2017 Kia Soul problems and complaints
Owners have filed 272 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Kia Soul. The most-reported areas: Engine (191), Unknown Or Other (32), Power Train (19).
Key takeaways
- 272 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 17 involve a crash, 14 a fire, 19 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 191 | 70% |
| Unknown Or Other | 32 | 12% |
| Power Train | 19 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 19 | 7% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 18 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 16 | 6% |
| Service Brakes | 14 | 5% |
| Steering | 10 | 4% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 9 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 3% |
| Structure | 4 | 1% |
| Suspension | 4 | 1% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Kia Soul SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Engine - filed 2026-09-22
This car since I had it burns alot and I mean alot of oil between oil changes i have to keep oil on hand and constantly checking the oil I have alot of friends with this car and the same issue I had my soul for over 5 years and it's still burning oil I take care of my car im still paying on it and it has less than 70,0...
Structure - filed 2026-09-09
The paint is completely failing on this kia soul. The eroded paint is a well known issue with Kia, nothing is being done about the paint failing and chipping across the whole body of the car, which will lead to inevitable rusting. It has been inspected, they are aware of the issue, and are doing nothing to resolve it.
Engine - filed 2026-07-23
One day I noticed my oil light flashed on and off about three times during a drive down the road, simultaneously a loud knocking started in my engine. Although I had gotten my oil changed just a couple months prior and always practiced appropriate maintenance I decided to pull over and check my oil, it was empty. No wa...
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More for the 2017 Kia Soul
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.