2017 Kia Soul: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 338 complaints
338
Total Complaints
73,000mi
Median Mileage
Engine
Top Issue
21
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

19,990 25th Percentile
73,000 Median Mileage
90,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine
181
Unknown Or Other
31
Fuel/Propulsion System
17
Power Train
17
Air Bags
16
Electrical System
16
Service Brakes
12
Vehicle Speed Control
8
Steering
8
Engine And Engine Cooling
6

Severity Assessment

21
Crashes
16
Fires
21
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"JUST PURCHASED FIST KEYLESS ENTRY VEHICLE. DEALER TOLD ME IF THE CAR IS RUNNING AND I WALK AWAY WITH KEYS IN MY POCKET THAT THE ENGINE WOULD SHUT OFF. AT WORK NEXT DAY GOT OUT OF CAR WITH HANDS FULL, WENT INTO BUILDING AND EXPRECTED CAR TO SHUT DOWN THREE HOURS LATER CO-WORKER TELLS ME CAR IS RUNNIN..."
"2017 KIA SOUL BLUETOOTH. DOESN'T WORK WITH ANDROID"
"I PURCHASED MY 2017 KIA SOULS BASE MODEL ON JUN 28 THIS YEAR FROM QUIRK KIA IN BRAINTREE, MA. AFTER JUST 2 WEEKS THIS ISSUE HAPPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME. I WAS AT A GAS STATION GASSING UP THE CAR, ONCE I WAS DONE, I TURNED THE CAR ON, PUT IT IN DRIVE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE ' I WAS PRESSING THE GA..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Engine 181 complaints
25th: 68,000 mi Median: 82,000 mi 75th: 97,528 mi
Unknown Or Other 31 complaints
25th: 337 mi Median: 13,250 mi 75th: 57,475 mi
Fuel/Propulsion System 17 complaints
25th: 30,750 mi Median: 72,500 mi 75th: 85,750 mi
Power Train 17 complaints
25th: 56,989 mi Median: 79,738 mi 75th: 82,381 mi
Air Bags 16 complaints
25th: 15,000 mi Median: 40,000 mi 75th: 51,500 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 39 CA: 35 FL: 31 NC: 25 TN: 15 SC: 14 OH: 12 MI: 11 IL: 11 MA: 9

Who Files Complaints?

0.6%
Original Owners
99.4%
Second+ Owners

Kia Soul — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
201019231
201127043
201266341
201385032
2014120352
2015119659
2016110334
201826819
201918020
202045812
202125724
20221124
2023819
2024320

Active Recalls (1)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Air Bags
Campaign 22V031000 | 25/01/2022
Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
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.

Extend Your Engine Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

  • Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
  • Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
  • Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
  • Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
  • Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
  • Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage

Vehicle Rankings

Most complained Worst transmissions Worst engines Worst brakes Most crashes Compare vehicles

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28