15 recalls covering model years 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026. To check whether your vehicle is affected, look up your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — a recall may apply only to some vehicles of a given year.
Certain Subaru Crosstrek and Forester vehicles may have an improperly secured nut on a joint in the left front suspension. The joint, called a ball joint, may separate from the lower suspension arm. Dealers will inspect the left front ball joint assembly and replace it if needed. Owners are advised not to drive until the repair is completed.
⚠ NHTSA advises: do not drive this vehicle until repaired.
Subaru is recalling certain Crosstrek Hybrid, Forester, Forester Hybrid and Ascent vehicles. The certification label on these vehicles shows an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating, the maximum weight an axle is rated to carry. Because of this, the vehicles do not meet a federal safety standard covering tire and rim selection. Subaru will mail owners a new label free of charge, and owners who prefer can have a dealer install the new label instead, also free.
Subaru is recalling certain Forester and Forester Hybrid vehicles because the sliding moonroof glass may not be properly attached to its frame. The glass panel could separate from the vehicle. Dealers will inspect how securely the glass is attached and replace the glass panel assembly if needed.
Certain Subaru Forester vehicles may have an incorrect rear hatch support bracket, a bracket installed in the wrong direction, or both. The bracket can detach without prior warning. If it detaches, the rear hatch may fall unexpectedly while being used and cause injury. Dealers will inspect the brackets and replace the hatch support and bracket if necessary, free of charge.
Some Subaru Forester vehicles have bolts that anchor a child seat in place, and these bolts may not have been tightened properly at the factory when the vehicle was built. Because of this, the bolts can come loose over time. A loose anchor bolt means the hardware used to attach a child seat to the vehicle may not hold it as firmly in place as it should.
Some 2025 Subaru Forester vehicles with 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels may have wheels made with an incorrectly specified lug seat surface. This can result in a wheel not being properly attached to the vehicle. An improperly attached wheel can cause the vehicle to lose stability while being driven. This loss of stability can make the vehicle harder to control on the road.
Subaru is recalling certain Crosstrek, Forester, Legacy and Outback vehicles. A weld that was not strong enough can let water get into the inhibitor switch, the switch that tells the car which gear the transmission is in, and the water can make that switch fail. If it does, the reverse lights may not come on and the rearview camera image may not appear. Dealers will replace the switch free of charge.
On some Subaru Crosstrek, Forester, Impreza, and WRX vehicles, the outer race on the front driveshaft assemblies may develop cracks and break. This can cause a loss of drive power while driving, or cause the vehicle to roll away if it's parked without the parking brake set.
Subaru is recalling certain 2024 Forester vehicles because the engine water pipe may have loose attachment bolts, allowing the pipe to lose its seal and leak coolant. Leaking coolant can reach the hot exhaust pipe. Subaru's distributor processing facilities will tighten the water pipe attachment bolts to fix the issue.
The low-pressure fuel pump, located inside the fuel tank, may fail on these vehicles. If the pump fails, the engine can stall while the vehicle is being driven. To fix the issue, dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump. This repair is free of charge, and it applies to a number of affected Subaru models as well as the Toyota 86.
On some Subaru Crosstrek and Forester vehicles, the bolts holding the rear stabilizer bracket may loosen and come out. If the bracket isn't held in place, it could shift out of position. A shifted bracket increases the risk of a crash.
The aluminum Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve in your engine can separate. If it does, the pieces that break off can travel into the engine, causing your vehicle to lose power while you're driving. Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the valve, free of charge. If the valve has separated and its pieces can't be found, the engine's short block will be replaced instead, free of charge.
On certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats, an electrical connection for the front passenger seat's occupant detection system may loosen. If this happens, the front passenger airbag may turn off even though the seat is occupied.
On some 2019 Subaru Forester and Crosstrek vehicles, a connector inside the electric power steering unit may short circuit. If this happens, the vehicle loses power steering assistance, which means turning the steering wheel takes noticeably more effort. Subaru has notified dealers, who will inspect the steering gearbox and replace it if necessary, free of charge.
On some Foresters, the label that lists wheel size, tire size, and air pressure information may show the wrong numbers. If owners rely on this label when choosing tires or setting tire pressure, they could end up putting the wrong size tires on the vehicle or filling the tires to the wrong pressure, since the printed information does not match what the vehicle actually needs.
Recalls and NHTSA owner complaints for each model year, side by side. Complaints are unverified owner reports, and better-selling or older years naturally collect more — read this as a record, not a ranking.
| Model year | Recalls | High / critical | Do-not-drive / park-outside | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 493 | 26 | 1 | 9 |
| 2019 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 833 | 37 | 11 | 21 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 76 | 8 | 4 | 7 |
| 2024 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 102 | 13 | 2 | 7 |
| 2026 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
NHTSA lists 15 safety recalls covering the 2018–2026 Subaru Forester. 10 of them are rated high or critical on this site. The most recent is "Subaru Crosstrek and Forester Front Suspension Joint May Separate" (NHTSA campaign 26V685000), reported Oct 19, 2026.
The 2026 Subaru Forester has the most, with 4 recalls. The 2022 model year has the fewest of the years we cover, with 1. Newer model years have had less time to collect recalls, so a low count on a recent year is not a guarantee.
Yes. 1 Subaru Forester recall carries a do-not-drive or park-outside advisory from NHTSA: Subaru Crosstrek and Forester Front Suspension Joint May Separate (26V685000). These apply only to the affected vehicles, so check your VIN.
Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall often applies to only some vehicles of a model year, and the VIN lookup shows the ones still unrepaired on your car. Recall repairs are free at any franchised Subaru dealer, including for second owners.
Recalls and complaint record for one model year at a time: