2017 KIA Soul Engine Problems
Owners have filed 191 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2017 KIA Soul, 70% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 82,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “oil change” (12% of reports).
- 191engine complaints
- 82,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $8,250typical repair cost reported by owners
- 57%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Oil change: mentioned in 23 of 191 complaints (12%)
- Engine failed: mentioned in 17 of 191 complaints (9%)
- Catalytic converter: mentioned in 16 of 191 complaints (8%)
- Started knocking: mentioned in 10 of 191 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2017 KIA Soul at $8,250, and half of them between $7,350 and $9,550.
Based on 9 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2020–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 75 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 191 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 12 a fire, 2 an injury.
KIA Soul engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Soul | 1 | 8% | — |
| 2024 Soul | 5 | 17% | 7,000 |
| 2023 Soul | 14 | 26% | 8,872 |
| 2022 Soul | 54 | 57% | 27,000 |
| 2021 Soul | 138 | 58% | 41,000 |
| 2020 Soul | 243 | 63% | 24,037 |
| 2019 Soul | 87 | 64% | 50,045 |
| 2018 Soul | 141 | 64% | 70,812 |
| 2017 Soul | 191 | 70% | 82,000 |
| 2016 Soul | 561 | 69% | 86,000 |
| 2015 Soul | 630 | 70% | 93,000 |
| 2014 Soul | 553 | 61% | 103,052 |
| 2013 Soul | 285 | 43% | 117,000 |
| 2012 Soul | 209 | 41% | 119,150 |
| 2011 Soul | 24 | 12% | 107,000 |
| 2010 Soul | 9 | 7% | 65,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2017 KIA Soul. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
This car since I had it burns alot and I mean alot of oil between oil changes i have to keep oil on hand and constantly checking the oil I have alot of friends with this car and the same issue I had my soul for over 5 years and it's still burning oil I take care of my car im still paying on it and…
One day I noticed my oil light flashed on and off about three times during a drive down the road, simultaneously a loud knocking started in my engine. Although I had gotten my oil changed just a couple months prior and always practiced appropriate maintenance I decided to pull over and check my…
The engine has structural manufacturer defect causing extreme internal engine oil consumption with zero external leaks, creating a severe risk of sudden oil starvation catastrophic mechanical engine failure. The severe oil consumption problem was confirmed by a certified national corporate service…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2017 KIA Souls have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 191 owner complaints about engine for the 2017 KIA Soul (70% of the 272 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2017 KIA Soul engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 82,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2017 KIA Soul?
Owners report a typical cost of $8,250 (half paid between $7,350 and $9,550), from 9 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2017 KIA Soul?
The most frequent phrase is “oil change”, in 23 of 191 complaints, followed by “engine failed” (17).
See all 2017 KIA Soul problems or engine problems across all Soul years.