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Kia vs Subaru Reliability

Kia leads on our inspections: 70/100 average condition vs 62/100 for Subaru, from 279 real pre-purchase inspections. The average car we check scores 61/100.

vs
Head to head
KiaSubaru
Cars inspected143136
Average condition70/10062/100
In good shape (60+/100)70%55%
Holds up to (avg dips below decent)~124k mi~122k mi
Repainted or replaced panel68%70%
Structural repair found1%4%
Fault codes recently cleared22%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
Kia
Excellent 43% Good 27% Mediocre 20% Poor 11%
Subaru
Excellent 27% Good 28% Mediocre 26% Poor 18%
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ Kia▬ Subaru▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Kia, 0–20k mi: 100% in good shape (11 cars)Kia, 20–40k mi: 88% in good shape (26 cars)Kia, 40–60k mi: 85%, drawn from the nearby bands (13 cars in this band)Kia, 60–80k mi: 70% in good shape (27 cars)Kia, 80–100k mi: 61% in good shape (23 cars)Kia, 100–120k mi: 49%, drawn from the nearby bands (18 cars in this band)Kia, 120–140k mi: 43%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars in this band)Kia, 140–160k mi: 33%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars in this band)Kia, 160–180k mi: 29%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 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: 77%, 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: 31%, 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
▬ Kia▬ Subaru▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Kia, 1 years old: 95%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Kia, 2 years old: 94%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)Kia, 3 years old: 90% in good shape (21 cars)Kia, 4 years old: 77%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars this age)Kia, 5 years old: 69%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Kia, 6 years old: 59%, drawn from the nearby bands (14 cars this age)Kia, 7 years old: 58%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars this age)Kia, 8 years old: 58%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)Kia, 9 years old: 50%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Kia, 10 years old: 53%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars this age)Kia, 11 years old: 71%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 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
Kia
Oil leaks · Engine
45%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
34%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
31%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
22%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
16%
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%
FAQ
?
Which is more reliable, Kia or Subaru?
Kia leads on our inspections: 70/100 average condition vs 62/100 for Subaru, from 279 real pre-purchase inspections.
?
What are the most common problems with used Kias and Subarus?
On Kias we flag oil leaks (45%), tires condition & wear (34%), fuel trim out of range (31%). On Subarus: oil leaks (64%), cracked or torn suspension bushings (35%), low coolant / cooling system issues (26%).
?
How many Kia and Subaru vehicles have you inspected?
143 Kias and 136 Subarus — 279 real pre-purchase inspections. Updated Oct 27, 2026.
?
How long do Kias and Subarus stay in good shape?
In our data, the average Kia dips below “decent” around ~124k mi; Subaru around ~122k mi. Individual cars vary — get the one you’re buying inspected.
Buying a used Kia or Subaru? Get a pre-purchase inspection before you pay.
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Based on 279 inspections · updated Oct 27, 2026