2023 Subaru Forester: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 71 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
71
Complaints
1
Recalls
8
Crash reports
4
Fire reports
5
Injuries
135.2
Severity index
Severity index 135.2 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 80 2023 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2023 Subaru Forester ranks 9 of 80 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 89% of its model-year peers. See the full 2023 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 19 | 26.8% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 12 | 16.9% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 11 | 15.5% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 7 | 9.9% |
| AIR BAGS | 6 | 8.5% |
| ENGINE | 5 | 7.0% |
| LANE DEPARTURE | 5 | 7.0% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 5 | 7.0% |
The single most-reported system is UNKNOWN OR OTHER, cited in 19 of 71 complaints (26.8%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 16 |
| 2024 | 28 |
| 2025 | 17 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 10 |
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23V754000 | 09/11/2023 | POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek, Impreza, 2023-2024 Forester, and 2023 WRX vehicles. The front driveshaft assemblies' outer race may develop cracks and break. |
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.