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2018 Kia Soul

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Kia Soul do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 225.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

80 reports with mileage · 138 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 140 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

14 crash reports14 fire reports10 injury reports

Lane Departure complaints

2 reports
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Mileage unknown · May 20, 2026
Lane DepartureService BrakesUnknown Or Other

The ABS/traction warning lights came on. On April 29,2026, I took it to Beck and Masten Group 1 Kia inTomball, Texas and they diagnosed as HECU failure. The repair cost $2377.16. KIA corporate denied reimbursement. Lights were resolved after HECU replacement. There was no accident/injury/fire. mileage was 60400. I wanted to n…

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The ABS/traction warning lights came on. On April 29,2026, I took it to Beck and Masten Group 1 Kia inTomball, Texas and they diagnosed as HECU failure. The repair cost $2377.16. KIA corporate denied reimbursement. Lights were resolved after HECU replacement. There was no accident/injury/fire. mileage was 60400. I wanted to note and document as a potential safety trend.

NHTSA ODI #11739077

Mileage unknown · Aug 21, 2022
Lane DepartureUnknown Or Other

When driving down a perfectly straight Road, if you take your hands off the steering wheel for a Split Second, the car drifts to the left over the center line of the road. [XXX] did a four-wheel alignment, however, the receipt said I told them it was pulling to the right, I specifically told them it was pulling to the left. I ha…

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When driving down a perfectly straight Road, if you take your hands off the steering wheel for a Split Second, the car drifts to the left over the center line of the road. [XXX] did a four-wheel alignment, however, the receipt said I told them it was pulling to the right, I specifically told them it was pulling to the left. I have an appointment with them on 6 September 2022 to try to correct their mistake. I am not sure an alignment will correct the problem. Second item: there was a recall of the airbags on this vehicle. This recall was cleared by Rusty Wallace GMC Kia, 300 King Avenue, Morristown Tennessee 37014 phone 423-586-1441. I am concerned about the drifting to the left when hands are lifted from the steering wheel on a straight Road. This could cause an accident. What is the remedy for this problem? Thank you [XXX] [XXX] car was acquired on 11/11/ 21 INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI #11480418

Official recalls

1

22V031000 · Air Bags

Jan 25, 2022

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.