Known Recalls

Model year record

2018 Kia Soul

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 298 owner complaints on file.

Kia Soul, 2014–2019 generation
Pictured: the 2014–2019 generation. order_242 from Chile, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Recalls

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
Engine14173,454 mi
Power train3133,000 mi
Unknown or other3013,000 mi
Electrical system1752,000 mi
Air bags1136,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system1140,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling797,000 mi
Vehicle speed control75,000 mi
Service brakes61,200 mi
Steering538,000 mi
Structure: body537,000 mi
Exterior lighting45,500 mi
Visibility/wiper35,000 mi
Wheels310,900 mi
Lane departure: warning2—
Electrical system: 12V/24V/48V battery159,000 mi
Electrical system: ignition: coil159,000 mi
Electrical system: starter assembly170,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)152,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine: engine control module (ECU/ECM)163,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control: catalytic convertor198,000 mi
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control165,000 mi
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking1—
Forward collision avoidance: warnings1—
Seat belts112,000 mi
Seats125,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic166,000 mi
Suspension1—
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal1—
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system13,638 mi

The 2017 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. The 2019 model has about 1.5 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Other Kia Soul model years

2025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010

All Kia Soul recalls by year

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.