2017 Kia Soul Problems, Recalls & Reliability
355 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2017 Kia Soul, alongside 1 recall campaign and 0 defect investigations. It scores 28/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 83,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2017 sits among all Soul years
What owners report
“Had my engine blow in my 2017 Kia Soul with 61,000 miles. There was no warning or issues prior”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Soul
“Oil light came on and engine started knocking, then car shut off in the middle of the highway”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Soul
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 148 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 74,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,000 and 92,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
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.…
Fix: 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.…
Technical service bulletins
101 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2017 Kia Soul. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2017 Kia Soul reliable?
The 2017 Kia Soul drew 355 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 28/100, scored against the model's worst year (2015).
What are the most common 2017 Kia Soul problems?
The top reported problems for the 2017 Kia Soul are engine (200 complaints), other (34), and electrical (20).
At what mileage do 2017 Kia Soul problems show up?
Owners most often report 2017 Kia Soul problems around 74,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,000 and 92,000 miles.
Does the 2017 Kia Soul have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2017 Kia Soul. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.