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
272 reports, newest first.
Engine, Apr 20, 2022
The exhaust manifold with catalytic converter cracked and almost caught on fire. This after I had at a Kia dealership to diagnose why the car was smoking. They replaced an Oxygen sensor and the valve cover gasket telling me that was all that was wrong with it. It has been less than a month and there was no signs or lights that anything was wrong.
Engine, Apr 20, 2022
Engine light came on, heard a loud noise. Car is using a lot of oil, there is a rattling noise, car has no power. The piston is loose and ratling causing it to lose oil and have no power. The piston rod has possibly came off due to this. The pistons were not properly sealed by manufacturer causing this problem. This is the same problem that has happened in all the other Kia's that were recalled, but this year was not for some reason.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Steering, Apr 8, 2022
Despite 22V031000 being repaired, the car randomly displays the following warnings, tire pressure, traction control, abs brake failure, check engine, power steering. The speedometer and tachometer cease to function at this point and power steering assistance becomes disabled. Balise Kia service manager Gary Lindsay states the car is safe to drive in this condition and has sent me home twice while waiting for parts. After the second attempt the issue remains.
Air bags, Apr 8, 2022, crash
Severe front end damage in accident and airbags never deployed on 4/7/2022. Airbag light was never illuminated on the dash. Never received notification of recall before accident. Both driver and passenger taken to emergency room.
Air bags, Apr 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V031000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle started to decelerate. The contact depressed the accelerator and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to safely guide the vehicle off the highway. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter had dislodged and detached from the exhaust causing a clog in the exhaust system. Additionally, the detached catalytic converter released hot exhaust against the fire wall causing the engine to stall. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle continued to experience the failure. The contact later drove the vehicle to a dealer, where it was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. The VIN was invalid.
Engine, Mar 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated while his girlfriend was driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle started lunging, jerking, and was making abnormal sounds. The vehicle then stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's girlfriend was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact's girlfriend was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic referred the contact to the dealer. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the contact had failed to complete an unknown manufacturer product improvement campaign on the vehicle prior to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
Engine, Mar 16, 2022, fire
After dropping me off school my partner began his way home. Along the way there was a poof of smoke coming from under the hood. He pulled over to the edge of the highway and as soon as he got out the car caught on fire. Then there was a second burst. The car was completely burned. We lost our lively hood. Medical supplies that were in the car. I have since contacted kia and they are not doing anything about it.
Other or unspecified, Feb 12, 2022
Smoke will come from the vents and it fogs up the window to the point of no visibility while driving. The sent smell sweet
Engine, Feb 8, 2022
While on the freeway the engine light suddenly came on and then immediately after that the oil light. I started to pull over immediately and BOOM!! the engine blew up. This is a 2017 Kia Soul + with only 32,000 miles. I had the oil changed every 5,000 miles but not every six months as it took forever to get to the 5,000 mile mark. I have researched this happening to other Kia Souls and found out it's not uncommon however Kia would not stand behind the warranty. I had to purchase a new engine with no support from Kia.
Engine, Jan 25, 2022
I was driving normal speed of around 45mph and randomly without warning engine made very loud knocking sound. I had both my children in the vehicle when this happened. We immediately pulled over. Oil was bare but there wasn't any signs of a leak, and no prior warning lights appeared. I bought oil and added to the engine, but this did not resolve the issue. Ended up having to get vehicle towed for inspection. At this time they stated engine was blown due to bad rods. With still having owed around 14,000$ trading car in or selling was not an option, so I spent over 7000$ to get engine replaced. Not even a year later engine is now blown again same scenario. There has been engine recalls on prior years for this make / model along with 2020 and 2021 engines. This needs to be included. This is not safe and nearly caused me to get into a serious accident with another vehicle on both occasions. I have all documentation, and not only am looking to get current engine replacement completed. But I also feel I'm due reimbursement for prior engine replacement that was paid out of pocket. I cant drive this vehicle. If inspection is needed the vehicle would need to be towed, and with what I've already paid I don't feel I should have to pay for another tow either.
Engine, Jan 24, 2022
Engine locked up at around 69,000 miles when contacting Kia about warranty the man on the phone knew the problem when told what the vehicle was and said that it is very common. There was no warning except for knock shorty before happening standing me on the interstate on January 19th 2022.
Engine, Jan 15, 2022
Kia started knocking loudly and then seized while driving turnpike. Car had to be pushed off road. Unable to restart. It had blown a rod. Oil was dry but had not appeared to be leaking prior and no warning lights were on before failure. Now needs new engine but is not in any current recalls thought the engine seems to have been recalled in other models.
Engine, Jan 10, 2022
The number 2 compressor(if I’m wording correctly) in engine failed causing the engine to be useless. When failed the engine reduced power, sputtered and began knocking. Fumes filled the cabin. We immediately pulled over and stopped driving. A repair shop did the compression test and confirmed the failure. 126,000 miles. Less than 5 years old. Just out of warranty. Car used to commute to work in metroplex only. Oil changes every six weeks
Engine, Jan 4, 2022
It started with stalling on hills, acting sluggish, and losing oomph. This worsened over the course of approximately one month. I did a mini engine flush and changed the oil (at a reputable shop) early, thinking maybe it just needed a little love. A week later, I was driving down the freeway (Interstate 5) at night when the car stalled - all of the dashboard lights came on and the engine disengaged. I pulled off, and turned the car off. I attempted to restart it, and it would not turn over. After waiting on the side of said highway with two children for almost 3 hours, I had it towed. Ultimately, it was taken to two different service shops - one independent and one dealership - who both diagnosed the engine had essentially "exploded"; there were metal shards everywhere, no oil pressure, and lots of knocking/misfiring. The engine needs to be replaced - this has been reported to KIA, who has yet to decide if they are going to address the issue (case number 14385039). Insurance declined to address it. Police were not called.
Engine, Jan 3, 2022
There has been 3 separate times the car has stalled out for no reason. Sometimes at high speeds. I have taken it to different mechanics and they can find nothing wrong with it. It's like the engine just freezes and it will not start back for some time.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Other or unspecified, Dec 28, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while either stopped at a stoplight or while making a turn, the vehicle would lose motive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with fuel system failure due to trash in the fuel tank. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000. The VIN was invalid.
Engine, Dec 10, 2021
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine. Vehicle is currently at the dealership. No idea when we'll get it back, but we'd be more than willing for it to be inspected. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Any time a car engine is at risk of dying or seizing, it's a risk. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The dealer seems to know what the issue is and is jumping through Kia's hoops to try and get something done about it. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? By the dealership. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The problem first appeared over the Fourth of July weekend of 2021. I was alerted to the fact that there was an issue because the oil light would flicker for just a split second on sharp curves. The car had somewhere in the neighborhood of 60K miles at that point. From what I'm finding out, many of the 2017 Kia Souls have the same issue with their engines that the Kias that are under recall have. Burning copious amounts of oil, stalling, running rough to the point that it feels like it's going to die at stops. Kia is quietly replacing these engines after a long cycle of testing, but they're definitely taking their time.
Engine, Dec 6, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing an oil change. The dealer had the oil maintenance completed but continued to see the check engine warning and low oil level lights illuminated. The contact took the vehicle back to a local dealer who called the manufacturer and was instructed to have an oil consumption test completed. The contact took the vehicle back on 11/2/2021 to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine, Nov 18, 2021
The contact's daughter owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 55 MPH, she heard abnormal knocking sounds coming from the engine and the vehicle inadvertently began to stall. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. Then the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who provided the same diagnosis and advised the contact to tow the vehicle back to the dealer as the failure was a safety issue. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was still awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
Engine, Nov 13, 2021
Engine completely shutdown in heavy traffic. Very unsafe condition. Teenage driver unable to control the vehicle and nearly caused subsequent accident. No prior warning messages, prior to the engine shutting down, and then getting the check engine light. Had to have car towed to local dealer. Engine no longer usable and needs to be replaced. Vehicle has only 62,000 miles on it, 2000 miles out of warranty. Vehicle unsafe.
Engine, Oct 27, 2021
On 10/23/2021, I took my vehicle for a oil change around 10:30 in the morning, afterwards I proceeded to run errands before heading to work. While on my way to work my vehicle started to make a rattling noise from the engine bay. So I decided to drive to the dealership to see if my oil change was done incorrectly on the way to dealership my vehicle rattling grew louder and started to sound like a freight train I made it to the dealership a the service advisor said I’m glad you made it and checked my vehicle after letting him know I just got a oil change I was advised oil change wasn’t done incorrectly but my vehicle is possibly among the recall for the 2.0L engines for failure my vehicle is only at 45,000 miles.
Engine, Oct 18, 2021
while driving on the freeway, car completely shut off. There was a safety risk as the car was driving 65 on the freeway at the time. Car has been at a indpependent car shop and has now been at the dealership for 5 weeks and was told that complete engine failure. Car was driving fine up until the moment it died. There was no sputtering, or engine light that came on for a warning. Had to very carefully get the car over to the side of the freeway.
Other or unspecified, Oct 9, 2021
After having some minor body work done (nowhere near the engine) I got my car back with the engine light on. Body shop said they hooked it up to a scanner and it just needed a tune up. Then while driving, the oil light began flickering off and on, so I checked the oil. It was fine. Then shortly after the engine started knocking. The knocking got louder and faster the faster I went. I had it towed to a mechanic from my work, and when he checked it, he said that he found a piece of the engine IN the oil pan and that the engine would have to be completely replaced. It only had about 80,000 miles on it and was serviced regularly. I bought it used with 5000 so the 100000 mile warranty was not applicable.
Engine, Sep 8, 2021
Engined seized and had to be replaced due to an issue known to dealer. (Learned after the fact) Zero issues before it happend. Nearly caused accident. Going up a hill and all at once dead shake, lost acceleration and steering for a moment.