Which has more recalls, the Rogue or the Forester?

The Rogue. Federal recall records show 43 recalls across nine model years for the Rogue, against 13 for the Forester. Recall counts say nothing on their own about severity, so check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Which costs less to repair, the Rogue or the Forester?

The Rogue. Independent repair-cost data estimates $467 a year for the Rogue and $632 for the Forester. That is roughly $825 less over five years. The Rogue also has slightly fewer unscheduled shop visits per year, though the gap is small.

Do Subaru Foresters have a windshield cracking problem?

Owner complaints say yes. Windshield glass is the Forester's largest complaint area. Cracks appear with no impact, often while parked and within the first few thousand miles. Some owners are on a second or third windshield, replacement is quoted at over $1000, and a cracked windshield can knock out the EyeSight system.

What is the main safety complaint on the Nissan Rogue?

False automatic emergency braking. Owners report the car braking hard with nothing ahead, at speeds from walking pace to highway. Crash-linked reports appear under both service brakes and forward collision avoidance. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault, and at least one told an owner to switch the system off.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Nissan Rogue vs Subaru Forester: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Nissan Rogue

Good

Subaru Forester

Good

The Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester are effectively tied on reliability. The Rogue costs less to repair; the Forester has far fewer recalls. Their problems differ: the Rogue's worst reports involve false emergency braking, the Forester's involve cracked windshields.

How Do the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester Generations Compare?

The 2018 Forester was the last year of the fourth generation (SJ), which ran 2014 to 2018 and was facelifted in 2017. The fifth generation (SK) began with the 2019 model year and was facelifted in 2022. Both 2018 and 2019 rank among the weakest years, so the move to a new generation did not erase the problems right away. The sixth generation (SL) arrived with the 2025 model year, overlapping the last fifth-generation cars. Most used shoppers will be looking at the fifth generation, where 2023 is the stronger pick.

Verdict

The Nissan Rogue is more reliable than the Subaru Forester, scoring 75/100 vs 74/100.

Reliability is effectively tied, and neither model earns a clear win. Both stand well in the data. The Rogue is cheaper to keep on the road and has fewer owner complaints per vehicle sold. The Forester has far fewer federal recalls. Shop visits and the chance of a major repair are close. The deciding factor is the kind of trouble you would rather risk: the Rogue's false emergency braking, which has crash reports, or the Forester's cracking windshields and stalling at stops.

Key Differences

1Nissan Rogue costs $165 less per year to repair
2Subaru Forester has 30 fewer total recalls
3Nissan Rogue has 2.5 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

5Nissan Rogue

—

1Subaru Forester

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Nissan Rogue vs Subaru Forester: Which Is More Reliable?

Nissan Rogue vs Subaru Forester at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Nissan Rogue	Subaru Forester
Reliability Score	75/100	74/100
Years Tracked	9	9
Total Recalls	43	13
Complaints per 10k Sold	6.2	8.7
Annual Repair Cost	$467/yr	$632/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.4/yr
Major Repair Risk	12%	13%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side	Not rated
Rollover
Year Wins	6	3

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

Driver-assist systems dominate the Rogue's complaints. Automatic emergency braking stops the car hard with nothing ahead, and this appears under both service brakes and forward collision avoidance, with crash-linked reports in each. Owners also describe a power liftgate lowering on its own and an engine compartment fire. The Forester's biggest category is glass: windshields crack while parked, and no crash links appear there. Its crash-linked reports come from start/stop stalling, and from one unintended acceleration case filed under air bags.

Nissan Rogue vs Subaru Forester common problem areas comparison
Component	Nissan Rogue	Subaru Forester
VISIBILITY/WIPER	0.2Very Low	3.1Average
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.1Low	1.2Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.7Very Low	1.2Low
ENGINE	0.7Very Low	0.4Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.8Very Low	0.1Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.5Very Low	0.4Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.2Very Low	0.5Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.5Very Low	0.1Very Low
VISIBILITY	—None	0.5Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.2Very Low	0.2Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	0.3Very Low	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.2Very Low	—None
STEERING	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	0.1Very Low
SEATS	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
FUEL SYSTEM	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

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

A gap of $165 a year favors the Rogue. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $467 a year against $632 for the Forester, or about $825 over five years. The Forester also sees slightly more unscheduled shop visits, at 0.4 a year against 0.3. A repair is slightly more likely to be major on the Forester, at 13% against 12%. The cost edge goes to the Rogue, but the visit and major-repair gaps are small.

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

Nissan Rogue vs Subaru Forester year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Nissan Rogue	Subaru Forester	Edge
2026	83/1001R / 9C	77/1001R / 0C	Nissan Rogue
2025	84/1001R / 103C	79/1002R / 48C	Nissan Rogue
2024	79/1002R / 116C	78/1002R / 26C	Nissan Rogue
2023	68/1005R / 519C	79/1001R / 61C	Subaru Forester
2022	70/1007R / 211C	77/1001R / 86C	Subaru Forester
2021	70/10013R / 269C	76/1000R / 196C	Subaru Forester
2020	79/1002R / 185C	71/1000R / 584C	Nissan Rogue
2019	73/1006R / 409C	63/1003R / 825C	Nissan Rogue
2018	70/1006R / 718C	66/1003R / 475C	Nissan Rogue

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Nissan Rogue scored 79/100 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 Rogue vs the Subaru Forester?

Pick the Rogue if you want lower running costs. You pay less per year for repairs, and fewer complaints are filed per vehicle sold. Before buying, test drive in rain and at city speeds, and ask whether any emergency braking service work was done. Avoid the 2023 and 2018 model years, which are the weakest. The 2025 and 2026 years rank strongest, but they are new and have had little time to collect complaints. Pick the Forester if recalls matter most to you and you can live with a possible windshield claim. Budget for glass, since replacement is quoted at over $1000 and cracks can disable the EyeSight system. Check that the engine restarts cleanly at stops, and have the battery tested. Avoid 2019 and 2018, the weakest years. The 2023 model is a safer target than the newer 2025, which has had less time on the road to collect complaints.

Nissan Rogue vs Subaru Forester: Common Questions

Is the Nissan Rogue more reliable than the Subaru Forester?: No clear winner. Both stand well, and the comparison is effectively tied. The Rogue costs less to repair and draws fewer complaints per vehicle sold. The Forester has far fewer recalls. Shop visits and major-repair odds are close, so the choice comes down to which problems you would rather risk.
Which has more recalls, the Rogue or the Forester?: The Rogue. Federal recall records show 43 recalls across nine model years for the Rogue, against 13 for the Forester. Recall counts say nothing on their own about severity, so check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy.
Which costs less to repair, the Rogue or the Forester?: The Rogue. Independent repair-cost data estimates $467 a year for the Rogue and $632 for the Forester. That is roughly $825 less over five years. The Rogue also has slightly fewer unscheduled shop visits per year, though the gap is small.
Do Subaru Foresters have a windshield cracking problem?: Owner complaints say yes. Windshield glass is the Forester's largest complaint area. Cracks appear with no impact, often while parked and within the first few thousand miles. Some owners are on a second or third windshield, replacement is quoted at over $1000, and a cracked windshield can knock out the EyeSight system.
What is the main safety complaint on the Nissan Rogue?: False automatic emergency braking. Owners report the car braking hard with nothing ahead, at speeds from walking pace to highway. Crash-linked reports appear under both service brakes and forward collision avoidance. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault, and at least one told an owner to switch the system off.

More Nissan Rogue comparisons

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More Subaru Forester comparisons

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Decided between Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

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How we score the Nissan Rogue 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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