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2017 Kia Soul

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2017 Kia Soul do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 225.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

117 reports with mileage · 154 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 190 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

17 crash reports14 fire reports13 injury reports

Engine complaints

190 reports
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90,000 miles · Apr 27, 2021
EngineFuel/propulsion System

YES IVE BEEN EXPERIENCEING A STRONG GAS SMELL WHEN IDLE AND A FAST NOT NORMAL OIL CONSUMPTION AND PROBLEMS WITHE THE ELCTRIC SYSTEM

NHTSA ODI #11414118

82,509 miles · Apr 20, 2021
EnginePower Train

OIL LIGHT CAME ON, CHECKED OIL AND IT WAS LOW. ADDED OIL. THE NEXT DAY THE CAR LOSS COMPLETE POWER AND STALLED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. ENGINE MADE A LOUD SOUND AND STOPPED. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO OUR DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE LOWER PART OF THE ENGINE BLOWED AT 82,509 MILES. REGULAR MAINTENANCE WAS DONE AT A DEALERSHIP IN OUR TO…

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OIL LIGHT CAME ON, CHECKED OIL AND IT WAS LOW. ADDED OIL. THE NEXT DAY THE CAR LOSS COMPLETE POWER AND STALLED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. ENGINE MADE A LOUD SOUND AND STOPPED. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO OUR DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE LOWER PART OF THE ENGINE BLOWED AT 82,509 MILES. REGULAR MAINTENANCE WAS DONE AT A DEALERSHIP IN OUR TOWN. EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WAS PURCHASED HAD WENT OUT 1000 MILES BACK AND NOW WE ARE TOLD THE REGULAR POWER TRAIN WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER BECAUSE WE WERE THE 2ND OWNER. WE WERE TOLD ABOUT $9000 TO FIX THE CAR. I HAVE CONTACTED KIA AND BECAUSE THEY DONT HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH THIS VIN# THEY CAN'T HELP. EVEN THOUGH WHEN YOU GOOGLE ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH THIS YEAR THERE ARE PLENTY OF COMPLAINT ALL OVER THE INTERNET. IF THESE CARS ARE GIVING SO MUCH TROUBLE, WHY ISN'T THERE SOMETHING THEY CAN DO. I WORK WITH 2 PEOPLE THAT OWN KIA'S OF OTHER MODELS AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND THEIR MOTOR WAS REPLACE FREE OF CHARGE. I NEED HELP, PLEASE. WE FRONT HAVE THE MONEY TO REPLACE THE MOTOR AND MY DAUGHTER STILL OWES OVER $9000 ON THIS CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11412962

87,000 miles · Apr 15, 2021
Engine

WE WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE THE ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND THE ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING THEN LEAKING OIL

NHTSA ODI #11408315

60,000 miles · Apr 14, 2021
Electrical SystemEngine

MY KIA WAS DRIVING NORMALLY UNTIL I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, WITHOUT WARNING, THE OIL AND BATTERY LIGHT SIMULTANEOUSLY CAME ON AND THE CAR STALLED. I EVENTUALLY WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO MOVE; HOWEVER THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND A HORRIBLE KNOCKING NOISE WAS COMING FROM TH…

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MY KIA WAS DRIVING NORMALLY UNTIL I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, WITHOUT WARNING, THE OIL AND BATTERY LIGHT SIMULTANEOUSLY CAME ON AND THE CAR STALLED. I EVENTUALLY WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO MOVE; HOWEVER THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND A HORRIBLE KNOCKING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE. MY VEHICLE TRAVELLED ANOTHER 100 FEET BEFORE SHUTTING OFF AGAIN. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PRESENT. I HAD IT TOWED TO STOKES KIA IN GOOSE CREEK SC, WHERE I WAS INFORMED THAT MY ENGINE THREW A ROD, AND WOULD COST NEARLY $8,000 TO REPLACE. I'VE HAD MY KIA FOR LESS THAN A YEAR, AND CONVENIENTLY ENOUGH, MY WARRANTY JUST EXPIRED BY A FEW HUNDRED MILES, AND I STILL OWE $9,000 ON THE LOAN I TOOK OUT FOR THE CAR. IT IS OUTRAGEOUS THIS VEHICLE HASN'T BEEN RECALLED YET; IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE BECOME A FATALITY WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY WHEN THEIR ENGINE CRASHES ON THEM.

NHTSA ODI #11408011

92,000 miles · Apr 7, 2021
Engine

ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO SAME ISSUE THE 2016 SOUL HAS A RECALL FOR. TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY WITH A SUDDEN LOSS OF ACCELERATION FOLLOWED BY POWER STEERING LOSS. WAS ABLE TO GET OFF HIGHWAY BUT IT TOOK PRESSING HARD ON BRAKES AND PULLING E-BRAKE TO GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED. SERVICE CENTER SAYS IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM FOUND IN 2016 SOUL BUT…

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ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO SAME ISSUE THE 2016 SOUL HAS A RECALL FOR. TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY WITH A SUDDEN LOSS OF ACCELERATION FOLLOWED BY POWER STEERING LOSS. WAS ABLE TO GET OFF HIGHWAY BUT IT TOOK PRESSING HARD ON BRAKES AND PULLING E-BRAKE TO GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED. SERVICE CENTER SAYS IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM FOUND IN 2016 SOUL BUT KIA WON'T APPROVE CLAIMS FOR 2017 SOUL AS THEY AREN'T OFFICIALLY PART OF RECALL.

NHTSA ODI #11406963

89,000 miles · Apr 5, 2021
EnginePower Train

WITH NO WARNING MY CAR COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING, NO ENGINE LIGHT EVER CAME ON, MY OIL CHANGES WERE UP-TO-DATE, AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ROD KNOCK WHICH IS WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE ON HERE IS SAYING. HOW IS THERE NOT ALREADY A RECALL ON THIS YEAR???

NHTSA ODI #11406569

72,000 miles · Mar 31, 2021
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

THE CAR ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING WHILE TRAVELING IN TRAFFIC, STEERING AND BRAKING EFFECTED, QUICKLY ROLLED TO A STOP. ENGINE TOTALLY AND QUICKLY LOST ALL POWER. HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FOUND TO HAVE BROKEN BY KIA DEALER, AND REPLACED.

NHTSA ODI #11405840

73,835 miles · Mar 24, 2021
EngineVehicle Speed Control

SO EVEN SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR IT SOMETIMES WOULD HESITATE WHEN I WOULD ACCELERATE AND I WOULD SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE I WAS PRESSING THE GAS AND GETTING LITTLE TO NO ACTUAL RESPONSE FROM THE VEHICLE. THEN A FEW DAYS AGO MY ENGINE BLEW WITH NO WARNING SIGN, MY OIL AND COOLANT WERE EMPTY EVEN THOUGH I KNOW ALL MY FLUIDS WERE FINE. …

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SO EVEN SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR IT SOMETIMES WOULD HESITATE WHEN I WOULD ACCELERATE AND I WOULD SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE I WAS PRESSING THE GAS AND GETTING LITTLE TO NO ACTUAL RESPONSE FROM THE VEHICLE. THEN A FEW DAYS AGO MY ENGINE BLEW WITH NO WARNING SIGN, MY OIL AND COOLANT WERE EMPTY EVEN THOUGH I KNOW ALL MY FLUIDS WERE FINE. I DO COMMUTE TO WORK AND I KNOW THAT'S HARDER ON A VEHICLE BUT NONE OF MY OTHER CARS WHICH HAVE ALL BEEN OLDER MODELS HAVE EVER GIVEN ME AN ISSUE LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO ME WITH THIS ONE. SEEMS ODD IF ANYTHING. WHEN I WAS STARTING UP MY CAR LEAVING WORK IT JUST RANDOMLY STARTED WITH THE NOISES AND THEN THE ENTIRE WAY HOME IT GOT WORSE I DID NOT DRIVE IT AFTER THAT I TRIED EVERYTHING TO GET IT TO THE DEALERSHIP HOWEVER IT HAD TO BE TOWED THERE. I NOTICED A BUNCH OF FLUID COMING OUT ON MY PARKING LOT WHEN WE GOT IT MOVED, NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED ANY OF THIS OR HOW MY ENGINE BLEW.

NHTSA ODI #11404635

49,000 miles · Mar 9, 2021
Engine

FIRST DRIVE IN THE MORNINGS, THERE IS A STRONG ODD ODOR COMING THROUGH THE AIR VENTS.

NHTSA ODI #11400048

65,000 miles · Feb 4, 2021
EngineFire

BOUGHT A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED 2017 KIA SOUL IN 2019 AND 1 YEAR AFTER USAGE THERE WAS AN ENGINE FAILURE FOR WHAT IT APPEARED TO BE NO REASON. I'VE READ THAT OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING AROUND 60,000 MILES AND CONVENIENTLY ENOUGH OUR VEHICLE HAD 65000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE ENGINE FAILURE. THERE WAS A LOUD KNOCKI…

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BOUGHT A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED 2017 KIA SOUL IN 2019 AND 1 YEAR AFTER USAGE THERE WAS AN ENGINE FAILURE FOR WHAT IT APPEARED TO BE NO REASON. I'VE READ THAT OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING AROUND 60,000 MILES AND CONVENIENTLY ENOUGH OUR VEHICLE HAD 65000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE ENGINE FAILURE. THERE WAS A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND THEN SMOKE WHEN IT FAILED. IT CAUSED A CRACK TO GO UP THROUGH THE SHORT BLOCK AND LUCKILY WASN'T ABLE TO DAMAGE THE VALVE TRAIN. I'VE TRIED CONTACTING EVERY KIA DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM BUT I GOT THE SENSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THE COSTLY HEADACHE, ESPECIALLY DUE TO THE FACT I WAS BARELY OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY THRESHOLD OF 60000 MILES. I FEEL LIKE THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THESE ENGINES ESPECIALLY IF THEY IS AN ONGOING LAWSUIT AGAINST OTHER KIA MODELS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS.

NHTSA ODI #11394722

Official recalls

1

22V031000 · Air Bags

Jan 25, 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 and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash.

Consequence & remedy

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 number for this recall is SC226.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.