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2018 Kia Soul

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2018 Kia Soul — Safety Summary

The 2018 Kia Soul has 1 NHTSA safety recall and 209 owner complaints on record. Transport Canada separately lists 8 Canadian recalls for this model. The most frequently reported complaint area is engine. It earned an NHTSA overall safety rating of 5 out of 5. Based on this public data we rate its risk profile as high. Enter your VIN above to confirm which of these apply to your exact vehicle, then get the Smart Buyer Report for AI analysis of this model's reliability, common issues by mileage, and a pre-purchase inspection checklist.

1
NHTSA Recalls
209
Owner Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
High
Risk Level

NHTSA Safety Ratings

Government crash test results

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★★
Front Crash
★★★★★
Side Crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

NHTSA Recalls

1 recall(s) for this year/model

AIR BAGS

25/01/2022

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.

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.

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Transport Canada Recalls

8 Canadian recall(s) from the official Transport Canada database

Engine

2021-12-07

Issue: Kia Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure could cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart. Note: This only affects vehicles equipped with a 2.0 L Nu GDI engine. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of an accident. An engine failure could also create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module. Note: Kia recommends that you should always follow the correct vehicle maintenance schedule, which is printed in the Owner's Manual. If you experience unusual engine noise, reduced power, or a check engine/oil warning light, Kia advises you to immediately visit a Kia dealership to have your vehicle diagnosed.

🍁 Transport Canada #2021733· 19,923.00 units affected

Airbag

2022-01-27

Issue: On certain vehicles, a defect in the airbag control unit could cause the airbag warning light to turn on. If this happens, the airbag system may not work properly, and the airbags may not inflate in a crash. Safety Risk: An airbag system that does not work properly could create an increased risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update the airbag control unit software. If the airbag warning light is on because of diagnostic trouble code B1620, the dealer will replace the airbag control unit.

🍁 Transport Canada #2022023· 58,054.00 units affected

High Voltage

2023-03-29

The recall was replaced by Transport Canada Recall No. 2024-155 Issue: On certain electric vehicles, there could be a problem inside the high-voltage battery. As a result, the high-voltage battery could short circuit while driving. Safety Risk: A short circuit in the battery could cause a fire. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to bring your vehicle to a dealership to update the battery management system software.

🍁 Transport Canada #2023181· 2,176.00 units affected

Powertrain

2023-10-27

Issue: On certain vehicles, the transmission could be damaged if the driver shifts to the "P" (Park) position before the vehicle has stopped moving. As a result, the vehicle could move when the shift lever is in the Park position and the parking brake isn't used. Note: This recall replaces recall RC132 (Transport Canada Recall No. 2020-310). Vehicles that received a software update under that recall also require this repair. Safety Risk: A parked vehicle that moves suddenly could create the risk of an injury or a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to update the electronic control unit software.

🍁 Transport Canada #2023582· 3,256.00 units affected

High Voltage

2024-03-07

Issue: On certain electric vehicles, there could be a problem inside the high-voltage battery. As a result, the high-voltage battery could short circuit while driving. Note: This recall replaces recall RC180 (Transport Canada Recall No. 2023-181). Vehicles that received a software update under that recall don't require this repair. Safety Risk: A short circuit in the battery could cause a fire. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to bring your vehicle to a dealership to update the battery management system software and, if necessary, replace the high-voltage battery.

🍁 Transport Canada #2024155· 2,310.00 units affected

Electrical

2024-06-14

Issue: On certain vehicles, the wiring for the heated seat could disconnect and cause the seat heaters to overheat. Safety Risk: A seat heater that overheats could create the risk of a burn injury. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the seat heater electronic control unit. The dealer will also replace the seat heater pad(s), as necessary.

🍁 Transport Canada #2024345· 38,309.00 units affected

Label

2024-08-15

Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" appear in English only, when they should be listed as "Tires/Pneus", "Rims/Jantes", "Front/Avant" and "Rear/Arriere". Canadian regulations require this information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safety Risk: These small errors do not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. Kia has corrected the compliance label for all new vehicles.

🍁 Transport Canada #2024549· 647,384.00 units affected

Brakes

2024-12-13

Issue: Over time, the brake lines under the vehicle could corrode. If this happens, a brake line could fail and leak. A brake fluid leak can result in reduced braking. Safety Risk: Reduced braking can cause extended stopping distances and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect the brake lines. The dealer will apply an anti-corrosion treatment and replace the brake lines, if required.

🍁 Transport Canada #2024760· 59,360.00 units affected

Contains information sourced from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database, licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Data is provided "as is" from Transport Canada's monthly release and may not reflect real-time updates. Transport Canada does not endorse this service. Always confirm open recalls with the manufacturer or Transport Canada before purchase.

Owner Complaints

209 complaint(s) filed with NHTSA

Top complaint categories:

ENGINE93 (44%)
UNKNOWN OR OTHER13 (6%)
POWER TRAIN12 (6%)
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE12 (6%)
AIR BAGS6 (3%)

Want the full picture?

The free data above comes from public NHTSA records. The Smart Buyer Report adds AI-powered analysis for this exact model — reliability score, common problems by mileage, real maintenance costs in CAD, a pre-purchase inspection checklist, a market value estimate, and Canadian notes on rust, winter, and fuel.

Data disclaimer:Vehicle history information on CarHistoryReport.ca is compiled from publicly available government sources, primarily the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Reports may not include all incidents, recalls, or issues related to a specific vehicle. Data is provided "as-is" without warranty of completeness or accuracy. Always obtain a professional pre-purchase inspection before buying any used vehicle. CarHistoryReport.ca is not liable for purchasing decisions made based on report contents.