Is the Subaru Forester more reliable than the Nissan Murano?

No, the Murano comes out ahead by a clear edge, although both rate good. It has lower annual repair costs and fewer recalls. The Forester's record is weighed down by cracking windshields and stalling at stops, which show up in far more owner complaints.

Which has more recalls, the Forester or the Murano?

The Forester has more. Federal recall records show 13 recalls across 9 model years for the Forester, against 5 across 8 model years for the Murano. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Which is cheaper to repair, the Forester or the Murano?

The Murano is cheaper. Independent repair-cost data shows about $507 a year for the Murano and $632 for the Forester. That is roughly $625 less over five years. The Murano does go to the shop a bit more often, at 0.5 visits a year.

Why do Subaru Forester windshields crack so often?

Owner complaints do not give a cause. They describe cracks appearing with no impact, sometimes while parked and within the first few thousand miles. Some start near the wiper rest area or the EyeSight camera. Replacement is often quoted at over $1000, and warranty help is often slow or denied.

What are the most serious Nissan Murano complaints?

The most serious are brake and drivetrain reports. Owners describe the brake pedal sinking to the floor while the car rolls, and the car lurching forward after shifting into Drive. Brakes and power train each have crash-linked reports. The forward collision warning also shuts off repeatedly.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Nissan Murano vs Subaru Forester: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Nissan Murano

Good

Subaru Forester

Good

Reliability favors the Nissan Murano over the Subaru Forester, thanks to lower yearly repair costs and fewer recalls. Both still rate good. The Forester is held back by windshields that crack without impact and engines that stall at stops, while the Murano's complaints are fewer and more scattered.

How Do the Nissan Murano and Subaru Forester Generations Compare?

Shoppers will mostly be looking at late-cycle cars from both lines. The Forester's fifth generation ran from 2019 to 2025, with a facelift in 2022, and the sixth generation began in 2025, so 2025 cars have had the least time to collect complaints. The 2018 Forester belongs to the older fourth generation. The Murano's third generation ran from 2015 to 2024, with minor updates in 2020. Its fourth generation arrived in 2025, which is also the Murano's weakest year. The strongest Murano years, 2018 and 2021, both sit in the third generation.

Verdict

The Nissan Murano is more reliable than the Subaru Forester, scoring 79/100 vs 74/100.

Reliability goes to the Murano by a clear margin, though both models rate good. The deciding factors are lower repair costs and a lighter recall history: 5 recalls across 8 model years against 13 across 9 for the Forester. The Forester's record is dominated by cracking windshields and engine stalls at stops. The Murano's complaints are fewer and more scattered, but its brake and drivetrain reports are serious. Its complaint count has no sales data behind it, so treat it as a rough guide.

Key Differences

1Nissan Murano costs $125 less per year to repair
2Nissan Murano has 8 fewer total recalls
3Nissan Murano scores 5 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

3Nissan Murano

—

2Subaru Forester

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Nissan Murano vs Subaru Forester: Which Is More Reliable?

Nissan Murano vs Subaru Forester at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Nissan Murano	Subaru Forester
Reliability Score	79/100	74/100
Years Tracked	8	9
Total Recalls	5	13
Total ComplaintsRaw count — varies with sales volume	134	2301
Annual Repair Cost	$507/yr	$632/yr
Repair Frequency	0.5/yr	0.4/yr
Major Repair Risk	14%	13%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	7	1

What Are the Common Problems With the Nissan Murano and Subaru Forester?

Windshields are the Forester's signature problem. Glass cracks with no impact, sometimes while parked, and a cracked windshield can knock out the EyeSight system. The other big issue is stalling: the engine dies at stops when auto start/stop fails to restart it, and dealers often blame the battery. Crash-linked reports appear under its electrical, engine and air bag areas. The Murano has no comparable pattern. Its reports include a forward collision warning that keeps shutting off, brake pedals sinking to the floor, and the car lurching forward after shifting into Drive. Brakes and power train carry its crash-linked reports.

Nissan Murano vs Subaru Forester common problem areas comparison
Component	Nissan Murano	Subaru Forester
VISIBILITY/WIPER	4	819
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	24	327
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	8	307
VISIBILITY	—	130
AIR BAGS	5	121
ENGINE	—	115
POWER TRAIN	6	96
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	4	61
STEERING	4	38
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	21	15
SERVICE BRAKES	9	23
STRUCTURE	—	28
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	4	19
SUSPENSION	2	6
LANE DEPARTURE	2	2
SEAT BELTS	2	—
EQUIPMENT	2	—

Raw complaint counts aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports. Counts vary with sales volume.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Nissan Murano or Subaru Forester?

Repair bills run lower on the Murano, at $507 a year against $632 for the Forester, according to independent repair-cost data. That gap is $125 a year, or about $625 over five years. The Murano does visit the shop slightly more often, at 0.5 unscheduled visits a year against 0.4. Its chance of a major repair is also a point higher, at 14% against 13%. The savings come from cheaper repairs, not from fewer of them.

How Does Nissan Murano vs Subaru Forester Reliability Compare by Year?

Nissan Murano vs Subaru Forester year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Nissan Murano	Subaru Forester	Edge
2026	82/1000R / 1C	77/1001R / 0C	Nissan Murano
2025	74/1002R / 14C	79/1002R / 48C	Subaru Forester
2023	82/1000R / 6C	79/1001R / 61C	Nissan Murano
2022	82/1000R / 5C	77/1001R / 86C	Nissan Murano
2021	82/1000R / 14C	76/1000R / 196C	Nissan Murano
2020	74/1002R / 41C	71/1000R / 584C	Nissan Murano
2019	77/1001R / 39C	63/1003R / 825C	Nissan Murano
2018	82/1000R / 14C	66/1003R / 475C	Nissan Murano

Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Nissan Murano scored 82/100 and the 2023 Subaru Forester scored 79/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Nissan Murano vs the Subaru Forester?

Pick the Murano if you want the lower repair bill and the shorter recall list. Target 2018 or 2021, its strongest years, and avoid 2025 and 2020, its weakest. Before buying, test the forward collision warning and the brakes, and shift through Drive and Park to check for hesitation or lurching. Pick the Forester if you value what it offers and can accept the windshield risk. Budget for glass replacement, since quotes run over $1000 and warranty help is often slow. Target 2023, one of its strongest years. Skip 2019 and 2018, its weakest. Treat 2025 with caution because it is too recent to have collected a full complaint history. On any Forester, ask about battery replacements and stalling at stops, and check the windshield for cracks near the camera and wiper rest area.

Nissan Murano vs Subaru Forester: Common Questions

Is the Subaru Forester more reliable than the Nissan Murano?: No, the Murano comes out ahead by a clear edge, although both rate good. It has lower annual repair costs and fewer recalls. The Forester's record is weighed down by cracking windshields and stalling at stops, which show up in far more owner complaints.
Which has more recalls, the Forester or the Murano?: The Forester has more. Federal recall records show 13 recalls across 9 model years for the Forester, against 5 across 8 model years for the Murano. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy.
Which is cheaper to repair, the Forester or the Murano?: The Murano is cheaper. Independent repair-cost data shows about $507 a year for the Murano and $632 for the Forester. That is roughly $625 less over five years. The Murano does go to the shop a bit more often, at 0.5 visits a year.
Why do Subaru Forester windshields crack so often?: Owner complaints do not give a cause. They describe cracks appearing with no impact, sometimes while parked and within the first few thousand miles. Some start near the wiper rest area or the EyeSight camera. Replacement is often quoted at over $1000, and warranty help is often slow or denied.
What are the most serious Nissan Murano complaints?: The most serious are brake and drivetrain reports. Owners describe the brake pedal sinking to the floor while the car rolls, and the car lurching forward after shifting into Drive. Brakes and power train each have crash-linked reports. The forward collision warning also shuts off repeatedly.

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How we score the Nissan Murano and Subaru Forester

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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