Subaru Forester
Owners filed 6,477 complaints across 29 model years of the Subaru Forester. The 2019 drew the most (833); the 2026 the fewest (21).
Model years29
Complaints6,477
Recalls116
Fires101
Deaths9
Every Subaru Forester model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 21 | 3 | — | — | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2025 | 93 | 3 | 2 | 11 | Unknown or Other | Fatalities reported | |
| 2024 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 4 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2023 | 73 | 1 | 4 | 8 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2022 | 98 | 1 | 6 | 8 | Visibility/Wiper | Routine | |
| 2021 | 207 | 0 | 5 | 16 | Visibility/Wiper | Above average | |
| 2020 | 600 | 0 | 8 | 26 | Visibility/Wiper | Above average | |
| 2019 | 833 | 3 | 11 | 37 | Visibility/Wiper | Fatalities reported | |
| 2018 | 494 | 3 | 1 | 26 | Visibility/Wiper | Above average | |
| 2017 | 586 | 1 | 1 | 40 | Air Bags | Above average | |
| 2016 | 413 | 3 | 3 | 39 | Air Bags | Above average | |
| 2015 | 613 | 3 | 7 | 53 | Engine | High concern | |
| 2014 | 403 | 2 | 3 | 48 | Suspension | Above average | |
| 2013 | 77 | 12 | 2 | 13 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2012 | 105 | 15 | 5 | 15 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2011 | 147 | 16 | 6 | 21 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2010 | 262 | 17 | 6 | 21 | Seats | Above average | |
| 2009 | 178 | 18 | 7 | 19 | Air Bags | Fatalities reported | |
| 2008 | 50 | 1 | 3 | 5 | Suspension | Routine | |
| 2007 | 72 | 1 | 1 | 11 | Suspension | Routine | |
| 2006 | 88 | 2 | 7 | 12 | Vehicle Speed Control | Routine | |
| 2005 | 93 | 1 | 1 | 15 | Suspension | Routine | |
| 2004 | 219 | 2 | 4 | 13 | Fuel/Propulsion System | Above average | |
| 2003 | 189 | 3 | — | 17 | Fuel System, Gasoline | Fatalities reported | |
| 2002 | 88 | 1 | 1 | 21 | Vehicle Speed Control | Routine | |
| 2001 | 139 | 0 | — | 31 | Vehicle Speed Control | Fatalities reported | |
| 2000 | 75 | 0 | — | 7 | Suspension › Front › Wheel Bearing | Routine | |
| 1999 | 131 | 1 | 1 | 5 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Routine | |
| 1998 | 101 | 1 | 5 | 7 | Vehicle Speed Control | Fatalities reported |
Which Subaru Forester years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2019 is the weakest year on record, with 833 complaints concentrated in the visibility/wiper. It carries 3 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.