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2019 Kia Soul EV

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2019 Soul EV.

Body SUVEngine Electric

The 2019 Kia Soul EV Electric is a battery-powered SUV that, despite its niche status, accumulated 136 owner complaints and three recalls, with the engine category—an ironic designation for an electric vehicle—drawing the most attention. This model year sits near the end of the first-generation Soul EV's run, a period bookended by the problematic 2015 model with 898 complaints and the relatively trouble-free 2017 with just 17, placing the 2019 as a middle-ground iteration that still carried notable issues.

Model year202020192018201720162015

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Lug nut torque79-94 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 121R · 600 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 121R · 600 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnLAMPOEM · verified
Tire size205/60R16 92HOEM · verified
Wheel / rim6.5 inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length163 in
Overall width70.9 in
Overall height63 in
Wheelbase101.2 in
Curb weight3325 lb
Track (front / rear)61.8 / 62.6 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)61/39

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine Dot 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 79-94 ft-lbs.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid70W Gear Oil
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity1.5 qt
Brake FluidDot 3
Engine CoolantEthylene Glycol
Engine Coolant Capacity5.4

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts79-94 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub203.0

Battery & A/C

Standard BCI Group Number121R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance600 cca

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier Torque16.0-23.0 ft-lbs
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 58.0-; Rear: 47.0-
ABS Sensor TorqueFront: 6.0; Rear: 6.0
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: 1.040; Rear: .331
Variation from Parallelism Thickness Variation.0002
Maximum Rotor RunoutFront: .0016; Rear: .002

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 6,500 miTire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
At 7,500 miAir Conditioning System (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Pedal Assembly (inspect)
Every 15,000 miAir Conditioning System (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Pedal Assembly (inspect)
Every 30,000 miHybrid Inverter (drain, flush & refill coolant)
Every 37,500 miTransmission Assembly (inspect fluid level)
At 120,000 miHybrid Inverter (drain, flush & refill coolant)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The provided federal record traces a dramatic arc across this model run, opening with very high complaint volumes in 2015 and 2016 (898 and 802, respectively), plunging to just 17 in 2017, rebounding to 213 in 2018, and moderating to 136 complaints in 2019. Relative to the immediately preceding years in the dataset, the 2019 model carries fewer complaints than 2018 but remains well above the 2017 low, while recalls held steady at 3 and investigations rose to 3, matching the 2016 level. For 2019 specifically, engine-classified categories comprised the bulk of complaints (58 and 5), though the data does not specify root causes, alongside 13 crash complaints and 8 fire complaints. Technical Service Bulletins remained essentially flat at 116, comparable to 2018’s 113 and far below the 210 recorded in 2015. Because 2019 sits at the lower end of the post-2017 range with stable recall activity and a fraction of the complaints seen in 2015–2016, it represents a comparatively settled choice within this record, making it a reasonable year to buy.

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
116
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
3
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
136
Owner complaints
13 involved a crash · 8 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent
’15’16’17’18’19

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 136 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine58
Unknown Or Other7
Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System5
Air Bags4
Service Brakes4
Unknown Or Other,Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System3
Fuel System, Gasoline3
Electrical System3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

22V031000Air BagsReported 25/01/2022

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… 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…

23V218000Electrical System:Propulsion System:Traction BatteryReported 29/03/2023

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. 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…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 116 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
CS2311_TSB_R42026-06-08StructureTECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION: CYLINDER…
TSB_BOD3362026-06-04StructureTECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: KEY AND CYLINDER SET REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides…
PI2107_OWNR_5012026-04-07Electrical SystemPRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (PI2107 Flight 501) - This document is…
SC267Z_TSB_R22026-03-04Electrical SystemTECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SUBSEQUENT REPAIR ACTION: HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY PACK ASSEMBLY…
CS2311_OWNR_PC2012025-12-19StructureCUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: POSTCARD OWNER RENOTIFICATION (CS2311) - This document is…

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Soul EV. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 121R battery

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBsMaintenance schedulesFluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

Does the 2019 Soul EV have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.