2015 Honda Fit vs 2015 Kia Soul
Two compact cars, compared on what actually matters when you're buying used:
what breaks, when it breaks, and what it costs you.
2015 Honda
Fit
8/10
A cheap, spacious, reliable hatchback with a few annoying electrical gremlins that rarely turn into real money problems.
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 Honda Fit higher — 8/10 against 6/10.
By the numbers
Green is the better number — higher on every score, lower on failures, complaints and recalls.
| Honda Fit |
Kia Soul |
| Known failure points | 6 | 7 |
| NHTSA complaints | 282 | 902 |
| Safety recalls | 4 | 4 |
| Service bulletins | 12 | 12 |
| Reliability | 78 | 52 |
| Cheap to own | 82 | 62 |
| Fun factor | 62 | 58 |
| Holds value | 70 | 45 |
| Enthusiast cred | 48 | 38 |
The most expensive thing that goes wrong
2015 Honda Fit
CVT (if equipped) valve body/TCM issues causing harsh shifts or hesitation, tied to the transmission control module recall
$0–$3,50060k–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 Honda Fit
2016-2017 EX or EX-L with the 6-speed manual — same GK5 platform with early bugs sorted, plus the manual sidesteps CVT concerns entirely.
✅ 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
Run my free report →
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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.