2018 Subaru Forester vs 2018 Toyota RAV4
Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Sep 21, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.
| Metric | 2018 Subaru Forester | 2018 Toyota RAV4 |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA complaints | 494 | 331 |
| Recall campaigns | 3 | 3 |
| Service bulletins (TSBs) | 405 | 183 |
| Investigations | 1 | 1 |
| Crash reports | 26 | 31 |
| Fire reports | 1 | 32 |
| NCAP overall rating | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| EPA MPG (combined) | 24–28 | 25–32 |
| Median reported incident mileage | 18,000 mi | 14,250 mi |
Reported problems side by side
| Component | Subaru Forester | Toyota RAV4 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 71 | 129 |
| Visibility/wiper | 135 | 17 |
| Air Bags | 96 | 16 |
| Engine | 32 | 32 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 30 | 20 |
| Power Train | 23 | 26 |
| Service Brakes | 13 | 28 |
| Steering | 25 | 11 |
Symptoms owners describe
| Airbag warning light | 33 | 0 |
| Stalling | 25 | 38 |
| Hesitation / surging | 16 | 6 |
| Battery drain | 16 | 0 |
| Vibration / shaking | 12 | 6 |
| Loss of power | 8 | 9 |
| Electrical failures | 8 | 5 |
| Won’t start | 7 | 0 |
2018 Subaru Forester
2018 Toyota RAV4
Compare all Subaru Forester vs Toyota RAV4 years →
Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.