Total Complaints
6 filings
KIA SOUL EV · model year
2019 KIA SOUL EV
6 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2019KIASOUL EV carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2019 SOUL EV is service brakes with 1 filings, followed by unknown or other (1) and parking brake (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2019 SOUL EV. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
6
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated
· Front: Not Rated/5
· Side: Not Rated/5
· Rollover: Not Rated/5
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| PARKING BRAKE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recalls (3)
23V21800029/03/2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
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.
23V72400026/10/2023
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
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.
22V03100025/01/2022
AIR BAGS
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
Recent Complaints
20240109POWER TRAIN
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.
Mileage: 73,000
20240109ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
Mileage: 73,000
20240108CrashUNKNOWN OR OTHER
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.
20240108CrashPARKING BRAKE
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.
20240108CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
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.
20190624CrashSERVICE BRAKES
BRAKE FAILURE CAUSING WRECK, COMING ON TO A RED LIGHT, HIT BRAKES AND CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN. I SWERVED TO MISS HITTING THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME, THINKING HITTING SOMEONE FROM BEHIND WOULD CAUSE A NUMBER OF INJURIES. I MISSED BOTH OF THESE CARS, BUT HAD TO RU N A RED LIGHT. THERE WAS ONE CAR IN LEFT HAND TURN LANE ON THE RIGHT. I THOUGHT IF I COULD GET THROUGH THE INTERSECTION I MIGHT COULD LET THE CAR SLOW DOWN ON ITS OWN IN A FIELD ACROSS THE STREET. THE CAR IN THE TURN LANE BLOCKED MY VIEW ON ONCOMING TRAFIC. A TRUCK GOING 45 OR 50 MILES PER HOUR HIT ME IN RIGHT FRONT TOTALING MY CAR AND CAUSING ME SOME BACK AND NECK INJURIES. I HAD MY SEAT BELT ON AND MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE. THE AIR BAGS WORKED PERFECTLY, BUT MY CAR WAS DESTROYED. BOTH VEHICLES HAD TO BE TOWED OFF NON DRIVABLE . I WILL GET PHOTOS LATER. I HAD A PROBLEM EARLIER IN THE WEEK, WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL ALMOST GOING TO THE FLOOR BEFORE THE CAR WOULD STOP.
Mileage: 450
Compare 2019KIASOUL EV to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2019 KIA SOUL EV have?▼
The 2019 KIA SOUL EV has 6 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2019 KIA SOUL EV?▼
The 2019 KIA SOUL EV received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2019 KIA SOUL EV?▼
Yes, the 2019 KIA SOUL EV has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2019 KIA SOUL EV?▼
The most-complained component for the 2019 KIA SOUL EV is SERVICE BRAKES with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and PARKING BRAKE.
Is the 2019 KIA SOUL EV safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2019 KIA SOUL EV has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.