Subaru
Subaru Forester years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2017, 2019 and 2020. Best years: 2022, 2023 and 2024.
The 2017, 2019 and 2020 Subaru Forester draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 587 complaints (59 for each year on the road), 2019 has 833 complaints (104 for each year on the road) and 2020 has 601 complaints (86 for each year on the road), against a median of 38 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2019 is windshield (399 reports).
- 4,396complaints
- 16recall campaigns
- 12model years with a page
Newest report Sep 28, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2017
Most reported: airbag (164 reports, median 32,000 miles) and windshield (114 reports, median 35,000 miles).
2019
Most reported: windshield (399 reports, median 9,000 miles) and dead battery (61 reports, median 12,011 miles).
2020
Most reported: windshield (301 reports, median 6,100 miles) and dead battery (54 reports, median 4,748 miles).
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- No single year holds most of the file. The busiest, the 2019, has 19% of the 4,396 complaints across 12 model years.
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Windshield leads in 7 of the 12 model years and has the most reports overall, 1,153. Pooled across the years, half of the 768 owners who gave a mileage for windshield were under about 10,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 8% of Subaru Forester complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2014, 46 of its 364 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 1 of the 12 model years where owners report windshield have a recall on the same system: 2026. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2019 at 714 and have dropped every year since, to 287 in 2025. So far in 2026, 232 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: OSX, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
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Fourth generation (SJ)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 364 | 28 | 2 | Suspension noise, struts or alignment (90) | 60,000 |
| 2015 | 607 | 51 | 3 | Airbag warning light or recall (99) | 47,000 |
| 2016 | 414 | 38 | 3 | Airbag warning light or recall (99) | 40,000 |
| 2017 avoid | 587 | 59 | 1 | Airbag warning light or recall (164) | 33,000 |
| 2018 | 495 | 55 | 3 | Windshield cracks or distorts (153) | 20,000 |
Photo: Bull-Doser, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Fifth generation (SK)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 avoid | 833 | 104 | 3 | Windshield cracks or distorts (399) | 10,000 |
| 2020 avoid | 601 | 86 | 0 | Windshield cracks or distorts (301) | 7,100 |
| 2021 | 207 | 34 | 0 | Windshield cracks or distorts (86) | 10,000 |
| 2022 best | 98 | 20 | 1 | Windshield cracks or distorts (24) | 16,764 |
| 2023 best | 73 | 18 | 1 | Windshield cracks or distorts (10) | 9,000 |
Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
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Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2024 (29).
Year by year
2026 Subaru Forester
22 owner complaints so far; too new to call. 3 recalls, including 26V-346 on the visibility and 25V-889 on the structure.
2025 Subaru Forester
95 owner complaints so far; too new to call. Most reported: infotainment (15 reports). 11 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 26V-436 on the equipment and 25V-419 on the child seat.
2023 Subaru Forester best
73 owner complaints, 18 for each year on the road (0.5 times the model median). Most reported: windshield (10 reports). 8 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 1 recall: 23V-754 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2022 Subaru Forester best
98 owner complaints, 20 for each year on the road (0.5 times the model median). Most reported: windshield (24 reports) and brake wear (10 reports). 8 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 1 recall: 23V-755 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2021 Subaru Forester
207 owner complaints, 34 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: windshield (86 reports, median 4,650 miles), dead battery (20 reports) and stalling (19 reports). 16 reports involved a crash and 8 people were hurt. No recalls.
2020 Subaru Forester avoid
601 owner complaints, 86 for each year on the road (2.3 times the model median). Most reported: windshield (301 reports, median 6,100 miles), dead battery (54 reports, median 4,748 miles) and stalling (47 reports, median 45,000 miles). 26 reports involved a crash and 16 people were hurt. No recalls.
2019 Subaru Forester avoid
833 owner complaints, 104 for each year on the road (2.8 times the model median). Most reported: windshield (399 reports, median 9,000 miles), dead battery (61 reports, median 12,011 miles) and stalling (57 reports, median 30,100 miles). 37 reports involved a crash and 21 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 21V-263 on the suspension system and 19V-856 on the engine.
2018 Subaru Forester
495 owner complaints, 55 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: windshield (153 reports, median 21,000 miles), airbag (97 reports, median 20,000 miles) and dead battery (44 reports, median 34,000 miles). 26 reports involved a crash and 9 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 21V-587 on the fuel system and 19V-701 on the airbags.
2017 Subaru Forester avoid
587 owner complaints, 59 for each year on the road (1.6 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (164 reports, median 32,000 miles), windshield (114 reports, median 35,000 miles) and dead battery (46 reports, median 30,000 miles). 40 reports involved a crash and 28 people were hurt. 1 recall: 19V-701 on the airbags.
2016 Subaru Forester
414 owner complaints, 38 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (99 reports, median 40,100 miles), stalling (42 reports, median 42,000 miles) and dead battery (35 reports, median 43,000 miles). 40 reports involved a crash and 17 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 19V-701 on the airbags and 19V-149 on the exterior lighting.
2015 Subaru Forester
607 owner complaints, 51 for each year on the road (1.3 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (99 reports, median 72,000 miles), stalling (79 reports, median 47,000 miles) and suspension (66 reports, median 52,084 miles). 49 reports involved a crash and 33 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 19V-701 on the airbags and 19V-149 on the exterior lighting.
2014 Subaru Forester
364 owner complaints, 28 for each year on the road (0.7 times the model median). Most reported: suspension (90 reports, median 56,000 miles), airbag (56 reports, median 80,000 miles) and brake wear (27 reports, median 50,000 miles). 39 reports involved a crash and 26 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 19V-149 on the exterior lighting and 13V-159 on the equipment.
Recalls that cover several model years
An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.
Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
These vehicles were manufactured with an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label.
The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.
Compare the Forester with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Forester vs Toyota RAV42014 to 2025
- Forester vs Honda CR-V2014 to 2026
- Forester vs Subaru Outback2014 to 2026
- Forester vs Subaru Crosstrek2016 to 2021
- Forester vs Ford Bronco Sport2021 to 2023
Questions
What Subaru Forester years should you avoid?
The 2017, 2019 and 2020 Subaru Forester draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 587 complaints (59 for each year on the road), 2019 has 833 complaints (104 for each year on the road) and 2020 has 601 complaints (86 for each year on the road), against a median of 38 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2019 is windshield (399 reports).
What are the best years for the Subaru Forester?
The 2022, 2023 and 2024 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2022 has 98 (20 a year), 2023 has 73 (18 a year) and 2024 has 29 (10 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Subaru Forester?
Windshield, with 1,153 reports across the 12 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2026.
How many recalls does the Subaru Forester have?
16 recall campaigns cover the Subaru Forester model years 2014 to 2026 on this site. The widest, 19V-701 on the airbags, covers 4 model years.
How many Subaru Forester complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
8% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2014 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for windshield on the Subaru Forester?
On 1 of the 12 model years where owners report it: 2026.