Is Subaru more reliable than Honda?
Subaru and Honda are statistically close: Subaru 2.71 vs Honda 2.95 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022), a gap under 10%.
By CarWhere Research · Updated November 2026 · Method
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022; published U.S. sales). Not a survey, not Consumer Reports' method, and not repair frequency.
Subaru vs Honda at a glance
| Subaru | Honda | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | 2.71 | 2.95 |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | 0.15 | 0.13 |
| Rank of 19 brands | #12 | #14 |
| Models covered | 5 | 8 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 4,460,431 | 9,790,001 |
| Owner complaints | 12,108 | 28,838 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 89.3% | 91.9% |
| Top complaint areas | Visibility / wipers 31.4% · Electrical system 24.7% · Engine 9.1% | Engine 22.4% · Electrical system 21.1% · Fuel / propulsion 15.4% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 88 (8.9 million) | 175 (15.5 million) |
Model years 2015–2022. Lower is better. Serious-safety complaints are those where the owner reported a crash, a fire or at least one injury. Recall campaigns are NHTSA campaigns filed January 2016 to September 2026; vehicles covered counts a vehicle once per campaign.
What drives the numbers
- Subaru's count is driven most by 2016–2020 Outback complaints about electrical system and visibility / wipers (4,323, 35.7% of Subaru's complaints). Other models with rates above Subaru's overall 2.71: Forester (2.92).
- Honda's count is driven most by 2017–2018 CR-V complaints about engine and fuel / propulsion (3,951, 13.7% of Honda's complaints). Other models with rates above Honda's overall 2.95: Pilot (5.06), Odyssey (4.37), Ridgeline (4.79).
Subaru vs Honda complaints per 1,000 sold, by model year
Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are still growing. Compare the two lines within a year, not one year against another.
| Model year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subaru | 2.54 | 2.44 | 3.03 | 2.91 | 4.17 | 3.43 | 1.37 | 1.38 |
| Honda | 1.71 | 3.03 | 3.14 | 5.04 | 3.77 | 2.18 | 1.53 | 2.82 |
What Subaru and Honda owners complain about
Share of each brand's NHTSA complaints naming the area (a complaint can name more than one).
Subaru
- Visibility / wipers31.4% · 3,806
- Electrical system24.7% · 2,986
- Engine9.1% · 1,102
- Powertrain / transmission6.3% · 758
- Air bags5.7% · 689
- Speed control / throttle4.3% · 517
Honda
- Engine22.4% · 6,452
- Electrical system21.1% · 6,084
- Fuel / propulsion15.4% · 4,446
- Forward collision avoidance12.8% · 3,687
- Steering11.8% · 3,394
- Powertrain / transmission8.4% · 2,408
Model matchups
Each brand's best-selling model in the classes both sell, on the same per-1,000-sold measure.
Compact SUVs: Subaru Forester vs Honda CR-V
They are statistically close: Subaru Forester 2.92 vs Honda CR-V 2.66 complaints per 1,000 sold (under 10% apart). The Forester's most-cited area is visibility / wipers (29.5%); the CR-V's is engine (23.5%).
2.92 complaints per 1,000 sold
2.66 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 7,382 complaints / 2,776,986 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2015, 2017–2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 23.5% · Fuel / propulsion 20.1% · Forward collision avoidance 16.9%
Compact cars: Subaru Impreza vs Honda Civic
The Subaru Impreza has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Subaru Impreza 1.49 vs Honda Civic 1.96 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Impreza's most-cited area is visibility / wipers (26.6%); the Civic's is steering (42.3%).
Subaru Impreza
1.49 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 738 complaints / 496,216 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2012, 2013, 2017–2019
- Top complaint areas:
- Visibility / wipers 26.6% · Lighting 22.5% · Electrical system 12.3%
1.96 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 4,680 complaints / 2,389,931 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2013
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2016–2019, 2022, 2023
- Top complaint areas:
- Steering 42.3% · Electrical system 9.7% · Fuel / propulsion 9.6%
Midsize cars: Subaru Legacy vs Honda Accord
They are statistically close: Subaru Legacy 2.64 vs Honda Accord 2.65 complaints per 1,000 sold (under 10% apart). The Legacy's most-cited area is visibility / wipers (31.1%); the Accord's is electrical system (23.3%).
2.64 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 854 complaints / 323,373 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2021, 2022
- Years to avoid:
- 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2018–2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Visibility / wipers 31.1% · Electrical system 25.3% · Engine 7.1%
2.65 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 5,675 complaints / 2,138,731 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2011
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2018–2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 23.3% · Engine 22% · Fuel / propulsion 17.2%
Midsize SUVs: Subaru Outback vs Honda Passport
The Honda Passport has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Subaru Outback 4.18 vs Honda Passport 3.54 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Outback's most-cited area is visibility / wipers (33.9%); the Passport's is electrical system (26.6%).
4.18 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 5,600 complaints / 1,339,285 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2024
- Years to avoid:
- 2011, 2016–2020, 2022
- Top complaint areas:
- Visibility / wipers 33.9% · Electrical system 33% · Engine 5.8%
3.54 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 602 complaints / 170,291 sold, MY 2019–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2019, 2021
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 26.6% · Forward collision avoidance 25.6% · Engine 18.9%
How these numbers are calculated
complaints per 1,000 sold = NHTSA owner complaints filed for model years 2015–2022 ÷ U.S. vehicles sold in calendar years 2015–2022 × 1,000
Complaints come from NHTSA's public owner-complaint database (NHTSA data), counted once per complaint and matched across NHTSA's trim and body-style names. Vehicles sold are published U.S. calendar-year sales per nameplate. Model years with fewer than 5,000 sold are too few to rate and are left out. A brand gets a score only when its covered models number at least 3 and make up at least 70% of its U.S. sales; rates under 10% apart are called close.
This is the federal complaint rate, not an owner survey or repair-frequency figure. Consumer Reports publishes a survey-based ranking that measures something different. Full method and brand ranking.
Questions
Is Subaru more reliable than Honda?
Subaru and Honda are statistically close: Subaru 2.71 vs Honda 2.95 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022), a gap under 10%.
Which has more serious complaints, Subaru or Honda?
Counting only complaints that report a crash, fire or injury, Subaru logs 0.15 per 1,000 sold and Honda 0.13. Those are 6% of Subaru's complaints and 4% of Honda's.
Where do Subaru and Honda rank overall?
Subaru ranks #12 and Honda #14 of the 19 brands with enough sales data, ranked by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold for model years 2015–2022.
What do Subaru and Honda owners complain about most?
Subaru: visibility / wipers (31.4%), electrical system (24.7%), engine (9.1%). Honda: engine (22.4%), electrical system (21.1%), fuel / propulsion (15.4%). Shares are of each brand's complaints for model years 2015–2022; one complaint can name more than one area.
Which has more recalls, Subaru or Honda?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 88 Subaru recall campaigns covering 8,929,343 vehicles and 175 Honda campaigns covering 15,493,854. Vehicles covered counts each vehicle once per campaign, so one car in three recalls counts three times. Recalls are fixes the maker files, a different signal from owner complaints.
Is the Subaru Forester more reliable than the Honda CR-V?
They are statistically close: Subaru Forester 2.92 vs Honda CR-V 2.66 complaints per 1,000 sold (under 10% apart). Based on 1,328,955 and 2,776,986 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Forester: 2014–2020. Years to avoid on the CR-V: 2015, 2017–2019, 2021, 2023, 2024.
Is the Subaru Impreza more reliable than the Honda Civic?
The Subaru Impreza has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Subaru Impreza 1.49 vs Honda Civic 1.96 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 496,216 and 2,389,931 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Impreza: 2008, 2012, 2013, 2017–2019. Years to avoid on the Civic: 2008, 2016–2019, 2022, 2023.