Model year record

2018 Kia Soul EV

3 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 4 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 23V724000

Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)

Component
Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)
Manufacturer
Kia America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
6,262
Reported to NHTSA
2023-10-26
Owners notified
2023-12-21

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer 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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 23V218000

Electrical system: propulsion system: traction battery

Component
Electrical system: propulsion system: traction battery
Manufacturer
Kia America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
2,689
Reported to NHTSA
2023-03-29
Owners notified
2023-08-18

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

A battery electrical short-circuit increases the risk of a fire.

Manufacturer 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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 22V031000

Air bags

Component
Air bags
Manufacturer
Kia Motors America
Vehicles affected
410,619
Reported to NHTSA
2022-01-25
Owners notified
2022-03-21

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

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.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Electrical system266,000 mi
Engine1
Power train1

The 2017 model has about a fifth as many complaints as this one. The 2019 model has about half as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.