YearToAvoid

2017 Kia Soul Engine Problems

Engine complaints make up 203 of 272 total complaints (75%) for the 2017 Kia Soul, with 12 fires and 3 injuries reported. Median mileage at failure is 82,754. No related recall is listed in NHTSA data for this year.

Engine complaints
203
75% of 272
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
12
Injuries reported
3
Median mileage
82,755 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical engine symptoms owners report

  • Owners report sudden engine failure with a loud knocking noise followed by smoke, often around 60,000 to 65,000 miles.
  • Several owners describe black or white smoke pouring from under the hood while driving at highway speeds, sometimes progressing to visible flames.
  • Multiple complaints describe the engine seizing or stalling in traffic accompanied by a clamoring or banging noise just before smoke or fire appeared.
  • Some owners report the vehicle pulling to one side or decelerating without warning, followed by an abnormal sound and smoke from the engine area.
  • A few complaints mention no dashboard warning light before the engine failure or fire event, leaving owners with no advance notice.

When 2017 Kia Soul engine complaints were filed

First complaint Oct 6, 2017, latest Sep 22, 2026.

2017 Kia Soul engine complaints: complaints filed per quarter152017 Q42019 Q42021 Q12022 Q22023 Q32024 Q42026 Q1
203 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2017 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2021 Q2 (15).

Engine recalls for the 2017 Kia Soul

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Engine complaints by Soul model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201020 (16%)
  2. 201136 (19%)
  3. 2012224 (44%)
  4. 2013312 (47%)
  5. 2014602 (67%)
  6. 2015673 (75%)
  7. 2016622 (77%)
  8. 2017203 (75%)
  9. 2018152 (70%)
  10. 201992 (68%)
  11. 2020251 (66%)
  12. 2021179 (77%)
  13. 202272 (82%)
  14. 202317 (33%)
  15. 20245 (17%)
  16. 20252 (17%)

Frequently asked questions

How common are engine problems on the 2017 Kia Soul?
NHTSA lists 203 engine complaints out of 272 total complaints for the 2017 Kia Soul, which is 75% of all complaints filed for this model year.
Is there a recall for the 2017 Kia Soul engine?
No related recall is listed in the NHTSA data provided for this issue.
At what mileage do 2017 Kia Soul engine problems typically occur?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this engine issue is 82,754 miles.
Have there been fires linked to the 2017 Kia Soul engine complaints?
NHTSA data shows 12 fires and 3 injuries among the 203 engine complaints for the 2017 Kia Soul.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.