Car · Kia problems

2018 Kia Soul problems

220 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Kia Soul. The most reported area is engine and engine cooling (67% of them). NHTSA also lists 48 service bulletins and 1 recall campaign.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 12. Deaths: 1.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 220 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Engine and engine cooling148 · 67%
• Power train (transmission and drive)31 · 14%
• Other or unknown30 · 14%
• Electrical system20 · 9%
• Air bags11 · 5%
• Fuel system11 · 5%
• Speed control and throttle8 · 4%
• Service brakes7 · 3%

11 smaller areas not shown (29 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 48 repair bulletins from Kia for the 2018 Kia Soul. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. TSB_SC334_R1Received September 2, 2025

   Body and structure

   New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area.

2. SC334Received June 27, 2025

   Voluntary service campaign: underbody inspection & anti-corrosion material application (SC334) - This bulletin provides information to apply additional anti-corrosion material to underbody...

3. SC334_QAReceived June 25, 2025

   Service brakes

   Voluntary service campaign: question and answer (SC334) - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Voluntary Service Campaign SC334.

4. TSB_TRA046_R4Received June 4, 2024

   Power train (transmission and drive)

   Information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model.

5. PS610_R1Received July 1, 2023

   Electrical system

   PITSTOP: SRS DTC B176200 AND/OR B168400 - This pitstop has been revised to include additional information.

6. PS739Received April 6, 2023

   Engine and engine cooling

   Pitstop: low oil pressure at idle after gamma 1.6L GDI short block engine replacement - This bulletin provides information equipped with a Gamma 1.6L GDI regarding a 'low oil pressure' concern...

7. SC251Received February 2, 2023

   Voluntary emissions service campaign: nu 2.OL GDI SULEV ECU emissions logic improvement (SC251) - This bulletin provides the procedure to update the emissions-related logic of the Electronic...

8. SC251_POCReceived February 2, 2023

   Engine and engine cooling

   SC251_poc: proof of correction card.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2018 Kia Soul. Recall repairs are free at a Kia dealer.

1. 22V031000January 25, 2022

   Air bags

   The Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit.

See all 1 recall for the 2018 Kia Soul, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Soul will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Engine and engine cooling 148 complaints · 67%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Power train (transmission and drive) 31 complaints · 14%

• Transmission fluid service$140 to $480
• Transmission solenoid replacement$290 to $1,200
• Torque converter replacement$880 to $2,475
• Clutch replacement (manual transmission)$1,000 to $2,050

Electrical system 20 complaints · 9%

• Battery replacement$150 to $470
• Alternator replacement$360 to $930
• Starter replacement$280 to $740
• Battery cable replacement$100 to $340

Air bags 11 complaints · 5%

• Airbag clockspring replacement$230 to $670
• Airbag / occupant sensor replacement$220 to $750

Check a quote you got

Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

0 of 17 characters

Look up this VIN

Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2018 Kia Soul: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2018 Kia Soul?

Of the 220 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Kia Soul, 148 (67%) name engine and engine cooling, and 31 (14%) name power train (transmission and drive). A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2018 Kia Soul reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 14 of the 220 complaints as involving a crash and 14 as involving a fire. They also reported 12 injuries and 1 death. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2018 Kia Soul have?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2018 Kia Soul. Recall repairs are free at a Kia dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 48 repair bulletins for the 2018 Kia Soul.

More

• 2021 Soul problems
• 2020 Soul problems
• 2017 Soul problems
• 2016 Soul problems
• 2015 Soul problems
• 2014 Soul problems
• 2013 Soul problems
• 2012 Soul problems
• 2018 recalls
• All Kia recalls
• Kia problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.