Head-to-head reliability
Subaru Outback vs Toyota RAV4
How the Subaru Outback and Toyota RAV4 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Subaru Outback vs Toyota RAV4: The Outback has 455 complaints per year, mostly about Eyesight deactivation and windshield cracks, with 0 deaths. The RAV4 has 303 complaints per year, including engine surging and transmission failure, with 4 deaths. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Subaru Outback or Toyota RAV4 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Subaru Outback
The Subaru Outback has a high complaint rate of 455 per year, dominated by visibility/wiper and electrical system issues. Owners report the Eyesight safety system randomly deactivating, windshields cracking spontaneously, and critical failures like CAN bus corrosion causing multiple safety systems to fail simultaneously. These patterns suggest a vehicle that may be unreliable in its core safety and convenience features.
Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 has a lower complaint rate of 303 per year, with top issues in unknown/other, electrical system, and engine. Owners report sudden engine surging causing crashes, multimedia screens going blank, and transmission failures that leave the vehicle without forward propulsion. While less frequent, the reported failures can be catastrophic.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Subaru Outback | Toyota RAV4 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 4,554 | 3,035 Better |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 26 Better | 27 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 131 Better | 214 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 455.4 | 303.5 Better |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 79 Better | 179 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 0 Better | 4 |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
Subaru Outback
- 01VISIBILITY/WIPER1,450
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1,423
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER871
- 04VISIBILITY242
- 05FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE217
The Eyesight system frequently turns off without warning, disabling all safety features like lane departure and emergency braking. Windshields also crack spontaneously from temperature changes, not impact, requiring costly replacement.
Corrosion on a CAN bus pin in the driver door wiring harness can cause simultaneous failure of multiple safety-critical systems. Other owners report the vehicle stalling or losing power while driving.
The fixed-height passenger seat is positioned too high, causing head injury risk. The HVAC system can heat to dangerous levels even when turned off, with cabin temperatures exceeding 100°F.
“1.) Eyesight constantly turns off on a whim. No reason or rhyme to it but just turns off. Meaning none of my "safety" systems (lane departure, crash avoidance, emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, collision warnings, collision braking) are functioning.…”
“Windshield made a very loud bang noise as if something hit it but nothing was observed to hit. After arriving home, I inspected the windshield and discovered a 4 inch straight hairline horizontal crack with no sign of debris impact (no chip, scratch, etc). Sa…”
Toyota RAV4
- 01UNKNOWN OR OTHER633
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM619
- 03ENGINE577
- 04FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM414
- 05AIR BAGS292
The multimedia screen goes blank intermittently, causing loss of navigation. More seriously, the engine can suddenly surge unexpectedly, overcoming brakes and causing crashes into obstacles.
Complete mechanical and hydraulic transmission failure can occur at low mileage, causing loss of forward propulsion. Other electrical gremlins include check engine lights and sensor failures.
Engine surging is a recurring issue, with the vehicle accelerating unintentionally. Some owners report engine stalling or failure to start, often linked to fuel system problems.
“The multimedia screen which shows the map and direction guidance became to blank occasionally, just white grey since February 2026. I immediately lost the direction. It could be back by restarting the engine at the beginning. The problem got worse, happened m…”
“On [XXX], at approximately [XXX], in Greenwich CT, while I was very slowly driving into a parking space, the engine suddenly and unexpectedly surged,. The vehicle overcame the brakes and raced forward and collided with a stone wall, about 3 ft away. This was…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
Subaru Outback — 26 recalls
The defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Outback, Legacy, Ascent, and Impreza vehicles. The center support bolts for the driveshaft may loosen, resulting in the disconnection of the front end of the driveshaft.
The risk: Separation of the front end of the driveshaft increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will clean the bolt mounting surfaces of the center support brace and install new bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 20, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Suba…
The defect: Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
The risk: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.
The defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2021 Outback and Impreza vehicles. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) select lever cable nut may not have been tightened properly, allowing the nut to loosen.
The risk: A loose nut can lead to a lost of retention in the CVT select lever cable and the gear selector not functioning properly, increasing risk of crash.
The fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and, if necessary, tighten the nut, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is W…
The defect: Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
The risk: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.
Toyota RAV4 — 27 recalls
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Toyota Venza, 2023-2025 RAV4 Prime, RAV4, Highlander, GR Corolla, Crown, 2024-2025 Lexus TX, LS, Toyota Tacoma, Grand Highlander, and 2025 Lexus RX, Toyota Crown Signia, Camry, RAV 4 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and 4 Runner…
The risk: An instrument panel display that does not show critical information can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix: Dealers will update the instrument panel software over-the-air (OTA) for non-PHEV vehicles, free of charge. For PHEV vehicles, dealers will inspect the instrument panel assembly, and either replace it, or update the software, free of charg…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or d…
The risk: A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's nu…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2025 RAV 4 vehicles. The front seat brackets for the seat rails may be welded improperly.
The risk: Improperly welded seat brackets can prevent the seat from adequately restraining an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the seat bracket welds as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 19, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid and Lexus ES300h and 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with 2.5L 4-Cylinder engines. Porosity in the engine castings may result in cracks than can allow coolant to le…
The risk: A coolant leak can cause the engine to overheat and cause a vehicle stall in conventional gasoline vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, for all involved vehicles, the engine may get damaged mechanically, possibly resulti…
The fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine including the engine block, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 3, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus at 1…
Buyer analysis
Subaru Outback or Toyota RAV4: which should you buy?
The Toyota RAV4 has fewer complaints per year (303 vs 455) and fewer recalls (27 vs 26), but its issues include more crash-related incidents (214 vs 131) and 4 deaths. The Subaru Outback's higher complaint volume is dominated by non-crash issues like windshield cracks and Eyesight glitches, which may be less dangerous but more annoying.
Key differences
- Subaru Outback: Eyesight system randomly deactivates, disabling all safety features; RAV4: engine surges unexpectedly, causing crashes.
- Subaru Outback: windshields crack spontaneously from thermal stress; RAV4: multimedia screen goes blank, losing navigation.
- Subaru Outback: CAN bus corrosion causes multiple system failures; RAV4: transmission can fail completely, losing propulsion.
- Subaru Outback: 0 deaths reported; RAV4: 4 deaths reported in NHTSA data.
- Test the Eyesight system thoroughly: drive in various conditions to see if it turns off without warning.
- Inspect the windshield for any cracks or chips, and ask about the model's history of spontaneous cracking.
- Check for any history of engine surging or unintended acceleration, especially during low-speed parking maneuvers.
- Verify the transmission operates smoothly and ask if the vehicle has had any transmission-related repairs.
Before you buy
- Check NHTSA recall status for both vehicles using the VIN.
- For Outback: test Eyesight system in rain and direct sunlight to see if it disengages.
- For RAV4: test the multimedia screen for blanking or freezing during a test drive.
- Ask for service records: Outback for windshield replacements, RAV4 for transmission or engine work.
- Inspect the Outback's passenger seat height for headroom issues; check RAV4 for any fuel system repairs.
Year by year
Which model years to avoid
Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.
| Year | Subaru Outback | Toyota RAV4 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 | 15 |
| 2025 | 66 | 72 |
| 2024 | 2 | 164 |
| 2023 | 85 | 145 |
| 2022 | 456 | 135 |
| 2021 | 291 | 378 |
| 2020 | 893 | 627 |
| 2019 | 1030 | 870 |
| 2018 | 806 | 328 |
| 2017 | 917 | 301 |
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Subaru Outback or Toyota RAV4 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Subaru Outback vs Toyota RAV4
- Subaru Outback total complaints
- 4,554
- Toyota RAV4 total complaints
- 3,035
- Subaru Outback total recalls
- 26
- Toyota RAV4 total recalls
- 27
- Subaru Outback avg complaints/year
- 455.4
- Toyota RAV4 avg complaints/year
- 303.5
- More reliable overall
- Toyota RAV4
- Subaru Outback top complaint area
- VISIBILITY/WIPER
- Toyota RAV4 top complaint area
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER