Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 271 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Kia Soul, and it carries 1 recall. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 149 | 55% |
| Unknown or other | 15 | 6% |
| Air bags | 12 | 4% |
| Power train | 10 | 4% |
| Power train | 5 | 2% |
| Electrical system | 5 | 2% |
| Engine and engine cooling | 5 | 2% |
| Electrical system | 4 | 1% |
| Service brakes | 4 | 1% |
| Unknown or other | 4 | 1% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The paint is completely failing on this kia soul. The eroded paint is a well known issue with Kia, nothing is being done about the paint failing and chipping across the whole body of the car, which will lead to inevitab
NHTSA complaint: Structure
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 a
NHTSA complaint: Engine
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 o
NHTSA complaint: Power train
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, a loud knocking sound was heard, and the vehicle's speed decreased to approximately 25 MPH. The contact was able to safely p
NHTSA complaint: Engine
2017 Kia Soul, 1.6L Gamma GDI engine, ~82,000 miles. Vehicle exhibits excessive oil consumption consistent with the known piston ring defect addressed in Kia TSB ENG222 (covering 2012–2019 Souls with Gamma/Nu engines) an
NHTSA complaint: Engine
2017 KIA SOUL, at approximately 87,000 miles began to show intermittent oil warning lights under regular G-loads pointing to oil starvation issues.Vehicle was taken to KIA Dealer for oil change. Dealer stated that possib
NHTSA complaint: Power train
The vehicle experiences major engine performance issues following a replacement engine installation (approximately 8,000 miles on the new engine). Additionally, the catalytic converter is malfunctioning, the steering exh
NHTSA complaint: Steering
I reported the issue yesterday, but we have additional information. Here is a timeline of the incident as recorded by the doorbell camera: 2026-05-03 085400 Car parked 101423 Car is already try
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2017 Kia Soul. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
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 in deactivated air
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: 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. Owne
| Reliability raw | 73 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 75 | good |
| Maintenance | 87 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 74 | good |
| Performance | 41 | below average |
| Efficiency | 49 | below average |
| Safety | 93 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other wagons in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 271 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and engine is the most reported area with 149 of them (55%). There is 1 recall on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 73/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 75/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2017 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 73/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.