Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Kia Soul EV, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system2
- Engine1
- Power train1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Registered new in Europe in 2018
523 new Kia Soul EV cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2018; the largest markets were the United Kingdom (423), Austria (79), Belgium (12).
- Average mass
- 1,580 kg
- Average CO₂
- 0 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 38 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Electric 100%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Kia Soul EV SUV FWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Recalls in Canada
5 Transport Canada recalls for the 2018 Kia Soul EV.
| 2024345 14 Jun 2024 | Electrical 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 overh… |
| 2024155 7 Mar 2024 | High Voltage 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… |
| 2023582 27 Oct 2023 | Powertrain 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 resu… |
| 2023181 29 Mar 2023 | High Voltage 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 batte… |
| 2022023 27 Jan 2022 | Airbag 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 wo… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
23V724000 · Electrical system26 Oct 2023 · 6,262 vehicles
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.
23V218000 · Electrical system29 Mar 2023 · 2,689 vehicles
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.
22V031000 · Air bags25 Jan 2022 · 410,619 vehicles
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Kia told its dealers about the 2018 Kia Soul EV: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11001067 | VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC267A) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to update the vehicle's battery management system (BMS) software to the latest version in certain 2018-2019 MY Soul EV vehicles. |
| 11000787 | This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced. |
| 11000588 | VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: QUESTION AND ANSWER - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Voluntary Service Campaign SC267A. |
| 11000587 | VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO (SC267A) - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service Managers that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to update the battery management system (BMS) software to the latest version on certain 2015-2017 MY Soul EV vehicles manufactured from July 15, 2014 through June 30, 2017 that had their BMS previously replaced and updated (under SC267) and certain 2018-2019 MY Soul EV vehicles manufactured from July 3, 2017 through September 28, 2018 that only had their BMS software previously updated (under |
| 11000586 | VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO (SC267A) - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to update the battery management system (BMS) software to the latest version on certain 2015-2017 MY Soul EV vehicles manufactured from July 15, 2014 through June 30, 2017 that had their BMS previously replaced and updated (under SC267) and certain 2018-2019 MY Soul EV vehicles manufactured from July 3, 2017 through September 28, 2018 that only had their BMS software previously updated (under SC267). |
| 10254416 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY PACK ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT (SC267Z) - This bulletin provides information to replace the high-voltage battery pack assembly (HV BPA) on certain 2015-2019MY Soul EV (PS EV) vehicles produced from July 15, 2014 through September 28, 2018. After completing SC267 with the latest battery management system (BMS) software upgrade, the subject vehicles may subsequently require the replacement of the HV BPA due to MIL ON with a BPA related DTC(s). |
| 10254411 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: BMS SOFTWARE UPGRADE (SC267A) - This bulletin provides information to update the BMS with new software on certain 2015-2019MY Soul EV (PS (EV) vehicles manufactured in the dates listed below, which have an older software ROM ID version installed completed under SC267. |
| 10242914 | SUBSEQUENT REPAIR ACTION: HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY PACK ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT (SC267Z) - This bulletin provides information to replace the high-voltage battery pack assembly (HV BPA) on certain 2015-2019MY Soul EV (PS EV) vehicles produced from July 15, 2014 through September 28, 2018. After completing SC267 with the battery management system (BMS) software upgrade, the subject vehicles may subsequently require the replacement of the HV BPA due to MIL ON with a BPA related DTC(s). |
| 10238225 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR - ELECTRICAL A/C COMPRESSOR - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information regarding partial repair of the Air Conditioning (A/C) compressor assembly on some 2011MY~ Optima Hybrid (TF HEV, JF HEV/PHEV), 2015MY~ Soul EV (PS EV), 2017MY~ Niro (DE HEV/PHEV/EV), 2022MY~ EV6 (CV), 2021MY~ Sorento (MQ4 HEV/PHEV), 2023MY~ Sportage (NQ5 HEV/PHEV), and 2023MY~ Niro (SG2 EV/HEV/PHEV) vehicles. |
| 10237607 | PITSTOP: SHARING KIA CONNECT CREDENTIALS WITH THIRD-PARTY APPS AND POTENTIAL IMPACT TO 12V BATTERY IN EVS - Kia is aware of reports of unexpected drainage of the 12-volt battery in some Kia electric vehicles (EVs). While Kias investigation is ongoing, a possible cause of the issue may be third-party applications used by the customer that are causing excessive Kia Connect connections to the customers EV. |
| 10226555 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced, refer to applicable vehicles in the chart starting on page 2. |
| 10210264 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY ORDERING AND RETURN PROCEDURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin outlines the ordering and return procedure for high-voltage Lithium-ion batteries equipped on EV/hybrid vehicles (hereafter referred to as "high-voltage batteries" or HVBs). |
| 10202227 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: REPLACEMENT OF MOBIS C-MDPS SMALL BEARING - This bulletin provides the procedure to replace the small bearing of the Column Motor Driven Power Steering (C-MDPS) unit on the vehicles listed below, which may exhibit an abnormal noise when steering left and right. This may be caused by foreign substances in the MDPS worm shaft small bearing. On some vehicles when the steering wheel is rotated a scraping noise can be heard originating from the lower bearing on the Worm Gear Small Bearing and does not affect the steering effort. |
| 10202226 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR OF C-MDPS MOTOR, ECU, WORM GEAR AND/OR STEERING COLUMN HOUSING - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information regarding the partial repair of the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) Motor, Electronic Control Unit (ECU), Steering Column Housing, or Worm Gear Assembly. When the steering wheel is rotated a scraping noise can be heard originating from the lower bearing on the Worm Gear Assembly on some 2010MY~ Kia m |
| 10201529 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFORMATION FOR HEADLAMP CONDENSATION AND MOISTURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information relating to some Kia models that may exhibit fogging, condensation, and/or moisture inside a headlamp assembly. Generally, a fogging condition is considered normal and can be eliminated by turning on the headlamps with the engine running for up to 30 minutes or during normal driving conditions. Headlamp assembly replacement WILL |
| 10200535 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY ORDERING AND RETURN PROCEDURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin outlines the ordering and return procedure for high-voltage Lithium-ion batteries equipped on EV/hybrid vehicles (hereafter referred to as "high-voltage batteries" or HVBs). |
| 10200525 | PITSTOP: FRONT RADAR SENSOR MOUNTING INSPECTION (PS704) - This pitstop provides information regarding front radar sensor alignment on 2014MY and later vehicles that may exhibit a warning light ON related to radar sensor alignment errors in the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA)/Smart Cruise Control (SCC) system. |
| 10195049 | PIT STOP: A/C DYE FOR E-COMPRESSOR EQUIPPED VEHICLES - This bulletin provides information on the proper non-conductive A/C system leak detection dye to be used in all EV, HEV, and PHEV models equipped with an electric A/C compressor. |
| 10189545 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR OF C-MDPS MOTOR, ECU, WORM GEAR AND/OR STEERING COLUMN HOUSING - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information regarding the partial repair of the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) Motor, Electronic Control Unit (ECU), Steering Column Housing, or Worm Gear Assembly. When the steering wheel is rotated a scraping noise can be heard originating from the lower bearing on the Worm Gear Assembly on some 2010MY~ Kia m |
| 10183333 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR OF C-MDPS MOTOR, ECU, WORM GEAR AND/OR STEERING COLUMN HOUSING - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information regarding the partial repair of the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) Motor, Electronic Control Unit (ECU), Worm Gear Assembly or Steering Column Housing on some 2010MY~ Kia models listed on page 8, equipped with a Column Motor Driven Power Steering (C-MDPS) unit. |
| 10183332 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR OF C-MDPS MOTOR, ECU, WORM GEAR AND/OR STEERING COLUMN HOUSING - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information regarding the partial repair of the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) Motor, Electronic Control Unit (ECU), Worm Gear Assembly or Steering Column Housing on some 2010MY~ Kia models listed on page 8, equipped with a Column Motor Driven Power Steering (C-MDPS) unit. |
| 10179256 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: IBAU SYSTEM REPAIR FOR NOISE AND AIR BLEEDING - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the repair procedure for the Integrated Brake Actuation Unit (iBAU) system on some 2014-2019MY EV/Hybrid/Plug-In Hybrid vehicles listed (see table), which may exhibit a "honking" (Hissing) noise due to air remaining in the brake fluid system. |
| 10179255 | PITSTOP - BRAKE CALIPER LEAK INSPECTION - This PITSTOP provides information related to a brake caliper fluid/oil substance found on some Kia vehicles, due to possible excess assembly oil applied during assembly. |
| 10176918 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR - ELECTRICAL A/C COMPRESSOR - This bulletin provides information regarding partial repair of the Air Conditioning (A/C) compressor assembly on some 2011MY~ Optima (TF HEV, JF HEV/PHEV/EV), Soul (PS EV) and Niro (DE HEV/PHEV/EV) vehicles. |
| 10173248 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: IBAU SYSTEM REPAIR FOR NOISE AND AIR BLEEDING - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. This bulletin provides the repair procedure for the Integrated Brake Actuation Unit (iBAU) system on some 2014-2019MY EV/Hybrid/Plug-In Hybrid vehicles listed (see table), which may exhibit a Honking (Hissing) noise due to air remaining in the brake fluid system. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
RQ23005 · Power train:automatic transmission:internal:park pawlopened 10 Sept 2023 · closed 16 Jan 2024
Vehicle Rollaway
DP22005 · Electrical system:propulsion systemopened 27 Jan 2023 · closed 7 Aug 2023
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation