2018 Kia Soul problems and complaints
Owners have filed 221 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Kia Soul. The most-reported areas: Engine (142), Power Train (31), Unknown Or Other (30).
Key takeaways
- 221 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 15 involve a crash, 14 a fire, 13 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 142 | 64% |
| Power Train | 31 | 14% |
| Unknown Or Other | 30 | 14% |
| Electrical System | 20 | 9% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 11 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 11 | 5% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 9 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 4% |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 3% |
| Steering | 5 | 2% |
| Structure | 5 | 2% |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 2% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Parts for the 2018 Kia Soul
GarageDex's verified specs for this car. Each Buy button searches Amazon for that exact part.
- Battery
- Engine oil
- Oil filter
- Engine air filter
- Cabin air filter
- Wiper blades
- Headlight bulb
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| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Kia Soul SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Seat Belts - filed 2026-11-05
Intersection crash driver sealtbelt did restrain the driver, driver ok front passenger sealtbelt did not restrain passenger ended up in back seat with sever injuries.
Electrical System,engine - filed 2026-10-25
**Vehicle:** 2018 Kia Soul\ **Mileage:** Approximately 198,000 miles 1\. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?** The engine appears to have experienced a serious malfunction, and the vehicle is no longer moving. I believe the engine may have failed. The vehi...
Engine - filed 2026-10-14
I am reporting excessive engine oil consumption in my 2018 Kia Soul, VIN [XXX], with over 150,000 miles. The engine consumes approximately 1-2 quarts of oil every 1,000 miles. There are no visible external oil leaks, and the vehicle does not produce visible exhaust smoke. I am concerned that this excessive oil consump...
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More for the 2018 Kia Soul
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.