2017 Kia Soul · symptom sheet
Burns oil or oil level rises
- 38owner reports
- 82,509median miles
- $9,000median quote
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Sep 22, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
205 of the 272 complaints on this car are about the engine. 38 of those describe oil consumption.
Tick what matches of 38 reports
Oil consumption on other Soul years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them.
What this problem usually is
Two different complaints land here. The more common one is an engine that uses oil: owners add a quart between changes, get a low-oil warning, or are told by the dealer that the rate is normal. The other is the opposite, where the oil level climbs and the oil smells of gasoline. Both deserve a proper test, and both are easier to argue with records in hand.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the piston rings (10 reports) and the engine (6 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the engine covers the 2017 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the engine on the Soul
Kia 25v099 piston oil ring recall effectiveness. Closed dec 18, 2025.
Loss of motive power. Closed dec 12, 2023.
Engine fires. Closed feb 5, 2024, led to recall 23V-877.
None of these investigations covers the 2017 model year.
What owners paid
5 of the 38 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $8,500 to $9,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 70,000 and 100,000 miles, from the 25 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 6 service bulletins or notices for the 2017 Kia Soul that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2024MY vehicles (refer to the table on pages 9 and 10 for applicable models and engine), which may exhibit a symptom of excessive oil consumption.
PITSTOP: LOW OIL PRESSURE AT IDLE AFTER GAMMA 1.6L GDI SHORT BLOCK ENGINE REPLACEMENT This bulletin provides information equipped with a Gamma 1.6L GDI regarding a 'low oil pressure' concern during engine idle on vehicles engine due to a missing dowel pin, after a short block engine replacement.
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2021MY vehicles (refer to the tables on pages 8-9 for applicable models and engine), which may exhibit a symptom of excessive oil consumption.
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2019MY vehicles (refer to table below for applicable model and engine), which may exhibit a symptom of excessive oil consumption.
2 more on the 2017 Kia Soul page.
What owners wrote
“Burning oil and engine failure! According to Kia this is "a common issue" unbeknownst to consumers. This is VERY dangerous. The vehicle has been been sitting at a repair shop waiting for warranty approval.”
Filed Jul 16, 2024
“The car has been back for two for oil consumptions test at 1000 miles and is burning about 5 quarts every thousand miles.”
Filed Feb 18, 2023 · 137,000 miles
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 38 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 120 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 60 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 51 reports