What is the best year for a Nissan Rogue?

The Rogue's complaint history has been persistently elevated. The 2020 model (147 complaints) stands out as the cleanest year of the second generation. The third-generation launch in 2023 brought 630 complaints before settling to 162 in 2024 and 158 in 2025. Avoid 2013-2018, which consistently logged 430-612 complaints per year. For the current generation, 2024 or 2025 is the best used pick.

How much does Nissan Rogue insurance cost?

Rogue insurance averages around $1,984/year — about $165/month. Competitive for the compact class.

Is the Nissan Rogue or Toyota RAV4 cheaper to maintain?

The RAV4 is $38/year cheaper — $429 versus $467 for the Rogue — and has a lower repair frequency (26% vs. 33%). Both carry the same reliability score. The RAV4 holds a moderate edge on total ownership cost.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Nissan Rogue?

The Rogue's persistently elevated complaint history across 2013-2018 and a major repair probability slightly above the class average make extended warranty worth considering for used models from that period. For 2024 and newer, risk is more moderate — though the historical reliability track record warrants more caution than class leaders like the CR-V or RAV4.

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.

Nissan Rogue vs Subaru Forester

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

// VERDICT

Our verdict

Buy the Nissan Rogue — 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

	Nissan Rogue	Subaru Forester
Annual maintenance	$467winner	$632
5-year total cost	$2,335winner	$3,160
Reliability score	8 / 10winner	7 / 10
Major repair risk (5yr)	12%winner	13%
Cargo space	74.1 cu ft	74.4 cu ftwinner
Starting price (new)	$30,800	$29,600winner
Best years to buy	—	—

// RELIABILITY

Which is more reliable?

	Nissan Rogue	Subaru Forester
RepairPal score	8 / 10winner	7 / 10
NHTSA complaints / 100k	156.8winner	172.2
Years to avoid	2017, 2018, 2019	2013, 2018, 2019
Value retained · 3 yr	71.7%	86.9%winner
Value retained · 5 yr	55.1%	67.5%winner
Value retained · 7 yr	45%	54.4%winner

// COMMON PROBLEMS

What breaks — and what it costs

	Nissan Rogue	Subaru Forester
Engine	16.2%	13.3%winner
Electrical	7.7%winner	8.0%
ADAS	16.2%	10.6%winner
Brakes	6.4%	3.8%winner
Suspension	—winner	4.2%
Steering	1.8%	1.8%winner
Fuel system	3.4%	1.6%winner
Tires/Wheels	1.0%winner	1.5%
Glass/Windows	4.0%winner	24.4%
Airbags	8.9%winner	10.4%
Seatbelt	1.3%	—winner

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?

	Nissan Rogue	Subaru Forester
Avg annual premium	$1,984winner	$2,035

// FULL MODEL PAGES

GAS

Nissan Rogue

$467/yr maint · 8 reliability

Full model page

GAS

Subaru Forester

$632/yr maint · 7 reliability

Full model page

// FAQ

Common questions

The Rogue averages $467/year in maintenance — $54 below the compact segment average of $521. But repair frequency of 33% is slightly above the class average of 30%, and major repair probability of 12% is slightly above the 11% norm. Lower cost per service visit, but slightly more frequent unscheduled visits than the class average.

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 →