There is a recall on the airbag sensor or something. Since I was notified earlier this year, NONE of the KIA dealers are trying to correct the problem. I have been getting the run around about them fixing the problem. Excuses ranges from a 6 month wait to make an appt. to we don't have the part and when it comes in we will schedule an appt. but it has been 11 months and the RECALL hasn't been…
2018 Kia Soul airbags problems
severe Owners of the 2018 Kia Soul have filed 10 NHTSA complaints about the airbags at roughly $1,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See airbags across all vehicles →
Complaints
10
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,100
| Model year | airbags complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 Soul | 19 |
| 2015 Soul | 14 |
| 2016 Soul | 16 |
| 2017 Soul | 14 |
| 2018 Soul (this page) | 10 |
| 2019 Soul | 11 |
| 2020 Soul | 3 |
| 2021 Soul | 4 |
8crashes
8injuries
What stands out
No new NHTSA airbags complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 3 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners describe airbag non-deployment in at least seven crash incidents spanning multiple impact types—frontal, rear-end, T-bone, and side impacts—at speeds ranging 25 to 70+ MPH. Drivers hit steering wheels, dashboards, and interior surfaces; several sustained serious injuries including ruptured disks, chest trauma with internal bruising, nerve damage, and head trauma. All vehicles were totaled.
Separately, one owner alleges an authorized Kia dealership held their vehicle for seven months without completing a federal airbag recall (22V031000), demanding diagnostic fees and asserting recall work was a warranty or customer matter. The vehicle was eventually released uncompleted and in worse condition, with missing components and water damage incurred during dealer custody. Kia declined to authorize the necessary repairs.
A third owner reports trying for 11 months to obtain recall service with no success—dealerships cite 6-month appointment waits and chronic parts shortages, while the manufacturer hasn't returned calls. One complainant's VIN was reported as excluded from recall 22V031000 despite owning the same model year. Dealer and manufacturer responses have ranged from unresponsive to dismissive—some told owners airbags "acted as intended" after failures in serious crashes.
Same Kia Soul airbags reports on nearby years: 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2019
Failure modes owners describe
Airbag non-deployment in multi-vehicle crashes
Multiple owners report front and/or side airbags failed to deploy during high-speed collisions where impact severity warranted deployment, including T-bones, rear-end collisions at 35-45 MPH, and frontal impacts at speeds up to 70 MPH. Owners sustained serious injuries (ruptured disks, chest trauma, internal bruising, nerve damage, head trauma) and vehicles were totaled.
When: Occurring at mileage ranging approximately 25,000–37,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Front airbags did not deploy during frontal impact collisions; Side airbags did not deploy during side-impact crashes; No warning lights illuminated before failures; Drivers struck steering wheel or interior surfaces after airbag failure to deploy; In one case, side airbags deployed spontaneously with no apparent reason during a frontal collision while front airbags failed
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicles were totaled in all reported crash incidents; repair feasibility not addressed by owners.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Kia notified in some cases but responded that airbags 'acted as intended' and did not need to deploy. One owner's VIN was reported not included in recall NHTSA Campaign 22V031000. Another uninjured owner has been waiting 11 months for recall service with no parts or appointment availability.
Obstruction and non-completion of federal airbag safety recall
Owner alleges that authorized Kia dealership refused to complete a federal airbag safety recall (22V031000) over approximately seven months of custody. Dealerships demanded payment for diagnostics and characterized recall work as 'warranty-related' or 'customer responsibility,' blocking recall completion. Kia later declined to authorize necessary repairs. Vehicle was released without recall completion, with additional damage (missing/altered components, interior water damage) that occurred during dealer custody.
When: Recall notice received 2023; vehicle in dealer custody for approximately seven months
Symptoms owners cite: Recall work not completed despite customer willingness; Dealerships demanded payment for diagnostics on recall work; Dealerships asserted recall issues were 'warranty-related' or 'customer responsibility'; Missing and/or altered vehicle components upon release; Extensive interior water damage incurred during dealer custody
Repairs/costs cited: Repair was not completed; no parts or costs cited by owner.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Kia declined to authorize repairs necessary to complete the recall. Federal safety recall NHTSA Campaign 22V031000 remained unresolved at time of complaint.
Delayed or inaccessible recall service
Owner reports that since notification of airbag sensor recall earlier in the year (within 11 months prior to complaint), no Kia dealership has attempted to correct the problem. Owner has been unable to schedule service due to repeated excuses including 6-month appointment wait times and chronic parts unavailability. Manufacturer did not return calls after owner waited on hold for one hour.
When: Recall notification received 'earlier this year'; 11 months elapsed without service as of complaint date
Symptoms owners cite: Recall service appointment unavailable; Dealerships citing 6-month wait for appointments; Dealerships reporting parts out of stock with no firm delivery date; Manufacturer unresponsive to owner contact
Repairs/costs cited: No repair completed; no parts or costs specified.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Airbag sensor recall notified; manufacturer did not return owner's call.
Synthesized from 10 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
Had airbags trouble with your 2018 Kia Soul?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the airbags problem on the 2018 Kia Soul?
It's a meaningful issue. 10 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,100.
At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?
Based on the 10 complaints filed, airbags issues most often appear around 27,029 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to airbags?
No active recalls currently cover airbags issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2018/Kia/Soul.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.