Subaru Forester vs Hyundai Tucson: which is more reliable?
The Subaru Forester is ahead of the Hyundai Tucson on the federal record, 71/100 against 66/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Subaru Forester
- 15 model years scored
- 4,756 owner complaints on record
- about 52 complaints per year on the road
- 58 recall campaigns, 44 safety-critical
- best year 2024 (90/100) · worst 2019 (41/100)
Hyundai Tucson
- 8 model years scored
- 4,101 owner complaints on record
- about 72 complaints per year on the road
- 20 recall campaigns, 13 safety-critical
- best year 2021 (89/100) · worst 2016 (37/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Forester against Tucson
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.
What owners actually complain about
Subaru Forester
- Visibility/Wiper — 986 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 747 complaints
- Electrical System — 707 complaints
Hyundai Tucson
- Engine — 1,759 complaints
- Power Train — 999 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 536 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Forester's complaints concentrate in Visibility/Wiper, the Tucson's in Engine. 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
Subaru Forester — avoid: 2019, 2020.
Hyundai Tucson — avoid: 2016, 2017.
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 Subaru Forester prices at about $32,900 and a Hyundai Tucson at about $21,900 — the Hyundai Tucson is roughly $11,000 less, and they return 29.0 against 23.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Subaru Forester or the Hyundai Tucson more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Subaru Forester scores 71/100 against the Hyundai Tucson's 66/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Subaru Forester and Hyundai Tucson years should I avoid?
Subaru Forester: 2019, 2020. Hyundai Tucson: 2016, 2017. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Subaru Forester and the Hyundai Tucson?
The largest complaint group on the Subaru Forester is Visibility/Wiper (986 complaints); on the Hyundai Tucson it is Engine (1,759).
Is the Subaru Forester or the Hyundai Tucson cheaper to own?
A recent used Subaru Forester prices at about $32,900 and a Hyundai Tucson at about $21,900, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.