2020 Subaru Forester vs 2020 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 | 2020 Subaru Forester | 2020 Toyota RAV4 |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA complaints | 600 | 634 |
| Recall campaigns | 0 | 6 |
| Service bulletins (TSBs) | 472 | 304 |
| Investigations | 0 | 0 |
| Crash reports | 26 | 17 |
| Fire reports | 8 | 5 |
| NCAP overall rating | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| EPA MPG (combined) | 29 | 28–40 |
| Median reported incident mileage | 6,037 mi | 5,400 mi |
Reported problems side by side
| Component | Subaru Forester | Toyota RAV4 |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper | 252 | 9 |
| Engine | 79 | 180 |
| Electrical System | 101 | 119 |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 12 | 90 |
| Structure | 15 | 60 |
| Power Train | 32 | 38 |
| Air Bags | 11 | 55 |
| Visibility | 49 | 8 |
Symptoms owners describe
| Check engine light | 43 | 11 |
| Stalling | 31 | 23 |
| Battery drain | 17 | 16 |
| Vibration / shaking | 10 | 9 |
| Hesitation / surging | 8 | 0 |
| Overheating | 7 | 26 |
| Loss of power | 6 | 7 |
| Won’t start | 0 | 11 |
2020 Subaru Forester
2020 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.