What is the best year for a Chevrolet Blazer?

The 2022 and 2023 Blazer are the standout used picks — 39 and 35 complaints respectively, both with 10/10 NHTSA safety scores and only 4 severe issues each. After a rougher launch window in 2019-2020 (181 and 204 complaints), the Blazer stabilized quickly. The 2022-2025 window is consistently clean.

How much does Chevrolet Blazer insurance cost?

Blazer insurance averages around $2,570/year — roughly $214/month. On the higher end for midsize SUVs, despite favorable maintenance costs.

Is the Chevrolet Blazer or Ford Edge cheaper to maintain?

The Blazer is cheaper to maintain by $90/year — $521 versus $611 for the Ford Edge. The Blazer also has a higher reliability score (8 vs. 7), lower major repair probability (11% vs. 13%), and lower repair frequency (28% vs. 33%). The Blazer is the better value across all maintenance metrics.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Chevrolet Blazer?

Major repair probability of 11% and repair frequency of 28% are both well below the midsize segment averages. Extended warranty isn't warranted for most buyers — the data supports self-insuring.

Is the Subaru Forester expensive to maintain?

The Forester costs $632/year to maintain — $111 above the compact segment average of $521. Repair frequency of 37% is above the class average of 30%. Reliability score of 7 is below the class average of 8, and major repair probability of 13% is above the 11% norm. It trails the compact class average on every ownership-cost metric.

What is the best year for a Subaru Forester?

The 2024 Forester (28 complaints, 10/10 safety, 4 severe) is the standout year — the best on record. Avoid 2014 (402 complaints, 53 severe) and 2018-2019 (483 and 831 complaints respectively), which coincide with documented engine oil consumption and EyeSight recall issues. The 2022-2024 window shows significant improvement.

How much does Subaru Forester insurance cost?

Forester insurance averages about $2,035/year — roughly $170/month.

Is the Subaru Forester or Toyota RAV4 cheaper to maintain?

The RAV4 is $203/year cheaper — $429 versus $632 for the Forester, over $1,000 in savings over five years. The RAV4 also has higher reliability (8 vs. 7), lower major repair probability (10% vs. 13%), and lower repair frequency (26% vs. 37%). The RAV4 has a significant advantage on every maintenance metric.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Subaru Forester?

Reliability score of 7, major repair probability of 13%, and repair frequency of 37% — all above the compact class average — make extended warranty worth considering, particularly for 2014-2019 models with severe documented complaint spikes. For 2022 and newer, the risk profile improves substantially but still trails the class average.

Chevrolet Blazer vs Subaru Forester

Two midsize SUVs compared on the numbers that matter — maintenance cost, reliability, and insurance.

// VERDICT

Our verdict

Buy the Chevrolet Blazer — lower 5-year cost and better reliability.

Buy the Subaru Forester if its specific features or size suit your needs better.

// COST HEAD TO HEAD

Maintenance and ownership cost

	Chevrolet Blazer	Subaru Forester
Annual maintenance	$521winner	$632
5-year total cost	$2,605winner	$3,160
Reliability score	8 / 10winner	7 / 10
Major repair risk (5yr)	11%winner	13%
Cargo space	—	74.4 cu ft
Starting price (new)	$37,095	$29,600winner
Best years to buy	—	—

// RELIABILITY

Which is more reliable?

	Chevrolet Blazer	Subaru Forester
RepairPal score	8 / 10winner	7 / 10
NHTSA complaints / 100k	135.2winner	162.9
Years to avoid	2019, 2020, 2021	2013, 2018, 2019
Value retained · 3 yr	71.6%	86.9%winner
Value retained · 5 yr	52.8%	67.5%winner
Value retained · 7 yr	40.5%	54.4%winner

// COMMON PROBLEMS

What breaks — and what it costs

	Chevrolet Blazer	Subaru Forester
Engine	24.3%	13.3%winner
Electrical	15.8%	8.0%winner
ADAS	9.0%winner	10.6%
Brakes	6.7%	3.8%winner
Suspension	1.1%winner	4.2%
Steering	7.7%	1.8%winner
Fuel system	2.3%	1.6%winner
Tires/Wheels	3.8%	1.5%winner
Glass/Windows	0.8%winner	24.4%
Airbags	1.5%winner	10.4%

One major repair on either model can run $1,500–4,000. A warranty caps your exposure, especially on known problem years.

// INSURANCE

Which is cheaper to insure?

	Chevrolet Blazer	Subaru Forester
Avg annual premium	$2,570	$2,035winner

// FULL MODEL PAGES

GAS

Chevrolet Blazer

$521/yr maint · 8 reliability

Full model page

GAS

Subaru Forester

$632/yr maint · 7 reliability

Full model page

// FAQ

Common questions

The Blazer costs $521/year to maintain — $52 below the midsize segment average of $573. Repair frequency of 28% is well below the class average of 40%, and major repair probability of 11% is well below the 13% norm. Combined with a reliability score of 8 above the class average of 7, it's one of the stronger ownership-cost profiles in the midsize segment.

How we calculated this. Maintenance costs and reliability scores from RepairPal. Complaints and recalls from NHTSA. Fuel economy from the EPA. Insurance averages from CarEdge. Pricing from KBB. Depreciation from iSeeCars. Full methodology →