2015 Ford Escape vs 2015 Kia Soul
Two compact SUVs, compared on what actually matters when you're buying used:
what breaks, when it breaks, and what it costs you.
2015 Ford
Escape
5/10
The 2015 Escape is only worth owning if it has the boring naturally-aspirated 2.5L; the 1.6L EcoBoost is a known coolant-into-cylinder time bomb and the 2.0L isn't much safer.
VS
2015 Kia
Soul
6/10
Great personality and value if you get the 2.0L Nu engine checked for the bearing/knock recall — skip it entirely if that recall hasn't been done.
Milo scores the 2015 Kia Soul higher — 6/10 against 5/10.
By the numbers
Green is the better number — higher on every score, lower on failures, complaints and recalls.
| Ford Escape |
Kia Soul |
| Known failure points | 8 | 7 |
| NHTSA complaints | 1057 | 902 |
| Safety recalls | 9 | 4 |
| Service bulletins | 12 | 12 |
| Reliability | 45 | 52 |
| Cheap to own | 40 | 62 |
| Fun factor | 55 | 58 |
| Holds value | 35 | 45 |
| Enthusiast cred | 20 | 38 |
The most expensive thing that goes wrong
2015 Ford Escape
2.0L EcoBoost coolant loss — long block replacement program (Ford CSP 21N03) for coolant intrusion into cylinders
$0–$9,00050k–100k mi
2015 Kia Soul
2.0L Nu engine — connecting rod bearing wear/knock leading to catastrophic failure (SC200/knock sensor recall)
$0–$7,00060k–100k mi
If you buy one, buy this one
✅ 2015 Ford Escape
2015 Escape SE or Titanium with the 2.5L iVCT (VIN 8th digit '7'), FWD, one owner, complete service records showing regular transmission fluid changes, and every recall closed. Titanium adds the panoramic roof, heated leather, and better audio for peanuts on the used market.
✅ 2015 Kia Soul
A 2.0L '+' or '!' trim automatic with full recall documentation (SC124, SC141, SC160/162, SC200) completed and verified via NHTSA VIN lookup, ideally under 80k miles with maintenance records showing an early transmission fluid service.
Narrowed it down? Get the full report
This comparison is model-level.
Milo's report goes car-level — the one you're actually looking at:
- A line-by-line negotiation script
- The pre-purchase inspection checklist
- VIN-specific open recalls
- What it's really worth right now
- Your next 15,000 miles, forecast
- Hidden features & money-savers
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Scores and findings blend documented NHTSA recalls and complaints with
patterns synthesized from owner communities. Always inspect the specific vehicle and
verify open recalls by VIN before buying.