Is the Honda HR-V more reliable than the Kia Soul?

Yes, the HR-V has a clear edge. Independent repair-cost data shows lower yearly repair costs, fewer unscheduled shop visits, and a smaller chance of a major repair. The Soul's serious engine and transmission complaints are the main reason it trails, even though the HR-V has more owner complaints per vehicle sold.

Which has more recalls, the HR-V or the Soul?

The HR-V has more. Federal recall records show 27 recalls across 9 model years for the HR-V and 10 across 8 model years for the Soul. A higher recall count is not the same as worse reliability, and the HR-V still beats the Soul on repair cost.

Which is cheaper to repair, the HR-V or the Soul?

The HR-V is cheaper. Its estimated annual repair cost is $301, against $437 for the Soul. Over five years that adds up to roughly $680 saved. The HR-V also has a 5% chance that a repair is major, compared with 9% for the Soul.

What is the biggest problem with the Kia Soul?

The engine. Owners report oil disappearing between changes, often with no low-oil warning, followed by rattling, power loss, and stalling. Some cars needed a full engine replacement. Owners also report early IVT transmission failures that left cars without power in traffic.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda HR-V vs Kia Soul: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Honda HR-V

Excellent

Kia Soul

Good

The Honda HR-V comes out ahead of the Kia Soul on reliability by a clear margin. The deciding fact is cost and severity: the HR-V is cheaper to repair and rarely needs a major fix, while Soul owners report oil loss that can destroy the engine.

How Do the Honda HR-V and Kia Soul Generations Compare?

Most used examples a shopper meets are second generation HR-Vs (RU), which covered US model years 2016 to 2022 and received a refresh in 2019. That refresh year is one of the weakest. The third generation (RZ) began with 2023, also among the weakest. On the Soul side, the third generation (SK3) ran from 2020 to 2025 and received a facelift in 2023. Its two weakest years, 2020 and 2021, were the first of that generation. The second generation ran from 2014 to 2019, with a facelift in 2017.

Verdict

The Honda HR-V is more reliable than the Kia Soul, scoring 83/100 vs 77/100.

Reliability favors the Honda HR-V by a clear margin. Independent repair-cost data shows it costing less per year, visiting the shop less often, and rarely needing a major repair. The Kia Soul's central weakness is oil loss that can end in a replacement engine, along with early transmission failures. The HR-V draws more owner complaints and more recalls, but its top complaints are glass cracks and a flickering gauge cluster, which are less costly than a dead engine.

Key Differences

1Honda HR-V costs $136 less per year to repair
2Kia Soul has 17 fewer total recalls
3Honda HR-V scores 6 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

5Honda HR-V

—

2Kia Soul

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Honda HR-V vs Kia Soul: Which Is More Reliable?

Honda HR-V vs Kia Soul at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Honda HR-V	Kia Soul
Reliability Score	83/100	77/100
Years Tracked	9	8
Total Recalls	27	10
Complaints per 10k Sold	11.3	6.4
Annual Repair Cost	$301/yr	$437/yr
Repair Frequency	0.1/yr	0.2/yr
Major Repair Risk	5%	9%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2025 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	5	3

What Are the Common Problems With the Honda HR-V and Kia Soul?

Windshield cracks with no clear impact, rear liftgate glass that breaks while parked, and a gauge cluster that flickers or goes dark in damp weather lead the HR-V complaints. Its crash-linked reports sit in steering (13), with stalling, no-start, and a wheel that overcorrects, and in the electrical system (4). The Soul's problems sit deeper in the drivetrain. Oil disappears with no warning light, then the engine rattles and stalls. The IVT transmission loses all power at low mileage. The Soul has crash-linked reports in engine and power train, and the HR-V lists none in those areas.

Honda HR-V vs Kia Soul common problem areas comparison
Component	Honda HR-V	Kia Soul
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	2.2Low	0.7Very Low
ENGINE	0.1Very Low	2.6Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	2.2Low	—None
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1.5Low	0.5Very Low
STEERING	1.2Low	0.3Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.4Very Low	1Very Low
VISIBILITY	0.7Very Low	—None
FUEL SYSTEM	0.7Very Low	—None
STRUCTURE	0.4Very Low	0.1Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.3Very Low	0.2Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	—None	0.5Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.3Very Low	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.3Very Low	—None
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.2Very Low	—None
SEAT BELTS	0.1Very Low	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	0.1Very Low
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
WHEELS	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Honda HR-V or Kia Soul?

Repair costs run lower on the HR-V, at an estimated $301 a year against $437 for the Soul. That gap is $136 a year, or about $680 over five years. The HR-V averages 0.1 unscheduled shop visits a year, and the Soul averages 0.2, so the Soul visits twice as often. A repair on the HR-V has a 5% chance of being major. On the Soul that chance is 9%, which matters given the engine and transmission failures owners describe.

How Does Honda HR-V vs Kia Soul Reliability Compare by Year?

Honda HR-V vs Kia Soul year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Honda HR-V	Kia Soul	Edge
2025	88/1001R / 26C	85/1000R / 9C	Honda HR-V
2024	83/1004R / 94C	86/1000R / 23C	Kia Soul
2023	73/1003R / 673C	77/1004R / 45C	Kia Soul
2022	83/1003R / 62C	78/1001R / 78C	Honda HR-V
2021	86/1003R / 52C	72/1002R / 190C	Honda HR-V
2020	80/1004R / 71C	70/1001R / 338C	Honda HR-V
2019	75/1006R / 185C	76/1001R / 123C	Kia Soul
2018	78/1003R / 141C	73/1001R / 199C	Honda HR-V

Best years to cross-shop: The 2021 Honda HR-V scored 86/100 and the 2024 Kia Soul scored 86/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Honda HR-V vs the Kia Soul?

Pick the HR-V if you want the lower running cost and fewer surprise repairs. It suits a shopper who can live with a possible windshield replacement or a gauge cluster fix, and who will check that the cluster works in cold or damp weather. Be careful with 2023 and 2019, the weakest years. Treat 2026 with caution, since a new year has had little time to collect complaints. Pick the Soul only if its price or shape wins you over, and then shop carefully. Ask for full oil change records, because owners report warranty denials without receipts. Check for any open recall work before you buy. Avoid 2020 and 2021, the weakest years. The 2024 and 2025 cars look best on paper, but they are recent and have had less time to collect complaints, so do not read that as proof of better quality.

Honda HR-V vs Kia Soul: Common Questions

Is the Honda HR-V more reliable than the Kia Soul?: Yes, the HR-V has a clear edge. Independent repair-cost data shows lower yearly repair costs, fewer unscheduled shop visits, and a smaller chance of a major repair. The Soul's serious engine and transmission complaints are the main reason it trails, even though the HR-V has more owner complaints per vehicle sold.
Which has more recalls, the HR-V or the Soul?: The HR-V has more. Federal recall records show 27 recalls across 9 model years for the HR-V and 10 across 8 model years for the Soul. A higher recall count is not the same as worse reliability, and the HR-V still beats the Soul on repair cost.
Which is cheaper to repair, the HR-V or the Soul?: The HR-V is cheaper. Its estimated annual repair cost is $301, against $437 for the Soul. Over five years that adds up to roughly $680 saved. The HR-V also has a 5% chance that a repair is major, compared with 9% for the Soul.
What is the biggest problem with the Kia Soul?: The engine. Owners report oil disappearing between changes, often with no low-oil warning, followed by rattling, power loss, and stalling. Some cars needed a full engine replacement. Owners also report early IVT transmission failures that left cars without power in traffic.
What goes wrong most often on the Honda HR-V?: Glass and display problems lead. Owners report windshields cracking without a clear impact, rear liftgate glass breaking while parked, and a gauge cluster that flickers or goes dark in cold or damp weather. Dealers quoted $1800 or more to replace a cluster. Steering complaints include stalling and no-start reports.

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Decided between Honda HR-V and Kia Soul? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

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How we score the Honda HR-V and Kia Soul

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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