Problems · NHTSA complaints

2017 Kia Soul problems

Owners filed 290 complaints about the 2017 Kia Soul with NHTSA between Aug 2017 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is engine (193).

Complaints
290
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
17
Reported by owners
Fires
15
Reported by owners
Injuries
19
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine193
  2. Electrical system31
  3. Power train21
  4. Fuel/propulsion system19
  5. Air bags16
  6. Service brakes15
  7. Steering10
  8. Engine and engine cooling9
  9. Vehicle speed control8
  10. Structure5
  11. Suspension4
  12. Visibility/wiper2
  13. Seats2
  14. Service brakes, hydraulic2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 27, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20179
201812
201916
202029
202143
202248
202348
202436
202528
202621

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine

193 reports1 crash12 fires
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 22, 2026EngineODI 11766035

Electrical system

31 reports1 crash4 fires1 related recall
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 25, 2026Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11752811

Power train

21 reports1 related recall
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 13, 2026Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11750111

Fuel/propulsion system

19 reports1 fire
“While driving under normal conditions, the check engine light began flashing and the vehicle suddenly lost power and entered limp mode. Acceleration was severely limited, making it difficult to maintain speed in traffic. The vehicle was later diagnosed with diagnostic trouble code P1326, which is associated with engine rod bearing failure. This caused an unexpected loss of engine power and created a safety risk while driving. The vehicle had to be taken to a dealership for inspection due to the severity of the power loss.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 5, 2026Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11715878

Air bags

16 reports11 crashes1 related recall
“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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated the vehicle was consuming one quart of oil every 2-3 days. The oil warning light was illuminated with an abnormal clacking sound coming from the engine. The dealer was contacted and claimed that the vehicle was repaired. The contact sought confirmation from the manufacturer and was informed that the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure and stated that the spark plug was fractured and was not properly installed. The contact was informed that the engine was only running on 2 cylinders and was running at 1 PSI. The contact was also informed that there was fuel leaking from the exhaust pipe, causing failures with the fuel injectors. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000. Parts distribution disconnect.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 22, 2025Engine and engine cooling, Air bagsODI 11675313

Service brakes

15 reports4 crashes
“2017,Kia soul plus brakes failed with no warning and we crashed into an intersection and hit a dump truck. I suffered severe broken bones including a compound femur fracture and broken arm. I was trapped in the car for over a hour. Both my arm and leg have rods and pins now. I also suffer from severe ptsd and nightmares. I hospitalized from 6/25-7/4, and in a nursing home until 7/4-8/1, learning to walk again. I received the voluntary recall letter on 7/11when I was in the nursing home. It was sent too little too late. I’m contacting an attorney and Kia deserves to pay. Kozlowski towing took the care away. I do not know if they still have it”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 2, 2025Service brakesCrash reportedODI 11677994
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.