The 2018 Kia Soul is associated with 213 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 1 safety recall campaign in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Engine, accounting for 95 reports (45% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 5 certified vehicle configurations spanning all-electric, 1.6l 4-cyl, and 2l 4-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 27 to 28 MPG combined. All-electric variants deliver up to 108 MPGe with an estimated range of 111 miles.

Key Data Findings
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 213 reports
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 1 campaign
  • • Top Reported Defect Area: Engine (95 / 45%)
  • • Safety Incident Signals: 14 crash / 14 fire / 10 injury reports
  • • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
  • • EPA Efficiency: 27–28 MPG (5 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
Fuel Economy
27–28MPG
5 EPA certified variants (all-electric, 1.6l 4-cyl, and 2l 4-cyl configurations)
Reported Complaints
213
213 submitted owner reports
Safety Recalls
1
1 official NHTSA recall
NCAP Safety Rating
5 / 5 Stars Overall

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2018 Kia Soul?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Soul Electric 100% Electric Electric Motor Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (A1) 124 MPGe 93 MPGe 108 MPGe 111 mi $700 / yr
Soul 1.6L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (AM7) 26 MPG 31 MPG 28 MPG — $2,200 / yr
Soul 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 25 MPG 30 MPG 27 MPG — $2,300 / yr
Soul 1.6L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 25 MPG 30 MPG 27 MPG — $2,300 / yr
Soul 1.6L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Manual 6-spd 24 MPG 30 MPG 27 MPG — $2,300 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.
Electric Range & Charging: The 2018 Kia Soul provides an official EPA-rated driving range of up to 111 miles on a single battery charge.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2018 Kia Soul?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
SUV FWD 14.7%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Optional and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2018 Kia Soul models.
View complete 2018 Kia Soul crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2018 Kia Soul?

Summary of 213 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
213
Crash Reports
14
Fire Reports
14
Complaints w/ Injury
10
Total Injuries
12

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Engine 95 complaints
Powertrain 12 complaints
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 12 complaints
Air Bags 6 complaints (5 crashes)
Electrical System 5 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2018 Kia Soul problems & component breakdown (49 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2018 Kia Soul?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #22V031000 Active Recall
Affected Component: AIR BAGS

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer 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.
View all 2018 Kia Soul recalls & campaign history (1 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.