NHTSA Data · Updated May 2026
2022 Subaru Outback vs 2021 Toyota Highlander
Side-by-side vehicle safety comparison from NHTSA recall and complaint data. RecallIndex Safety Score, recall counts, crash and fire reports, and component-level breakdowns for both vehicles.
2022 Subaru Outback edges 2021 Toyota Highlander by a narrow 4-point margin on the RecallIndex Safety Score. At this gap, the headline difference is not decisive — recall and complaint breakdown by component matters more than the rolled-up grade for a specific used-car decision.
For a used-car purchase decision, the right next step is checking VIN-specific recall status on nhtsa.gov for each candidate vehicle. Any open recall is a free repair at the dealer, regardless of vehicle age, so an open-recall flag is a fix-and-buy situation rather than a deal-breaker.
Verdict
The 2022 Subaru Outback edges out the 2021 Toyota Highlander in the RecallIndex Safety Score, but only by a small margin (23/100 vs 19/100, both Grade D vs F). When the gap is this narrow, individual recall and complaint patterns matter more than the headline score.
Side-by-Side NHTSA Safety Metrics
Every figure below is pulled directly from NHTSA\'s public Recalls and Complaints databases. Lower is better for everything except the Safety Score.
| Metric | 2022 Subaru Outback | 2021 Toyota Highlander |
|---|---|---|
| RecallIndex Safety Score | 23/100 (D) | 19/100 (F) |
| Total Recalls | 4 | 4 |
| Active Recalls | 0 | 0 |
| Total Complaints | 443 | 432 |
| Crash Reports | 10 | 16 |
| Fire Reports | 4 | 3 |
| Injuries | 4 | 17 |
| Deaths | 0 | 0 |
Recall History
Both vehicles share an identical recall count of 4. Recall count is only one piece of the picture — a single fleet-wide brake or airbag recall affects more drivers than three small electrical recalls. The Safety Score weights by component severity and affected-vehicle counts, not raw recall totals.
For VIN-specific recall checks on either vehicle, use the official NHTSA Recalls portal. Recall remedies are performed free of charge by the manufacturer\'s authorized dealer network under the federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
Crash, Fire, and Injury Reports
Both vehicles have crash, fire, injury, or death reports flagged in NHTSA complaints. 2022 Subaru Outback: 10 crash, 4 fire, 4 injuries, 0 deaths. 2021 Toyota Highlander: 16 crash, 3 fire, 17 injuries, 0 deaths. NHTSA captures these flags from consumer-reported complaints — they don't establish causation but signal which vehicles have generated the most safety-event reports.
Crash, fire, injury, and death tags appear in NHTSA\'s consumer complaint database. NHTSA uses these tags as one signal among many when deciding whether to open a defect investigation.
RecallIndex Score Breakdown
The Safety Score combines four factors. The bars below show each vehicle\'s score on each factor — taller is better.
How This Comparison Is Built
Every figure in this comparison is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Recall counts and active-recall flags come from NHTSA\'s Recalls API. Complaint volume, crash and fire reports, injuries, and deaths come from NHTSA\'s consumer Complaints database. Component categorization uses NHTSA\'s standard taxonomy. The RecallIndex Safety Score weights each input by published methodology weights — read the full step-by-step on the methodology page. We do not adjust NHTSA\'s underlying data; this comparison is a transparent re-presentation of public records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is safer, the 2022 Subaru Outback or the 2021 Toyota Highlander?
Based on NHTSA recall and complaint data aggregated into the RecallIndex Safety Score, the 2022 Subaru Outback has the stronger record at 23/100 (Grade D). The score weights recall severity (40%), complaint frequency (30%), crash and fire reports (20%), and trend direction (10%). It is not a substitute for a vehicle history report or in-person inspection.
How many recalls do these vehicles have?
The 2022 Subaru Outback has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns on record (0 active). The 2021 Toyota Highlander has 4 (0 active). To check whether a specific VIN is affected by an active recall, use NHTSA's VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
How many NHTSA complaints have been filed against each?
2022 Subaru Outback: 443 consumer complaints. 2021 Toyota Highlander: 432 complaints. Complaint volume scales with production, so a high-selling model can show more complaints in absolute terms even when the per-unit rate is normal. The RecallIndex Safety Score normalizes for this.
What is the RecallIndex Safety Score?
The RecallIndex Safety Score is a 0-100 (A-F) score built from four NHTSA-derived signals: recall severity (40%), complaint frequency (30%), crash and fire reports (20%), and trend direction (10%). It does not measure reliability (repair cost or frequency) or insurance claim rates — only NHTSA-reported safety events. The full methodology is on the methodology page.
Where does this comparison data come from?
Every figure on this page comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public Recalls and Complaints databases. RecallIndex aggregates and re-presents the data; we do not modify NHTSA's underlying records. For non-motor-vehicle product recalls see the Consumer Product Safety Commission (cpsc.gov/Recalls); for FDA-regulated items see fda.gov.