairs. May 2024: Kia performed a top-end engine rebuild instead of replacing the engine, even though significant oil loss continued. December 2024: The catalytic converter was replaced, likely due to prolonged oil burning and engine inefficiencies. January 22, 2025: Returned the vehicle to Kia as the excessive oil consumption issue worsened, and the engine was struggling to function properly. March 2025: Kia finally approved a full engine replacement, but my vehicle has now been in service for over 137 days, and the repair process has been delayed due to missing parts. March 26, 2025: Planet Kia has not provided clear updates on beginning or completion of engine replacement despite having all parts in-house. Safety Concerns: Risk of Engine Failure: If the engine runs low on oil, it can seize while driving, creating a dangerous situation. Potential Fire Hazard: Excessive oil consumption could lead to overheating and increased fire risks, as seen in similar Kia engine-related recalls. Manufacturer Delays & Accountability: Kia has known about oil consumption issues for years but continues to delay solutions for affect

Owner was driving vehicle coming off of a highway onto sideroad when vehicle suddenly made a loud banging and grinding engine sound and engine quit immediately. Luckily able to drift over to shoulder and call tow truck. Vehicle towed to dealership. Dealership claimed vehicle was made in Mexico and therefore not covered by any recall. No forewarning by any dashboard lights. Owner needed a vehicle immediately for work and bought a brand new seltos the next day, then dealership refused to take soul as a trade in and so it remains unrepaired in the yard. It is able to be seen. I believe it should have been repaired or bought back by dealership. I feel like I was taken advantage of and lied to by the dealership

I’ve always had increased oil consumption since I’ve bought the car new. Pistons have been miss firing for over 2 years. I keep getting a P0020 code Kia had “replaced” catalytic converter, believing that was the issue and it wasn’t. Now I have a motor that’s not working properly.

The systems that failed while I was driving in the White Mountains of NH on [XXX] is my Kia Soul 2019 vehicle engine with 124,000 miles currently on my Kia Soul which I purchased brand new 02/2019 from a Kia dealership and some sort of vehicle belt that made my vehicle’s car swerve on the highway as I used my car brakes. The belt slipped forward and made the vehicle swerve each time I used my brakes while driving. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. My safety, my husband [XXX] ’s and other drivers who drove near our car drive are at significant safety risk. This is a very secluded part of [XXX] that has very little reliable cell phone towers to call road side assistance for help and nearly zero breakdown lanes to safely pull off the highway when my motor vehicle suddenly lost adequate engine power to drive while suddenly experiencing vehicle belt issues that effected my vehicle’s braking abilities making my car’s belt slip forward and my car to swerve as I used the vehicle’s brakes. My vehicles engine is failing and my vehicle’s brakes are compromised. These two issues put my husband [XXX] and I’s physical safety at significant risk as well as other individuals physical safety at significant risk as we attempted to drive ourselves to safety on a secluded area of [XXX] . My car was towed by Adler Towing to my house and brought to Hawthorne Automotive in Franklin, NH near my homes address to be evaluated by an independent service center. It has been confirmed to have catastrophic engine failure and belt issues that need replacing. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives or others. My check engine light came on just prior to the failure. Hawthorne put an additive into the gas tank that cleaned a partially clogged catalytic converter shortly beforehand. The check engine light went off at that point. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

There is white smoke coming out of the tailpipe. The car is running in distress. We changed the spark plugs because there was oil on the original spark plugs. We took the car to Auto Zone for engine diagnosis. Their tests report Ignition coil failure in the power train system.. They report cylinder 2 misfire detected. They also diagnosed that the left rear vehicle speed sensor failed in the anti-lock brake system.

I was driving home from work on the highway. The check engine light came on. I made a mental note to tell my son, who is a mechanic. The engine stalled out. I had enough momentum to take the exit from the highway and turn onto a side street before the car quit rolling. A helpful dog walker informed me that it wouldn't restart because it was on fire underneath. Luckily, superman drove by and put the fire out before the vehicle or even the engine were fully engulfed. My son & friend (also a mechanic) arrived and peered at the engine... their opinion was that oil on the catalytic converter started the fire. The car has been towed to their shop while I investigate my options.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption, which required quarts of oil to be added to the vehicle weekly. The contact stated that there was no indication of an oil leak. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who performed an oil consumption test. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle had failed the oil consumption test, and the dealer requested oil change records and proof of ownership. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 90,207.

Catalytic converter to be replaced at 94.000 miles following check engine light.

Last year my car started knocking and there was a smoldering smell. I expected Kia to consider the function of the rod knock sensor which caused P1326code. I advised capitol kia of both knocking noises and a significant burning smell. Per an extended warranty, if the rod bearings go bad, then the engine should be replaced. Capitol Kia avoided the latter and was not fully compliant with maintaining driver's safety. Only the rod knock sensor was replaced replaced, and the sensor shows bad rod bearings over and over and over ( 3 times ) Due to incompetence at Capitol Kia, Steven's Creek Kia checked on the second event and another RBCT was done to justify it's Kia's position that the rod bearings are functional. So Far, have been sent away twice, pending a now 3rd.. The sensor was replaced 3 weeks ago and I only drove the car two weeks before a new P1326 rod bearing code was shown just last week. Well knowing that the Rod Knock senor is designed to place the car into limp mode to circumvent catastrophe, it behooves the company, on behalf of consumer safety; and, integrity to NHTSA safety, to visually inspect the rod bearings to assure consumer confidence. This is especially after multiple rod knock sensor issues. Given that Rod bearing problems can cause catastrophic injury to the driver, the NHTSA needs to mandate the company to visually inspect the bearings and show the consumer pictorial evidence of a clearly unworn rod bearing per incident, after an initial knock sensor change. All evidence as such should be faithfully tracked by Kia and the NHTSA. This is especially as Kia is using a test to indicate normal functioning for bearings assumed to be among a lot of defective bearings. It follows logically that rod bearings which pass a RBCT ( Rod Bearing Clearance Test ), after a code is found, will be functioning just short of causing a catastrophic event. It should be noted that the warranty is to maintain consumer safety not to facilitate new events by default.

Kia issued recall for update to knock detection system on vehicles equipped with certain GDI engines of which my vehicle was included. Following the update I noticed my engine had begun to consume oil at an excessive rate between oil changes and took in for service at dealership. They performed an oil consumption test and returned the vehicle to me stating that it fell within the perameters of normal oil consumption but was burning oil. On 10/20/23 the vehicles knock sensor detection system went off and vehicle was dropped off at the service center. Service Advisor infomred me of the flow chart procedure for the warranty process and did an update to the knock detection system, added oil and gave me the car back. A month later the car again went into limp mode and gave a code for knock detection sensor trigger. Went into service center, bearing clearance test was performed, vehicle passed, knock sensor replaced. Car was returned to me. Exactly one month later after routine oil change, vehicle is still excessively burning oil and car goes into limp mode again. The new knock sensor has triggered and vehicle enters into limp mode on the highway. Took the vehicle to the service depatment this time with an audible knock/rattle in the engine block with noticeable movement in the motor mount to which they now state is not connected to the oil consumption issue even though the vehicle was again low on oil when system was engaged. The vehicle has been consuming oil at a high rate of speed for over a year initiating the safety mechanisms on multiple occassions with the source of the issue being unresolved by the manufactuerer despite multiple documented attempts to intiated covereage under the warranty. Knock sesnor detection system has triggered multiple times with safety protocals being bypassed and faulty engine being returned to the highways putting other vehicles at risk. Currently have a case open with both Kia USA and our local Kia Dealership .

The contact owned a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at a low rate of speed, an abnormal, burning odor began to emit from the vehicle. As the odor grew stronger, the contact's wife parked and exited the vehicle. Soon after exiting the vehicle, white smoke began to emit from underneath the hood and the vehicle became engulfed in flames. The fire department was called to the scene and the fire was extinguished. No injuries were reported and a police report was filed. The vehicle parked in front of the contact's vehicle sustained damage as a result of the fire. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location through the contact's insurance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The vehicle was totaled as a result of the fire. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30–40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was 10,500.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle consumed 4 quarts of oil within 3,000 miles. The contact pulled into a service station and added two quarts of oil to the vehicle and resumed driving; however, after driving approximately 20 miles, there was a loud banging sound and there was smoke coming from the engine. The contact veered to the side of the road and noticed that there was no engine oil in the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a friend's residence. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The dealer submitted a goodwill request to the manufacturer; however, the request was denied. The vehicle was towed to a second dealer, Kia of Greer (14345 E Wade Hampton Blvd, Greer, SC 29651), where the same diagnostic information was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 101,003.

I am burning through oil, adding approximately 1-2 qts a week. This, in addition to my regular oil changes that I do every 3-4,000 miles. I use a synthetic blend for high mileage. I was informed that the type of engine installed (Nu 2.0 GDI engine) is the reason for the car burning oil. Twice in the last 8 months, I went to get my oil changed and was informed that I had no oil. I have yet to see the oil pressure light illuminate on my dash when my oil has been that low. My oil changes average about $80 every 3 to 4000 miles. However, in addition to the cost of my oil change, I’m having to add one to 2 quarts of oil averaging an extra $14 every week. This is starting to eat into my wallet and Kia needs to do something about their engines.

Engine control system is coming on. My engine is knocking and rattling my car will just cut off and steering will get really hard

I was driving my 2019 Kia soul when I heard a noise I as I was pulling into a parking lot to park and see what was going on the car just cut off. There were no warning lights or anything on the dashboard. I called the dealership where I got the car and got no response for a week, then finally the guy who sold me the car reached out. I told him I had the car towed to my house and that I needed to get it to the dealership for service, the dealership is in a different city 30 minutes away. I was told that somebody from service would reach out to me that never happened. So, another week goes by I get the car towed it sits at the dealership for two weeks and the finally tell me the engine needs to be replaced. This is a 2019 kia soul where routine maintenance was always done on time. I was given no reason for the engine failure just told it was out of warranty and I would have to pay $11,00 to replace it.

The 2019 Kia soul is burning threw almost 2 quarts of oil a week now. It has been ran once just about to the point where there was no oil in the car. Never had a check engine light or low oil pressure light come on. The vehicle from boardman Kia.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an unusual sound that came from the hood of the vehicle, and inadvertently, the smoke came from underneath the hood; however, the check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to her residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the failure fits the same description as a safety recall for Kia Soul engines, in which this vehicle's VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

1. Engine failure 2. No warnings, car started smoking and I was on the interstate driving 70 mph 3. Dealership refuses to acknowledge or take ownership 4. All insurance and dealership inspected vehicle as engine seized 5. No warnings

Oil plug fell out damaging engine

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over on the side of the road, restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. No further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Car began to experience knocking sounds from engine. Was told by independent mechanic it was the lifters and the vehicle was burning oil. On the way to the dealership, while driving uphill on a road with no shoulders, the vehicle started smoking and lost all power. There was a line of cars behind me and coming in the lane of opposite traffic. The vehicle would not regain any type of power to the engine to make it up any hills to a safe space. If it wasn't for a random driveway my vehicle would've likely rolled back downhill and caused a many car collision which could have seriously injured myself, my young child, and drivers in other vehicles. There is a TSB reported with this issue, but unfortunately most consumers are not notified of active TSBs. The dealership was able to replicate the problem after having it towed there. We were told it would be in excess of $5000 to repair as the engine sustained some damage. I have read of others experiencing similar situations, which could kill a passenger or driver if they lost power in a freeway or a road with no shoulder.

Bought a 2019 Kia Soul+ and after hitting a few hundred miles outside the 60,000 warranty the engine dies to the point Kia has to replace the whole engine.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND AN ABNORMAL ODOR APPEARED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KIA SERVICE CENTER 1137 U S 46, STE A, CLIFTON, NJ 07013 (973) 779-7000 WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST. THE VEHICLE OIL WAS REPLACED HOWEVER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN 3 ADDITIONAL TIMES AT THE DEALER. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BURNING 1 QUART OF OIL EVERY MONTH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTICED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000.