general problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Soul - part 1

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 trying to start by itself 101713 car still starting, starter slowing down 101734 starter sounds overheated 101740 starter slows to stop 101835 first visible smoke 102304 neighbor notices 102338 I was notified 102452 used extinguisher 102600 fire out 102744 called the fire department 103600 fire department arrives shortly after I have camera videos showing much of the timeline. I cannot upload because they exceed the limits of this form. Well over an hour after the car was driven, the starter engaged. It ran for almost 4 minutes straight as far as I can tell. In the videos we have, you can hear it seize up from the heat. About a minute later, smoke is visible. Had this not been caught in thte timely manner that it was, it would have been devastating. Here is a link to two of the videos. [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2017 kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact added oil to the vehicle; however, the vehicle went into limp mode and failed to exceed 60 mph while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the contact was informed that the engine replacement was not covered under an unknown class-action lawsuit settlement recall because only 12 out of the required 17 oil change service records were available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and made the same assessment. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 128,129.

Driving on busy highway with one passenger. Vehicle began losing power and acceleration, but no warning lights came on. Kept driving for 20 miles and oil warning light came on, but temp vuage registered fine. I parked, checked fluid amounts, and oil was extremely low (even though it had been checked the week prior and was full). Put 2 quarts in, started vehicle and warning lights went off. Proceeded back on to highway, drove 5 miles and engine lost acceleration and started knocking loudly, and all the warning gauges lit up. I pulled into parking lot, turned off the vehicle. Checked oil level and it was fine. Got towed home. Fairly certain it's the rod bearing. Engine has about 103,000 miles on it and has been well maintained. I see so many of this exact complaint, but our year model seemed to be ignored with a recall. Have loved our kia's until now. Watchable got Hyundai?.

We heard a ticking noise, and took it to the autoshop. After investigating, they found that it was a total engine failure. The mechanics encouraged us to check the VIN number, because total engine failure for the 2017 kia Soul was very common. Our VIN did not appear in this recall, but all the symptoms are the same. We've had regular maintenance, and it's less than 80k miles.

While driving, the vehicle suffered a sudden and total engine seizure and loss of power (stalling), creating a life-threatening hazard in traffic . A certified kia technician diagnosed a seized short block, multi-cylinder misfires (p0300-p0304), and a hole in the exhaust valve. This failure is identical to the defects in recall sc176 and the engine litigation ii settlement. Furthermore, the dealer previously refused my request for the ksds safety software update, which would have prevented this catastrophic seizure by triggering limp home mode.

While driving under normal conditions, the check engine light began flashing and the vehicle suddenly lost power and entered limp mode. Acceleration was severely limited, making it difficult to maintain speed in traffic. The vehicle was later diagnosed with diagnostic trouble code p1326, which is associated with engine rod bearing failure. This caused an unexpected loss of engine power and created a safety risk while driving. The vehicle had to be taken to a dealership for inspection due to the severity of the power loss.

The engine failed while driving on the highway, putting myself and others at risk. First the car started shaking, then the check engine light flickered. Fortunately, I was able to get off the highway, but I was far from home. The engine failure was confirmed by an independent service center and a dealer. The vehicle was inspected by a third party and since it was still under warranty, the engine was rebuilt. A few weeks later, the check engine light came on again, this time 0420 code. The dealer where I purchased the vehicle called it in to the warranty company, and they have reset the check engine light and asked me to keep driving the car to see if the light comes back on. All of this happened after the car had undergone oil consumption testing, and a previous claim for a new engine had been denied both by the warranty company and the manufacturer.

Engine failed mid drive. Started with knocking sound then went into limp mode and then shut off and did not want to start. Car failed in the middle of traffic and could of injured me and others. I've read of other failures of the same models but for some reason the 2017 model isn't eligible for the settlement even though the same issues are present in the 2017 kia Soul models. Had to have my vehicle towed home.

To whom it may concern, I am submitting this complaint to report that a kia dealership of garden grove, CA falsely recorded a safety recall as “completed” on my 2019 kia Soul upon review from another kia dealer, I discovered that the recall repair — essential to prevent engine failure — was never actually performed. My engine has now failed catastrophically (broken connecting rod at 128,600 miles), consistent with the known risks that recall was meant to address. This misrepresentation by the dealership not only endangered my safety but also undermines the recall process intended to protect consumers. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this matter and ensure accountability for the dealer and manufacturer. To answer your questions more directly. : 1. Connecting rod exploded out of engine. Kia is aware of thier faulty torque on said part. 2 my wife was driving on the free way with her kid at the time and could have caused a major accident. 3. Yes they had a class action lawsuit against the recall. 4. The car is waiting at kia dealer. I was told that the update they didnt do that was put out in 2022 was not done when bought and brought to said dealer in January 2024 and that another recall was said to be done but was not done . 5. There was a knocking or shaking but when asking the mechanics hired by the dealer they said it was the rotors . We replace the rotors and a week later the connecting rod shot out of the engine.

I was driving and all a sudden my engine light came on and the car started like stuttering with no power very scarey. The mechanic said the 3 power train warranties on my car would not fix he said I need a new engine and I still owe like 12000 ugg.

Perform check engine light diagnosis. Heard knocking noise at any speed even at idle. Added 2 quarts of oil. P0420 catalyst system efficiency below threshold bank 1. The engine is consuming too much oil and has a noise coming from the valve train. Also, a slight rod bearing knock. Our auto mechanic had told us to check with kia dealership because it is a known issue on this vehicle. But the kia declined to repair.

I’ve had to get three oil changes in just five months of owning my vehicle. Honda of brandon sold it to me with a clean car-fax report, but I’m now facing a possible manifold and catalytic converter replacement costing $4,200. When the service department called the warranty company, they claimed it was a catalytic converter issue, but it turned out to be an o-2 sensor, which would cost about $460. One month after purchase, I had to replace the ignition coil and requested spark plug replacements, though I wouldn’t have known if a spark plug was bad. That repair bill alone came to $802. 17, just a month after buying the car. Problem with battery. Oil has to keep being replaced and no one knows since not on ground has to be going in the engine. Service rpt are Aug/19, 2025, Jan 20,2026.

The contact owns a 2017 kia Soul. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for routine maintenance, the mechanic detected a knocking sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle was diagnosed with engine rod bearing and camshaft failures. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 103,000.

The contact owns a 2017 kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v031000 (air bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated the vehicle was consuming one quart of oil every 2-3 days. The oil warning light was illuminated with an abnormal clacking sound coming from the engine. The dealer was contacted and claimed that the vehicle was repaired. The contact sought confirmation from the manufacturer and was informed that the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure and stated that the spark plug was fractured and was not properly installed. The contact was informed that the engine was only running on 2 cylinders and was running at 1 psi. The contact was also informed that there was fuel leaking from the exhaust pipe, causing failures with the fuel injectors. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

My 2017 kia Soul (VIN: [xxx] ) is experiencing piston ring failure, which has led to excessive oil consumption and the failure of my catalytic converter. The engine is a 2. 0l nu mpi—the same engine type covered under kia recalls sc176 and sc200—but my VIN is currently excluded. This is a known manufacturing defect that causes oil to enter the combustion chamber, damaging the catalytic converter and violating emissions standards. The repair costs are unaffordable for my family, and kia refuses to cover them despite California’s extended emissions warranty and identical symptoms to covered vehicles. Many other owners of 2017 kia Souls with the same engine are also reporting these issues. I am requesting that NHTSA expand the recall to include my VIN and investigate kia’s exclusion of affected vehicles with the same engine. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact called on behalf of her neighbor who owns a 2017 kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. A mobile independent mechanic replaced the starter. The contact stated while the neighbor was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The driver was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The driver was able to push the vehicle to the side of the road with the assistance of bystanders. The vehicle was pushed to a business place parking lot, where the mobile mechanic diagnosed that the engine had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Engine is running very rough. At a low idle, the engine turns off. Today the car turned off 11 times. A diagnostic reading shows all four cylinders misfiring.

While driving on June 30, 2025, the engine gave a loud clunking noise, shuttered and shut down. I was able to pull over to the side of the road safely and not impede traffic, however this happened on a public roadway and had the potential of causing different results. I had no warning lights on the dash, no check engine lights came on, no low oil light and/or no other warning signals appeared. I was able to restart the vehicle and it shuttered but was able to drive it at a low reduced speed to get it into a more safer place. The vehicle was towed to the dealership the following morning. The dealership was able to inspect the vehicle and confirmed it was a total engine failure. The dealership has done all the service maintenance since the date of purchase as a new car, with the exception of 3 oil changes throughout the past 8 years. The documentation show all maintenance was done in an approved licensed facility and in the prefered time frames requested by the manufacture. The vehicle has a 150,000 mi warranty and at the time of the incident the mileage was 74,000. Kia is denying the claim and is refusing to replace the engine. I am uncertain of the next steps to take at this point, referring to the attorney general in my state for advise for product liability claim to hold the manufacture responsible for it's defective engine which has been an issue for this make and model.

The contact owns a 2017 kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact also became aware of excessive oil consumption. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the costs. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

- engine failure/seizure with rod bearing failure! yes, vehicle is available for inspection upon request. - myself and my wife were driving through a busy intersection light when the engine failed and went into limp mode (engine control system) causing an abrupt stop in the middle of the intersection which forced multiple cars to have to slow down and break to not hit us. My wife is pregnant and a recent brain cancer survivor and this put all of our lives at risk! - yes the problem has been confirmed by the kia dealer with a full diagnostic inspection and confirmed reports of engine rod bearing failure. This is a known defect with this kia engine. The car has never had any issues before and has always had regular maintenance and all software/recall updates applied in a timely manner! the car has never had any oil leaks, or leaks or issues of any kind until this day when the engine suddenly failed! all reports for maintenance history and recall updates are available. Many report this same issue online at around 100k mile range. My 2017 kia Soul is at 108k miles. Metal shavings were found in the oil when the diagnostics were performed to further confirm this known reported engine defect. The oil was low but had never been low before and the oil or check engine light never have come on previously or leading up to this engine failure. - the vehicle and/or engine has been inspected by kia the manufacturer/dealer. The dealer confirmed this is due to the known engine defect where a recall software update was issued and applied and is widely reported online by other owners. Police, and insurance have not inspected it because there was no accident and they do not cover engine failure/seizure. - as stated there were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms such as oil or check engine light ever in the history of the car or leading up to this failure. Just before the engine failed it began to make a slight knocking sound from the engine as widely known with this defect.

Vehicle shut off on the highway and engine no seized however oil change was recently completed.

The issue involves the engine’s piston rings, which appear to be malfunctioning and causing excessive oil consumption. This has led to oil entering the combustion chamber and likely damaging the catalytic converter. The engine began consuming oil rapidly between oil changes — far more than normal — and has since developed engine knocking and performance issues. These symptoms are consistent with piston ring failure in other 2017 kia Soul models that have been recalled, though my VIN is not currently included. • component or system that failed: the likely failure is with the piston rings, which are allowing oil to burn inside the engine. This has begun to impact the catalytic converter as well. All parts remain installed and are available for inspection upon request. • safety risks: this situation puts my safety and the safety of others at risk, as the engine could seize or stall unexpectedly due to low oil levels or catalytic converter failure. Excessive oil burning also increases the risk of internal engine fire and significantly affects emissions. • has it been reproduced or confirmed? yes. The issue has been confirmed by an independent mechanic, who documented abnormal oil loss, engine knocking, and suspected damage to the emissions system. • has it been inspected by others? the vehicle has not been inspected by kia, law enforcement, or insurance, but has been examined by a certified independent technician who suspects piston ring failure. • warning lamps or symptoms: yes. The check engine light came on, and engine performance began to decline. I also noticed knocking sounds and sluggish acceleration. These symptoms started a few months ago and progressively worsened. The oil was being consumed rapidly even though no visible leaks were found. • assessment of incident and cause: based on mechanic feedback and my experience, this appears to be a case of premature piston ring failure, which is causing oil to burn internally and is likely leading to catalytic damage.

Car stalls when at a stop. Restart ignition stalls again when placed into drive and accelerator is pressed. Restart, brake pedal and accelerator pressed at same time, while put into gear, and then it will move. The oil light and battery light comes on when it stalls.

I purchased my car new from the dealer in August of 2017; at 40,000 I started having an excessive oil consumption issue. I took it repeatedly to the dealer for remedy under the warranty. They examined and performed services that failed to remedy the issue. From my research I learned that this problem arises from faulty piston rings and valves. I continued to take the vehicle to the dealer, and their response was that oil consumption on my vehicle was within their specifications. Currently my vehicles has 103867 miles and the kia warranty has expired. The engine burns 1 quart of oil every 300 miles. Prior to expiration of the warranty I filed a warranty claim with consumer assistance and the matter was referred to mediation and arbitration, and the arbitrator declined my demand for replacement of the engine. This morning I noticed an article on the web that kia vehicles (including Souls) were being recalled to prevent engine fires from faulty piston rings. This prompted me to get my complaint on file.

The crank shaft failed and is costing me 2800 to repair it.

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.

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).

09/06/2024 my kia Soul engine broke down towed to a mechanic shop and determined it needed a new engine, due to a recall that was issued before my ownership of the vehicle. Kia declines doing the engine replacement under the 150,000 warranty, due to the recall never being taken care of. Spoke to the dealer I bought the vehicle from and at the time of purchase they had no record of a recall being present on the vehicle. Attached is vehicles carfax and dates of incidents.

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.

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

The contact owns 2017 kia Soul. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel soon after an oil change. Additionally, the contact stated that there was oil accumulating around the exhaust pipe. Upon inspection of the engine, the contact discovered that oil was leaking from the piston rings. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

Unknown.

My husband was travelling down the highway in our car with my 3 year old in the back seat. Suddenly the motor seized up and the car started the rattle. The car came to a stop. We had the car towed to a kia dealership and was told that the engine had seized up and would need to be replaced. I also found out about a known issue with kia engines. I had never heard about it. We are the second owner and weren't notified that there was an issue. They are claiming that they don't have to fix the car because we hadn't had a knock sensor repaired. I don't know how we were supposed to know about it. Because it wasn't actually a recall, I couldn't even look it up. Even though the error is kia's, they refuse to fix the car. There were no warning lights before this incident. The car was fine and then suddenly shut down on the interstate. It's a miracle, we weren't killed.

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.

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.