EVERY SUBARU SUV ON SALE IN 2024 RANKED BY RELIABILITY

Over the course of decades, Subaru has built itself a reputation for building sturdy, rugged off-road vehicles favored by lovers of the great outdoors and people with an active lifestyle. This goes hand in hand with Subarus’ reputation for reliability. Subarus are widely regarded as dependable cars that can withstand harsh conditions and all-terrain driving without breaking a sweat.

Granted, there have been exceptions; last year, when the company ventured into the world of electric vehicles for the first time with the Solterra SUV, not everything went to plan, with the end result being a recall due to Solterras’ wheels falling off, but generally speaking, Subaru’s reputation for reliability and sturdiness was left mostly undamaged.

With Americans increasingly choosing SUVs as their default vehicle, it’s no surprise that most of Subaru’s current offering consists of SUVs. Let’s go through their lineup for 2024, sorted from least to most reliable.

Subaru Solterra

J.D. Power Quality and Reliability Rating: 67

No. of Recalls: 2

NHTSA Complaints/1,000 vehicles: 1.22

The lowest reliability rating on the list belongs to Subaru’s very first electric vehicle, the Solterra; first introduced in 2023, it has had two major recalls since, which resulted in a “do not drive” notice from the NHTSA. This is because both recalls, affecting a total of 1,843 vehicles, are related to the possibility of wheels completely detaching while driving. The wheel issue appears to have been resolved with the 2024 model year, which is not affected by any recalls; the 2024 Solterra also introduced a series of improvements to the previous year’s model, such as an advanced driver-assistance package, including hands-free driving, intersection collision detection, and automatic lane change.

Three trim levels are available: the entry-level Premium trim, the mid-range Limited trim which adds some extra design and safety features, and the top-level Touring trim with a panoramic glass roof and accent lights dotted throughout the interior. The two higher trims also come with power-adjustable front seats and a larger infotainment screen with navigation as standard. Power comes from two electric motors, producing a total of 215 hp. The Solterra’s fast charging capabilities have been improved for the 2024 model, cutting down the 10-80% charging time by 21 minutes (which brings it down to 35 minutes). The battery conditioning system has also been optimized to allow for faster charging in sub-freezing temperatures.

Subaru Outback

• J.D. Power Quality and Reliability Rating: 80
• No. of Recalls: 11
• NHTSA Complaints/1,000 vehicles: 2.86

First introduced in 2019, the sixth generation of the Subaru Outback has the highest rate of NHTSA complaints on the list, with 1948 complaints filed against 681,837 cars sold. There have also been 11 recalls for the current generation Outback, but none of them apply to the 2024 model.

The 2024 Outback comes in a very wide range of trims with nine different variants available, starting from the entry-level Base trim followed by the Premium, Limited, Onyx Edition, Onyx Edition XT, Wilderness, Limited XT, Touring, and Touring XT. The Wilderness version is geared towards off-roading with 9.5-inch ground clearance, an upgraded suspension, Snow and Mud driving modes, and skid plates.

Two choices of powertrain are available: the standard option is a 182 hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, while a 260 hp turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder is optional. Both engines are paired with a CVT transmission and all-wheel drive system as standard. All Outback models are equipped with Subaru’s EyeSight driver assistance tech package, which includes features such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assist (as standard) plus rear cross-traffic alert and blind spot monitoring (as optional extras).

Subaru Ascent

• J.D. Power Quality and Reliability Rating: 82
• No. of Recalls: 12
• NHTSA Complaints/1,000 vehicles: 2.41

Next up is Ascent, which has the second-highest rate of complaints after the Outback (803 NHTSA complaints filed over the course of five model years and 333,808 units sold). The current model, however, does not have any active recalls.

The Ascent three-row SUV comes in a choice of six trim levels, starting with the Base trim followed by the Premium, Onyx Edition Premium, Limited, Onyx Edition Limited, and Touring. The Onyx Edition Premium is the lowest trim level to get upgrades, including rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, and rear automated emergency braking. Other features only available in the higher trim levels include second-row captain’s chairs, heated front seats, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, a power-operated liftgate, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Power comes from a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 260hp and paired with a CVT transmission (paddle shifters are also available for drivers who prefer a more hands-on experience). As is the case with most Subaru models, the EyeSight driver assistance package is standard on all trims, including a host of safety features such as lane departure warning and automated emergency braking.

Subaru Crosstrek

• J.D. Power Quality and Reliability Rating: 83
• No. of Recalls: 2
• NHTSA Complaints/1,000 vehicles: 0.39

With only 25 complaints filed to the NHTSA since the introduction of the Crosstrek’s third generation for the 2024 model year and 64,368 vehicles finding homes so far, the Crosstrek has the lowest rate of complaints per 1000 cars on the list. There are, however, two recalls for the 2024 model, relating to the driveshaft (affecting 4,701 vehicles) and the instrument panel (affecting 35,357 vehicles, over half of total units sold over the past year).

The 2024 Crosstrek comes in five different trim levels, starting with the entry-level base trim, followed by the Premium, Sport, Limited, and Wilderness. The latter is geared towards off-road driving, with a host of features that allow it to handle all types of terrain, such as higher ground clearance, exclusive 17-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, and extra driving modes (Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud). In the two lower trim levels, power comes from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 152 hp, while the Sport, Limited, and Wilderness are equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder producing 182 hp. While the previous generation of the Crosstrek could be had with either a six-speed manual transmission or a CVT, the manual option has been dropped from the lineup for this new generation, leaving the CVT as the only choice of gearbox. All-wheel-drive is standard, as expected on most models in the Subaru family.

Subaru Forester

• J.D. Power Quality and Reliability Rating: 84
• No. of Recalls: 5
• NHTSA Complaints/1,000 vehicles: 1.80

First place on the list goes to the Subaru Forester, with an excellent reliability rating and only 5 recalls for the current generation since its introduction in 2019, none of which apply to the last four model years. The 2024 Forester comes in a wide range of trims, with six options available: an entry-level base trim, the mid-level Premium and Sport, the off-road-focused Wilderness, and the Limited and Touring trims at the top end. The Wilderness trim comes with a number of features that make it suited for all-terrain driving, such as increased ground clearance, 17-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, and an enhanced suspension setup optimized for off-roading.

Only one powertrain option is available: a 2.5-liter, naturally aspirated Boxer four-cylinder engine, producing 182 hp and paired with a CVT transmission. AWD comes as standard on all trim levels. Safety features are excellent, with the Forester receiving a five-star NHTSA safety score; the EyeSight safety package comes as standard on all trim levels and includes features such as pre-collision throttle management and braking, adaptive cruise control with lane centering, and lane departure/sway warning. The higher trim levels come equipped with some additional safety features as well, including rear cross-traffic alert, a driver distraction mitigation system, blind-spot detection with lane change assist, and reverse automatic braking. The Wilderness trim also comes with a 180-degree front-view monitor.

There's a caveat here, though, as the 2024 model year was short-lived, and Subaru has launched a new generation for MY25, already on sale in the US. This new generation leverages the mechanicals of the old SUV though, and is anticipated to continue its strong legacy of reliability. Stock of the 2024 model is still available, though, and the 2024 Subaru Forester is still available in Wilderness trim, something the new generation isn't getting just yet.

2024-06-23T04:02:13Z dg43tfdfdgfd