Everything NHTSA's vPIC database knows about this exact vehicle:
Decoding from NHTSA…
Vehicle history — accidents, title & owners
The decode above is what this vehicle is. For what it's been through — accidents, title brands, odometer, theft/total-loss and previous owners — pull a full history report.
NHTSA publishes the first 11 characters of the VIN with every complaint — that identifies the plant, model year, body and engine. So these are reports from cars built exactly like this one, not an average across the whole model.
JF2SJAEC5HH••••••2017 Subaru FORESTER
This build draws 2.2× more complaints than the average 2017 Subaru FORESTER build (10 vs 4).
10on this build
578on the model
130builds in total
1involved a crash
Most reportedEngine 3Air Bags 3Service Brakes 2Vehicle Speed Control 1
What owners of this build wrote
Service BrakescrashAug 2019
The contact owns a 2017 subaru forester. While reversing from the driveway, the brake pedal failed to respond and the vehicle crashed into another parked vehicle. A police report was filed and there were no injuries reported. The damaged was to the passenger side rear bumper.…
Air BagsJun 2026
The airbag sensor in the passenger front seat has malfunctioned and it is indicating that the passenger airbag will not deploy. This is after the recall that was completed on the ODS from service campaign 19V701000
EngineFeb 2022
My subaru forester started smelling and rattling loud. My mechanic told me it could be the muffler. I took it to the muffler shop and it was the catalytic converter. I had to pay $800 to fix it but my friend who had the same exact car had it replaced at Subaru for free. My car…
Electrical SystemDec 2021
The battery had died multiple times and we replaced it only to continue to have the problem. Dealer service says that we must be leaving the lights on or that we need to run the car more to recharge the battery. Being stranded in upstate NY with a dead battery in winter is a…
VisibilityMar 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 50 MPH, she heard an abnormal noise. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to park and noticed a crack on the passenger side windshield going…
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Owner complaints…
Now the whole model — all 130 builds of it, not just this build. Same NHTSA reports, wider net:
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Exact value for this VIN, adjusted for mileage
The original window sticker and factory options
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Decoded via NHTSA vPIC. Recalls, complaints and safety from NHTSA; MPG from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Full history reports from our partner. VIN JF2SJAEC5HH528520 · decoded Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.