2017 Subaru Forester: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 579 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
579
Complaints
1
Recalls
39
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
27
Injuries
65.3
Severity index
Severity index 65.3 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 136 2017 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2017 Subaru Forester ranks 63 of 136 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 54% of its model-year peers. See the full 2017 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 161 | 27.8% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 105 | 18.1% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 103 | 17.8% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 96 | 16.6% |
| ENGINE | 46 | 7.9% |
| POWER TRAIN | 44 | 7.6% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 33 | 5.7% |
| SEATS | 32 | 5.5% |
The single most-reported system is AIR BAGS, cited in 161 of 579 complaints (27.8%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 7 |
| 2017 | 22 |
| 2018 | 43 |
| 2019 | 128 |
| 2020 | 96 |
| 2021 | 87 |
| 2022 | 54 |
| 2023 | 45 |
| 2024 | 32 |
| 2025 | 41 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 24 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
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.