KnownCarProblemsSubaru Forester Problems by Year
Owners have filed 6,282 complaints with NHTSA about the Subaru Forester since the 2000 model year. The years with the most are 2019, 2015, 2020. The most common problem overall: visibility and wipers.
Counts are not adjusted for sales: popular years collect more complaints, and recent years have had less time to.
Subaru Forester problems by model year
| Year | Complaints | Top problem | Recalls | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Forester | 28 | Visibility and wipers | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 Forester | 98 | Visibility and wipers | 3 | 12 |
| 2024 Forester | 30 | Other or unspecified | 2 | 4 |
| 2023 Forester | 74 | Other or unspecified | 1 | 8 |
| 2022 Forester | 99 | Visibility and wipers | 1 | 8 |
| 2021 Forester | 210 | Visibility and wipers | 0 | 16 |
| 2020 Forester | 603 | Visibility and wipers | 0 | 26 |
| 2019 Forester | 834 | Visibility and wipers | 3 | 37 |
| 2018 Forester | 498 | Visibility and wipers | 3 | 26 |
| 2017 Forester | 590 | Air bags | 1 | 40 |
| 2016 Forester | 415 | Air bags | 3 | 40 |
| 2015 Forester | 615 | Engine | 3 | 53 |
| 2014 Forester | 403 | Suspension | 2 | 48 |
| 2013 Forester | 78 | Engine | 12 | 13 |
| 2012 Forester | 105 | Engine | 15 | 15 |
| 2011 Forester | 147 | Engine | 16 | 21 |
| 2010 Forester | 262 | Seats | 17 | 21 |
| 2009 Forester | 178 | Air bags | 17 | 19 |
| 2008 Forester | 50 | Suspension | 1 | 5 |
| 2007 Forester | 74 | Engine | 1 | 13 |
| 2006 Forester | 88 | Engine | 2 | 12 |
| 2005 Forester | 93 | Fuel system | 1 | 15 |
| 2004 Forester | 219 | Fuel system | 2 | 13 |
| 2003 Forester | 189 | Fuel system | 3 | 17 |
| 2002 Forester | 88 | Speed control | 1 | 21 |
| 2001 Forester | 139 | Speed control | 0 | 31 |
| 2000 Forester | 75 | Transmission | 0 | 7 |
113 recalls in total across these years. Years with fewer than 25 complaints have no separate page.
Questions about the Subaru Forester
- What years of the Subaru Forester have the most problems?
- By owner complaints to NHTSA: 2019 (834), 2015 (615), 2020 (603).
- What is the most common problem with the Subaru Forester?
- Across all model years, owners complain most about the visibility and wipers (1,233), engine (964), other or unspecified (812).
- Which Subaru Forester years have the fewest complaints?
- Among model years at least four years old: 2008 (50), 2007 (74), 2000 (75). Fewer complaints can also mean fewer cars sold, so compare with sales before you decide.