What breaks most · 1998 to 2019 model years
Subaru Forester problems by year
Owners have filed 2,449 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Subaru Forester across model years 1998 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2015 for engine complaints, 2010 for seats complaints and 2004 for fuel system complaints. The quietest years are 2008, 2013 and 2007.
- Years to check closely: 2015, 2010, 2004
- Fewest complaints: 2008, 2013, 2007
- Complaints on file
- 24491998 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2015234 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 28751 fires · 151 injuries · 7 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 49kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 106Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 7 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (23) | |
| 129 | 5 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (32) | |
| 74 | 7 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (21) | |
| 139 | 31 | 0 | Speed control and throttle (29) | |
| 87 | 21 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (23) | |
| 176 | 16 | 3 | Fuel system (31) | |
| 206 | 11 | 2 | Fuel system (61) | |
| 79 | 13 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (16) | |
| 71 | 9 | 2 | Speed control and throttle (17) | |
| 57 | 9 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (9) | |
| 37 | 4 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (6) | |
| 159 | 19 | 18 | Air bags (36) | |
| 216 | 16 | 17 | Seats (61) | |
| 107 | 16 | 16 | Engine (41) | |
| 77 | 14 | 15 | Air bags (18) | |
| 49 | 7 | 12 | Engine (14) | |
| 166 | 23 | 2 | Engine (40) | |
| 234 | 30 | 3 | Engine (63) | |
| 107 | 15 | 3 | Unknown or other (25) | |
| 95 | 11 | 1 | Air bags (25) | |
| 54 | 2 | 3 | Unknown or other (13) | |
| 30 | 1 | 3 | Wipers and visibility (18) |
What fails on the 2015 Subaru Forester
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 27% |
63 | 6 | Shop engine parts for the 2015 Subaru Forester |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 17% |
40 | 18 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2015 Subaru Forester |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 16% |
38 | 3 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 16% |
37 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2015 Subaru Forester |
| Unknown or other | 15% |
35 | 1 | — |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 11% |
25 | 1 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2015 Subaru Forester |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 10% |
24 | 2 | Shop brakes parts for the 2015 Subaru Forester |
| Air bags | 7% |
16 | 9 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Oil is leaking from timing cover. Also crankshaft sensor is bad. Mechanic tells me $2000.00 repair needed to correct leak.
-
Left side head gasket leaking oil onto the exhaust manifold. Subaru faulty head gaskets. Something needs to be done about the faulty head gaskets. Only 85000 miles on the engine.
-
Leaking fuel when cold outside, i can see fuel dripping from a fuel line under intake manifold every time i start my car in the morning when the car is cold in the cold weather in winter.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Subaru Forester years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2015, 2010, 2004 carry the most filings on the Subaru Forester. The 2015 alone has 234 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common Subaru Forester problem?
On the 2015 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 63 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Subaru Forester problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Subaru Forester complaints that include mileage is about 49,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.