2017 Kia Soul
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 272 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 7th highest complaint count among 16 Soul model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 17 involved a crash and 14 involved a fire. 19 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bagsJan 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.
Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
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.
Campaign 22V031000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: other or unspecified
32 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Jan 25, 2019
WHEN I AM DRIVING AND I STOP AT LIGHT AND START TO PULL OUT MY CAR IS LIKE IT HAS KNOW POWER AT ALL THEN IT WILL JUST TAKE OFF ITS DONE THAT WHEN IHAVE PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC JUST COMPLETY STOP THAN TAKE OFF IS THERE ANY RECALLS ON SOMETHING LIKES THIS WORRIED ONE DAY NOT GOING TO TAKE OFF GOING TO GET HIT
Other or unspecified, May 3, 2018
THE BLIND SPOT DETECTION FAILS TO SEE MOST BUSES, RVS, AND LARGE TRUCKS WITH TRAILERS. IT SEEMS THAT ABOUT 90% OF THESE VEHICLE TYPES IT DOES NOT SEE. CARS ARE NOT A PROBLEM. WE NOTICED THAT HIS WAS THE CASE NEARLY EVERY TIME WE PASSED A SEMI OR BUS. I COULD BE GOING 40 TO 75 MPH. SPEED DID NOT SEEM TO MATER. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID YES IT DOES THIS ON THIS MODEL. WHY PAY FOR BLIND SPOT DETECTION WHEN IT CANNOT SEE A TRUCK?
Other or unspecified, Nov 15, 2017
THE HANDS-FREE BLUETOOTH TELEPHONE CONNECT SYSTEM IN MY CAR, AND ALL 2017 KIA SOUL AND SEDONA MODELS WITH THE BASE STEREO SYSTEM, DOES NOT ALLOW HANDS-FREE OPERATION WITH ANDROID PHONES. ONLY APPLE PHONES ARE SUPPORTED. TO MAKE A CALL WITH AN ANDROID PHONE ONE MUST MANIPULATE EITHER THE HANDSET ITSELF, OR THE RADIO BUTTONS AND KNOBS IN THE DASH. THIS VIOLATES THE DRIVING LAW IN MY STATE AND I'M SURE MANY OTHERS. IT'S ALSO EXCEEDINGLY DISTRACTING AND UNSAFE. THE SALES BROCHURE FOR THESE CARS CLEARLY STATES THAT THE SYSTEM HAS FULL FUNCTIONALITY WITH BOTH ANDROID AND IPHONE DEVICES. NEITHER SALES, OR SERVICE MANAGERS AT THE DEALERSHIPS HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS DEFECT, AND WERE AS SHOCKED AS I WAS TO LEARN THE FACTS OF THE MATTER. I CONTACTED KIA CORPORATE OFFICES IN CALIFORNIA, AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CALLED BY AN ESCALATION REPRESENTATIVE WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHO AT LEAST CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE DEFECT AND PROMISED A SOLUTION, OR THEY WOULD TAKE THE CAR BACK AND REFUND MY DOWN PAYMENTS PLUS DAMAGES. AFTER THREE WEEKS OF NO REPLY TO THE FEW GENTLE MESSAGES I LEFT, I FINALLY HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HIM WHERE HE INFORMED ME THAT - THE SYSTEM IS WORKING CORRECTLY AS DESIGNED, IT IS DESIGNED FOR USE WITH THE IPHONE - HE ALSO SAID THAT KIA WAS WILLING TO BUY ME AN IPHONE TO SETTLE THE MATTER. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT A SOLUTION. THE SALES MANAGER AT MY DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT HE HAS SPOKEN WITH HIS FACTORY REP ABOUT THE MATTER BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO COMMENT AND NONE IS EXPECTED. SO I'M COMPELLED TO MAKE THIS REPORT TO YOU, AND I INTEND TO, AS THEY SAY, BLOW UP THE INTERNET, WITH POSTINGS EXPOSING THIS DEFECT AND THE CORPORATE RESPONSE. PLEASE FIND ATTACHED KIA PITSTOP DEALER TECHNICAL OPERATIONS NETWORK BULLETIN #PS462 DESCRIBING THIS DEFECT. THIS WAS PROVIDED BY THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER, WHO LIKE ME IS SHOCKED BY THIS, BUT TOLD ME TODAY TO EXPECT NOTHING FROM KIA.
Other or unspecified, Nov 2, 2017
VOICE ACTIVATION DOES NOT WORK ON BASE RADIO WITH ANDROID PHONE
Steering, Other or unspecified, Oct 23, 2017
I PURCHASED A NEW 2017 KIA SOUL +. I HAVE AN ANDROID PHONE AND TOLD THE SALES PERSON I WANTED 2 THINGS. 1) HANDSFREE DIALING AND A BACKUP CAMERA. THEIR DESCRIPTION NEVER STATED, NOR DID YOURS ON YOUR WEBSITE, THAT THE HANDSFREE ONLY WORKS WITH IPHONES. I HAD A 2016 KIA SOUL AND IT WORKED PERFECTLY. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND FALSE ADVERTISING. ANDROID PHONE USERS HAVE OVER 55% OF THE CELL PHONE MARKET AND WHY YOU TOOK THIS FEATURE AWAY FROM YOUR CAR IS A BAD MOVE. THEN NOT TO TELL PEOPLE WHEN SHOPPING, IS ANOTHER BAD MOVE. IM SURE LESS PEOPLE WOULD BUY YOUR CARS IF THEY KNEW THEIR ANDROID PHONES WON'T WORK. I AM VERY UPSET BECAUSE I KNOW I WOULDNT HAVE PURCHASED THIS CAR HAD I KNOWN I NEED AN IPHONE TO USE THE HANDSFREE DIALING. I AM GOING TO REPORT THIS TO THE BBB BECAUSE THE SALES PERSON LIED TO ME EVEN THO THEY SAID THEY TOO WERE UNAWARE THAT YOU TOOK THIS FEATURE AWAY FROM THE CARS. YOU NEED TO FIX THIS BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY KIA OWNERS ON THE FORUMS WHO ARE UPSET ABOUT THIS ISSUE. YOU CANT ADVERTISE THAT A CAR HAS AN OPTION BUT NOT TELL THEM ONLY IF YOU HAVE IPHONE THIS OPTION WILL WORK. AGAIN, ITS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE TOO.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 6, 2017
I PURCHASED MY 2017 KIA SOULS BASE MODEL ON JUN 28 THIS YEAR FROM QUIRK KIA IN BRAINTREE, MA. AFTER JUST 2 WEEKS THIS ISSUE HAPPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME. I WAS AT A GAS STATION GASSING UP THE CAR, ONCE I WAS DONE, I TURNED THE CAR ON, PUT IT IN DRIVE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE ' I WAS PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL AND NOTHING WAS HAPPENING. I IMMEDIATELY PUT THE SHIFTER IN PARK, TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND ON AGAIN AND THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE AGAIN. ON JULY 26 SAME ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN AND IT ALSO HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER I GASSED UP THE CAR. ON SEPTEMBER 15TH WHILE I WAS WORKING AS UBER DRIVER THIS ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I STOPPED AT RED LIGHT, AFTER FEW MINUTES I STARTED DRIVING BUT JUST AFTER 50-60 YARDS I COMPLETELY LOST ACCELERATION. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO GAS PEDAL, WHILE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND I HAD ELECTRICITY. I HAD TO COMPLETELY STOP THE CAR, TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND ON AGAIN AND THE CAR STARTED TO WORK AGAIN. AFTER THIS INCIDENT I CALLED KIA USA (MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH) AND WAS ADVISED BY CUSTOMER SUPPORT TO BRING THE CARD IMMEDIATELY TO KIA DEALERSHIP. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND A KIA SOUL FORUM WHERE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. THIS IS THE SITE: HTTP://WWW.KIASOULFORUMS.COM/10-SOUL-PROBLEMS/13994-2013-SOUL-BASE-ACCELERATION-PROBLEM.HTML ATTACHED ARE PICTURES FROM THIS FORUM FROM FOUR DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. AS IT APPEARS, I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM AND THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON KIA VEHICLES FOR A WHILE. WHILE NO ONE MENTIONED WHETHER THEY WERE ABLE TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE OR NOT, MANY HAVE COMPLAINED ON THIS FORUM THAT KIA DEALERSHIPS REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. OCTOBER 6TH - DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THEY CAN'T REPLICATE THE ISSUE AND ARE RELEASING THE CAR BACK TO ME. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE.
Other or unspecified, Aug 1, 2017
JUST PURCHASED FIST KEYLESS ENTRY VEHICLE. DEALER TOLD ME IF THE CAR IS RUNNING AND I WALK AWAY WITH KEYS IN MY POCKET THAT THE ENGINE WOULD SHUT OFF. AT WORK NEXT DAY GOT OUT OF CAR WITH HANDS FULL, WENT INTO BUILDING AND EXPRECTED CAR TO SHUT DOWN THREE HOURS LATER CO-WORKER TELLS ME CAR IS RUNNING OUT IN PARKING LOT. WENT OUT TO INVESTIGATE WITHOUT MY KEY, GOT INTO RUNNING VEHICLE AND DROVE AWAY WITH NO KEY. ANYONE COULD HAVE STOLEN THIS VEHICE IN THAT THREE HOUR PERIOD, I COULD HAVE DRIVEN AWAY AND BEEN STRANDED IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION OR I COULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE CAR THAT WAS OUT OF GAS AND BEEN STRANDED IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THIS VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE IF THE KEY IS NOT NEAR THE VEHICLE.