2018 Kia Soul Problems, Recalls & Reliability
292 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 Kia Soul, alongside 1 recall campaign and 0 defect investigations. It scores 24/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 79,500 miles.
Typical
Where 2018 sits among all Soul years
What owners report
“My engine failed and gasket blew with no signs of over heated and no issues prior to failure car had no issues at all.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Soul
“While driving to work my engine began to knock, my oil light flickered and went out, and then I completely lost power. I took my 2018 Kia soul to a local mechanic and he confirmed that my engine was blown and would need to be replaced with only 78,388 miles on my vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Soul
“I was stopped at a red light. The car stalled and didn't know it. This has happened twice. Also several times i start the vehicle and it stall out immediately. Dealer couldn't find nothing wrong. Stopped and in drive or parked.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Soul
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 99 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 55,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 16,000 and 84,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
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.…
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.…
Technical service bulletins
94 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2018 Kia Soul. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2018 Kia Soul reliable?
The 2018 Kia Soul drew 292 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 24/100, scored against the model's worst year (2015).
What are the most common 2018 Kia Soul problems?
The top reported problems for the 2018 Kia Soul are engine (144 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (31), and other (31).
At what mileage do 2018 Kia Soul problems show up?
Owners most often report 2018 Kia Soul problems around 55,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 16,000 and 84,000 miles.
Does the 2018 Kia Soul have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2018 Kia Soul. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.