Owners have filed 6,069 complaints on the Subaru Forester, covering 1998–2026. The system named most often is Visibility/wiper (942 reports). Worst years by volume: 2019, 2020, 2015; cleanest: 2026, 2024, 2008. 508 reports describe a crash, 95 a fire, 8 a death. On average the car was 4.0 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Subaru Forester
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 6,069 Forester complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Visibility/wiper 942 Read
I was working on fitting a cargo box on the crossbars the dealer had recently installed and noticed a milky white discoloration and moisture in the front driver's corner of the moonroof. I arranged for an appointment at the dealer who confirmed the glass had delaminated. They happened to have a replacement in stock…
In early April 2026 I after washing the auto I noticed a chip in the windshield on the passenger side. I was shocked-normally if the windshield is hit hard enough to chip the drive notices it-I am the only drive and I was totally unaware of any such strike (auto had about 2000 miles on it). Then, May 30th as I exited…
I believe there should be a windshield recall due to abnormally easy cracking. I purchased/took ownership of my 2025 Subaru Forester, Touring model, on September 3, 2024. The odometer was just 4 miles. Barely a month later I had 2 cracks in the windshield; the 1st happened on October 2, 2024 and the 2nd occurred on…
Electrical System 572 Read
Car caught fire after a relatively slow (less than 35 mph) collision with a Chevrolet Tahoe. Other vehicle was driveable, my Subaru Forester caught fire
The contact owned a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH on the interstate, a deer jumped in front causing a crash. All the air bags deployed, and immediately soon after a fire was coming from the hood. The contact and two children in the rear passenger seat were able to exit the…
On our way to a vacation in NJ, we were driving on the expressway and a deer jumped over the rail into the hood of the car. The car immediately started to smoke ( dark black). We got out of the car, retrieved two luggage bags, and the car burst into flames. All within 60 seconds of hitting the deer. About five years…
Air Bags 485 Read
On Wednesday, May 6, the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle while traveling on I-270. After the impact, the vehicle continued down the highway lane and crashed into the highway divider. During the crash, the front hood opened and fumes/smoke came out from the front of the vehicle. Despite the severity of the…
While driving my grandbaby home I was unable to avoid hitting a deer when it ran into the road. Neither the automatic braking nor the airbags deployed when I hit the deer at the front left side. It destroyed the headlight and damaged the fender and quarterpanel lightly and slightly bent the hood. I was able to pull…
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while sitting in the passenger’s side seat, the air bag warning light failed to engage. The contact stated that she weighs approximately 95 pounds and must use added weights to engage the air bag system. Additionally, while in the vehicle the air bag…
Power Train 259 Read
The contact stated that while pulling into a parking spot with the brake pedal pressed, the vehicle displayed unintended acceleration, crashing into the wall of the building in front of the parking space. The air bags did not deploy. The contact immediately placed the vehicle in reverse, with the brake pedal still…
Car was parked on driveway (6 degree slope to rear) Car was placed in park Driver exited car to go into house when she came out car had rolled down the driveway to hit another car parked across street rear facing bot cars had rear damage. The same thing happened to the car one week later when parked in the garage…
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal and attempting to park in the driveway, the vehicle excessively independently accelerated in speed. The brake pedal failed to stop the vehicle and the vehicle was shifted into Park in order to come to a stop. The vehicle…
Engine 220 Read
I hit a deer going 45 mph, the air bags deployed, and my engine caught on fire. Within 10 minutes my car burned to the ground
At one year old this vehicle was involved in a frontal collision with a deer and immediately upon impact burst into flames. The fire breached the firewall between the engine compartment and passenger compartment within less then a minute. Within 2 minutes the engine compartment and front seat area was completely…
My son's new 2019 subaru forester touring burned to a crisp (total) on saturday, 10/19 in I-95 near new rochelle, ny. Vehicle was in the left lane and the car in front stopped and they hit it, then they were hit in the back, too. Their car burned but the car in front and behind did not. The car in front was even able…
Vehicle Speed Control 218 Read
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while attempting to park in her brother's driveway with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact continued to apply the brakes but the vehicle failed to respond, drove into the…
I bought a Subaru Forrester 2025 in March of 2025. I drove this car for almost 9 months to the day. On 12-19 -25 I was driving down the aisle in the Walmart parking lot at less than 10 mph. I turned right into a handicap parking lot and applied my brake as I was settling into the parking space. I was driving less than…
On 12/4/25, I was pulling into a space in a parking deck, was approximately one quarter of the way into the spot and the vehicle suddenly accelerated and struck a cement wall. I did not have my feet on the pedals at the time and was going at approximately 5 miles per hour. The airbags did not deploy, and no automatic…
Visibility 141 Read
On the first day of receiving the car the windshield looked clear by day but it had little specks and lines like dust when driven at dusk and night of the first day it was driven. I brought it back to the dealer, they replaced it with a new one, and the problem persists. A clear windshield is much safer than one with…
Drivers side mirror vibrates making changing lanes a Safty issue as the approaching vehicle is not a clear visual to operator
I have noticed my new Suburu driver side mirror shakes during highway speeds and this causes cars and backgrounds to look blurry. I didn't notice this on my other mirrors. It makes it difficult to drive and is distracting
Steering 118 Read
The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 15-20 MPH and attempting to make a right turn into the right lane, the steering wheel failed to respond as needed and pulled to the left direction, causing the vehicle to drive over the dividing lane concrete and hit an unknown object.…
While driving on I-17 Southbound near mile marker 311 at approximately 75 mph, I experienced a sudden and dangerous malfunction of the Lane Keep Assist (Auto-Steer) system in a 2021 Subaru Forester. The feature was active at the time and unexpectedly veered the vehicle sharply toward the concrete wall on the left…
I was driving my 2020 subaru forester sport in the left lane along an on-ramp to the highway, which consists of a road that curves to the right. There was snow on the ground but the roads were clear and dry. Suddenly and in a matter of a few seconds, the car began to beep continuously while the steering wheel veered…
Forester years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 2025 | Air Bags | 11 | 2 | |
| 2024 | Air Bags | 4 | 1 | |
| 2023 | Air Bags | 8 | 4 | |
| 2022 | Air Bags | 7 | 6 | |
| 2021 | Air Bags | 15 | 4 | |
| 2020 | Air Bags | 26 | 9 | |
| 2019 | Air Bags | 36 | 10 | |
| 2018 | Air Bags | 25 | 1 | |
| 2017 | Air Bags | 35 | 1 | |
| 2016 | Air Bags | 39 | 2 | |
| 2015 | Air Bags | 53 | 7 | |
| 2014 | Air Bags | 47 | 3 | |
| 2013 | Air Bags | 13 | 3 | |
| 2012 | Air Bags | 14 | 5 | |
| 2011 | Air Bags | 20 | 6 | |
| 2010 | Air Bags | 19 | 5 | |
| 2009 | Air Bags | 15 | 6 | |
| 2008 | Air Bags | 5 | 3 | |
| 2007 | Air Bags | 13 | 1 | |
| 2006 | Air Bags | 11 | 7 | |
| 2005 | Air Bags | 11 | 1 | |
| 2004 | Air Bags | 10 | 4 | |
| 2003 | Air Bags | 14 | — | |
| 2002 | Air Bags | 19 | 1 | |
| 2001 | Air Bags | 22 | — | |
| 2000 | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other | 6 | — | |
| 1999 | Air Bags | 4 | 1 | |
| 1998 | Air Bags | 6 | 2 |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 1,814 |
| Average complaints per series | 3.3 |
| Worst single series | 25 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 4.0 years |
A model average of 3.3 hides a worst series at 25. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,115,966 of them, covering 2,019 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the Forester?
By complaint volume, 2019, 2020, 2015 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which Forester years are the cleanest?
2026, 2024, 2008 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Subaru Forester have?
6,069 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 1998–2026. Of those, 508 describe a crash and 95 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.
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