2018 Kia Soul engine problems
134 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2018 Kia Soul — 63% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The vehicle is suffering from an extreme internal engine oil consumption defect, burning approximately 3 quarts of engine oil every 500 to 600 miles with no external leaks. The internal oil burning heavily fouled the vehicle's ignition system (spark plugs and coil packs), causing severe engine…”
filed Jul 25, 2026
“My 2018 Kia Soul has failed on oil consumption test and needs and engine replacement. Kia knows of these issues with these cars but will not cover the engine replacement cost bc the class action suit does not cover oil consumption failure only rod bearings. This will be an issue sooner or later…”
filed Jul 21, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (PI2107) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting a important Product Improvement Campaign to perform a software update on 2017-2019…
PI2107_OWNR_401 · Other · issued Aug 12, 2025
Engine problems in other Soul years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Soul | 4 | 14% |
| 2023 Soul | 12 | 25% |
| 2022 Soul | 51 | 58% |
| 2021 Soul | 127 | 57% |
| 2020 Soul | 227 | 62% |
| 2019 Soul | 86 | 64% |
| 2017 Soul | 190 | 70% |
| 2016 Soul | 548 | 69% |
| 2015 Soul | 627 | 70% |
| 2014 Soul | 547 | 61% |
| 2013 Soul | 282 | 43% |
| 2012 Soul | 209 | 41% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2018 Kia Soul
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.