2017 KIA SOUL EV — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

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N/A

Safety Rating

23

Owner Complaints

2 Fires

3

Recalls

ACTIVE RECALL

14

Service Bulletins

0

Investigations

Overview of the 2017 KIA SOUL EV

The 2017 KIA SOUL EV has received a total of 23 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 13 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL), ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE. 14 technical service bulletins have been issued by Kia America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Electrical System (11 complaints), Service Brakes (3 complaints), and Engine (2 complaints).

Recalls for the 2017 KIA SOUL EV

NHTSA has recorded 13 recalls for the 2017 KIA SOUL EV, potentially affecting up to 2,088,899 vehicles.

Recall 23V724000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

| 6,262 vehicles affected

Defect: Kia America, Inc. (KIA) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles. The parking mechanism may be damaged, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the gear shift lever is in the Park 'P' position and the parking brake is not applied while the vehicle is powered on.

Consequence: Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the electronic control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 21, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC287. This recall expands and replaces recall...

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Recall 23V724000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

| 6,262 vehicles affected

Defect: Kia America, Inc. (KIA) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles. The parking mechanism may be damaged, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the gear shift lever is in the Park 'P' position and the parking brake is not applied while the vehicle is powered on.

Consequence: Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the electronic control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 21, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC287. This recall expands and replaces recall...

View full details →

Recall 23V724000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

| 6,262 vehicles affected

Defect: Kia America, Inc. (KIA) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles. The parking mechanism may be damaged, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the gear shift lever is in the Park 'P' position and the parking brake is not applied while the vehicle is powered on.

Consequence: Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the electronic control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 21, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC287. This recall expands and replaces recall...

View full details →

Recall 23V724000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

| 6,262 vehicles affected

Defect: Kia America, Inc. (KIA) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles. The parking mechanism may be damaged, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the gear shift lever is in the Park 'P' position and the parking brake is not applied while the vehicle is powered on.

Consequence: Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the electronic control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 21, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC287. This recall expands and replaces recall...

View full details →

Recall 23V218000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

| 2,689 vehicles affected

Defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles equipped with an E400 battery. The high-voltage battery pack may experience an electrical short-circuit while driving.

Consequence: A battery electrical short-circuit increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will update and/or replace the battery management system and software, as necessary, free of charge. The new software will illuminate the EV warning light, limit charging capacity, and reduce vehicle power if abnormal voltage is detected. If this occurs,...

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Recall 23V218000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

| 2,689 vehicles affected

Defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles equipped with an E400 battery. The high-voltage battery pack may experience an electrical short-circuit while driving.

Consequence: A battery electrical short-circuit increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will update and/or replace the battery management system and software, as necessary, free of charge. The new software will illuminate the EV warning light, limit charging capacity, and reduce vehicle power if abnormal voltage is detected. If this occurs,...

View full details →

Recall 23V218000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

| 2,689 vehicles affected

Defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles equipped with an E400 battery. The high-voltage battery pack may experience an electrical short-circuit while driving.

Consequence: A battery electrical short-circuit increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will update and/or replace the battery management system and software, as necessary, free of charge. The new software will illuminate the EV warning light, limit charging capacity, and reduce vehicle power if abnormal voltage is detected. If this occurs,...

View full details →

Recall 23V218000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

| 2,689 vehicles affected

Defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles equipped with an E400 battery. The high-voltage battery pack may experience an electrical short-circuit while driving.

Consequence: A battery electrical short-circuit increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will update and/or replace the battery management system and software, as necessary, free of charge. The new software will illuminate the EV warning light, limit charging capacity, and reduce vehicle power if abnormal voltage is detected. If this occurs,...

View full details →

Recall 22V031000 — AIR BAGS

| 410,619 vehicles affected

Defect: 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 bags that will not deploy in a crash.

Consequence: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: 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. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's...

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Recall 22V031000 — AIR BAGS

| 410,619 vehicles affected

Defect: 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 bags that will not deploy in a crash.

Consequence: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: 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. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's...

View full details →

Recall 22V031000 — AIR BAGS

| 410,619 vehicles affected

Defect: 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 bags that will not deploy in a crash.

Consequence: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: 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. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's...

View full details →

Recall 22V031000 — AIR BAGS

| 410,619 vehicles affected

Defect: 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 bags that will not deploy in a crash.

Consequence: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: 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. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's...

View full details →

Recall 22V031000 — AIR BAGS

| 410,619 vehicles affected

Defect: 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 bags that will not deploy in a crash.

Consequence: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: 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. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's...

View full details →

Owner Complaints for the 2017 KIA SOUL EV

23 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2017 KIA SOUL EV. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.

Most Recent Complaints

#11606165 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | | N/A miles
When I apply brake the vehicle doesn’t stop it jumps out (as if someone has crashed hitting the rear of the vehicle) and the vehicle shuts down. Then I have to park the vehicle in the middle of the road and restart the vehicle. Luckily I avoided many accidents by defensively driving. Talked with Kia customer care and complained about this safety issue . I took it to near by Kia dealer for the recall and complained on 25 July 2024. 2017 Kia soul + EV Only 30 thousand miles I’m scared to drive and conserned about the safety of others around me. Please help me
#11606165 | ENGINE | | N/A miles
When I apply brake the vehicle doesn’t stop it jumps out (as if someone has crashed hitting the rear of the vehicle) and the vehicle shuts down. Then I have to park the vehicle in the middle of the road and restart the vehicle. Luckily I avoided many accidents by defensively driving. Talked with Kia customer care and complained about this safety issue . I took it to near by Kia dealer for the recall and complained on 25 July 2024. 2017 Kia soul + EV Only 30 thousand miles I’m scared to drive and conserned about the safety of others around me. Please help me
#11606165 | SERVICE BRAKES | | N/A miles
When I apply brake the vehicle doesn’t stop it jumps out (as if someone has crashed hitting the rear of the vehicle) and the vehicle shuts down. Then I have to park the vehicle in the middle of the road and restart the vehicle. Luckily I avoided many accidents by defensively driving. Talked with Kia customer care and complained about this safety issue . I took it to near by Kia dealer for the recall and complained on 25 July 2024. 2017 Kia soul + EV Only 30 thousand miles I’m scared to drive and conserned about the safety of others around me. Please help me
#11588840 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | | 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul EV. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal battery voltage warning displayed. The vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact stated that the battery failed to charge. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message to “Pull Over Immediately” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that an update, BMS, and wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis and repair were performed. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
#11588840 | ENGINE | | 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul EV. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal battery voltage warning displayed. The vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact stated that the battery failed to charge. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message to “Pull Over Immediately” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that an update, BMS, and wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis and repair were performed. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

View all Electrical System complaints →

Safety Rating for the 2017 KIA SOUL EV

NHTSA has not yet tested the 2017 KIA SOUL EV in its New Car Assessment Program.

Technical Service Bulletins for the 2017 KIA SOUL EV

Kia America, Inc. has issued 14 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2017 KIA SOUL EV. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.

SC267A_OWNR1517 — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC267A) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting Voluntary Service Campaign to update the vehicle's battery management system (BMS) software to the latest version in certain 2015-2017 MY Soul EV vehicles.

SC310A_QA — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: QUESTION AND ANSWER (SC310A) - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Voluntary Service Campaign SC310A.

SC310A_QA — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: QUESTION AND ANSWER (SC310A) - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Voluntary Service Campaign SC310A.

SC267A_DPSM — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO (SC267A) - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service Managers that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to update the battery management system (BMS) software to the latest version on certain 2015-2017 MY Soul EV vehicles...

SC267Z_TSB — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

SUBSEQUENT REPAIR ACTION: HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY PACK ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT (SC267Z) - This bulletin provides information to replace the high-voltage battery pack assembly (HV BPA) on certain 2015-2019MY Soul EV (PS EV) vehicles produced from July 15, 2014 through September 28, 2018. After completing SC267 with the battery management system (BMS) software...

PS748 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

PITSTOP: SHARING KIA CONNECT CREDENTIALS WITH THIRD-PARTY APPS AND POTENTIAL IMPACT TO 12V BATTERY IN EVS - Kia is aware of reports of unexpected drainage of the 12-volt battery in some Kia electric vehicles (EVs). While Kia’s investigation is ongoing, a possible cause of the issue may be third-party applications...

TSB_ELE238 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: BMS/FATC OPERATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT WHILE BATTERY CHARGING (SA473) - This Service Action SA473 supersedes (TSB ELE203/SA427 ), which is now closed. Please follow the updated information in this bulletin for the noted issue. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the Battery Management System (BMS)...

TSB_ELE203_CLSD — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TSB_ELE203_CLOSED: TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN CLOSED

TSB_ELE203 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: BMS/FATC OPERATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT WHILE BATTERY CHARGING (SA427) - This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the Battery Management System (BMS) and Full Auto Temperature Control (FATC) software on some 2016-2017MY Soul (PS EV) vehicles, produced from May 21, 2015 through August 29, 2017, in...

TSBELE163 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TSB: PARASITIC DRAW INSPECTION AND REAR DOOR LATCH REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides the procedure to inspect for a parasitic draw and, if necessary, replace one or both rear door latches on some of the following vehicles which may experience a discharged 12v battery.

Showing 10 of 14 technical service bulletins.

NHTSA Investigations for the 2017 KIA SOUL EV

There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.

Other Model Years of the KIA SOUL EV

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Other KIA Models

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