2018 Subaru Forester · recalls

2018 Subaru Forester recalls

NHTSA lists 3 recalls that include the 2018 Subaru Forester. The newest, 21V-587, was filed Jul 29, 2021 for the fuel system.

3recalls
3systems
494owner complaints

Newest recall or investigation Jul 29, 2021 · checked Sep 22, 2026

Whether your car is included depends on its VIN, and a finished repair drops it off the list. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Every recall, newest first

21V-587Jul 29, 2021NHTSA 21V587000

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.

Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.

2 of the 494 owner complaints on this car cite the fuel system.

19V-701Oct 3, 2019NHTSA 19V701000

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.

Risk: If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUM-98.

96 of the 494 owner complaints on this car cite the airbags, 17 of them the same part of it (Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification). Symptom sheets that include this system: Airbag warning light or recall (96) · Takata airbag inflator recall (55) · Passenger airbag sensor problems (51) · Airbag warning light stays on (36).

What owners wrote about occupant classification

“Passenger air bag light displays intermittently on and off (mostly off) regardless of whether there is a passenger in the seat. It has not yet been inspected by any dealer, service center, manufacturer, police, insurance, or others.”
Filed Sep 12, 2022

“Passenger seat when empty will at times indicate person is sitting in seat without buckling seat belt and sound alert”
Filed Jul 22, 2022

A complaint on the same system is not proof of the recalled defect.

18V-455Jul 10, 2018NHTSA 18V455000

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 (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

Risk: Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected label, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTS-78.

2 of the 494 owner complaints on this car cite the tires.

Complaints with no recall behind them

The systems owners of the 2018 Subaru Forester complain about most that none of these recalls covers, as of Sep 22, 2026. A problem can be widespread without being a safety defect NHTSA can order fixed.

Windshield and wipers: 135 complaints, no recallwindshield
Electrical: 71 complaints, no recalldead battery
Engine: 32 complaints, no recall
Speed control: 30 complaints, no recall
Seats: 30 complaints, no recallseat belt

NHTSA investigations

PE19-009opened Aug 6, 2019

Airbags · model years 2016 to 2018

Occupant detection system (ods) failure. Closed jan 22, 2020, led to recall 19V-701.

NHTSA summary

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full-sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The complaints reported the ODS failed to operate properly, the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light illuminated, and/or the ODS incorrectly suppressed (turned off) the front passenger air bag when the seat was occupied by a full-sized passenger. In a frontal crash that is sufficient to warrant deployment, a suppressed air bag may increase the risk of injury to the occupant of the seat.On August 14, 2019 ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Subaru requesting information on the subject vehicles and MY 2014-2015 Subaru Forester vehicles.On October 3, 2019, Subaru submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect in the passenger-side front airbag Occupant Detection System (ODS) harness of 366,282 MY 2015-2018 Subaru Forester vehicles equipped with seat heaters.The DIR stated that over time, due to a decrease in contact pressure between the terminals in the ODS sensor mat harness, a temporarily unstable electrical connection may be possible. If the connection is temporarily unsta