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.

Mazda CX-50 vs Subaru Forester

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

// VERDICT

Our verdict

Buy the Mazda CX-50 based on your priorities for this class.

Buy the Subaru Forester based on your priorities for this class.

// COST HEAD TO HEAD

Maintenance and ownership cost

	Mazda CX-50	Subaru Forester
Annual maintenance	—	$632
5-year total cost	—	$3,160
Reliability score	—	7 / 10
Major repair risk (5yr)	—	13%
Cargo space	—	74.4 cu ft
Starting price (new)	$29,900	$29,600winner
Best years to buy	—	—

// RELIABILITY

Which is more reliable?

	Mazda CX-50	Subaru Forester
RepairPal score	—	7 / 10
NHTSA complaints / 100k	44winner	162.9
Years to avoid	2023, 2025	2013, 2018, 2019
Value retained · 3 yr	74.1%	86.9%winner
Value retained · 5 yr	60.7%	67.5%winner
Value retained · 7 yr	50.3%	54.4%winner

// COMMON PROBLEMS

What breaks — and what it costs

	Mazda CX-50	Subaru Forester
Engine	4.7%winner	13.3%
Electrical	6.3%winner	8.0%
ADAS	24.2%	10.6%winner
Brakes	11.7%	3.8%winner
Suspension	7.0%	4.2%winner
Steering	5.5%	1.8%winner
Fuel system	0.8%winner	1.6%
Tires/Wheels	3.9%	1.5%winner
Glass/Windows	3.9%winner	24.4%
Airbags	2.3%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?

	Mazda CX-50	Subaru Forester
Avg annual premium	$2,084	$2,035winner

// FULL MODEL PAGES

$632/yr maint · 7 reliability

Full model page

// FAQ

Common questions

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 →