Subaru Forester vs Toyota 4Runner
Two compact SUVs compared on the numbers that matter — maintenance cost, reliability, and insurance.
// VERDICT
Our verdict
Buy the Subaru Forester if its specific features or size suit your needs better.
Buy the Toyota 4Runner — lower 5-year cost and better reliability.
// COST HEAD TO HEAD
Maintenance and ownership cost
| Subaru Forester | Toyota 4Runner | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual maintenance | $632 | $514winner |
| 5-year total cost | $3,160 | $2,570winner |
| Reliability score | 7 / 10 | 8 / 10winner |
| Major repair risk (5yr) | 13% | 13% |
| Cargo space | 74.4 cu ft | 90.2 cu ftwinner |
| Starting price (new) | $29,600winner | $43,500 |
| Best years to buy | — | 2024 |
// RELIABILITY
Which is more reliable?
| Subaru Forester | Toyota 4Runner | |
|---|---|---|
| RepairPal score | 7 / 10 | 8 / 10winner |
| NHTSA complaints / 100k | 162.9 | 65.7winner |
| Years to avoid | 2013, 2018, 2019 | 2023, 2025 |
| Value retained · 3 yr | 86.9% | 93.3%winner |
| Value retained · 5 yr | 67.5% | 74.6%winner |
| Value retained · 7 yr | 54.4% | 64%winner |
// COMMON PROBLEMS
What breaks — and what it costs
| Subaru Forester | Toyota 4Runner | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 13.3% | 4.0%winner |
| Electrical | 8.0% | 6.4%winner |
| ADAS | 10.6% | 4.5%winner |
| Brakes | 3.8%winner | 8.7% |
| Suspension | 4.2% | 3.1%winner |
| Steering | 1.8%winner | 7.4% |
| Fuel system | 1.6%winner | 4.8% |
| Tires/Wheels | 1.5%winner | 2.9% |
| Glass/Windows | 24.4% | 2.4%winner |
| Airbags | 10.4%winner | 36.2% |
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 | Toyota 4Runner | |
|---|---|---|
| Avg annual premium | $2,035winner | $2,045 |
// FULL MODEL PAGES
// 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 →