Is the Subaru Forester more reliable than the Volkswagen Tiguan?

Yes, the Forester has a clear edge. It averages 0.4 unscheduled shop visits a year against 0.9 for the Tiguan, and it has fewer recalls and a lower yearly repair cost. The Tiguan's chance of a major repair is slightly lower, at 12% versus 13%.

Which has more recalls, the Forester or the Tiguan?

The Tiguan has more. Federal records show 35 recalls across its 9 model years from 2018 to 2026, compared with 13 for the Forester. Check any specific car's VIN for open recall work before buying, because the count alone does not say which repairs were done.

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

The Forester costs less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $632 a year against $730 for the Tiguan. That is about $490 less over five years. The Forester also needs fewer unscheduled shop visits each year.

What goes wrong most often on the Subaru Forester?

Cracked windshields are the top complaint. Glass often cracks while the car is parked or after a small pebble, sometimes within the first few thousand miles. Owners report repeat replacements and EyeSight outages. Stalling when start/stop fails to restart the engine is the next most common.

What are the common problems with the Volkswagen Tiguan?

Owners report power cutting out to gauges and lights in hot weather, and a pause before the car moves from a stop. Others describe oil consumption and automatic emergency braking that stops the car with nothing ahead. Dealers often could not reproduce the braking problem.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Subaru Forester vs Volkswagen Tiguan: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Subaru Forester

Good

Volkswagen Tiguan

Good

The Subaru Forester comes out ahead of the Volkswagen Tiguan on reliability, mainly because it needs fewer shop visits: 0.4 a year against 0.9. The Tiguan also carries far more recalls, though the Forester has its own problem with cracking windshields.

How Do the Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan Generations Compare?

The year 2018 is the turning point for both cars, and it matters most for used shoppers. The Forester's 2018 model closed out the fourth generation (SJ, 2014 to 2018) and ranks among its weakest years. The fifth generation (SK) ran from 2019 to 2025 with a facelift in 2022, and the sixth generation (SL) began in 2025. The Tiguan's second generation started in 2018, ran through 2023, and was facelifted in 2021. A third generation arrived for 2024. Its weakest years, 2018 and 2022, fall on either side of that facelift.

Verdict

The Subaru Forester is more reliable than the Volkswagen Tiguan, scoring 74/100 vs 68/100.

On balance, the Forester is the more reliable used compact SUV, and the edge is clear. It visits the shop about half as often, costs less to keep running, and has far fewer federal recalls. Owner complaints per vehicle sold are also a bit lower. The Tiguan does have a slightly lower chance that any given repair is major, so the gap is about how often things go wrong, not how badly. The Forester's biggest weakness is glass that cracks without warning.

Key Differences

1Subaru Forester costs $98 less per year to repair
2Subaru Forester has 22 fewer total recalls
3Subaru Forester scores 6 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

5Subaru Forester

—

1Volkswagen Tiguan

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Subaru Forester vs Volkswagen Tiguan: Which Is More Reliable?

Subaru Forester vs Volkswagen Tiguan at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Subaru Forester	Volkswagen Tiguan
Reliability Score	74/100	68/100
Years Tracked	9	9
Total Recalls	13	35
Complaints per 10k Sold	8.7	9.3
Annual Repair Cost	$632/yr	$730/yr
Repair Frequency	0.4/yr	0.9/yr
Major Repair Risk	13%	12%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	8	1

What Are the Common Problems With the Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan?

Windshields dominate Forester complaints. Glass cracks while parked or from small pebbles, spreads fast, and can knock out the EyeSight system. Start/stop failures are the second theme: the engine dies at stops and won't restart. Tiguan owners report heat-related power loss to gauges and lights, hesitation before the car moves from a stop, and automatic braking that fires with nothing ahead. Crash links differ. The Forester has crash-linked electrical, engine, and air bag complaints, though the air bag crash reports describe a car lunging forward, not a bag failure. Tiguan crash links are few, in electrical, engine, and brakes.

Subaru Forester vs Volkswagen Tiguan common problem areas comparison
Component	Subaru Forester	Volkswagen Tiguan
VISIBILITY/WIPER	3.1Average	0.2Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1.2Low	1.7Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.2Low	1.1Low
ENGINE	0.4Very Low	1.2Low
POWER TRAIN	0.4Very Low	1.2Low
AIR BAGS	0.5Very Low	0.1Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	0.5Very Low
VISIBILITY	0.5Very Low	—None
SERVICE BRAKES	0.1Very Low	0.4Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.2Very Low	0.2Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.1Very Low	0.3Very Low
STEERING	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—None	0.2Very Low
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	0.1Very Low
SEAT BELTS	—None	0.1Very Low
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
WHEELS	—None	—None

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

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Subaru Forester or Volkswagen Tiguan?

Lower yearly cost and fewer shop trips both favor the Forester. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $632 a year, against $730 for the Tiguan. That is $98 less per year, or roughly $490 over five years. Unscheduled visits run 0.4 a year for the Forester and 0.9 for the Tiguan. Severity is close: the chance a repair is major is 13% for the Forester and 12% for the Tiguan. The savings come from fewer trips, not cheaper big repairs.

How Does Subaru Forester vs Volkswagen Tiguan Reliability Compare by Year?

Subaru Forester vs Volkswagen Tiguan year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Subaru Forester	Volkswagen Tiguan	Edge
2026	77/1001R / 0C	76/1000R / 0C	Subaru Forester
2025	79/1002R / 48C	73/1002R / 18C	Subaru Forester
2024	78/1002R / 26C	75/1001R / 38C	Subaru Forester
2023	79/1001R / 61C	73/1001R / 49C	Subaru Forester
2022	77/1001R / 86C	61/1005R / 199C	Subaru Forester
2021	76/1000R / 196C	67/1005R / 106C	Subaru Forester
2020	71/1000R / 584C	69/1003R / 118C	Subaru Forester
2019	63/1003R / 825C	65/1005R / 165C	Volkswagen Tiguan
2018	66/1003R / 475C	57/10013R / 275C	Subaru Forester

Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Subaru Forester scored 79/100 and the 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan scored 75/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Subaru Forester vs the Volkswagen Tiguan?

Pick the Forester if you want fewer shop trips and a lower yearly repair bill. Target 2023 or 2025, the strongest years, and avoid 2018 and 2019, the weakest. Budget for a windshield, since owners report quotes over $1000 and repeat cracks. Ask whether the car has had battery or start/stop problems, because stalling at intersections is a common report. Pick the Tiguan if you can accept more visits to the shop in return for a slightly lower chance of a major repair, or if the cracking-glass reports put you off. Target 2024 or 2026, the strongest years, and remember that newer cars have had less time to collect complaints. Avoid 2018 and 2022. On a test drive, pull away from a stop several times and watch for a pause before power arrives. Also ask about heat-related electrical cutouts and any open recall work.

Subaru Forester vs Volkswagen Tiguan: Common Questions

Is the Subaru Forester more reliable than the Volkswagen Tiguan?: Yes, the Forester has a clear edge. It averages 0.4 unscheduled shop visits a year against 0.9 for the Tiguan, and it has fewer recalls and a lower yearly repair cost. The Tiguan's chance of a major repair is slightly lower, at 12% versus 13%.
Which has more recalls, the Forester or the Tiguan?: The Tiguan has more. Federal records show 35 recalls across its 9 model years from 2018 to 2026, compared with 13 for the Forester. Check any specific car's VIN for open recall work before buying, because the count alone does not say which repairs were done.
Which costs less to repair, the Forester or the Tiguan?: The Forester costs less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $632 a year against $730 for the Tiguan. That is about $490 less over five years. The Forester also needs fewer unscheduled shop visits each year.
What goes wrong most often on the Subaru Forester?: Cracked windshields are the top complaint. Glass often cracks while the car is parked or after a small pebble, sometimes within the first few thousand miles. Owners report repeat replacements and EyeSight outages. Stalling when start/stop fails to restart the engine is the next most common.
What are the common problems with the Volkswagen Tiguan?: Owners report power cutting out to gauges and lights in hot weather, and a pause before the car moves from a stop. Others describe oil consumption and automatic emergency braking that stops the car with nothing ahead. Dealers often could not reproduce the braking problem.

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

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How we score the Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan

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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