2017 Kia Soul: check engine light

Filed Jul 23, 2026 · Engine · MA

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 oil, it was empty. No warnings, the oil light had never come on, the engine light had never come on. A modern car shouldn’t have complete engine failure due to oil starvation with no warning whatsoever. That is separate from the other problem where the car had obviously been burning oil excessively. I got my vehicle towed to the dealership and was told I don’t fall under any warranties. The cars engine failed at 92,000 miles with no warning, with regular maintenance and with low mileage driven per week.

Filed Feb 5, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · NC

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.

Filed Jan 21, 2026 · Engine · NY

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.

Filed Sep 23, 2025 · Engine · CA

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.

Filed Aug 25, 2025 · Engine · WA

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.

Filed Aug 24, 2025 · Engine · CA

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.

Filed Jul 16, 2025 · Engine · CA

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.

Filed May 19, 2025 · Engine · UT

- 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.

Filed Feb 25, 2025 · Engine · 102,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 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.

Filed Oct 5, 2024 · Engine, Fuel system · TX

I have wasted too much time and my own $ for my local KIA to dismiss their on going re-appointments and months of different service technicians to not have them reacting to an engine light to never retry something not done right. Now, they have my 2017 KiA Soul+ wrongly listed as no recalls remaining. I am trying to be as proactive and not lose my Kia or several more months of covering the Killeen, Tx Dennis Eakin KIA’s rear to quietly avoid redoing more recall call backs they need to finish. So now your national government database shows my Kia doesn’t have the P0420 catalyst and O2 sensor listed. —-I did my part for Killeen KiA and paid my $ to prove to them the check light kept coming back on after they turned it off in early 2022. The gas mileage is horrible. I’m a handicap driver on fixed income, but no stranger auto warns. After a couple recall, full engine replacement attempts. Since my local KIA services, have re-called their own and also factory mechanical repairs. Both myself and Kia have basically had custody of my 2017 KIA. The last attempt they took back my now 2nd reshaped/fresh block from the first ever KIA recall that blew the piston the first few months I invested into this KIA. Every attempt to fix the next following recalls or unfinished work, I was told about late 2021 locally “if I can bring KIA a code of the engine light”(they temporarily hid) Then maybe they would go back and fix it or recall what needs to be fixed. I paid a mechanic after 3 attempts since 2021 of barely getting to drive my KIA. The code is P0420 I already have enough basic vehicle knowledge, to understand it was exhaust system stalling me (and the suspension) ( hack hydraulic also stopped functioning) I do love my KIA and do not want to start ideas of revamping my interest to Dodge or Chevy yet. I just want the recall for the catalyst/O2 and thermostat issue done or redone if my local KIA attempted to check off the P0420 recall before my engine fails again.

Filed Aug 26, 2024 · Engine · 92,000 miles · AZ

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the camshaft position sensor, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 92,000.

Filed Aug 7, 2024 · Engine · 140,000 miles · MA

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle failed to respond while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle shut off on an exit and blocked traffic. The vehicle was pushed out of the roadway by bystanders. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer and diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the failure was linked to an unknown recall campaign; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. The VIN was not available.