IllustrationYES IVE BEEN EXPERIENCEING A STRONG GAS SMELL WHEN IDLE AND A FAST NOT NORMAL OIL CONSUMPTION AND PROBLEMS WITHE THE ELCTRIC SYSTEM
2017 Kia Soul
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2017 Kia Soul do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 225.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Soul years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
290–25K
725–50K
2550–75K
3175–100K
23100–150K
2150K+
117 reports with mileage · 154 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 190 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
17 crash reports14 fire reports13 injury reports
Fuel/propulsion System complaints
18 reportsTHE CAR ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING WHILE TRAVELING IN TRAFFIC, STEERING AND BRAKING EFFECTED, QUICKLY ROLLED TO A STOP. ENGINE TOTALLY AND QUICKLY LOST ALL POWER. HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FOUND TO HAVE BROKEN BY KIA DEALER, AND REPLACED.
FAILURE TO ACCELERATE,JURKING,STALLING WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. WAS TOLD THERE A RACK AND PINION TIE ROD SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND STEERING PIN. CAR DOES DECELERATION, OIL BURNS UP IN A WEEK.
THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A TICKING NOISE. WHICH GOT LOUDER AND FASTER AS I DROVE. I WENT 20 MINUTES DOWN THE RODE AND THE CAR STOPPED AND STARTED ROLLING FORWARD WITH NO POWER AS IF I WAS IN NEUTRAL. I TRIED TO JUMP THE CAR AND DID NOT SUCCEED, THE OIL WAS BONE DRY. I ADDED OIL AND THE SAME NOISE AROSE AND THE CAR STOPPED AGAIN…
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THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A TICKING NOISE. WHICH GOT LOUDER AND FASTER AS I DROVE. I WENT 20 MINUTES DOWN THE RODE AND THE CAR STOPPED AND STARTED ROLLING FORWARD WITH NO POWER AS IF I WAS IN NEUTRAL. I TRIED TO JUMP THE CAR AND DID NOT SUCCEED, THE OIL WAS BONE DRY. I ADDED OIL AND THE SAME NOISE AROSE AND THE CAR STOPPED AGAIN. LASTLY. I COULD NOT GET MY CAR TO GO 2-4 MIN WITHOUT IT TURNING OFF. I WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A VIDEO OF THIS HAPPENING, I DO COULD NOT LOAD THE FILE CHOOSEN
WHEN PLACED IN DRIVE, AND GAS PEDAL IS DEPRESSED THE CAR JERKS FORWARD AND BACK AND WILL NOT ACCELERATE. IT SHAKES THE WHOLE CAR.. DOES IT IF CAR IS COLD OR HOT BUT SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE WHEN CAR IS NOT FULL HOT. UNSAFE WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC.
PURCHASED THIS CAR USED WITH 16K MILES IN SEPT 2018. STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION AND WHEN TRYING TO PULL OUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE GAS PEDAL. ENGINE REMAINED AT AN IDLE EVEN AFTER FLOORING THE GAS PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES. ALMOST GOT HIT!! I RECYCLED THE KEY SEVERAL TIMES AND FINALLY IT WORKED. I TOOK TO THE DEALER AND G…
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PURCHASED THIS CAR USED WITH 16K MILES IN SEPT 2018. STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION AND WHEN TRYING TO PULL OUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE GAS PEDAL. ENGINE REMAINED AT AN IDLE EVEN AFTER FLOORING THE GAS PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES. ALMOST GOT HIT!! I RECYCLED THE KEY SEVERAL TIMES AND FINALLY IT WORKED. I TOOK TO THE DEALER AND GOT THE " NO PROBLEM FOUND " NOW I EXPERIENCE A ROUGH IDLE AND A STRANGE FEELING IN THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN BRAKING. TODAY I STARTED THE CAR AND THE ENGINE WOULD NOT GO OVER 3000 RPMS. CYCLED THE KEY AND IT WAS OK. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR FOR FEAR IT MAY KILL ME! PLEASE HELP.
WHEN DRIVING, ESPECIALLY GOING AROUND CURVES, AND TURNING CORNERS, WITH FOOT COMPLETELY ON, PRESSING DOWN ON PEDAL, VEHICLE COMPLETELY STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. HAVE TO TAKE FOOR TOTALLY OFF PEDAL, TRY PRESSING DOWN AGAIN TO HOPEFULLY GET IT TO GO AGAIN
FOOT PRESSED ON GAS JUST STOPS IN MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. HAVE TO LET UP AND PRESS SECOND TIME TO GO AGAIN . WHILE DRIVING
Official recalls
122V031000 · Air Bags
Jan 25, 2022
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.