2018 KIA Soul Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Soul years
- About as many complaints as other years 9th of 16 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 218 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 KIA Soul. That ranks 9th out of 16 Soul model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (140 complaints, 64%), typically at around 70,812 miles. Complaints mention 14 crashes, 14 fires, 12 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 218owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 14complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 KIA Soul problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 140 | 64% | 70,812 | “oil consumption” (20%) | $6,650 |
| Power Train | 31 | 14% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 30 | 14% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 19 | 9% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 11 | 5% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 11 | 5% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 4% | 97,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 4% | 22,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 3% | 6,100 | — | — |
| Steering | 5 | 2% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 2% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 2% | 30,250 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 5,250 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 12,450 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 1% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 0% | 66,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | 3,638 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 KIA Soul recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags
Problem: 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.
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. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC226.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
This Kia has an oil consumption issue I need to add oil every 3 to 4 hundred miles also my oil gets black at least 1 week after an oil change.
This Kia has an oil consumption issue I need to add oil every 3 to 4 hundred miles also my oil gets black at least 1 week after an oil change.
This Kia has an oil consumption issue I need to add oil every 3 to 4 hundred miles also my oil gets black at least 1 week after an oil change.
This Kia has an oil consumption issue I need to add oil every 3 to 4 hundred miles also my oil gets black at least 1 week after an oil change.
This Kia has an oil consumption issue I need to add oil every 3 to 4 hundred miles also my oil gets black at least 1 week after an oil change.
Other KIA Soul years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Soul | 12 | 0 |
| 2024 Soul | 30 | 0 |
| 2023 Soul | 54 | 4 |
| 2022 Soul | 93 | 1 |
| 2021 Soul | 237 | 2 |
| 2020 Soul | 384 | 1 |
| 2019 Soul | 136 | 1 |
| 2018 | 218 | 1 |
| 2017 Soul | 272 | 1 |
| 2016 Soul | 816 | 2 |
| 2015 Soul | 900 | 4 |
| 2014 Soul | 902 | 5 |
| 2013 Soul | 666 | 3 |
| 2012 Soul | 514 | 3 |
| 2011 Soul | 194 | 3 |
| 2010 Soul | 135 | 3 |
See all KIA Soul problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
Similar KIA models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2018 KIA Soul?
Owners most often report engine, power train, unknown or other problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 140 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 KIA Soul?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 KIA Soul a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Soul model years, the 2018 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.