Subaru Forester years to avoid
Every Subaru Forester model year on file (2012-2026), ranked worst to best by severity index - the share of owner complaints that report a crash, fire, injury or fatality.
2013
Worst year on file
123.0
Severity index
Engine
Most-reported system
2018
Cleanest year on file
Ranked worst to best
| # | Model year | Severity | Complaints | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2013 Subaru Forester | 123.0 High | 78 | Engine |
| 2 | 2025 Subaru Forester | 109.6 High | 98 | Unknown Or Other |
| 3 | 2012 Subaru Forester | 108.8 High | 105 | Engine |
| 4 | 2014 Subaru Forester | 98.4 High | 403 | Suspension |
| 5 | 2023 Subaru Forester | 94.8 High | 74 | Unknown Or Other |
| 6 | 2022 Subaru Forester | 84.5 High | 100 | Visibility/Wiper |
| 7 | 2015 Subaru Forester | 82.1 High | 615 | Engine |
| 8 | 2021 Subaru Forester | 73.2 Medium | 210 | Visibility/Wiper |
| 9 | 2016 Subaru Forester | 72.8 Medium | 415 | Air Bags |
| 10 | 2024 Subaru Forester | 70.0 Medium | 30 | Unknown Or Other |
| 11 | 2017 Subaru Forester | 65.4 Medium | 590 | Air Bags |
| 12 | 2026 Subaru Forester | 53.0 Medium | 15 | Electrical System |
| 13 | 2019 Subaru Forester | 51.7 Medium | 834 | Visibility/Wiper |
| 14 | 2020 Subaru Forester | 49.4 Medium | 602 | Visibility/Wiper |
| 15 | 2018 Subaru Forester | 40.6 Low | 498 | Visibility/Wiper |
A high rank here means a larger share of this year's complaints described a crash, fire or injury - not that the vehicle is unsafe to drive, and not a reliability or repair-cost rating. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold.
Subaru Forester complaints and recalls by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crashes | Fires | Severity | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 105 | 15 | 15 | 5 | 108.8 High | ENGINE |
| 2013 | 78 | 12 | 13 | 3 | 123.0 High | ENGINE |
| 2014 | 403 | 2 | 48 | 3 | 98.4 High | SUSPENSION |
| 2015 | 615 | 3 | 53 | 7 | 82.1 High | ENGINE |
| 2016 | 415 | 3 | 40 | 3 | 72.8 Medium | AIR BAGS |
| 2017 | 590 | 1 | 40 | 1 | 65.4 Medium | AIR BAGS |
| 2018 | 498 | 3 | 26 | 1 | 40.6 Low | VISIBILITY/WIPER |
| 2019 | 834 | 3 | 37 | 11 | 51.7 Medium | VISIBILITY/WIPER |
| 2020 | 602 | 0 | 26 | 9 | 49.4 Medium | VISIBILITY/WIPER |
| 2021 | 210 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 73.2 Medium | VISIBILITY/WIPER |
| 2022 | 100 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 84.5 High | VISIBILITY/WIPER |
| 2023 | 74 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 94.8 High | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2024 | 30 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 70.0 Medium | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2025 | 98 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 109.6 High | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2026 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 53.0 Medium | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold; a high-volume seller will attract more filings than a rare trim.