AI Damage2018 Subaru Forester: common problems
Owners of the 2018 Subaru Forester filed 498 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and air bags. The maker issued 308 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 498
- involving a crash
- 26
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 308
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 31% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 20% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 14% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 6% of all complaints
- 5 Seats 6% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 5% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- Visibility: 156 complaints (31% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Air bags: 99 complaints (20% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 7.
- Electrical system: 71 complaints (14% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 153.
- Engine: 32 complaints (6% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 24.
- Seats: 30 complaints (6% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 12.
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
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- CVTnamed in 10 complaints
- manual, 6-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 498 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 | 156 | 0 | 2 |
| Air bags | 99 | 2 | 7 |
| Electrical system | 71 | 0 | 153 |
| Engine | 32 | 6 | 24 |
| Seats | 30 | 0 | 12 |
| Vehicle speed control | 30 | 13 | 0 |
| Steering | 25 | 2 | 4 |
| Powertrain | 23 | 4 | 26 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 19 | 3 | 10 |
| Suspension | 15 | 0 | 8 |
| Structure | 14 | 6 | 7 |
| Service brakes | 14 | 7 | 3 |
| Seat belts | 10 | 1 | 6 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 8 | 2 | 4 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
My drivers side seatbelt broke in a minor fender bender and was replaced.
Twice in the last 4 months, after turning into a parking place and accelerating gently to pull forward into the space, the car surged forward much more than it should have given my light acceleration. The first time this happened I slammed into a split rail fence which broke, damaging the vehicle.
Our car hood, bumper, head lights, grill and parts of the engine were smashed, with liquid draining out of the engine. My husband (wearing a seatbelt) hit his knee and shoulder on impact. Airbags failed - Not a single airbag deployed. A police officer helped him move car parts out of the street.
Instantly the car surged forward at an alarming speed and I could not stop it. The car crossed a busy street. I fortunately did not collide with cars. The car continued into a field next to a Ford dealer’s lot at a high speed and I was unable to stop it.
Air bag did not deploy. Pulling into curbed parking space at city park. Speed <10 mph while in parking lot. Applied brake while pulling in space to park and car accelerated jumping the curb. The car was out of control and luckily heading into the woods. Tried to apply brake again but car kept accelerating.
While turning in a parking lot car accelerated and hit a tree. Foot was on brake and airbags didn’t deploy despite extensive damage. Body shop estimator said computer wouldn’t confirm problem. It was not caused by floor mat! No warning lights prior to incident.
The brakes were applied quickly and the car seemed almost to stall. The engine made a noise as the stalling conditions ended and the car went back to normal. Subaru filed a service report SR# [phone]7. State Farm opened a [ref].
The brakes were applied quickly and the carr seemed almost to stall. The engine made a noise as the stalling conditions ended and the car went back to normal. Subaru filed a service request previously. SR# [phone]7.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 104 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 5% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Forester has 314 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 498, above average.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- This announcement provides information on a new software update for the Midtronics Dss and DCA machines
- This bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles
- This bulletin announces Warranty Extension and design changes made to the front exhaust pipe and covers to…
This bulletin announces Warranty Extension and design changes made to the front exhaust pipe and covers to address the concerns of some customers regarding an odor or a rattle-type noise/fluttering sound coming from…
- 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…
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during…
This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body
The updated valve body incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to improve durability. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw…
This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or…
- This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during…
This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
- Techtips newsletter locator index
- This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a…
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin
- This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing…
This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel injectors and internal engine components (e.g. intake valves and / or manifold, and…
NHTSA lists 308 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Subaru Forester?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, air bags, electrical system. Total complaints: 498. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (12%), airbag warning light (8%), A/C or heater (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Subaru Forester?
NHTSA lists 308 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2018 Subaru Forester from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2018 models
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.