The best Forester years to buy are 2021 and 2022. Avoid the 2019: it has the highest complaint rate of any recent Forester, led by windshields that crack on their own and a recall for an engine valve that can fail.
Best years: 20212022 Years to avoid: 2019
Every Forester year compared
Owner complaints per 100,000 cars sold. Lower is better. The newest years have had less time to collect complaints, so they are marked too new to judge.
Known Forester problems
Year by year
| Year | Complaints | Per 100k sold | Recalls | Top issue | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 31 | - | 2 | Other | Too new to judge |
| 2023 | 74 | - | 1 | Other | Too new to judge |
| 2022 | 100 | 88 | 1 | Visibility and wipers | Good buy |
| 2021 | 215 | 139 | 0 | Visibility and wipers | Good buy |
| 2020 | 603 | 341 | 0 | Visibility and wipers | Average |
| 2019 | 834 | 463 | 3 | Visibility and wipers | Skip this year |
| 2018 | 498 | 290 | 3 | Visibility and wipers | Average |
| 2017 | 593 | 334 | 1 | Air bags | Average |
| 2016 | 416 | 233 | 3 | Air bags | Average |
| 2015 | 617 | 352 | 3 | Engine | Average |
| 2014 | 403 | 252 | 2 | Suspension | Average |
| 2013 | 78 | 63 | 12 | Engine | Good year |
| 2012 | 106 | 142 | 15 | Engine | Good year |
About the Forester
The Forester is a practical, boxy SUV with standard all-wheel drive and good visibility. Complaints are moderate overall. The worst years are 2015, when owners reported loss of power and passenger air bag sensor faults, and 2019, the first year of the current shape, when cracked windshields topped the list. 2021 and later Foresters have far fewer reports.
- 2014-2018: Fourth generation. 2015 has the most complaints; the rest are average.
- 2019 on: Fifth generation. 2019 has first-year trouble; 2021 and 2022 are the best years. 2023 and later are too new to judge.
Forester warranty extensions and special coverage
Carmakers sometimes extend the warranty on a part that fails too often, or pay for a fix outside a recall. These notices come from the dealer bulletins Subaru files with NHTSA. 1,551 Forester bulletins are on file in total.
As part of Subaru's dedication to customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc.
This announcement is in regard to settlement in a class action lawsuit for vehicles that will receive a limited warranty extension for original equipment Subaru windshields experiencing a qualifying crack.
In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc.
This announcement is in regard to the warranty extension initiated for windshields for the models listed.
This bulletin announces the extended warranty coverage for the Thermo Control valve (TCV) used the the models listed.
This bulletin announces a warranty extension information regarding 12 Volt vehicle batteries.
Battery Drain Class Action Settlement- Warranty Extension Training.
Denso low pressure fuel pump warranty extension.
This bulletin announces Warranty Extension and design changes made to the front exhaust pipe and covers to address the concerns of some customers regarding a rattle-type noise or fluttering sound coming from the undercarriage, ...
This letter provides information regarding the warranty extension for the Telematics Data Communications Module (DCM).
Ask a dealer to check a specific car by VIN. Extensions usually have a time or mileage limit.
Government investigations into the Forester
NHTSA opens an investigation when complaints point to a possible safety defect. Some end in a recall and some close without one.
Preliminary evaluation PE19009 · 2016–2018 · opened Aug 2019, closed Jan 2020 · led to recall 19V701000
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.
Forester vs rivals
Questions
What is the best year for the Subaru Forester?
2021 and 2022. The best Forester years to buy are 2021 and 2022. Avoid the 2019: it has the highest complaint rate of any recent Forester, led by windshields that crack on their own and a recall for an engine valve that can fail.
Which Subaru Forester years should I avoid?
2019. These drew far more owner complaints per car sold than the Subaru Forester average.
What is the most common Subaru Forester problem?
Cracked windshields on 2017-2020 models, followed by battery drain and check engine lights. Older 2014-2015 cars add oil consumption and passenger air bag sensor faults.
Based on 4,568 complaints filed by owners with U.S. safety regulators for model years 2012 to 2024, and U.S. sales by calendar year. How we score.