2017 Kia Soul Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
CautionComplaint Index
53/100
#8 most-complained of 16 Soul years
The 2017 Kia Soul has a Complaint Index of 53 and ranks 8th worst of 16 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Engine problems dominate at 75% of complaints, with median failure mileage near 74,000 miles overall.
- Complaints
- 272
- Recalls
- 1
- Crashes / fires
- 17 / 14
- Injuries / deaths
- 19 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 27
- 25 city / 30 hwy
Top 2017 Kia Soul problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine203 (75%)
- Other33 (12%)
- Electrical System19 (7%)
- Fuel System19 (7%)
- Transmission & Powertrain19 (7%)
- Airbags16 (6%)
- Brakes15 (6%)
- Steering10 (4%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires8 (3%)
- Structure & Body5 (2%)
What owners report
- Engine failures reported around 61,000 to 65,000 miles, sometimes with a loud knocking noise before the engine quits.
- Some engine failures progress to smoke and fire, occurring at highway speed with no prior warning signs.
- Owners describe air bags failing to deploy during frontal or head-on collisions, leading to injuries despite the crash severity.
- Brakes reportedly traveled to the floor and failed to stop the vehicle in time, resulting in a collision on a highway.
- One owner reported the steering wheel locking while cornering, causing a loss of control and a crash into a pole.
2017 Kia Soul recalls
1 NHTSA recall campaign list this model year.
- NHTSA 22V031000Jan 25, 2022Airbags410,619 vehicles
Air bags
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.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: 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. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC226.
2017 Kia Soul fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 25 MPG
- Highway
- 30 MPG
- Combined
- 27 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,400
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2017 compared with other Soul years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2017 Kia Soul reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2017 Soul a Complaint Index of 53, ranking 8th worst out of 16 model years, so it falls into the Caution category relative to other Soul years.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2017 Kia Soul?
- Engine problems make up 75% of complaints (203 of 272), with a median failure mileage of 82,754.5 miles, and some cases involved fire.
- Does the 2017 Kia Soul have a recall?
- Yes, one recall (campaign 22V031000) covers an airbag control unit issue where a cover may contact a circuit board memory chip; dealers inspect and update software or replace the unit.
- How does the 2017 Kia Soul compare to other years?
- Its Complaint Index of 53 is lower than 2013–2016, which are all rated Avoid with indexes from 80 to 100, but higher than 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023, which are rated Good or Best.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2017 Kia Soul?
- The EPA rates it at 27 mpg combined (25 city/30 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,400.