AI DamageSubaru Forester: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Subaru Forester across 11 model years: 3,455 owner complaints and 867 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 33% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 16% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 12% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 11% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 6% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
- 7 Forward collision avoidance 5% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- Visibility: 1,153 complaints (33% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 33.
- Electrical system: 568 complaints (16% of all), 15 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1,874.
- Air bags: 416 complaints (12% of all), 51 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 37.
- Engine: 380 complaints (11% of all), 29 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 343.
- Powertrain: 218 complaints (6% of all), 23 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 303.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl 2014–2018
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl 1998–2026named in 1 complaints
- 2.5 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl 2004–2013
- 2.5 L · hybrid · 4 cyl 2025–2026
- automatic, 4-speed 1998–2013
- CVT 2014–2026named in 30 complaints
- manual, 5-speed 1998–2013named in 7 complaints
- manual, 6-speed 2014–2018named in 7 complaints
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 3,455 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 1,153 | 0 | 33 |
| Electrical system | 568 | 15 | 1,874 |
| Air bags | 416 | 51 | 37 |
| Engine | 380 | 29 | 343 |
| Powertrain | 218 | 23 | 303 |
| Vehicle speed control | 184 | 83 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 172 | 23 | 48 |
| Service brakes | 128 | 47 | 31 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 118 | 21 | 114 |
| Seats | 102 | 1 | 83 |
| Steering | 102 | 12 | 30 |
| Structure | 92 | 18 | 167 |
| Lane departure | 69 | 4 | 13 |
| Suspension | 58 | 2 | 80 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Driving in stop and go traffic. Cruise control wouldn't work. Forward collision warning didn't work. Auto braking didn't work.
in researching this, i have discovered that my car make and model are subject to a class action suit for what is called "phantom braking." I was not injured but the driver of the other car claimed that his son in the back seat was injured. There were no warning indicators going off, either visual or audio.
The contact stated that while at a complete stop with her foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated without warning and crashed into a fire hydrant. While the foot was still on the brake pedal, the vehicle continued to accelerate and struck a street sign.
All of sudden, my car start to shaking violently, moving toward right lane, so I tried move my car back to my lane. My car was out of control and driving zig zag way then went up to hillside of the freeway and roll over end up crash on the concrete swale. I thought that was my last moment of my life.
During the collision, the driver's frontal airbag did not deploy. Actually none of the airbags deployed. As a result, the driver's chest and upper abdomen struck the steering wheel.And sustained significant bruising and other injuries and required evaluation and treatment at an emergency department.
The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH with the adaptive cruise control engaged, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact depressed the brake pedal; however, the engine revved loudly, the vehicle continued to accelerate and collided with the rear of a minivan.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- This bulletin announces the repair procedures to be followed when encountering cases of excessive gap…
- This announcement provides information on a new software update for the Midtronics Dss and DCA machines
- This announcement provides information on an enhancement of the TechShare CVT diagnostic assitance application
- This bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles
- "This Bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following DTCs
- This bulletin announces Warranty Extension and design changes made to the front exhaust pipe and covers to…
- This announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year Subaru warranty coverages for wear items and…
- This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a…
- In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc
- This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during…
- This bulletin announces the service procedures to be followed when encountering instances of water…
- This announcement provides an update to the WRH-26 certification label recall
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
- How much would you pay for a spare wheel on a 2026 Subaru Forester Hybrid?amount per author: 3,000 UNSPECIFIED_DOLLAR
- Rebuilding a 2020 Subaru Forester Sport in 10 Minutes
- Пригон Subaru Forester Touring (Limited) 2022 із США. Як відремонтувати після ДТП
- Ремонт Subaru Forester 2022 після США з мінімальними пошкодженнями. АВТО У ПРОДАЖУ, пригон під ключ!
- Новий Subaru Forester 2025 заходить в ремонт, Toyota Rav4 завершена по кузову. Авто з США
- ДВА Subaru Forester: як швидко відрихтувати авто після ДТП | Ремонт, рихтування, відновлення кузова
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.