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2018 Kia Soul EVProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 3 owner complaints about the 2018 Kia Soul EV, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 3 safety recalls, and for recall 23V-724 the manufacturer reports only 55% of affected cars repaired.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls3Lowest repair rate 55%Owner complaints31 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage66kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 13, 2023. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2018 Kia Soul EV has problems

3 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electrical system20
Engine10
Power train11

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

3 recalls

2018 Kia Soul EV recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

55%repaired · 2025 Q3

Electrical system: software

Recall 23V-724 · Oct 26, 2023 · 6,262 vehicles · 3,449 repaired

Risk. Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

71%repaired · 2025 Q2

Propulsion system: traction battery

Recall 23V-218 · Mar 29, 2023 · 2,689 vehicles · 1,916 repaired

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

Problem, fix and repair progress →

57%repaired · 2024 Q3

Air bags

Recall 22V-031 · Jan 25, 2022 · 410,619 vehicles · 232,842 repaired

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

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Kia.

Best & worst years

2018 vs. every other Soul EV year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Soul EV median. How we score

'14'15'16'17'18'19
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2018 Kia Soul EV safety ratings

2018 Kia Soul EV SUV FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2018 Kia Soul EV, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Pedestrian alert soundsDP22005 · closed Aug 7, 2023
    Led to recall 22V-063
  2. Vehicle RollawayRQ23005 · closed Jan 16, 2024
    Led to recall 23V-724
In owners' words

What Soul EV owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul EV. The contact stated that the electrical system had experienced power fluctuations, which reduced the charging capacity of the battery to only 8 percent. The EV warning light remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact was…
Complaint 11554850 · Nov 13, 2023 · 66,000 miles
My 2018 kia soul EV has had a significantly decreased range, inconsistent charging, and a check EV light illuminating periodically. All of these are symptoms of the recall. Kia is not only not giving a timeline to diagnose and repair the problem, they are also charging me a "diagnostic" fee for the…
Complaint 11524680 · May 31, 2023

Own a 2018 Soul EV?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.