2020 Subaru Forester · symptom sheet
Battery dies or the car will not start
- 54owner reports
- 4,748median miles
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Aug 27, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026
101 of the 598 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 54 of those describe dead battery. Only windshield is reported more often on this car.
Tick what matches of 54 reports
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (49 reports) and the alternator (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the electrical system covers the 2020 model year as of Sep 9, 2026.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 1,800 and 25,000 miles, from the 15 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“Battery drained, towed to dealership twice within a month battery replaced then failed within 2 weeks everything checked out ok but battery still drained very frustrating”
Filed Jul 29, 2022
“Battery constantly dying. Significant safety concern. Never no when the car is going to not start. Unreliable”
Filed May 23, 2022
“Electrical defect in recent Subarus causes parasitic battery drain when the car is not in use. Our battery drained to the point that the vehicle couldnât start without a jump due to this defect.”
Filed Apr 17, 2022
“The battery drains regularly, causing the vehicle to be inoperable. Battery is dead after 3 days of non use, leaving vehicle unable to be used.”
Filed Apr 5, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 54 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.
Other problems on this car
- Windshield cracks or distorts 301 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 46 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 30 reports