Your vehicle report
2017 Kia Soul
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 272
- Received Aug 2017 to Sep 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine stalls and loses power while driving37 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine burns excessive oil between changes20 complaints · 7.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine knocking from rod or main bearings19 complaints · 7.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #22V031000Kia 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Engine stalls and loses power while drivingFirst signal: Nov 2020
- Engine burns excessive oil between changesFirst signal: Oct 2020
- Check engine light comes on repeatedlyFirst signal: Jan 2026
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 17 crashes, 14 fires, 19 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 14 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 12 |
| 2019 | 15 |
| 2020 | 29 |
| 2021 | 43 |
| 2022 | 46 |
| 2023 | 41 |
| 2024 | 31 |
| 2025 | 28 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 20 |
| Total | 272 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 37 | 14% | 14.3× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Nov 2020 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.4% |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 20 | 7.3% | 8× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Oct 2020 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.9% |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 19 | 7.0% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 14 | 5.1% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 10 | 3.7% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 9 | 3.3% | – | NHTSA recall #22V031000 |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 8 | 2.9% | 6.6× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jan 2026 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.8% |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 6 | 2.2% | 15.8× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Apr 2026 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.3% |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 6 | 2.2% | – | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 5 | 1.8% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Exhaust smell enters cabin during acceleration | 3 | 1.1% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #22V031000January 25, 2022410,619 vehicles affected
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.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2017 Kia Soul.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN