2016 Subaru Forester: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 405 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
405
Complaints
3
Recalls
39
Crash reports
3
Fire reports
16
Injuries
74.6
Severity index
Severity index 74.6 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 140 2016 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2016 Subaru Forester ranks 53 of 140 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 62% of its model-year peers. See the full 2016 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 95 | 23.5% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 93 | 23.0% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 68 | 16.8% |
| ENGINE | 60 | 14.8% |
| POWER TRAIN | 48 | 11.9% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 37 | 9.1% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 29 | 7.2% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 24 | 5.9% |
The single most-reported system is AIR BAGS, cited in 95 of 405 complaints (23.5%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 4 |
| 2016 | 30 |
| 2017 | 19 |
| 2018 | 36 |
| 2019 | 80 |
| 2020 | 63 |
| 2021 | 36 |
| 2022 | 40 |
| 2023 | 39 |
| 2024 | 29 |
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 9 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19V149000 | 28/02/2019 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malf |
| 19V701000 | 03/10/2019 | AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen. |
| 16V162000 | 21/03/2016 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.