2018 Kia Soul engine problems
150 of the 221 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Kia Soul name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 65 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 150 reports a crash · 10 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2018: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 8 · 2021: 23 · 2022: 24 · 2023: 24 · 2024: 24 · 2025: 24 · 2026: 20
Half of the 43 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 63,000 and 111,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
221 complaints in all about the 2018 Kia Soul, 20 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Kia Soul engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Mileage 68000 - ticking noise began approximately 5 days before the engine failure. The vehicle was then parked for two days (for the holiday). Two days later, while driving the vehicle, the check engine light came on. Took to mechanic and ran code and performed an oil change.
2018 Kia Soul #3 piston and connecting rod shattered within 1.5 blocks of initial knocking detection when trying to pull into a parking lot off of the street.. The motor seized and caused the vehicle to stop and almost being rear ended by other drivers
While driving the vehicle to work, vehicle came to a complete stop and would not turn on. At first thought it was the battery but the tow truck charged the battery and when started the rods were knocking. We towed to the dealership, regal Kia and they diagnosed my car for needing a whole new engine.
I got told by a Kia mecanic well at least seen it on my dash cam that I AM sol that my ticking problem is an engine defect on kia's part that is causing engine issues as well as somehow making my enginerev extremely high while starting up and sometimes throughout the day to the point if I don't have my brakes on I will go through a wall…
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, an abnormal noise was present without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (Kia of muncie 6732 w hometown blvd, muncie, in 47304) where it was diagnosed and determined that that the engine roid failed and needed to be replaced.
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications65 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- TSB_ENG222_R8 Service bulletinApr 3, 2025
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES - 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 on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2024MY vehicles (refer to the table on pages 9 and 10 for applicable models and engine
The 1 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P1326 P0300 P0303 P0449 P0451 P0011 P0014 P0016
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2018 Kia Soul names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2018 Kia Soul?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 150 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (68% of everything owners filed about it), and 65 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2018 Kia Soul?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 3 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the 2018 Kia Soul?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 78,000 miles; half of them between 63,000 and 111,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.