YearToAvoid

2018 Kia Soul Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

40/100

#10 most-complained of 16 Soul years

NHTSA lists 218 complaints for the 2018 Kia Soul, giving it a Complaint Index of 40 — ranked 10th worst out of 16 model years, a "Good" verdict. Engine problems dominate at 70% of complaints, with one airbag-related recall.

Complaints
218
Recalls
1
Crashes / fires
14 / 14
Injuries / deaths
12 / 1
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
27
25 city / 30 hwy

Top 2018 Kia Soul problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Engine152 (70%)
  2. Transmission & Powertrain31 (14%)
  3. Other30 (14%)
  4. Electrical System22 (10%)
  5. Airbags11 (5%)
  6. Fuel System11 (5%)
  7. Brakes8 (4%)
  8. Structure & Body6 (3%)
  9. Steering5 (2%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires4 (2%)

What owners report

  • Engine catches fire while parked or idling, sometimes with no clear cause found by fire inspectors.
  • Vehicle unexpectedly loses power or fails to accelerate at low speeds like 25 mph.
  • Some drivers describe sudden unintended acceleration while parking or stopped, leading to a crash.
  • Front airbags fail to deploy in moderate-to-severe frontal or rear-end collisions, even when side airbags deploy.
  • Seat belts fail to lock properly in a rear-end collision, allowing occupants to move forward toward the dash.
  • A driver's seat reportedly snapped in half during a rear-end collision where airbags also did not deploy.
2018 Kia Soul complaints: complaints filed per quarter162018 Q12019 Q22020 Q32021 Q42023 Q12024 Q22025 Q3
289 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2018 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2026 Q2 (16).

2018 Kia Soul recalls

1 NHTSA recall campaign list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 22V031000Jan 25, 2022Airbags410,619 vehicles

    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 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.

    Remedy: 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.

2018 Kia Soul fuel economy and fuel cost

City
25 MPG
Highway
30 MPG
Combined
27 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,400
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2018 compared with other Soul years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2016Avoid87812226
2017Caution53272127
2018Good40218127
2019Best13136128
2020Caution67381130

All Kia Soul years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Kia Soul reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2018 Soul has a Complaint Index of 40 and a "Good" verdict, ranking 10th worst among 16 model years of the Soul. It performs better than the 2012-2017 model years but not as well as 2019, 2022-2025.
What problems does the 2018 Kia Soul have?
Engine issues make up 70% of the 218 complaints filed, including reports of fires and stalling, at a median mileage of 70,000 miles. Transmission and electrical system complaints follow at 14% and 10% respectively.
Does the 2018 Kia Soul have any recalls?
NHTSA lists one recall (campaign 22V031000) for the 2018 Soul, covering the Air Bag Control Unit, which may contact a memory chip on the circuit board and fail to deploy airbags properly.
How does the 2018 Kia Soul compare to other years?
The 2018 Soul, with a Complaint Index of 40, ranks better than the 2013-2017 years, which range from 53 to 100, but worse than 2019 (13) and later years like 2022 through 2025.
What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Kia Soul?
The 2018 Kia Soul gets an EPA-rated 27 mpg combined (25 city/30 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,400.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.