AI Damage2017 KIA Soul: common problems
Owners of the 2017 KIA Soul filed 272 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and electrical system. The maker issued 90 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 272
- involving a crash
- 17
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 90
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 70% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel/propulsion system 7% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 4% of all complaints
- 8 Engine and cooling 3% of all complaints
- Engine: 191 complaints (70% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 9.
- Electrical system: 19 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 26.
- Powertrain: 19 complaints (7% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 7.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 18 complaints (7% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Air bags: 16 complaints (6% of all), 11 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.6 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 3 complaints
- 1.6 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cylnamed in 3 complaints
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 3 complaints
- electric
- automatic, 1-speed
- automatic, 6-speed
- dual-clutch (DCT), 7-speed
- manual, 6-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 272 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 191 | 1 | 9 |
| Electrical system | 19 | 1 | 26 |
| Powertrain | 19 | 0 | 7 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| Air bags | 16 | 11 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 14 | 4 | 9 |
| Steering | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Engine and cooling | 9 | 0 | 38 |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| Suspension | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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.
The contact stated that while attempting to park on an incline, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration which resulted in a crash. The contact crashed into a handicap ramp. The vehicle then unintended accelerated in reverse where the vehicle crashed into a cement pole and a bush.
There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she allowed the vehicle to pull to right lane as there was no traffic, and the vehicle struck the guard rail. The vehicle then stopped and made an abnormal banging sound.
The air bags failed to deploy upon impact and the contact hit her head on the driver-side window. She was taken to the hospital where she was treated for a fractured skull and a concussion. The whereabouts of the other driver were unknown.
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.
The air bags failed to deploy. The passenger received a head and neck injury. Medical attention was needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed. The contact stated that the other vehicle's drove off with no issues. The dealership was not made aware of the issue.
On friday, april 20, 2018, on a major highway, traffic began to slow and as I applied my brakes, they felt as though they traveled to the floor, and even though I had plenty of space to stop, I was unable to and was in an accident. The car was repaired by a non-kia dealer via my insurance.
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…
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 226 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Soul has 227 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 272, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN
OWNER RENOTIFICATION (SC334 Flight 201) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake line(s) in certain…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION: CYLINDER PROTECTOR & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2311) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated…
- PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN
OWNER RENOTIFICATION (PI2107 Flight 501) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting an important Product Improvement Campaign to perform a software update on 2017-2019 MY Kia Soul…
- CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN
POSTCARD OWNER RENOTIFICATION (CS2311) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting Customer Satisfaction Campaign. Kia has developed a new zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector…
- PITSTOP
TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN UNDERBODY INSPECTION & ANTI-CORROSION MATERIAL APPLICATION (SC334) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a…
- PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN
OWNER RENOTIFICATION (PI2107) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting a important Product Improvement Campaign to perform a software update on 2017-2019 MY Kia Soul vehicles equipped…
- VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN
UNDERBODY INSPECTION & ANTI-CORROSION MATERIAL APPLICATION (SC334) - This bulletin provides information to apply additional anti-corrosion material to underbody components, including inspection/replacement of the brake…
- VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN
QUESTION AND ANSWER (SC334) - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Voluntary Service Campaign SC334.
- VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN
OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC334) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake line(s) in certain 2014-2019 MY Soul…
- VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN
DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO (SC334) - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service managers advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to inspect and, if necessary…
- VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN
DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO (SC334) - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake line(s) in certain…
NHTSA lists 90 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2017 KIA Soul?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 272. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (32%), knocking, grinding or other noise (25%), engine failure or replacement (19%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2017 KIA Soul?
NHTSA lists 90 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2017 KIA Soul from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2017 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.