2021 Subaru Forester: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 207 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 0 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
207
Complaints
0
Recalls
16
Crash reports
5
Fire reports
8
Injuries
76.3
Severity index
Severity index 76.3 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 90 2021 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2021 Subaru Forester ranks 29 of 90 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 68% of its model-year peers. See the full 2021 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 76 | 36.7% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 41 | 19.8% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 33 | 15.9% |
| ENGINE | 32 | 15.5% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 17 | 8.2% |
| POWER TRAIN | 14 | 6.8% |
| VISIBILITY | 14 | 6.8% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 12 | 5.8% |
The single most-reported system is VISIBILITY/WIPER, cited in 76 of 207 complaints (36.7%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 58 |
| 2022 | 49 |
| 2023 | 26 |
| 2024 | 24 |
| 2025 | 37 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 13 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
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.