Illustration2018 KIA SOUL #3 PISTON AND CONNECTING ROD SHATTERED WITHIN 1.5 BLOCKS OF INITIAL KNOCKING DETECTION WHEN TRYING TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT OFF OF THE STREET.. THE MOTOR SEIZED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP AND ALMOST BEING REAR ENDED BY OTHER DRIVERS.
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Soul years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
240–25K
1325–50K
1950–75K
1175–100K
10100–150K
3150K+
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
Engine complaints
140 reportsI WAS DRIVING MY 2018 KIA SOUL ON MADISON HWY IN VALDOSTA,GA.L SAW SMOKE COMING OUT MY HOOD SO I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A CONVENIENT STORE ! THE PEOPLE IN THE STORE CAME RUNNING OUT WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AND WE WERE ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE.
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE TO WORK, VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND WOULD NOT TURN ON. AT FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY BUT THE TOW TRUCK CHARGED THE BATTERY AND WHEN STARTED THE RODS WERE KNOCKING. WE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, REGAL KIA AND THEY DIAGNOSED MY CAR FOR NEEDING A WHOLE NEW ENGINE. IF WE WERE TO DRIVE THE VEHIC…
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WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE TO WORK, VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND WOULD NOT TURN ON. AT FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY BUT THE TOW TRUCK CHARGED THE BATTERY AND WHEN STARTED THE RODS WERE KNOCKING. WE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, REGAL KIA AND THEY DIAGNOSED MY CAR FOR NEEDING A WHOLE NEW ENGINE. IF WE WERE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANY FURTHER THE ENGINE WOULD BLOW. OIL CHANGE WAS JUST A MONTH BEFORE AT THE REGAL KIA DEALERSHIP SO IT WASN'T DUE TO LOW OIL. THE 2018 KIA SOUL HAD 61,000 MILES AT IT AND ENGINE WAS RUINED.
I GOT TOLD BY A KIA MECANIC WELL AT LEAST SEEN IT ON MY DASH CAM THAT I AM SOL THAT MY TICKING PROBLEM IS AN ENGINE DEFECT ON KIA'S PART THAT IS CAUSING ENGINE ISSUES AS WELL AS SOMEHOW MAKING MY ENGINEREV EXTREMELY HIGH WHILE STARTING UP AND SOMETIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY TO THE POINT IF I DON'T HAVE MY BRAKES ON I WILL GO THROUG…
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I GOT TOLD BY A KIA MECANIC WELL AT LEAST SEEN IT ON MY DASH CAM THAT I AM SOL THAT MY TICKING PROBLEM IS AN ENGINE DEFECT ON KIA'S PART THAT IS CAUSING ENGINE ISSUES AS WELL AS SOMEHOW MAKING MY ENGINEREV EXTREMELY HIGH WHILE STARTING UP AND SOMETIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY TO THE POINT IF I DON'T HAVE MY BRAKES ON I WILL GO THROUGH A WALL . THAT'S A MENTION SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE AIR CONDITION UNIT/HEATER THAT THE HEATER WILL BLOW EXTREMELY HOT SO HOT THAT THE VENTS BECOME PLIABLE AND THE AIR CONDITIONER AND WON'T COME ON UNLESS I START MESSING WITH BUTTONS OFF AND ON OFTEN ON HIGH AND LOW HIGH AND LOW.I HAVE BEEN IN TO KIA MOTORS FIVE TIMES FOR THE ISSUE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS PRESENT WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (KIA OF MUNCIE 6732 W HOMETOWN BLVD, MUNCIE, IN 47304) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND DETERMINED THAT THAT THE ENGINE ROID FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEH…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS PRESENT WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (KIA OF MUNCIE 6732 W HOMETOWN BLVD, MUNCIE, IN 47304) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND DETERMINED THAT THAT THE ENGINE ROID FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000.
ON 7/8/20, MY CAR MADE A VERY LOUD NOISE AND SHUT OFF ON ME. NO SENSORS, NO LIGHTS CAME ON. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE KIA IN WHICH I PURCHASED IT FROM, AND THEY TOLD ME MY ENGINE BLEW. MY WARRANTY WAS SUPPOSE TO COVER THE REPAIRS BUT THEY ARE REFUSING TO COVER THE REPAIR.
MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND EVERY TIME I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE I WAS TOLD I USED BAD GAS AND TO CHANGE THE GAS. I WAS EVEN TOLD THE COMPUTER ON MY CAR NEEDED TO BE UPDATED AND UNTIL THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND MAY NOT GO OUT. MY CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND WOULDN'T MOVE.
CITY STREET. WAS TEST DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE AT THE LOWER BACK END OF THE ENGINE.
THE CAR WAS PARKED IN A PUBLIC PARKING LOT, WITH NO ONE AROUND IT, WHEN THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE AND DESTROYED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. FIRE INSPECTOR STATED CAUSE OF THE FIRE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE HAS A SIGNIFICANT HESITATION PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP SIGN/REDLIGHT ETC. AS YOU PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL DOWN, IT HESITATES THEN ACCELERATES HARD. HAS 340 MILES ON IT AT THIS TIME. DEALER AND KIA STATE THIS IS NORMAL FOR THE NEW TRANSMISSION/TURBO DESIGN. EVEN THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS SHOCKED WHEN HE DROVE I…
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FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE HAS A SIGNIFICANT HESITATION PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP SIGN/REDLIGHT ETC. AS YOU PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL DOWN, IT HESITATES THEN ACCELERATES HARD. HAS 340 MILES ON IT AT THIS TIME. DEALER AND KIA STATE THIS IS NORMAL FOR THE NEW TRANSMISSION/TURBO DESIGN. EVEN THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS SHOCKED WHEN HE DROVE IT SAYING HE WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT IT. I WOULD THINK THIS PROBLEM COULD BE RESOLVED WITH A PROGRAMMING UPDATE. MY CONCERN FOR SAFETY IS TO PART: 1ST, ANTICIPATING THE VEHICLE MAY GO WHEN IN FACT IT HESITATED TO PULL OFF CREATES AN ANTICIPATION EVENT. 2ND, THE HARD ACCELERATION WHEN IT ENGAGES COULD RESULT IN REAR-ENDING SOMEONE. THE ATTACHED DOCUMENTS REPRESENT THE WORK ORDER AND DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A BULLETIN EXPLAINING THE DRIVABILITY CONCERNS, HOWEVER, IT DOES NOT REFLECT THE HESITATION ISSUE.
Official recalls
122V031000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.