2015 Jeep Cherokee 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 Jeep
Cherokee
4/10
The KL Cherokee is competent off-road and comfortable on it, but the 9HP48 transmission and rear PTU make it a coin-flip ownership experience past 80k miles.
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 4/10.
By the numbers
Green is the better number — higher on every score, lower on failures, complaints and recalls.
| Jeep Cherokee |
Kia Soul |
| Known failure points | 8 | 7 |
| NHTSA complaints | 1780 | 902 |
| Safety recalls | 11 | 4 |
| Service bulletins | 12 | 12 |
| Reliability | 38 | 52 |
| Cheap to own | 35 | 62 |
| Fun factor | 55 | 58 |
| Holds value | 45 | 45 |
| Enthusiast cred | 40 | 38 |
The most expensive thing that goes wrong
2015 Jeep Cherokee
ZF 9HP48 9-speed transmission — harsh shifts, phantom neutrals, refusal to upshift past 4th, valve body faults
$400–$4,50020k–60k 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 Jeep Cherokee
2015 Trailhawk with the 3.2L Pentastar V6, Active Drive Lock (rear locker), Tech Group, and a documented history of PTU fluid changes and every 9-speed software update. Under 80k miles, one owner, and — critically — every single recall closed on the NHTSA lookup.
✅ 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.