2025 Subaru Forester: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 83 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
83
Complaints
3
Recalls
10
Crash reports
2
Fire reports
6
Injuries
168.7
Severity index
Severity index 168.7 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 42 2025 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2025 Subaru Forester ranks 4 of 42 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 90% of its model-year peers. See the full 2025 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 17 | 20.5% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 12 | 14.5% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 10 | 12.0% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 9 | 10.8% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 8 | 9.6% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 8 | 9.6% |
| VISIBILITY | 7 | 8.4% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 5 | 6.0% |
The single most-reported system is UNKNOWN OR OTHER, cited in 17 of 83 complaints (20.5%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 37 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 39 |
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25V033000 | 23/01/2025 | WHEELS | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2025 Forester vehicles equipped with 18" aluminum alloy wheels. The wheels may have been manufactured with an incorrectly specified lug seat surface, which can result in the wheel being improperly attached and cause a loss of |
| 25V419000 | 19/06/2025 | CHILD SEAT | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2025 Forester vehicles. The child seat anchor bolts may have been improperly tightened, allowing the bolts to come loose. |
| 26V436000 | 07/07/2026 | EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2025-2026 Forester Hybrid, Forester, and 2019-2026 Ascent vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured with an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label. As such, these vehicles |
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.