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.

What is the best year for a Subaru Outback?

The 2023 Outback is the strongest used pick — 84 complaints, 10/10 NHTSA safety score, 9 severe issues. Strongly avoid 2018-2020, which generated 799, 1,025, and 889 complaints respectively, driven by widespread oil consumption and EyeSight system issues. The 2021-2022 range remained elevated. 2023 marks the clear turning point.

How much does Subaru Outback insurance cost?

Outback insurance averages about $1,964/year — roughly $164/month. One of the lower insurance rates in the compact class despite above-average maintenance costs.

Is the Subaru Outback or Honda Passport cheaper to maintain?

The Honda Passport is $86/year cheaper — $521 versus $607 for the Outback. The Passport also has a higher reliability score (8 vs. 7) and lower repair frequency (28% vs. 37%). The Outback's differentiators are its standard AWD and wagon body style, which are meaningful depending on use case.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Subaru Outback?

The 2018-2020 generation's documented complaint history makes extended warranty strongly recommended for those model years. Major repair probability of 12% and repair frequency of 37% are both above compact class averages. For 2023 and newer, the profile improves considerably — but the Outback's overall cost premium makes a repair fund or warranty worth planning for.

Subaru Forester vs Subaru Outback

Q: Is the Subaru Outback expensive to maintain?

The Outback costs $607/year to maintain — $86 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. Major repair probability of 12% is slightly above the 11% norm. Above-average cost and repair profile across all metrics.

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

// VERDICT

Our verdict

Buy the Subaru Outback to minimise 5-year ownership cost.

Buy the Subaru Outback if long-term reliability matters most.

// COST HEAD TO HEAD

Maintenance and ownership cost

	Subaru Forester	Subaru Outback
Annual maintenance	$632	$607winner
5-year total cost	$3,160	$3,035winner
Reliability score	7 / 10	7 / 10
Major repair risk (5yr)	13%	12%winner
Cargo space	74.4 cu ft	—
Starting price (new)	$29,600winner	$34,995
Best years to buy	—	—

// RELIABILITY

Which is more reliable?

	Subaru Forester	Subaru Outback
RepairPal score	7 / 10	7 / 10
NHTSA complaints / 100k	162.9winner	287.6
Years to avoid	2013, 2018, 2019	2018, 2019, 2020
Value retained · 3 yr	86.9%winner	79.2%
Value retained · 5 yr	67.5%winner	61.4%
Value retained · 7 yr	54.4%winner	48.8%

// COMMON PROBLEMS

What breaks — and what it costs

	Subaru Forester	Subaru Outback
Engine	13.3%	8.1%winner
Electrical	8.0%winner	18.7%
ADAS	10.6%	7.0%winner
Brakes	3.8%winner	4.0%
Suspension	4.2%	—winner
Steering	1.8%winner	3.6%
Fuel system	1.6%	1.3%winner
Tires/Wheels	1.5%	1.0%winner
Glass/Windows	24.4%winner	26.3%
Airbags	10.4%	5.4%winner
Lighting	—winner	3.3%

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?

	Subaru Forester	Subaru Outback
Avg annual premium	$2,035	$1,964winner

// FULL MODEL PAGES

GAS

Subaru Forester

$632/yr maint · 7 reliability

Full model page

GAS

Subaru Outback

$607/yr maint · 7 reliability

Full model page

// FAQ

Common questions

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.

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 →