148 complaints reported

2017 Kia Soul Engine

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
148
Crashes
1
Fires
9
Injuries
2

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Dec 2024

The Kia has been using oil sind 78000 miles I've been going to dealership now going on 2 years for issues with the engine. Feb 2024 they put a catalytic converter on. On [XXX] I called told them check engine light was flashing and was rattling and running rough Nick Sheets told me to bring it back on Saturday the [XXX] at 10:00 am. On way to bring it in on the highway [XXX] bypass the car quit and there was a tractor trailer behind me blowing his horn and throwing his hands up air but I couldn't do anything. I turned my emergency flashes on and tried to motion for people to go around me. My friend came and helped me get car off road until wrecker came to tow it to the dealership. Upon arrival they did a combustion test or whatever and said engine was blown. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2024
Nov 2024

The Kia Soul is burning engine oil. I have to add an extra pint of oil every month. This known engine defect will one day damage the engine and may cause an accident.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2024
Oct 2024

Hi Nikki - This vehicle has an engine issue as of [XXX] when my car broken down on the road. The engine sputtered and the car was inoperable. I was told to call the Wynn’s Extended Warranty, however it was late and there was no one available to answer the call. So then my car was taken by AAA to their repair facility where they diagnosed the vehicle with needing a new engine. At that point, they called in to make sure the engine was covered by Wynn’s and they were told to have it towed to Kia as the car is below 100,000 miles and should be covered by them. Kia the performed a diagnosis and told me the engine needed to be replaced today on 10/7. They informed me the car would not be covered due to the car’s two engine recalls that were not performed on the vehicle prior to my possession of the vehicle. Wynn’s also stated the car would not be covered by them as this is a manfacturer’s issue and they should cover it. Kia cannot cover it due to the open engine recalls. I was not informed of these recalls when I bought the car three months ago and the car currently sits close to 87000 miles with a total of four open recalls according to Kia. There have been over 20 calls made to both Kia and Wynn’s and Wynn’s will not allow us to talk to their Claims department as we are not a repair facility. There is a current $13,000 bill for a new engine at Kia and they are saying it is my responsibility. I have a voice recording between the Kia service advisor and the wynns warranty rep. Please advise who & when this is covered as this has played a huge part of stress, lack of transportation, and overall my life without a vehicle. I’m very inconvenienced as a result of this. Please see all paperwork attached (contract and Kia paperwork) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2024
Sep 2024

Engine burns oil. Losing over 1 quart per 500 miles. Kia says it is normal.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Apr 2024
Aug 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the camshaft position sensor, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 92,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Aug 2024
Jul 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the mechanic discovered metal shards in the oil pan. The mechanic recommended that the vehicle be taken to a dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and a diagnostic test was performed, and the contact was informed that an engine flush needed to be performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2023
Jul 2024

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jul 2024
Jul 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle failed to respond while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle shut off on an exit and blocked traffic. The vehicle was pushed out of the roadway by bystanders. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer and diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the failure was linked to an unknown recall campaign; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. The VIN was not available.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2024
Jul 2024

Last year check engine light came on & It was time to get my oil change, So you know when they connect the car to that reader well it came back It was my catalytic converter And so I was like that's really expensive ,check engine light ended up going off then on. Now mind you I always keep up the maintenance on this vehicle. So let's fast forward A little bit My next oil change comes around This establishment put my car on the reader again catalytic converter comes up again. I get the oil change And then 1 month later my car gives me a notice telling me I need oil I take it back to my establishment And there was no oil in there Had to get another oil change to put new oil instead of stuff and then they told me that Issues which is causing the catalytic converter to fail which is sucking up oil causing oil issues the Gentlemen informed me I can Replace my catalytic converter but This issue is still gonna happen because my motor is going bad So in other words I can replace my catalytic converter And later on down the line I'm gonna have to replace it again because of the motor now this does pose risk to my family because I put myself my grandchildren my children in this vehicle We could be driving back from vacation or what have you and stall in the middle of nowhere because the motor quit on us or the oil runs low causing Engine trouble Which is not acceptable. So wondering Why isn't there a recall Or 1 that I'm aware of Then I looked this stuff up and there's a lot of people with the same issue as myself

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 2023
Jun 2024

Just had an oil change done a couple months ago, the two previous oil changes I had, the merchanics advised me that the engine had less oil than it should for how little miles had been put on it. took it in today since it started making a "ticking" noise, and was informed that there was hardly any oil in the engine, and that was the cause. it had only been driven 2000 miles since the last change. they informed me of a TSB that was out for the 2017 souls that have a 1.6L engine (reference number PS739) that basically says that a defect is causing an engine oil leak due to a dowel pin. contacted a dealership per their advice and they told me that it is not covered by Kia even though it is a known issue by them, looking at several of the other complaints against this vehicle it seems to be a very common issue and should be addressed by the manufacturer, and not have to be paid out of pocket by the consumer. This should be recalled immediately to prevent people's engines from being burnt up due to the engine over consuming oil

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2024
Jun 2024

Vehicle is consuming oil far before service is due. Easily a quart or more before 1000mi. Read about a CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT regarding engine failure due to this.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2024
Jun 2024

The car gave no warning, no lights or anything to tell me that there was something wrong with the engine. The engine started to knock very loud while I was driving on the freeway and completely failed. The car could have caught on fire or blew up while I was driving it or I could have gotten into a very bad accident. As soon as I had heard the knocking I immediately pulled over on the freeway dangerously while cars were speeding by me. There was no warning and the car was driving completely fine. I also saw that there was a recall for other years for the kia soul that had the same engine failures that mine had except that my car did not have a recall.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2024
May 2024

The engine failed on an Arizona highway, at night, while my daughter was driving from Arizona to California. My daughter's safety, and that of her friend who was also in the car, was put at risk due to the near inability to move the vehicle off of the highway and onto the shoulder. This route [XXX] ) is a major highway used by truckers and regular vehicles. Her hazards lasted just long enough for the tow truck to arrive. Her hazard lights were dying just as the tow truck driver pulled up. I can't imagine what could have happened if she was sitting on the side of the road, in a black car at night, with no functioning hazard lights. We were able to get the vehicle towed back to San Tan Valley, Arizona. I called several Kia service departments and was told that there was an engine recall up to the 2016 models, but the 2017 models were not included. No inspection has been done on the vehicle up to this point. The check engine light did come on and was flashing at the time of the failure. We have since pulled the plugs in the vehicle and are seeing metal shaving on one of the plugs. Codes checked on the vehicle indicate multiple misfires. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2024
May 2024

05/18/2024 (Saturday) I was driving home from my parents house. After approximately 7 miles from leaving their home the check engine light came on. The car became sluggish and seamed to not have a lot of power. I drove the car approximately another 7 miles straight to the dealership for it is be examined. On Monday 05/20/2024 they called to tell me that I needed a new engine because the car had metal shaving in the engine. I asked the service rep how this was possible they she replied she did not know. I explained to her that I could not pay $7,800 + tax for a new engine. She asked me to wait and see what she could do. She called me back the next day 05/21/2024 to inform that she spoke with the manager and that they would be able to complete the work for $5,100 + tax. On 05/22/2024 I explained that I be picking up the car and having it towed to my house, I paid Kia Palmdale $220.00 for the diagnostic. My concern is that how can my car have no oil, never did any warning light come on. If the error code listed on their paperwork, they list p1326. There are many Kia cars with this problem listed as a faulty engine. Listed this the past 2 oil changes: 12/12/2023 Jiffy Lube 156,293 miles 03/28/2024 Jiffy Lube 160,692 miles 05/18/2024 car breaks down at 163,498 miles with no oil. this makes no sense. I would also like to add that ever since the car was purchased at Kia Palmdale every single maintenance was done at their location, even to the point of paying $1,059.69 for their 120,000 miles check-up on 01/31/2022. Kia Palmdale has all these records for again, there should be no reason the car not to give a warning and go to engine failure.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: May 2024
Apr 2024

On 3/22/24, my 2017 Kia Soul started making a backfiring noises while I was on the interstate. Then I heard a loud noise and the car starting losing speed and finally just quit after about a 1/4 of a mile. I had to have car towed to repair shop. I called for roadside assistance from AAA. (They couldn’t, of course, get the car started). Mechanic said motor seized and now has to be replaced. I’ve always kept up with oil changes on time. The car had never used or leaked oil since I’ve owned since August 2017. There were no warning lamps on before the car died. I was at high risk during this incident in heavy interstate traffic, barely able to get off the interstate to the median before it shut down. Never had issues or repairs before this. Car has 106,000 miles. Motors should last way beyond this. Mechanic stated that he’s worked on several Kia souls where motor seized up like this. I have tow receipt from this date. I had to purchase a short block motor and cylinder head from Kia. Took the new motor to the owner/mechanic at repair shop. I’m still waiting on this motor change out to be completed. I’ve had to get rental vehicles and ask for rides for over 5 weeks now. This has been a monumental hardship on me, my family and friends. Vehicle rentals run about $100 per day. I’ve had to spend $1,000 on car rentals when I wasn’t able to borrow a car or get a ride.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2024
Mar 2024

Engine failed - active codes P0300 and P0303 Cylinder 3 spark plug coated in oil. Only had 10PSI of cylinder PSI. Russ Darrow Waukesha Kia - Wisconsin concluded that a new engine is needed, quoted $9,000. Kia declined to cover the cost, the codes above aren't covered by engine warranty. Before the engine failure, I reported an unusual oil consumption for the vehicle. I researched and found many other 2017 Kia Soul owners who experienced the same incident (engine failure). I believe Kia needs to be held accountable for this engine scam. It's not isolated incidents.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2024
Mar 2024

Car has been giving me problems using oil going on 3 years. The Kia dealership keeps having me do different test and repair different stuff. Finally on Saturday March 16,2023 the car broke down right off exit of highway at the light. I was so scared and frustrated people were blowing horn. A man helped me after about 30 minutes get car off road onto shoulder. Had to have it towed to Kia. The did test yet again told me engine is shot. Now waiting approval for a new engine from Kia. This whole time I always check for recalls and stuff on this car but nothing ever shows up. But clearly there is a problem. I bought this car brand new. I have tried all this time with the dealership to make it right I even reported to y'all once before and started a case with Kia corporate. I am at my wits end.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2024
Mar 2024

I was driving down a freeway after changing my oil when my car began backfiring, which was strange so I pulled over and checked my engine but I saw nothing wrong, so I went back to driving so I could get home, but as I was driving home, the engine made a loud clang and then the engine completely died. I had come to find out later after paying to have my car towed home that it had infact overheated, and blown a piston straight through the engine block.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2024
Feb 2024

Engine blew

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2023
Feb 2024

Engine threw a rod

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2023
Dec 2023

My Kias engine had been burning oil i learned at an oil change. I was informed the engine was burning a lot of oil and i had to replace it myself.. i then decided to do an oil consumption and engine test. Kia dealership checked my engine said it looked great but i was burning more than a quart of oil every thousand miles so i had to add it but that it was fine. 1.5 week later while i was driving my car began to violently shake on the highway and my engine light went on. I panicked in morning rush hour traffic and my engine sounded like it exploded. I had to tow it to Kia where they told me the entire engine needed to be replaced and there were multiple holes in the valves. I just bought this car in 2019.. less than 100,000 miles on this car this should NOT happen. This is wildly unsafe i could have killed someone’s or myself on the freeway that morning. Why is this happening and why is my engine not apart of the recall? It should not have exploded out of no where especially when i just added oil the Sunday before this happened. There is something wrong with the engine even though Kia told me it was just fine.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2023
Dec 2023

My vehicle check engine came on and it went into limp mode, and I was unable to accelerate over 60mph on my trip from Greensboro, NC to Wilmington, NC. I drove the entire 200 miles in the right lane with my flashers on. To have it towed would have cost me over $600, so I decided to drive. This was the third time this has happened to this vehicle in the past 12 months and each time Coastal Kia said it was fixed and it wasn't. They told me that the code that kept coming up was a knock sensor, but they told me that whatever was causing the knock sensor code was not covered under warranty. They refused to tell me what was causing the knock sensor code because they said that it would cost me too much money. They told me that the rod bearing test was negative, but they would not tell me what the actual problem was. Since they couldn't fix the problem, they did not charge me for labor, but they did make me pay the $1200 for the car rental. I immediately traded the vehicle in for a Honda Fit. Honda gave me $4500 for a trade in on my Kia Soul which, in my opinion, was worth at least $8000. I know that there was a class action suit against Kia that included my Kia Soul. I was hoping to get at least partial reimbursement for the financial loss of having to trade in my vehicle for less than what it was worth and for having to pay the full cost of the rental vehicle. The whole situation just seemed like some type of cover up, like they new what the problem was, but didn't want to make it public for some reason. Please see attached files. Thank You! [XXX] PS: your website would not allow me to upload a copy of the Kia invoice. Please tell me how I can submit the invoice to you by sending me an email to [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 2023
Nov 2023

My daughter's car 2017 Kia Soul (with low milage) suddenly went into limp mode with no previous warning lights. No indication whatsoever of any issues. It just suddenly shut down. This happened on a freeway overpass in Dallas when traffic was moving at 70mph. All of the sudden, my daughter's car began to slow down dramatically and wouldn't speed back up. Freeway overpasses in Dallas are many, many stories above ground level, and traffic backed up behind her. This could have easily caused a catastrophic accident, but thankfully, she was able to limp off of the highway unscathed. Then my [XXX] daughter had to sit in her car on the side of a highway for hours until we could get her help. The problem? Kia's known, but ignored issue of burning oil. Despite her car being within the window of the oil change mileage, her car had burned through the oil on her trip home from college and was dangerously low. There was no warning that it was low until the car suddenly went into limp mode. Not only should Kia be responsible for fixing the manufacturing flaw for consumers that they are harming, they should be investigated for causing safety hazards on our roads. While my daughter is unharmed, this could have easily caused a huge accident and there are thousands of cars like hers burning oil unexpectedly and suddenly shutting down. The government needs to help as consumers do not have enough power. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: May 2023
Nov 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle started to hesitate then stalled. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle but was only able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact towed the vehicle to her residence and then towed the vehicle to the local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2022
Oct 2023 Fire

The contact owned a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH on the interstate, black smoke emanated from the engine compartment. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and the flames of the vehicle grew larger. The contact exited the vehicle when suddenly it exploded. The low oil pressure, air bag, and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The fire department extinguished the fire. The police department was on the scene and confirmed that the fire department filed a report. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot where it was deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 2023

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2017 Kia Soul has 148 Engine complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.