NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 290 owner complaints for the 2017 Kia Soul. Most complaints involve engine (193) and electrical system (31). The EPA rates it 27–105 mpg combined, and NHTSA gives it 5 stars overall.
Kia America, Inc. (KIA) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles. The parking mechanism may be damaged, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the gear shift lever is in the Park 'P' position and the parking brake is not applied while the vehicle is powered on.
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.
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.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Complaints for each Soul model year we’ve synced.
| Model year | NHTSA complaints |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 135 |
| 2011 | 194 |
| 2012 | 515 |
| 2013 | 667 |
| 2014 | 905 |
| 2015 | 908 |
| 2016 | 823 |
| 2017 | 290 |
| 2018 | 223 |
| 2019 | 140 |
| 2020 | 388 |
| 2021 | 239 |
| 2022 | 95 |
| 2023 | 54 |
| 2024 | 30 |
| 2025 | 12 |
“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 70,000 miles and 8m having problems with it. I'm disabled, one income. I need my car I've brought this to kua themselves they told me to...JUST KEEP WATCHING YOUR OIL LEVELS LIJE U VEEN U SHUD BE OK....ARE THEY SERIOUS. PLEASE HELP ME”
“My car has had intermittent faults of codes P1B25 and P1CF2 and are showing check EV system on the dash. This happens after about 30-45 minutes of driving and then restarting the car. It has been identified that the power relay assembly needs to be replaced on the vehicle, which lives in the high voltage battery pack. However, Kia does not want to replace this under warranty , claiming that it is not an EV system component. I am not going to pay out of pocket for this repair as it goes against their own warranty information, but continuing to drive the car would be dangerous as it could drop HV power at any point.”
“The engine has structural manufacturer defect causing extreme internal engine oil consumption with zero external leaks, creating a severe risk of sudden oil starvation catastrophic mechanical engine failure. The severe oil consumption problem was confirmed by a certified national corporate service center (Firestone Auto Care). An intermittent P0420 catalytic converter warning is actively appearing on the dashboard, which is a documented consequence of internal engine oil burning. When attempting to get this mechanical defect diagnosed and repaired under the class-action parameters, manufacturer dealerships (Findlay Kia and Jim Marsh Kia) declined to schedule the mandatory manufacturer diagnostic testing, preventing a known vehicle defect from being resolved.”
Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.
| Version | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel / yr | CO₂ g/mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soul Electric Auto (A1) · Front-Wheel Drive | 120 | 92 | 105 | $700 | — |
| Soul Auto (AM7), 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive | 26 | 31 | 28 | $2,300 | 320 |
| Soul Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L · Front-Wheel Drive | 25 | 30 | 27 | $2,400 | 330 |
| Soul Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L · Front-Wheel Drive | 25 | 30 | 27 | $2,400 | 334 |
| Soul Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L · Front-Wheel Drive | 24 | 30 | 27 | $2,400 | 335 |
| Item | Miles | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine oil & filter | 5,000–10,000 mi | 6–12 months | Follow the oil-life monitor if fitted |
| Tire rotation | 5,000–7,500 mi | Every oil change | Check pressure monthly |
| Engine air filter | 15,000–30,000 mi | 1–2 years | Sooner in dusty areas |
| Cabin air filter | 15,000–25,000 mi | 1–2 years | |
| Brake fluid | — | 2–3 years | Absorbs moisture over time |
| Coolant | 60,000–100,000 mi | 5–10 years | Long-life coolants last longer |
| Spark plugs | 60,000–100,000 mi | — | Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end |
| 12V battery | — | 3–5 years | Heat shortens battery life |
3 safety recalls as of Oct 27, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.
Owners filed 290 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are engine (193), electrical system (31), power train (21). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.
The EPA rates the 2017 Kia Soul at 27–105 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (5 versions rated).
NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gives the 2017 Kia Soul 5 out of 5 stars overall.