Subaru Forester

Where it stands out against its peers

• Visibility/wiper: more complaints than 99% of 2019 cars — 44% of its 832 complaints, where an ordinary 2019 car has 3%.
• Visibility: more complaints than 96% of 2019 cars — 5% of its 832 complaints, where an ordinary 2019 car has 1%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• VISIBILITY/WIPER — 346 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 73 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash, 3 involving a fire
• ENGINE — 35 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• VISIBILITY — 32 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

77% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 12V099000

  AN INSECURE INSTALLATION OF A CHILD RESTRAINT CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY TO A CHILD DURING A CRASH.

  SUBARU WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR CENTER SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY WITH A NEWLY MODIFIED AUTOMATIC LOCKING RETRACTOR, FREE OF CHARGE. AN INTERIM LETTER WAS MAILED ON MARCH 26, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.

• 12V602000

  Over time, migration of the moisture into the circuit board and/or into the connector cavity, may result in a short circuit of the puddle light system. This may generate heat which may melt the plastic resulting in smoke or fire.

  Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional fused-harness, free of charge. The recall began February 19, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783 for more information.

• 13V159000

  Curling of the driver side floor mat could distract the driver and/or interfere with proper operation of one or a combination of, the vehicle's clutch, brake, and accelerator pedals. Brake or accelerator pedal interference may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash.

  Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace each of the vehicle's four (4) carpeted floor mats with new ones. These services will be performed free of charge. Subaru issued an interim notification during April 2013. Notification that the remedy is now available was mailed to owners on June 5, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQH-44.

• 14V311000

  Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected areas will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began July 2014 and second notifications will run through November 2014. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQK-47. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V-110 which applied to certain 2005-2009 Legacy/Outback vehicles. Vehicles that were remedied under the previous campaign still need additional areas rust-proofed.

• 14V830000

  Brake fluid may leak due to the brake line corrosion and may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will apply an anti-corrosion wax to the four-way joint connector area of the brake line system, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQQ-52. Notes: This recall is specific to affected Forester, Impreza, WRX, and STI customers who had their car remedied under NHTSA recall no. 14V-311 prior to December 23, 2014. Subaru has determined that this remedy was inadequate due to incomplete repair instructions provided to dealers. Affected Forester, Impreza, WRX, and STI vehicles that were not repaired under NHTSA recall no. 14V-311 prior to December 23, 2014 will continue to be processed under NHTSA recall no. 14V-311. Affected vehicles not currently, or formerly, registered in the salt belt states identified in this recall are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.

• 16V162000

  An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

  Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTA-62.

• 16V738000

  If the air injection pump overheats, it may melt and increase the risk of a fire.

  Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTM-73.

• 17V014000

  An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

  Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-17.

17 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened August 2019, closed January 2020.

• Front suspension control arm failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened April 2011, closed September 2011.

• Seat belt anchorage separation

  Preliminary evaluation, opened March 1999, closed March 1999.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Subaru filed 61 bulletins about the 2026 Forester.

• Electrical system: 22
• Structure: 12
• Engine: 3
• Fuel/propulsion system: 2
• Power train: 2
• Exterior lighting: 1
• Forward collision avoidance: 1
• Seats: 1
• Steering: 1
• Other: 16

• WRH-26 Certification Label Non-Compliance Recall- Parts and SSLP Process Updates. · August 2026
• This bulletin announces the diagnostic procedure to be performed before the service manual. · August 2026
• This Bulletin provides parts ordering and service guidance when replacing passenger seat assemblies and other passenger seat components. · August 2026
• This announcement provides WRH-26 recall information for owner contact and a vehicle disclosure form. · August 2026
• This announcement provides WRH-26 recall information for customers. · August 2026
• This announcement provides information on WRH-26 affected CPO and Used Vehicle Inventory. · August 2026
• Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated a non-compliance recall for certain 2026 model yearCrosstrek Hybrid vehicles, 2025-2026 model year Forester & Forester Hybrid vehicles, and 2019- 2026… · August 2026
• This announcement provides an update for retailer inventory affected by the WRH-26 non-compliance recall. · August 2026

53 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.