Chevrolet Equinox vs Kia Soul: which is more reliable?
The Chevrolet Equinox is ahead of the Kia Soul on the federal record, 76/100 against 70/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Chevrolet Equinox
- 15 model years scored
- 5,754 owner complaints on record
- about 56 complaints per year on the road
- 38 recall campaigns, 15 safety-critical
- best year 2017 (90/100) · worst 2025 (46/100)
Kia Soul
- 15 model years scored
- 5,388 owner complaints on record
- about 41 complaints per year on the road
- 31 recall campaigns, 13 safety-critical
- best year 2024 (91/100) · worst 2014 (38/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Equinox against Soul
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
| Year | Equinox | Soul | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 46 AVOID | 90 BUY | -44 |
| 2024 | 85 BUY | 91 BUY | -6 |
| 2023 | 84 BUY | 84 BUY | +0 |
| 2022 | 78 BUY | 88 BUY | -10 |
| 2021 | 84 BUY | 68 CAUTION | +16 |
| 2020 | 72 BUY | 55 CAUTION | +17 |
| 2019 | 76 BUY | 89 BUY | -13 |
| 2018 | 71 BUY | 83 BUY | -12 |
| 2017 | 90 BUY | 81 BUY | +9 |
| 2016 | 85 BUY | 43 AVOID | +42 |
| 2015 | 69 CAUTION | 41 AVOID | +28 |
| 2014 | 82 BUY | 38 AVOID | +44 |
| 2013 | 71 BUY | 60 CAUTION | +11 |
| 2012 | 76 BUY | 73 BUY | +3 |
| 2011 | 72 BUY | 86 BUY | -14 |
What owners actually complain about
Chevrolet Equinox
- Engine — 2,316 complaints
- Visibility/Wiper — 891 complaints
- Power Train — 668 complaints
Kia Soul
- Engine — 3,094 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 626 complaints
- Electrical System — 496 complaints
Both nameplates have Engine as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Chevrolet Equinox — avoid: 2025.
Kia Soul — avoid: 2014, 2015, 2016.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Chevrolet Equinox prices at about $30,500 and a Kia Soul at about $30,500 — they price within $1 of each other, which at this level is the same money, and they return 26.0 against 30.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Chevrolet Equinox or the Kia Soul more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Chevrolet Equinox scores 76/100 against the Kia Soul's 70/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Chevrolet Equinox and Kia Soul years should I avoid?
Chevrolet Equinox: 2025. Kia Soul: 2014, 2015, 2016. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Chevrolet Equinox and the Kia Soul?
The largest complaint group on the Chevrolet Equinox is Engine (2,316 complaints); on the Kia Soul it is Engine (3,094).
Is the Chevrolet Equinox or the Kia Soul cheaper to own?
A recent used Chevrolet Equinox prices at about $30,500 and a Kia Soul at about $30,500, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.