Skip to content

Free public service · Official NHTSA & EPA data

2018 Kia Soul

Verified July 23, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
1
on record
MPG
28
combined

Fatalities reported

Owner complaints to NHTSA include 1 report involving a death. Read the complaint record closely.

Recalls1
Complaints211
Safety
Fuel

Vehicle Summary

2018 Kia Soul

1 recall
211 complaints
28 MPG combined
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 1 recall were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 14 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 211 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
1
Owner complaints
211
Complaints citing a crash
14

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

1 Recall on Record

These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

1 NHTSA campaign affecting this model year.

  • 22V031000high

    Airbag system issue

    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.

Consumer complaints

211 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

211
Total
14
Crashes
14
Fires
12
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE151
  • OTHER19
  • AIR BAGS11
  • BRAKES6
  • ELECTRICAL5

Serious Concerns

211 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves a death. 12 reports involve injuries. 14 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)151
miscellaneous issues19
airbag concerns (warning light, deployment issues)11

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Small Station Wagons
Drive type
Front-Wheel Drive
Engine
1.6L 4-cyl
Fuel type
Unknown
Transmission
Automatic (AM7)
Seats
0

Fuel economy

26

City

31

Hwy

28

Comb

Annual cost
$2,150
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Data sources

Explore related

Adjacent model years

All Kia Soul years

Common problems

Kia Soul problems

3,073 owner complaints analyzed

Compare with

Systems recalled

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Recall

    Recall 22V031000

    Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.