Subaru Maintenance Cost vs Toyota: Schedule, Quality, Repair

Buying a car doesn’t mean you pay the cost once, and no other cost will be there in the future. Every car requires periodic maintenance. Thus, before buying a car, all potential car buyers consider the maintenance cost of their selected vehicle.

Both Subaru and Toyota are popular car brands in the USA and worldwide. When buying cars from these reputed brands, customers want to know Subaru maintenance cost vs Toyota. The average maintenance cost of Subaru is, meanwhile, Toyota cars annual maintenance cost is.

In this comprehensive guide, I shared the differences between Subaru and Toyota car’s quality, maintenance cost, and performance. Moreover, you will learn their reliability by reading this comprehensive guide. Let’s dive deeper!

Subaru vs Toyota Quality

The quality scores of Subaru and Toyota are different according to different quality tests. Some individual models of Toyota are ranked higher than Subaru. On the other hand, Subaru has a better score than Toyota, as per the Consumer Report.

So, it isn’t easy to decide which car brand offers better quality cars between Subaru and Toyota.

Read below to learn Subaru vs. Toyota quality:

Components Quality

The all-wheel-drive system of Subaru is superior to Toyota. Better stability and traction in different driving conditions, such as rain and snow, are confirmed because of the AWD system of Subaru cars.

However, learning about the exceptional features of Subaru, don’t think that Toyota car components don’t have exceptional features. Different car parts of Toyota are considered long-lasting. Also, maintenance of these car parts is inexpensive. They don’t require frequent maintenance as well.

Oil Change and Handling

If you want to make your driving session enjoyable, Subaru vehicles are definitely a good choice. The prime reason is the Subaru vehicle’s sharper steering and sportier handling.

Moreover, the oil change frequency of both Subaru and Toyota vehicles is roughly 5,000 miles. The car engines of Subaru are more forgiving if an oil change is done between 6,000 – 7,000 miles.

On the other hand, Toyota vehicle engines are pretty sensitive. Thus, they will frequently wear and tear if the scheduled oil change is not done properly. This means it is mandatory to follow a regular maintenance period in the case of Toyota cars.

Ease of Maintenance

Regarding periodic maintenance, both Toyota and Subaru offer quite the same performance.

Oil filter change, tire rotation, etc., must be done within the same mileage as Subaru and Toyota.

If you want to do the maintenance of yourself of your vehicle, both Subaru and Toyota will be an ideal choice undoubtedly.

However, if you prefer maintenance to be done by professionals, Toyota will be a suitable choice.

Resale Value

When the discussion comes to resale value, Toyota wins the battle.

Toyota cars have better resale value than Subaru. The reason is quality and reliability rating is stronger compared to Subaru.

Maintenance Schedule

There is no other choice except to ensure scheduled maintenance. In the case of Subaru and Toyota, it is no exception.

In this section, we will look at Subaru and Toyota’s scheduled maintenance.

Here is the Subaru Maintenance Schedule;

Months / Miles	Subaru Maintenance Schedule
6 months or 6,000 miles	* Engine oil and filter replacement. This ensures engine’s optimal performance. * Inspect every tire. It would be best to rotate them, allowing you to get the best performance from the tires.
12 months or 12,000 miles	* Air filter replacement. * Suspension system and steering inspection. * Clutch operation needs to be inspected in manual models. * Parking brake, axle boots, disc brakes, brake lines and other braking systems inspection.
18 months or 18,000 miles	Follow the same maintenance schedule mentioned for 6 months or 6,000 miles.
24 months or 24,000 miles	Follow the same maintenance schedule mentioned for 6 months or 6,000 miles.
36 months or 30,000 miles	* Follow the same maintenance schedule described for 6 months or 6,000 miles * Drive belts inspection. * Fuel systems, connections and lines checking. * Inspection of the engine cooling system such as hoses and connections. * Inspection of transmission fluids for CVT modes. Change the clutch fluid for manual modes. * Replacement of air filter element is a must.
42 months or 42,000 miles	Follow the same maintenance schedule mentioned for 6 months or 6,000 miles
48 months or 48,000 miles	Follow the same maintenance schedule mentioned for 6 months or 6,000 miles
54 months or 54,000 miles	Follow the same maintenance schedule mentioned for 6 months or 6,000 miles
60 months or 60,000 miles	* Follow the same maintenance schedule mentioned for 6 months or 30,000 miles * Wheel bearings inspection * Spark plugs need to be replaced

Here is the Toyota Maintenance Schedule;

Months / Miles	Toyota Maintenance Schedule
6 months or 5,000 miles	* Installation of the driver’s floor mat needs to be checked * All fluid levels require to be inspected and adjusted * Wiper blades inspection * Tires rotation is a must * Check the brake discs/pads and brake drums/lining visually
12 months or 10,000 miles	* Follow the same maintenance schedule mentioned for 6 months or 5,000 miles * Engine oil and oil filter replacement
18 months or 15,000 miles	Follow the same maintenance schedule mentioned for 6 months or 6,000 miles Inspection is necessary of the below points; * Cabin air filter * Steering gear * Rear differential oil (4WD) and Transfer case oil (4WD) * Engine coolant * Brake lines * Dust covers * Ball joints * Drive shaft boots * Hoses * Exhaust pipes and mountings * Steering gear
24 months or 20,000 miles	* Follow the same maintenance schedule mentioned for 6 months or 5,000 miles * Engine oil and oil filter replacement
30 months or 25,000 miles	* Follow the same maintenance schedule mentioned for 6 months or 5,000 miles * Engine oil and oil filter replacement
36 months or 30,000 miles	Follow the same maintenance schedule mentioned for 6 months or 5,000 miles Plus, replace the below items; * Cabin and engine air filter * Engine oil and oil filter * Rear differential oil (4WD) * Transfer case oil (4WD) Propeller shaft bolt (4WD) Inspect the below car parts; * Signs for leakage in automatic transmission * Automatic transmission fluid cooler connection and hoses * Drive shaft boots * Fuel tank band * Engine coolant * Steering gear * Fuel lines and connections * Vapor vent system hoses of fuel tank * Steering linkage * Steering boots * Exhaust pipes * Exhaust mountings * Brake drums/linings * Brake discs/pads * Condenser * Radiator * Engine oil cooler connections * Engine oil cooler hoses

Subaru Maintenance Cost vs Toyota

Before buying a car, it is significantly essential to learn about its maintenance cost. Subaru and Toyota both have a wide range of vehicles. However, their maintenance requirements are different based on the car model.

Parameter	Subaru	Toyota
Annual Maintenance Cost	$700	$550
Fuel Cost	Requires synthetic oil and frequent oil change, increasing fuel cost	Need oil change less frequently thus fuel cost is less than Subaru
Oil Change Frequency	Frequent	Less frequent than Subaru
Parts Cost	Expensive	Inexpensive
Labor Cost	Costlier	Less pricey

Annual Maintenance Costs

As per RepairPal, Subaru will cost you an average of $700 annually. The cost includes scheduled maintenance and other unexpected repairs. Meanwhile, you will have to cost $550 on average per year.

The study shows that; the maintenance cost of Subaru cars is high than Toyota vehicles. 

If you are wondering what the annual maintenance of Subaru and Toyota are, read the below points,

For Subaru;

• Oil changing
• Replacement of the brake pads
• Battery replacement
• Tire rotation
• Windscreen wipers replacement

For Toyota;

• Fluid check
• Rotation of the tires
• Oil change
• Overall inspection

Fuel Cost

As stated earlier, the frequency of maintenance depends a lot on the type of vehicle. This means Subaru and Toyota car’s maintenance frequency will be different.

Generally, the frequency of oil changes in Subaru vehicles is more frequent than in Toyota cars. It means the fuel cost of Subaru cars is higher compared to Toyota. 

Moreover, Subaru models require synthetic oil that is manufactured after 2011. The price of synthetic oil is more than regular oil. As a result, the fuel cost of Subaru models is expensive. 

Parts Cost

Toyota car parts are cheaper than Subaru. More importantly, finding repair parts are easy in the case of Toyota. 

In comparison, you will have to roam around different stores and mechanic shops to find and repair parts of your Subaru vehicle.

Labor Cost

Maintaining is something that should be left to professional mechanics. Regular maintenance of cars includes the replacement of battery/windscreen wipers/brake pads, tire rotation, etc. Labor cost relies on the replacement category.

Also, labor cost is connected to the cost of the parts. It means that Subaru car’s labor costs are more expensive than Toyota’s. The statement is especially true for luxury Subaru models named Subaru Outback.

Is it expensive to fix a Subaru?

Yes, fixing Subarus are expensive. The reason is,

• Availability of the car parts
• Car parts cost
• Labor cost

The first thing is that Subaru car parts are quite challenging to find. However, finding Subaru car parts is easy if you live in a popular place. Moreover, these car parts are expensive since Subaru uses premium-quality materials in their vehicle. Finally, the labor cost is also high in terms of Subarus.

Here is a chart of repair costs for different Subaru parts repairs or replacements for your convenience:

Repairs or Replacement	Cost ($) Average
Oil change	40 – 120
Brake Pads Replacement	150 – 300 / axle
Fuel Filter Replacement	90 – 207
Cabin air filter replacement	80 – 112
Air filter replacement	79 – 108
Battery replacement	120 – 250
Belt replacement	571 – 725
Tire rotation and replacement	120 – 400
Spark plugs replacement	150 – 257
Headlight bulbs replacement	97 – 150

Due to the above points, Subarus are expensive to fix.

Subaru Versus Toyota Reliability

The reliability of a car is something that every car owner should keep in mind when buying a car. Both Subaru and Toyota released various wonderful vehicle models. 

Regarding Subaru vs. Toyota’s reliability, the straightforward answer is that Toyota is more reliable than Subaru.

It is because Toyota cars are cheaper to repair and deliver reliable service for many days. Moreover, depending on your residence, car parts of Toyota are easy to buy, while in the case of Subaru, it is not the same. Furthermore, Toyota is a common brand for customers to easily find a service station on the road. 

However, Subaru also has a reputation in terms of reliability. This brand is well-known for manufacturing high-performing engines. The most reliable Subaru engine is the Subaru Crosstrek. This is a considerable-sized SUV suitable for rugged and edgy terrains.

FAQs

Conclusion

Subaru and Toyota are both reliable, long-lasting brand offering a wide range of vehicles. However, the performance of a vehicle largely depends on the maintenance schedule. At the same time, Subaru maintenance cost vs Toyota repair cost also relies on periodic maintenance.

Maintenance should be carried out by following the manufacturer’s recommendations. Subarus’ maintenance cost is higher than Toyota buy. If you don’t ensure regular maintenance of your Toyota cars, you may have to do expensive repairs for sure. Without regular maintenance, no car will give you long-lasting performance, and you will require higher maintenance costs.

So, if you want to keep your car long-lasting, consider seriously ensuring the manufacturer recommended maintenance schedule.

Resources:

• https://www.motorbiscuit.com/subaru-is-one-of-the-most-expensive-non-luxury-brands-to-own/
• https://thedriveradviser.com/the-complete-cost-of-maintaining-a-subaru/