YearToAvoid

2018 Kia Soul Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Good The 2018 Kia Soul has a complaint index of 40, ranking 10th out of 16 model years, with a Good verdict relative to other Souls. Engine problems dominate at 70% of complaints, with one recall for an airbag control unit issue.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
40/100
#10 of 16 Soul years
Verdict
Good
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
218
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
1
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
14
reported in complaints
Fires
14
Injuries
12
Top issue
Engine
Best nearby year
2019
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
27
25 city / 30 hwy
Injuries / deaths
12 / 1

Top 2018 Kia Soul problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA 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%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Airbags sometimes fail to deploy in moderate-to-severe frontal or side collisions, even when the vehicle sustains major damage.
  • Engine fires have occurred both while parked and unattended and while the vehicle was being driven or test driven.
  • Some owners describe sudden unintended acceleration or surging at low speeds, leading to crashes into parked cars or structures.
  • One owner reported a seat belt that failed to lock properly during a rear-end collision, allowing occupants to lunge forward.
  • A driver's seat reportedly snapped in half during a rear-end crash where the air bags also failed to deploy.
  • One owner reported a brake failure that led to a rear-end collision where airbags did not deploy.
2018 Kia Soul complaints: complaints filed per quarter122018 Q12019 Q22020 Q32021 Q42023 Q12024 Q22025 Q3
218 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2018 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2025 Q4 (12).

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
2020Avoid80381130

All Kia Soul years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Kia Soul reliable?
Compared to other Soul model years, the 2018 has a complaint index of 40 and carries a Good verdict, ranking 10th out of 16 years tracked.
What is the biggest problem with the 2018 Kia Soul?
Engine problems are the top issue, accounting for 70% of complaints, including reports of fires and stalling, with a median mileage at failure of 70,000.
Does the 2018 Kia Soul have any recalls?
NHTSA lists one recall for the 2018 Soul, covering the airbag control unit, where a cover could contact a memory chip on the circuit board.
How does the 2018 Soul compare to other years?
The 2018 model performs better than years like 2014, 2015, and 2016, which are rated Avoid with much higher complaint indexes of 93, 100, and 87.
What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Kia Soul?
The 2018 Kia Soul gets 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.