2017 Kia Soul: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 269 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
269
Complaints
1
Recalls
17
Crash reports
14
Fire reports
19
Injuries
113.0
Severity index
Severity index 113.0 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 136 2017 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2017 Kia Soul ranks 29 of 136 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 79% of its model-year peers. See the full 2017 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 189 | 70.3% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 32 | 11.9% |
| POWER TRAIN | 19 | 7.1% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 19 | 7.1% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 18 | 6.7% |
| AIR BAGS | 16 | 5.9% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 14 | 5.2% |
| STEERING | 10 | 3.7% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 189 of 269 complaints (70.3%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 12 |
| 2019 | 15 |
| 2020 | 29 |
| 2021 | 43 |
| 2022 | 46 |
| 2023 | 41 |
| 2024 | 31 |
| 2025 | 28 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 17 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22V031000 | 25/01/2022 | 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 |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.