2025 SUBARU FORESTER

2 recalls, 108 complaints - 2 TSBs - 5/5 safety rating

CHILD SEAT

Defect Description

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.

Consequence

A loose child seat anchor bolt increases the risk of injury to a child during a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect the child seat anchor bolts and, if necessary, tighten the bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 15, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRC-25.

2,938 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Subaru of America, Inc.

WHEELS

Defect Description

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 vehicle stability.

Consequence

A loss of vehicle stability increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the wheels, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 28, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRB-25.

20,366 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Subaru of America, Inc.

Complaint Statistics

108 total complaints 3 crashes 1 injuries

Top Reported Components

Component	Complaints
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	15
ENGINE	14
POWER TRAIN	13
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	13
SERVICE BRAKES	8
STEERING	6
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING	5
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	4
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE	3
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	3

Incident date: Jul 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that a few days after the dealer had serviced the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V106000(Fuel System, Gasoline), the contact refueled the vehicle at the gas station. The contact stated that upon entering the store and returning to t... Read more

Incident date: Jun 15, 2023

The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving into a parking space and applying the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration, surged forward and drove over a parking bump before crashing into the hedges and a lamp post. No injuries were ... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jun 15, 2026

Leading up to a windshield replacement, my eyesight cameras that help with adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist kept failing. This feature would turn on and off repeatedly. When I got my windshield replaced, it took longer than expected because of the camera calibration. The microchip(s) ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 15, 2026

Incident date: Jun 18, 2026

While backing up into a parking space, my wifes car made contact with a dumpster, which started on the drivers side corner of the rear bumper. The backup sensor did not sound until it was too late. This was a low-speed maneuver that normally would allow for enough reaction time. I (husband) tried a... Read more

Incident date: May 15, 2026

While driving wth adaptive cruise set to 50mph I attempted to adjusted the setting for distance between us and rage car in front of us. While the car in front of us was maintains a steady speed our Forester started to slow down dramatically to a near stop; pressing the accelerator had no effect on ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 16, 2026

My new vehicle, with under 4,000 miles, has already suffered multiple chewed wires due to rodents attracted to the soy-based wire coatings used by the manufacturer. This is not a minor inconvenience — it is a serious safety issue. Damaged wiring can cause loss of power steering mid-drive, ABS and ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 16, 2026

Incident date: May 29, 2026

After stopping at a red light behind a few cars in a left turn lane, the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) system turned off the engine. A moment later the light turned green and I let my foot up from the brake pedal. The engine failed to start. The hazard lights turned on automatically. I reapplied pressure to ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 3, 2026

I am driving a car that can potentially catch on fire due to a fuel injector problem that they can't seem to fix. I have high anxiety about it.The parts for the recall have been on order for almost a year and I do not feel safe driving my vehicle. I have a five year loan to pay off and I do not want... Read more

Incident date: Jun 3, 2026

On [XXX], my 2018 Kia Soul (VIN [XXX] ) displayed DTC P1326 with a blinking check engine light and went into limp mode. Ray’s Automotive documented P1326 in writing, added oil, and cleared the light only to allow safe transport. At Greenway Kia (Avenues), they charged $199 and refused to create a ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 26, 2026

I was driving at night and my passenger headlights went out. About 2 years prior the same thing happened but it was the driver side headlight that went out. It was $1100 to get the driver side replaced and now here i am having to pay the same amount to replace the passenger side headlights. It was n... Read more

Incident date: Jun 2, 2026

Was issued a recall from kia for an oil piston ring that wasn't heat treated properly, kia told me the problem was fixed and the recall shouldn't affect me, my car was in an out of the shop for months after that, they replaced my timing belt and transmission under warranty, said i sould be fine betw... Read more

Incident date: May 26, 2026

UNKNOWN, The car lose electricity, shutting down by itself, when I press start engine, or when I shut down engine, recently car shuts off while I drive it on highway, it didn't start until I jump start it, also it shows lights of ABS, and brakes auto hold, cruise control not working.

Incident date: Mar 14, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 RAM 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the right turn signal was activated; however the right turn signal did not function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, the vehicle was not inspected. The contact referenced an unknown recall; h... Read more

Incident date: May 6, 2026

Transmission jerks and shifts hard jolting passengers around when it does. This has happened since I bought it as a second owner with 30k miles. I aske ford about it and they said “yep there is a problem but our shop doesn’t work on transmissions” I have not found any where else to take i... Read more

Incident date: Feb 27, 2026

I am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe Premier for repeated brake assist/braking failures. Most recent incident: While driving, the check engine light came on. I turned the vehicle off for approximately 10 minutes and restarted it, but the check engine light remained on. A... Read more

Incident date: Apr 22, 2026

Sudden unintended acceleration while braking. Engine revved against brake input. Has happened multiple times. Need to step on the brake hard and wait for it to pass.

Incident date: Apr 13, 2026

ABS Module failure with no replacement available. Unit available for inspection. Vehicle can not be safely driven. Doesn't brake properly and not reliable on wet roads. Speed control non functional. Vehicle has been at dealer for months. Vehicle has been inspected by insurance and Jeep dealership. M... Read more

Incident date: Apr 3, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Acura ILX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V859000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer and another dealer were contacted and confirmed that parts were on a national back o... Read more

Incident date: Nov 19, 2025

I am submitting this formal complaint regarding serious mechanical and safety issues with my 2020 Buick Enclave. These issues have created ongoing financial hardship, significant safety concerns, and an urgent need for investigation and resolution. Over the past several months, my vehicle has repeat... Read more

Incident date: Nov 19, 2025

My 2023 Lincoln Aviator has a grinding noise when I back up. Also a rattle has begun at all speeds. I had vehicled check and the axles were found to be totally rusted. Prior to having it towed to the detail i did some research and found the following -- A 2023 Lincoln Aviator recall regarding a "... Read more

Incident date: Nov 19, 2025

Incident date: Mar 28, 2026

My 2013 Prius brake booster aassembly with aster cylinder had to be replaced for the sum $3996.75. Milage on the vehicle was 109,541. The car 's brake light went on and the engine area a buzzing occured. The car was very difficult to stop and I was concerned enough to drive the vehicle home and h... Read more

Incident date: Dec 4, 2025

My transmission unexpectedly jumps gears and down shifts. My car just stopped getting any sort of power on the highway. All this with my children in the car. I was able to pull over safely, but it was extremely scary. I put the truck in park and then put it in drive and it started driving again. My ... Read more

Incident date: Dec 4, 2025

The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Compass. While the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure ... Read more

Incident date: Dec 4, 2025

My truck engine stopped working while driving down the road causing me to lose power and I was not able to exit the roadway. There were no warning or messages until the loss of power and dash stated to "restart the engine". This was not possible. The truck was towed to a Chevy dealership and the... Read more

Incident date: Mar 3, 2026

Yes, a triangle on the bottom right side I was not aware of it. The dealership never told me that it needs to be serviced or looked at if that symbol popped up. I tried to get help but no one that Harley Davidson helped me on two separate occasions. The symbol appear approximately one month after pu... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Mar 12, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Renegade. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled for several seconds and then restarted. The contact stated that prior to the vehicle stalling, while stopped at a traffic light, several unknown warning lights illuminated and then tur... Read more

Incident date: Mar 14, 2026

Was driving on hwy when vehicle loss power, was able to quickly pull over. Turned vehicle off and restarted vehicle. Got back onto the hwy ,vehicle loss power again, this time it wouldn't turn over. Replaced fuel pump,replaced valve timing sensor, crank sensor, replaced battery, replaced ignition sw... Read more

Incident date: Nov 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the engine overheated. Coolant was added to the coolant reservoir, and the driver was able to continue driving. Several days later, the heat became inoperable. Upon research, the failure was associated with TSB 19-23... Read more

Incident date: Nov 1, 2025

I took my car in to diagnose low coolant and white exhaust smoke on cold start. The technician said he "observed the presence of coolant inside the cylinder walls which can lead to "serious damage...corrosion...failure and wear and could seize up and told me to get a new engine or car. The vehicle c... Read more

Incident date: Mar 11, 2026

I bought this 2022 Jeep Renegade in 2023. Upon changing the oil today (3/13/2026) my mechanic found a rear main seal leak. He stated to check for recalls/safety as this should not be happening; the car only has 54,000 miles on it. I have called a couple friends that have one and they too have leaks.... Read more

Incident date: Mar 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing front suspension, coolant, and oil leak failures. The contact stated that the front suspension unexpectedly lowered while the vehicle was parked or while driving. The message "Active Curve System Mal... Read more

Incident date: Mar 10, 2026

Rearview camera lag then disconnect. Ceases functioning until restart.

Incident date: Mar 9, 2026

The car is a 2022 with only 17k miles it started by smelling like gas really bad in the car and outside of it and eventually leaking gas badly so i took it into the dealership and it turns out there is a defective weld on the fuel filler neck and it had been leaking for a while. It was a major fire ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 3, 2026

I was driving the vehicle and suddenly the steering wheel started to getting hard to turn it and the dash board doesn’t show any failure I went right away to dealership close by they inspected the vehicle they states there is a power steering failure but the car never showed any failure on dashboa... Read more

Incident date: Jan 20, 2026

I have a 2016 Subaru Forester and started 3 weeks ago with a problem when I turn it on all the lights on the dashboard turn on and the car won't star. The mechanic has changed the battery and the problem continues. It's happened three times now that it's suddenly shut off while I'm driving. It was v... Read more

Incident date: Oct 28, 2025

The ICCU failed as confirmed by local Hyundai dealership. That was on Jan 4. Car taken to dealership on Jan 5th 4 weeks later on Feb 1 still awaiting part (ICCU) which is on national back order as per the dealer and Hyundai customer support.

Incident date: Oct 28, 2025

Airbag deployment after minor incident .. foot slipped off the brake at a traffic light while car was not in motion, car rolled a few feet and bumped the back of another vehicle and the tow ball from the back bumper of said vehicle went through the front bumper of my 2018 Honda Civic and the airbag... Read more

Incident date: Dec 19, 2025

2020 HYUNDAI Tucson Engine blown @ 89,307 miles and 1,265 miles after oil change due to missing oil plug. Daughter drives about 5 miles per day for college and groceries. The day before Thanksgiving 2025, her 2020 HYUNDAI Tucson died about 48 miles down the Highway without warning, no prior warni... Read more

Incident date: Dec 19, 2025

Horn stopped working at 47,474 miles Check Tire Pressure System light is on, poor sensor at 45,650

Incident date: Dec 19, 2025

The generator bearings are making a wining noise. It was confirmed by an experienced independent mechanic that the E-torque generator needs replacement. The dealer said the generator is not in stock. Further research showed the part is on back order for months, with thousands of others waiting and ... Read more

Incident date: Jan 5, 2026

I hadn’t had my car a year and my solenoid in my transmission is in need of replacement. The suv will not pick up speed above 40

Incident date: Dec 22, 2025

Fuel smell in the engine compartment and visible leaking fuel on the lower hoses per NHTSA Campaign Number 18V837000. I previously complained about this in April 2025 (ID 11669847). Dealer inspected in April 2025 and replaced the lower hose, but I still would smell fuel. After a lot of my own troubl... Read more

Incident date: Dec 13, 2025

I was driving my 2018 ram at approx 35 mph going into a turn my power steering went out and I almost went off the road the service power steering light came on.

Incident date: Nov 30, 2025

I'm an elder who lives alone. My Jeep is my only regular transportation. I'm now fearful about this Jeep Recall 01C / NHTSA 25V-011 since things are happening that night mean my safety and my vehicle are greatly at risk! My SRC 4WD light came on about 10 days ago and I no longer have the ability t... Read more

Incident date: Aug 25, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the message "Faulty Battery and Charging System" flashed on the screen, and the vehicle failed to immediately start. The contact stated that while driving later, several messages, including the messages "F... Read more

Showing 50 of 108 complaints.

NHTSA Safety Ratings, 2025 SUBARU FORESTER

2025 SUBARU FORESTER SUV AWD

Category	Rating
Overall Rating	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Frontal Crash	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Frontal Crash, Driver	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Frontal Crash, Passenger	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash, Driver	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash, Passenger	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Rollover	4 / 5 ★★★★☆
Rollover Risk	17.4%

Safety Technology

Feature	Status
Electronic Stability Control	Standard
Forward Collision Warning	Standard
Lane Departure Warning	Standard

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings Program. Ratings are based on crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Technical Service Bulletins, 2025 SUBARU FORESTER

2 manufacturer communications from 1 unique bulletins. TSBs describe known problems and recommended fixes from the manufacturer.

Most Affected Components

Component	Bulletins
110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1
350000 EQUIPMENT	1

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

To satisfy current supply demands, a new Subaru alternative replacement battery is now available.

350000 EQUIPMENT

To satisfy current supply demands, a new Subaru alternative replacement battery is now available.

NHTSA Safety Investigations, SUBARU FORESTER

Investigations opened by NHTSA into potential safety defects. These are separate from recalls and may or may not result in a recall.

PE, Closed , Model Year: 2016

Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure

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 vehic... les 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 unstable, the ODS may not properly determine the status of the right front seat occupant. If the ODS is unable to correctly determine the status of the front occupant, the airbag warning light may illuminate, and 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.Using vehicle production data and field occurrence frequency, Subaru determined the potentially affected vehicle production range to be between January 20, 2015 ?and August 1, 2017.In addition, Subaru indicated that over 99 percent of the related MY 2015-2018 field reports with vehicles in the production range involved vehicles with seat heaters.NHTSA's analysis of complaint and warranty claim data showed 1,440 of the complaints and 11,672 of the claims involve vehicles with seat heaters that were built within the production range covered by Subaru's recall.In addition, NHTSA's analysis showed a complaint rate of 393.1 per hundred thousand vehicles for the recalled population and 89.0 for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall. Analysis of warranty claim data found a claim rate of 3.2 percent for the recalled population and 0.3 percent for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall.Subaru will instruct owners with Subaru Forester vehicles produced in the affected vehicle production range, to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the sensor mat harness, inspected and replaced with a new part, including the seat cushion assembly, if necessary.Based on ODI's analysis, the actions taken by Subaru mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by ODS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles. For subject and peer vehicles outside the recall population and those equipped without seat heaters, ODI's analysis indicates that there is currently no safety-related defect trend. Given these circumstances, further use of the agency resources in this matter does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.Read more

PE, Closed , Model Year: 1999

SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE SEPARATION

ODI HAS ONE COMPLAINT ALLEGING THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGE, LOCATED BETWEEN THE SEAT AND CENTER CONSOLE, BECAME DETACHED WHILE DRIVING.IN ADDITION, THE OWNER INSPECTED THE DRIVER'S SIDE SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGE AND FOUND THAT THE BOLT WAS PARTIALLY BACKED-OUT.THE COMPLAINT VEHICLE WAS EQ... Read more

SUBARU FORESTER - All Years Overview

Complete safety history for the SUBARU FORESTER across all model years (1998, 2026).

114 Total Recalls

8,633 Total Complaints

2 Investigations

784 Reported Crashes

135 Reported Fires

10 Reported Deaths

SUBARU FORESTER - Year by Year

Compare recalls and complaints across model years. Click any year to see full details.

Year	Recalls	Complaints
2026	2	17	View
2025 (current)	2	108
2024	2	38	View
2023	1	102	View
2022	1	137	View
2021	0	285	View
2020	0	798	View
2019	3	1,084	View
2018	3	669	View
2017	1	789	View
2016	3	609	View
2015	3	894	View
2014	2	576	View
2013	12	94	View
2012	15	140	View
2011	16	195	View
2010	17	307	View
2009	18	228	View
2008	1	67	View
2007	1	89	View
2006	2	121	View
2005	1	105	View
2004	2	270	View
2003	3	238	View
2002	1	109	View
2001	0	169	View
2000	0	95	View
1999	1	156	View
1998	1	138	View

Other SUBARU Models

Model	Recalls	Complaints
IMPREZA	321	3,425	View
LEGACY	307	4,132	View
OUTBACK	288	12,131	View
SOLTERRA	259	109	View
WRX	190	1,208	View
ASCENT	112	1,248	View
TRIBECA	70	51	View
CROSSTREK	42	1,453	View

Vehicle Safety

Consumer Safety

Infrastructure

Public Health

2025 SUBARU FORESTER

Complaint Statistics

Top Reported Components

NHTSA Safety Ratings, 2025 SUBARU FORESTER

Safety Technology

Technical Service Bulletins, 2025 SUBARU FORESTER

Most Affected Components

NHTSA Safety Investigations, SUBARU FORESTER

SUBARU FORESTER - All Years Overview

SUBARU FORESTER - Year by Year

Other SUBARU Models