2018 Subaru Forester: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 489 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
489
Complaints
3
Recalls
26
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
9
Injuries
37.2
Severity index
Severity index 37.2 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 121 2018 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2018 Subaru Forester ranks 76 of 121 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 37% of its model-year peers. See the full 2018 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 135 | 27.6% |
| AIR BAGS | 93 | 19.0% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 82 | 16.8% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 69 | 14.1% |
| ENGINE | 31 | 6.3% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 30 | 6.1% |
| SEATS | 29 | 5.9% |
| STEERING | 24 | 4.9% |
The single most-reported system is VISIBILITY/WIPER, cited in 135 of 489 complaints (27.6%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 34 |
| 2019 | 69 |
| 2020 | 89 |
| 2021 | 96 |
| 2022 | 71 |
| 2023 | 46 |
| 2024 | 34 |
| 2025 | 29 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 18 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V587000 | 29/07/2021 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. |
| 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. |
| 18V455000 | 10/07/2018 | TIRES | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. The Certification Label may indicate the incorrect wheel size, tire size, and air pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard |
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.