Ford Edge vs Subaru Outback: which is more reliable?
The Ford Edge and the Subaru Outback are level on the federal record — 69/100 against 68/100 across the years we score. Which one to buy is decided by the model year, not the badge.
The record, side by side
Ford Edge
- 13 model years scored
- 9,716 owner complaints on record
- about 72 complaints per year on the road
- 62 recall campaigns, 21 safety-critical
- best year 2023 (90/100) · worst 2017 (35/100)
Subaru Outback
- 13 model years scored
- 6,232 owner complaints on record
- about 72 complaints per year on the road
- 57 recall campaigns, 34 safety-critical
- best year 2024 (93/100) · worst 2020 (35/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Edge against Outback
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
| Year | Edge | Outback | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | 79 BUY | — |
| 2024 | 89 BUY | 93 BUY | -4 |
| 2023 | 90 BUY | 88 BUY | +2 |
| 2022 | 85 BUY | 56 CAUTION | +29 |
| 2021 | 82 BUY | 78 BUY | +4 |
| 2020 | 83 BUY | 35 AVOID | +48 |
| 2019 | 60 CAUTION | 41 AVOID | +19 |
| 2018 | 55 CAUTION | 60 CAUTION | -5 |
| 2017 | 35 AVOID | 56 CAUTION | -21 |
| 2016 | 55 CAUTION | 74 BUY | -19 |
| 2015 | 65 CAUTION | 82 BUY | -17 |
| 2014 | 85 BUY | 72 BUY | +13 |
| 2013 | 42 AVOID | 72 BUY | -30 |
| 2011 | 54 CAUTION | — | — |
What owners actually complain about
Ford Edge
- Engine — 2,201 complaints
- Electrical System — 1,787 complaints
- Service Brakes — 1,606 complaints
Subaru Outback
- Electrical System — 1,898 complaints
- Visibility/Wiper — 1,659 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 1,128 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Edge's complaints concentrate in Engine, the Outback's in Electrical System. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Ford Edge — avoid: 2013, 2017.
Subaru Outback — avoid: 2019, 2020.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Ford Edge prices at about $37,400 and a Subaru Outback at about $44,100 — the Ford Edge is roughly $6,700 less, and they return 21.0 against 28.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Ford Edge or the Subaru Outback more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Ford Edge scores 69/100 against the Subaru Outback's 68/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Ford Edge and Subaru Outback years should I avoid?
Ford Edge: 2013, 2017. Subaru Outback: 2019, 2020. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Ford Edge and the Subaru Outback?
The largest complaint group on the Ford Edge is Engine (2,201 complaints); on the Subaru Outback it is Electrical System (1,898).
Is the Ford Edge or the Subaru Outback cheaper to own?
A recent used Ford Edge prices at about $37,400 and a Subaru Outback at about $44,100, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.