Toyota RAV4 vs Ford Bronco Sport: which is more reliable?
The Toyota RAV4 is ahead of the Ford Bronco Sport on the federal record, 65/100 against 61/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Toyota RAV4
- 14 model years scored
- 4,499 owner complaints on record
- about 58 complaints per year on the road
- 58 recall campaigns, 26 safety-critical
- best year 2013 (88/100) · worst 2020 (32/100)
Ford Bronco Sport
- 5 model years scored
- 1,281 owner complaints on record
- about 65 complaints per year on the road
- 51 recall campaigns, 28 safety-critical
- best year 2025 (78/100) · worst 2021 (33/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: RAV4 against Bronco Sport
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
Toyota RAV4
- Electrical System — 907 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 814 complaints
- Engine — 718 complaints
Ford Bronco Sport
- Electrical System — 341 complaints
- Power Train — 277 complaints
- Engine — 273 complaints
Both nameplates have Electrical System as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Toyota RAV4 — avoid: 2019, 2020, 2024.
Ford Bronco Sport — avoid: 2021.
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 Toyota RAV4 prices at about $30,500 and a Ford Bronco Sport at about $30,500 — they price within $1 of each other, which at this level is the same money, and they return 30.0 against 23.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Toyota RAV4 or the Ford Bronco Sport more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Toyota RAV4 scores 65/100 against the Ford Bronco Sport's 61/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Toyota RAV4 and Ford Bronco Sport years should I avoid?
Toyota RAV4: 2019, 2020, 2024. Ford Bronco Sport: 2021. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Toyota RAV4 and the Ford Bronco Sport?
The largest complaint group on the Toyota RAV4 is Electrical System (907 complaints); on the Ford Bronco Sport it is Electrical System (341).
Is the Toyota RAV4 or the Ford Bronco Sport cheaper to own?
A recent used Toyota RAV4 prices at about $30,500 and a Ford Bronco Sport at about $30,500, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.