14 complaints reported

2017 Kia Soul UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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

Reports
14
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jun 2026

Owner of 2017 White Kia Soul that has peeling paint. I've never owned a vehicle that paint peeled like this. I understand there are other owners with the same issue. This issue first started in May 2025 on driver's side near roof that I paid out of my pocket to repair. Now I have same issue on the passenger side. Very disappointed

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2025
Nov 2025

The car lurches/judders upon startup and at low speeds. It has been serviced eight times for this issue by two authorized Kia dealers with no resolve.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jul 2024
Sep 2025

My car is losing oil and the light does not come on to tell me when oil runs low I have been to Coral Springs Kia in the Coral Springs automall many times and they have all my records.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2025
May 2025

I have a white 2017 Kia Soul. I bought it new in 2017. The paint is peeling off really badly. Something is not right. This is not wear and tear paint peeling it is massive all around the car, especially the hood. The whole hood is peeling. My friend has an old 2011 Kia and his paint is fine. Please help

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: May 2025
Dec 2022

Smoke will come from the vents and it fogs up the window to the point of no visibility while driving. The sent smell sweet

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2021
Sep 2021

After having some minor body work done (nowhere near the engine) I got my car back with the engine light on. Body shop said they hooked it up to a scanner and it just needed a tune up. Then while driving, the oil light began flickering off and on, so I checked the oil. It was fine. Then shortly after the engine started knocking. The knocking got louder and faster the faster I went. I had it towed to a mechanic from my work, and when he checked it, he said that he found a piece of the engine IN the oil pan and that the engine would have to be completely replaced. It only had about 80,000 miles on it and was serviced regularly. I bought it used with 5000 so the 100000 mile warranty was not applicable.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2021
Aug 2021

MY VEHICLE HAS THE SPEAKER LIGHTS PACKAGE... FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS, I HAVE NOTICED THAT WHEN IM DRIVING MY SPEAKER LIGHTS WILL SOMETIMES FLASH EVEN WITH THE SWITCH SET TO OFF. OTHER TIMES IT WILL CYCLE THROUGH THE MOOD SETTING...AGAIN WHILE THE SWITCH IS OFF. SOME TIMES IT WILL DO BOTH...MOOD LIGHTING AND FLASHING TO BEAT OF THE MUSIC...WHILE SWTICHED TO OFF. ON 2/6/2021, I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR SERVICING. I MENTIONED THE ISSUE TO MY SERVICE ADVISOR. TOLD ME THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT...COOL. I'M OKAY WITH THAT. I LEAVE, THEN COME BACK TO CHECK THE STATUS OF MY CAR. TELLS ME THEY CAN'T REPRODUCE THE ISSUE. HA! I HAVE A VIDEO...I SHOW IT TO THE SERVICE ADVISOR WHO TELLS ME TO GO WAIT IN THE LOBBY AND HE'LL BE RIGHT BACK. ABOUT 30 MINUTES PASS, MY CAR IS DONE. HE TELLS ME THAT THEY STILL CAN'T MAKE IT DO WHAT I SHOWED HIM. I'M GUESSING A VIDEO ISN'T REAL PROOF THERE IS A REAL ELECTRICAL ISSUE GOING ON. THE SERVICE ADVISOR TELLS ME TO "SWING BY" WHEN IT HAPPENS. MIND YOU I LIVE ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY, I ONLY WENT TO FRIENDLY KIA BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THEY WERE GOOD. APPARENTLY NOT! ANYWAY, THERE IS AN ISSUE KIA IS REFUSING TO ADDRESS. I'M GUESSING NO ONE THERE KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF A KIA VEHICLE WERE TO CATCH FIRE DUE TO A SHORT IN THE SYSTEM JUST DAYS AFTER HAVING IT IN DUE TO AN ISSUE WITH THE SPEAKER LIGHTS HAVING A SHORT. THAT WOULD NOT LOOK GOOD BEING TOLD ALL OVER THE MEDIA, THEN IN COURT WHEN THAT PERSON SUES YOU FOR DAMAGES DUE TO AN ISSUE YOU REFUSED TO CORRECT WITH VIDEO PROOF...ABOUT 20 SECONDS OF PROOF THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2021
Jun 2021

This is the second time I have had to take my vehicle in to have the speed sensors fixed. Now Kia is trying to charge me $400+ for something that is obviously a defect within the system. They have failed to respond to my many complaints, and I am hoping you all can do an investigation as to why I am having continued issues with the speed and traction sensors. Please help.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jul 2021
May 2020

OIL LIGHT KEEPS FLICKERING WHEN AT IDLE OR LOW SPEEDS. I HEAR THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH THIS FOR MANY YEARS OF KIA CARS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Aug 2020
Jan 2019

WHEN I AM DRIVING AND I STOP AT LIGHT AND START TO PULL OUT MY CAR IS LIKE IT HAS KNOW POWER AT ALL THEN IT WILL JUST TAKE OFF ITS DONE THAT WHEN IHAVE PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC JUST COMPLETY STOP THAN TAKE OFF IS THERE ANY RECALLS ON SOMETHING LIKES THIS WORRIED ONE DAY NOT GOING TO TAKE OFF GOING TO GET HIT

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2018
Mar 2018

THE BLIND SPOT DETECTION FAILS TO SEE MOST BUSES, RVS, AND LARGE TRUCKS WITH TRAILERS. IT SEEMS THAT ABOUT 90% OF THESE VEHICLE TYPES IT DOES NOT SEE. CARS ARE NOT A PROBLEM. WE NOTICED THAT HIS WAS THE CASE NEARLY EVERY TIME WE PASSED A SEMI OR BUS. I COULD BE GOING 40 TO 75 MPH. SPEED DID NOT SEEM TO MATER. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID YES IT DOES THIS ON THIS MODEL. WHY PAY FOR BLIND SPOT DETECTION WHEN IT CANNOT SEE A TRUCK?

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SOUL, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2018
Nov 2017

THE HANDS-FREE BLUETOOTH TELEPHONE CONNECT SYSTEM IN MY CAR, AND ALL 2017 KIA SOUL AND SEDONA MODELS WITH THE BASE STEREO SYSTEM, DOES NOT ALLOW HANDS-FREE OPERATION WITH ANDROID PHONES. ONLY APPLE PHONES ARE SUPPORTED. TO MAKE A CALL WITH AN ANDROID PHONE ONE MUST MANIPULATE EITHER THE HANDSET ITSELF, OR THE RADIO BUTTONS AND KNOBS IN THE DASH. THIS VIOLATES THE DRIVING LAW IN MY STATE AND I'M SURE MANY OTHERS. IT'S ALSO EXCEEDINGLY DISTRACTING AND UNSAFE. THE SALES BROCHURE FOR THESE CARS CLEARLY STATES THAT THE SYSTEM HAS FULL FUNCTIONALITY WITH BOTH ANDROID AND IPHONE DEVICES. NEITHER SALES, OR SERVICE MANAGERS AT THE DEALERSHIPS HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS DEFECT, AND WERE AS SHOCKED AS I WAS TO LEARN THE FACTS OF THE MATTER. I CONTACTED KIA CORPORATE OFFICES IN CALIFORNIA, AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CALLED BY AN ESCALATION REPRESENTATIVE WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHO AT LEAST CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE DEFECT AND PROMISED A SOLUTION, OR THEY WOULD TAKE THE CAR BACK AND REFUND MY DOWN PAYMENTS PLUS DAMAGES. AFTER THREE WEEKS OF NO REPLY TO THE FEW GENTLE MESSAGES I LEFT, I FINALLY HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HIM WHERE HE INFORMED ME THAT - THE SYSTEM IS WORKING CORRECTLY AS DESIGNED, IT IS DESIGNED FOR USE WITH THE IPHONE - HE ALSO SAID THAT KIA WAS WILLING TO BUY ME AN IPHONE TO SETTLE THE MATTER. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT A SOLUTION. THE SALES MANAGER AT MY DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT HE HAS SPOKEN WITH HIS FACTORY REP ABOUT THE MATTER BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO COMMENT AND NONE IS EXPECTED. SO I'M COMPELLED TO MAKE THIS REPORT TO YOU, AND I INTEND TO, AS THEY SAY, BLOW UP THE INTERNET, WITH POSTINGS EXPOSING THIS DEFECT AND THE CORPORATE RESPONSE. PLEASE FIND ATTACHED KIA PITSTOP DEALER TECHNICAL OPERATIONS NETWORK BULLETIN #PS462 DESCRIBING THIS DEFECT. THIS WAS PROVIDED BY THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER, WHO LIKE ME IS SHOCKED BY THIS, BUT TOLD ME TODAY TO EXPECT NOTHING FROM KIA.

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

VOICE ACTIVATION DOES NOT WORK ON BASE RADIO WITH ANDROID PHONE

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

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 RUNNING OUT IN PARKING LOT. WENT OUT TO INVESTIGATE WITHOUT MY KEY, GOT INTO RUNNING VEHICLE AND DROVE AWAY WITH NO KEY. ANYONE COULD HAVE STOLEN THIS VEHICE IN THAT THREE HOUR PERIOD, I COULD HAVE DRIVEN AWAY AND BEEN STRANDED IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION OR I COULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE CAR THAT WAS OUT OF GAS AND BEEN STRANDED IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THIS VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE IF THE KEY IS NOT NEAR THE VEHICLE.

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

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2017 Kia Soul has 14 UNKNOWN OR OTHER complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.