2018 Kia Soul: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 211 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
211
Complaints
1
Recalls
14
Crash reports
14
Fire reports
12
Injuries
130.8
Severity index
Severity index 130.8 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 121 2018 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2018 Kia Soul ranks 15 of 121 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 88% of its model-year peers. See the full 2018 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 133 | 63.0% |
| POWER TRAIN | 31 | 14.7% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 29 | 13.7% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 18 | 8.5% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 11 | 5.2% |
| AIR BAGS | 11 | 5.2% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 9 | 4.3% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 8 | 3.8% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 133 of 211 complaints (63.0%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 9 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2020 | 15 |
| 2021 | 31 |
| 2022 | 30 |
| 2023 | 26 |
| 2024 | 29 |
| 2025 | 32 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 18 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22V031000 | 25/01/2022 | AIR BAGS | 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 |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.