Is the Jeep Compass more reliable than the KIA Soul?

No. The KIA Soul has a slight edge, though both rate good. The Soul draws fewer owner complaints per car sold, has fewer recalls, and costs less to repair each year. The Compass has more crash-linked reports in electrical, power train, and steering, which keeps it a step behind.

Which has more recalls, the Compass or the Soul?

The Jeep Compass has more. Federal recall records show 15 recalls across its 2018 to 2025 model years, against 10 for the KIA Soul. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before buying, since some Soul owners report waiting on parts for a recall repair.

Which costs less to repair, the Compass or the Soul?

The KIA Soul costs less. Independent repair-cost data shows $437 a year for the Soul and $526 for the Compass, roughly $445 more over five years for the Jeep. Shop visits are equal at 0.2 a year, but Compass repairs are more often major.

What is the biggest problem with the KIA Soul?

Oil loss and engine damage. Owners report oil disappearing between changes, often with no low-oil warning, followed by rattling, stalling, and sometimes a full engine replacement. Some early IVT transmission failures are also reported. Keep all oil change receipts, because owners say dealers turned them away without them.

Why does the Jeep Compass stall?

Owners describe several causes. The most common pattern is a sudden shutdown with many warnings at once, which dealers often cannot reproduce. Reported fixes include a PCM update and a new start-stop battery. A false coolant temperature warning that cuts engine power also appears often, and coolant mixing with oil or transmission fluid is reported.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Jeep Compass vs Kia Soul: Reliability Compared

Jeep Compass

Good

More Reliable

Kia Soul

Good

The KIA Soul edges out the Jeep Compass on reliability. It has fewer owner complaints per car sold and a lower repair bill. Both rate good, so the gap is slight. The Compass has more recalls and more reports of sudden stalls, while the Soul's main risk is oil loss.

How Do the Jeep Compass and Kia Soul Generations Compare?

Every Compass in the 2018 to 2025 range belongs to one design, the second generation, which began with the 2017 model year. A facelift arrived for 2022, and that year ranks among its weakest. Problems like stalling can therefore show up in any year you shop. The Soul changed design partway through. Its third generation started with the 2020 model year, and a facelift followed in 2023. Its first two years of that generation, 2020 and 2021, were its weakest. The 2018 and 2019 cars come from the second generation, which ended in 2019.

Verdict

The Kia Soul is more reliable than the Jeep Compass, scoring 77/100 vs 75/100.

Slight edge goes to the KIA Soul. Both land in the good range, so this is not a large gap. The Soul has fewer owner complaints per car sold, fewer recalls, and a lower repair bill. Its weak spot is oil loss and engine failure. The Compass has more complaints of sudden stalls and more crash-linked reports in its main problem areas. That gives the Soul the lead, though neither is a clear avoid.

Key Differences

1Kia Soul costs $89 less per year to repair
2Kia Soul has 5.4 fewer complaints per 10k sold
3Kia Soul has 5 fewer total recalls

Category Scoreboard

0Jeep Compass

—

5Kia Soul

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Jeep Compass vs Kia Soul: Which Is More Reliable?

Jeep Compass vs Kia Soul at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Jeep Compass	Kia Soul
Reliability Score	75/100	77/100
Years Tracked	8	8
Total Recalls	15	10
Complaints per 10k Sold	11.8	6.4
Annual Repair Cost	$526/yr	$437/yr
Repair Frequency	0.2/yr	0.2/yr
Major Repair Risk	11%	9%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2025 NHTSA	2025 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	3	5

What Are the Common Problems With the Jeep Compass and Kia Soul?

Stalling shows up on both, but the causes differ. Compass owners report sudden shutdowns with a dashboard full of warnings, a false coolant alert that cuts power, and coolant mixing with transmission fluid. Failed steering racks also appear. Soul reports center on oil that vanishes between changes, then rattling, timing damage, and sometimes a full engine replacement. Early IVT transmission failures add to that. On crashes, the Compass has more crash-linked reports in electrical, power train, and steering. Steering has six on the Compass and one on the Soul.

Jeep Compass vs Kia Soul common problem areas comparison
Component	Jeep Compass	Kia Soul
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	4.1Average	0.5Very Low
ENGINE	1.9Low	2.6Low
POWER TRAIN	1.6Low	1Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.4Low	0.7Very Low
STEERING	0.5Very Low	0.3Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	0.5Very Low	0.1Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	0.1Very Low	0.5Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.3Very Low	0.1Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.2Very Low	0.2Very Low
SUSPENSION	0.2Very Low	—None
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
LANE DEPARTURE	0.1Very Low	—None
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.1Very Low	—None
STRUCTURE	—None	0.1Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
FUEL SYSTEM	—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: Jeep Compass or Kia Soul?

Repair costs favor the KIA Soul. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $437 a year against $526 for the Compass. That gap is $89 a year, or about $445 over five years. Both average 0.2 unscheduled shop visits a year, so neither takes more of your time in the shop. The difference is in severity. About 11% of Compass repairs are major, against 9% for the Soul.

How Does Jeep Compass vs Kia Soul Reliability Compare by Year?

Jeep Compass vs Kia Soul year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Jeep Compass	Kia Soul	Edge
2025	83/1000R / 13C	85/1000R / 9C	Kia Soul
2024	84/1000R / 34C	86/1000R / 23C	Kia Soul
2023	78/1002R / 43C	77/1004R / 45C	Jeep Compass
2022	70/1004R / 204C	78/1001R / 78C	Kia Soul
2021	80/1000R / 70C	72/1002R / 190C	Jeep Compass
2020	76/1001R / 129C	70/1001R / 338C	Jeep Compass
2019	70/1002R / 305C	76/1001R / 123C	Kia Soul
2018	61/1006R / 912C	73/1001R / 199C	Kia Soul

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Jeep Compass scored 84/100 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 Jeep Compass vs the Kia Soul?

Pick the Soul if you want the lower bill and the cleaner record. It has fewer complaints per car sold, fewer recalls, and a lower chance that a repair is major. Target 2024 or 2025, but remember newer years have had less time to collect complaints. Avoid 2020 and 2021, the weakest Soul years. Whatever year you buy, ask for oil change records. Owners say dealers turned them away without receipts, and the low oil light may stay off when the oil is quarts low. Pick the Compass if you need a small SUV and can accept more risk of stalling. Before buying, ask whether the PCM has been updated and check the start-stop battery. Test drive it for stalls, warning messages, and any clunk when turning. Avoid 2018 and 2022, its weakest years. The 2024 and 2025 models rate best, with the same caution about less time on the road. Have a mechanic check for milky fluid, since coolant mixing into transmission fluid is its costliest pattern.

Jeep Compass vs Kia Soul: Common Questions

Is the Jeep Compass more reliable than the KIA Soul?: No. The KIA Soul has a slight edge, though both rate good. The Soul draws fewer owner complaints per car sold, has fewer recalls, and costs less to repair each year. The Compass has more crash-linked reports in electrical, power train, and steering, which keeps it a step behind.
Which has more recalls, the Compass or the Soul?: The Jeep Compass has more. Federal recall records show 15 recalls across its 2018 to 2025 model years, against 10 for the KIA Soul. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before buying, since some Soul owners report waiting on parts for a recall repair.
Which costs less to repair, the Compass or the Soul?: The KIA Soul costs less. Independent repair-cost data shows $437 a year for the Soul and $526 for the Compass, roughly $445 more over five years for the Jeep. Shop visits are equal at 0.2 a year, but Compass repairs are more often major.
What is the biggest problem with the KIA Soul?: Oil loss and engine damage. Owners report oil disappearing between changes, often with no low-oil warning, followed by rattling, stalling, and sometimes a full engine replacement. Some early IVT transmission failures are also reported. Keep all oil change receipts, because owners say dealers turned them away without them.
Why does the Jeep Compass stall?: Owners describe several causes. The most common pattern is a sudden shutdown with many warnings at once, which dealers often cannot reproduce. Reported fixes include a PCM update and a new start-stop battery. A false coolant temperature warning that cuts engine power also appears often, and coolant mixing with oil or transmission fluid is reported.

More Jeep Compass comparisons

Jeep Compass vs Volkswagen Taos reliability Jeep Compass vs Nissan Kicks reliability Jeep Compass vs Lexus UX reliability Jeep Compass vs Audi Q3 reliability Jeep Compass reliability by year Jeep Compass years to avoid

More Kia Soul comparisons

Kia Soul vs Hyundai Kona reliability Kia Soul vs Nissan Kicks reliability Kia Soul vs Buick Envista reliability Kia Soul vs Buick Encore reliability Kia Soul reliability by year Kia Soul years to avoid

Decided between Jeep Compass and Kia Soul? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

Look Up a VIN →

How we score the Jeep Compass 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.

See incorrect data? Report an issue