2018 Kia Soul

The Verdict

Worst problem area

Engine

Engine leads by volume: 147 of 221 complaints (67%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Airbags & Restraints include more reported injuries (10) than those mentioning any other identified area.

Complaints filed fell from 289 in 2017 to 221 in 2018.

Data last changed Sep 16, 2026. Sources: NHTSA complaints and recalls, EPA fuel economy data. Methodology

Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History

Fuel cost, fuel economy, and complaint history by model-yearScroll sideways to see all 5 years. Fuel figures show the range across trims for years with more than one EPA-rated configuration.Also cataloged for 2018: 1 electric configuration(s), excluded from the figures and bar above.
Category	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	vs. 2018 Small Station Wagons
Annual fuel cost ($)	2,300–2,400	2,250–2,300	2,250–2,300	2,250–2,300	2,000–2,300
Combined MPG	26–27	27–28	27–28	27–28	27–31
City / Highway MPG	24 / 30–31	24–26 / 30–31	24–26 / 30–31	24–26 / 30–31	25–29 / 31–35
CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi)	335–338	320–335	320–335	319–335	287–332
Complaints filed	812	289	221	138	375	Not compared
Recalls issued	5	3	3	3	1	Not compared
Crash-involved complaints	29	17	15	13	9	Not compared
Fire-involved complaints	34	15	14	8	6	Not compared
Injuries reported	25	19	12	14	6	Not compared
Deaths reported	0	0	1	0	8	Not compared
Configurations compared	4	4	4	4	4

Common questions

How many recalls does the 2018 Kia Soul have?

3 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Sep 16, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.

What is the most common complaint about the 2018 Kia Soul?

Engine: 147 of 221 NHTSA complaints (67%) mention it.

What gas mileage does the 2018 Kia Soul get?

EPA rates it 27–28 MPG combined across 4 configurations.

How much does it cost to fuel a 2018 Kia Soul?

EPA estimates $2,250–$2,300 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.

Similar Vehicles

EPA-Rated Configurations (5)

Every EPA-rated configuration on this page, one row each.A number tagged (low) or (high) is this page’s own cost-table figure of that name, above.
Configuration	Transmission	Cylinders	Displacement	Drivetrain	Fuel Type	Vehicle Class	City	Highway	Combined	Annual Fuel Cost	CO₂
Configuration 1	Automatic (S6)	4	2.0L	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	Small Station Wagons	25 mpg	30 mpg (low)	27 mpg (low)	$2,300 (high)	334 g/mi
Configuration 2	Automatic (S6)	4	1.6L	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	Small Station Wagons	25 mpg	30 mpg (low)	27 mpg (low)	$2,300 (high)	330 g/mi
Configuration 3	Manual 6-spd	4	1.6L	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	Small Station Wagons	24 mpg (low)	30 mpg (low)	27 mpg (low)	$2,300 (high)	335 g/mi (high)
Configuration 4	Automatic (AM7)	4	1.6L	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	Small Station Wagons	26 mpg (high)	31 mpg (high)	28 mpg (high)	$2,250 (low)	320 g/mi (low)
Configuration 5	Automatic (A1)	—	—	Front-Wheel Drive	Electricity	Small Station Wagons	124 MPGe	93 MPGe	108 MPGe	$700	0 g/mi

Complaints by Category

Complaints by category, in the same fixed order on every page
Category	Complaints	Crash-Involved	Fire-Involved	Injuries	Deaths
Engine	147	1	10	0	0
Transmission & Drivetrain	32	1	0	0	0
Fuel System	11	1	0	0	0
Electrical	21	1	2	0	0
Brakes	8	1	1	0	0
Steering	5	0	0	1	0
Suspension, Wheels & Tires	4	0	1	0	0
Airbags & Restraints	12	9	0	10	0
Driver Assistance & Speed Control	12	2	0	1	0
Body, Seats & Latches	6	2	1	3	0
Visibility & Lighting	7	0	1	0	0
Other	30	2	4	0	1

A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.

Recalls (3)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE; POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) · Campaign 23V724000 · Oct 27, 2023
Defect: Kia America, Inc. (KIA) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles. The parking mechanism may be damaged, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the gear shift lever is in the Park 'P' position and the parking brake is not applied while the vehicle is powered on.
Consequence: Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the electronic control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 21, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC287. This recall expands and replaces recall number 20V-389. Vehicles previously repaired under 20V-389 will need to have the new remedy completed.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY · Campaign 23V218000 · Mar 30, 2023
Defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Soul EV vehicles equipped with an E400 battery. The high-voltage battery pack may experience an electrical short-circuit while driving.
Consequence: A battery electrical short-circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will update and/or replace the battery management system and software, as necessary, free of charge. The new software will illuminate the EV warning light, limit charging capacity, and reduce vehicle power if abnormal voltage is detected. If this occurs, the battery will be replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 18, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC267.
AIR BAGS · Campaign 22V031000 · Jan 26, 2022
Defect: 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: 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.