There are 5 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2017 Kia Soulin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
While sitting in line with brake applied the idle speed suddenly jumped up and car accelerated forward despite application of brakes. Without any change from me the RPMs suddenly dropped and car stopped again. The car moved a total of a quarter car length, which had I not been angled away from car in front of me would have caused a collision, and had I been at an intersection could have caused an accident or struck a pedestrian.
Sudden Acceleration (SUA--3 times same day); almost went through storefront, almost hit by truck @ stop sign, almost hit fence in parking lot twice, had difficulty in highway traffic jam. Vehicle currently at dealership. Car and brakes became uncontrollable at slow attempt to park and in traffic jam; had to turn off ignition. Dealer and independent service shop have not been able to recreate condition, the manufacturer was advised but only test driven by the independent shop and the dealership. No warnings; independent service shop advised that the problem appeared to be in the electronic throttle control. Dealership will not investigate same until they actually experience the problem. There are many articles about this problem on line. This car was sold as "certified" by the dealer
SO EVEN SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR IT SOMETIMES WOULD HESITATE WHEN I WOULD ACCELERATE AND I WOULD SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE I WAS PRESSING THE GAS AND GETTING LITTLE TO NO ACTUAL RESPONSE FROM THE VEHICLE. THEN A FEW DAYS AGO MY ENGINE BLEW WITH NO WARNING SIGN, MY OIL AND COOLANT WERE EMPTY EVEN THOUGH I KNOW ALL MY FLUIDS WERE FINE. I DO COMMUTE TO WORK AND I KNOW THAT'S HARDER ON A VEHICLE BUT NONE OF MY OTHER CARS WHICH HAVE ALL BEEN OLDER MODELS HAVE EVER GIVEN ME AN ISSUE LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO ME WITH THIS ONE. SEEMS ODD IF ANYTHING. WHEN I WAS STARTING UP MY CAR LEAVING WORK IT JUST RANDOMLY STARTED WITH THE NOISES AND THEN THE ENTIRE WAY HOME IT GOT WORSE I DID NOT DRIVE IT AFTER THAT I TRIED EVERYTHING TO GET IT TO THE DEALERSHIP HOWEVER IT HAD TO BE TOWED THERE. I NOTICED A BUNCH OF FLUID COMING OUT ON MY PARKING LOT WHEN WE GOT IT MOVED, NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED ANY OF THIS OR HOW MY ENGINE BLEW.
THE MANUAL DOES NOT SHOW INSTRUCTIONS ON A KIA SOUL MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE KIA SOUL BASE MODEL SEEMS TO BE PURCHASED AS A KIA SOUL AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WITHOUT THE UPGRADE. THE MANUAL INDICATES THAT THE KIA SOUL MODEL HAS FEATURES AND UPGRADES AND DOES NOT EVEN TOUCH ON MANUAL TRANSMISSION.
I PURCHASED MY 2017 KIA SOULS BASE MODEL ON JUN 28 THIS YEAR FROM QUIRK KIA IN BRAINTREE, MA. AFTER JUST 2 WEEKS THIS ISSUE HAPPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME. I WAS AT A GAS STATION GASSING UP THE CAR, ONCE I WAS DONE, I TURNED THE CAR ON, PUT IT IN DRIVE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE ' I WAS PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL AND NOTHING WAS HAPPENING. I IMMEDIATELY PUT THE SHIFTER IN PARK, TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND ON AGAIN AND THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE AGAIN. ON JULY 26 SAME ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN AND IT ALSO HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER I GASSED UP THE CAR. ON SEPTEMBER 15TH WHILE I WAS WORKING AS UBER DRIVER THIS ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I STOPPED AT RED LIGHT, AFTER FEW MINUTES I STARTED DRIVING BUT JUST AFTER 50-60 YARDS I COMPLETELY LOST ACCELERATION. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO GAS PEDAL, WHILE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND I HAD ELECTRICITY. I HAD TO COMPLETELY STOP THE CAR, TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND ON AGAIN AND THE CAR STARTED TO WORK AGAIN. AFTER THIS INCIDENT I CALLED KIA USA (MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH) AND WAS ADVISED BY CUSTOMER SUPPORT TO BRING THE CARD IMMEDIATELY TO KIA DEALERSHIP. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND A KIA SOUL FORUM WHERE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. THIS IS THE SITE: HTTP://WWW.KIASOULFORUMS.COM/10-SOUL-PROBLEMS/13994-2013-SOUL-BASE-ACCELERATION-PROBLEM.HTML ATTACHED ARE PICTURES FROM THIS FORUM FROM FOUR DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. AS IT APPEARS, I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM AND THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON KIA VEHICLES FOR A WHILE. WHILE NO ONE MENTIONED WHETHER THEY WERE ABLE TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE OR NOT, MANY HAVE COMPLAINED ON THIS FORUM THAT KIA DEALERSHIPS REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. OCTOBER 6TH - DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THEY CAN'T REPLICATE THE ISSUE AND ARE RELEASING THE CAR BACK TO ME. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026