Model year 2017
2017 Kia Soul
- 270owner complaints
- 1recalls
- 17involved a crash
- 74,000median miles at failure
Newest report Jul 23, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026
When each problem shows up
Each bar covers the middle half of the mileages owners reported for that problem. A quarter saw it earlier, a quarter later. The tick is the median. Most reported: engine failure, knocking or rod bearing, 120 complaints.
middle half of reports, median tick. Darker bars have 75 or more reports.
Behind you
Around your mileage
Ahead of you
How this compares
270 complaints is about the median for a 2017 model on this site and 1.3 times fewer than the median 2017 hatchback. Among the 8 Soul model years here it ranks 5th for complaints. Counts follow sales volume as much as reliability, so a truck that sells 700,000 a year draws more reports than a sedan that sells 200,000.
Complaints filed by year
46 complaints came in 2022. Owners file in waves when a problem gets press or an investigation, so a spike measures attention as much as failures.
Recalls that include the 2017 Kia Soul
Whether your car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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 and remedy
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.