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.

Is the Volkswagen Tiguan expensive to maintain?

The Tiguan costs $730/year to maintain — $209 above the compact segment average of $521. Repair frequency of 92% means statistically, nearly every Tiguan owner makes at least one unscheduled shop visit per year — roughly three times the compact class average of 30%. Reliability score of 6 is well below the class average of 8. It is the highest-maintenance model in the compact segment by a wide margin.

What is the best year for a Volkswagen Tiguan?

The 2025 Tiguan (31 complaints, 10/10 safety, 1 severe) is the best on record. The 2023-2025 window shows meaningful improvement. Avoid 2018 (274 complaints) and 2022 (234 complaints), which coincide with generation transitions. For used buying, 2023 or newer is the safest range.

How much does Volkswagen Tiguan insurance cost?

Tiguan insurance averages around $2,004/year — about $167/month. Competitive for the compact class, despite significantly higher maintenance costs.

Is the Volkswagen Tiguan or Honda CR-V cheaper to maintain?

The CR-V is cheaper to maintain by $323/year — $407 versus $730 for the Tiguan, roughly $1,615 in savings over five years. The CR-V also has a significantly higher reliability score (9 vs. 6) and a repair frequency of 30% versus 92%. The maintenance cost gap between these two is among the largest in the compact class.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Volkswagen Tiguan?

A repair frequency of 92% — the highest of any compact SUV — combined with a reliability score of 6 makes extended warranty coverage a strong recommendation, particularly for used models. The probability of an unscheduled repair in any given year is nearly a statistical certainty; warranty coverage helps control what those visits cost.

Subaru Forester vs Volkswagen Tiguan

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

// VERDICT

Our verdict

Buy the Subaru Forester — lower 5-year cost and better reliability.

Buy the Volkswagen Tiguan if its specific features or size suit your needs better.

// COST HEAD TO HEAD

Maintenance and ownership cost

	Subaru Forester	Volkswagen Tiguan
Annual maintenance	$632winner	$730
5-year total cost	$3,160winner	$3,650
Reliability score	7 / 10winner	6 / 10
Major repair risk (5yr)	13%	12%winner
Cargo space	74.4 cu ft	—
Starting price (new)	$29,600winner	$32,200
Best years to buy	—	2010

// RELIABILITY

Which is more reliable?

	Subaru Forester	Volkswagen Tiguan
RepairPal score	7 / 10winner	6 / 10
NHTSA complaints / 100k	162.9winner	183.9
Years to avoid	2013, 2018, 2019	2018, 2022
Value retained · 3 yr	86.9%winner	71.9%
Value retained · 5 yr	67.5%winner	55.8%
Value retained · 7 yr	54.4%winner	43.6%

// COMMON PROBLEMS

What breaks — and what it costs

	Subaru Forester	Volkswagen Tiguan
Engine	13.3%winner	29.0%
Electrical	8.0%winner	10.6%
ADAS	10.6%winner	12.5%
Brakes	3.8%winner	3.8%
Suspension	4.2%	—winner
Steering	1.8%winner	3.6%
Fuel system	1.6%winner	3.6%
Tires/Wheels	1.5%	—winner
Glass/Windows	24.4%	2.8%winner
Airbags	10.4%winner	10.8%
Lighting	—winner	2.8%
Seatbelt	—winner	1.8%

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	Volkswagen Tiguan
Avg annual premium	$2,035	$2,004winner

// FULL MODEL PAGES

GAS

Subaru Forester

$632/yr maint · 7 reliability

Full model page

GAS

Volkswagen Tiguan

$730/yr maint · 6 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 →