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Nissan vs Subaru Reliability

Nearly a tie: Nissan averages 62/100 vs Subaru at 62/100 across 408 real pre-purchase inspections (272 Nissan / 136 Subaru). 56% of Nissans and 55% of Subarus scored 60/100 or higher. The average car we check scores 61/100.

vs
Head to head
NissanSubaru
Cars inspected272136
Average condition62/10062/100
In good shape (60+/100)56%55%
Holds up to (avg dips below decent)~122k mi~122k mi
Repainted or replaced panel78%70%
Structural repair found7%4%
Fault codes recently cleared24%34%

Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.

How they score
Nissan
Excellent 21% Good 35% Mediocre 27% Poor 17%
Subaru
Excellent 27% Good 28% Mediocre 26% Poor 18%
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ Nissan▬ Subaru▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Nissan, 0–20k mi: 98%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars in this band)Nissan, 20–40k mi: 90% in good shape (21 cars)Nissan, 40–60k mi: 80% in good shape (35 cars)Nissan, 60–80k mi: 67% in good shape (43 cars)Nissan, 80–100k mi: 71% in good shape (42 cars)Nissan, 100–120k mi: 36% in good shape (36 cars)Nissan, 120–140k mi: 37% in good shape (35 cars)Nissan, 140–160k mi: 24%, drawn from the nearby bands (18 cars in this band)Nissan, 160–180k mi: 21%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars in this band)Nissan, 180–200k mi: 17%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars in this band) Subaru, 20–40k mi: 96%, drawn from the nearby bands (14 cars in this band)Subaru, 40–60k mi: 86%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars in this band)Subaru, 60–80k mi: 78%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars in this band)Subaru, 80–100k mi: 62%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars in this band)Subaru, 100–120k mi: 50% in good shape (16 cars)Subaru, 120–140k mi: 32%, drawn from the nearby bands (18 cars in this band)Subaru, 140–160k mi: 15% in good shape (20 cars)Subaru, 160–180k mi: 13%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars in this band) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
▬ Nissan▬ Subaru▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Nissan, 1 years old: 95%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Nissan, 2 years old: 93%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Nissan, 3 years old: 83%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars this age)Nissan, 4 years old: 52% in good shape (23 cars)Nissan, 5 years old: 68%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Nissan, 6 years old: 71% in good shape (24 cars)Nissan, 7 years old: 66% in good shape (29 cars)Nissan, 8 years old: 46% in good shape (26 cars)Nissan, 9 years old: 46% in good shape (28 cars)Nissan, 10 years old: 52%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Nissan, 11 years old: 45%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars this age)Nissan, 12 years old: 35%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Nissan, 13 years old: 18% in good shape (11 cars)Nissan, 14 years old: 15%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars this age)Nissan, 15 years old: 17%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars this age) Subaru, 2 years old: 91%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars this age)Subaru, 3 years old: 91% in good shape (11 cars)Subaru, 4 years old: 85%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars this age)Subaru, 5 years old: 78%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars this age)Subaru, 6 years old: 71%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Subaru, 7 years old: 65%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Subaru, 8 years old: 60%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Subaru, 9 years old: 47%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Subaru, 10 years old: 50%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Subaru, 11 years old: 40%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age)Subaru, 12 years old: 30%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars this age)Subaru, 13 years old: 18%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Subaru, 14 years old: 21%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age)Subaru, 16 years old: 12%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check.

Most common faults
Nissan
Oil leaks · Engine
48%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
37%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
31%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
24%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
17%
Subaru
Oil leaks · Engine
64%
Cracked or torn suspension bushings · Suspension
35%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
26%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
22%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
18%
Trajectory by generation
Nissan ↘↗ Dipped in the mid-2010s — the newest generation recovered 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 60% in good shape (age-adjusted; 29 cars, raw 55%) 60 2015–17: 48% in good shape (age-adjusted; 49 cars, raw 47%) 48 2018–20: 71% in good shape (age-adjusted; 47 cars, raw 77%) 71 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+
Subaru

Not enough Subarus at the 5–10 year checkpoint yet to draw a generation trend.

Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →

FAQ
?
Which is more reliable, Nissan or Subaru?
Nearly a tie: Nissan averages 62/100 vs Subaru at 62/100 across 408 real pre-purchase inspections (272 Nissan / 136 Subaru). 56% of Nissans and 55% of Subarus scored 60/100 or higher.
?
What are the most common problems with used Nissans and Subarus?
On Nissans we flag oil leaks (48%), tires condition & wear (37%), active error codes (31%). On Subarus: oil leaks (64%), cracked or torn suspension bushings (35%), low coolant / cooling system issues (26%).
?
How many Nissan and Subaru vehicles have you inspected?
272 Nissans and 136 Subarus — 408 real pre-purchase inspections. Updated Oct 27, 2026.
?
How long do Nissans and Subarus stay in good shape?
In our data, the average Nissan dips below “decent” around ~122k mi; Subaru around ~122k mi. Individual cars vary — get the one you’re buying inspected.
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Based on 408 inspections · updated Oct 27, 2026