This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body which incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to improve durability. (This is an revised version of the orignal bulletin.)
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2021 Subaru Forester electrical problems
severe Owners of the 2021 Subaru Forester have filed 30 NHTSA complaints about the electrical at roughly $850 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See electrical across all vehicles →
Complaints
30
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$850
| Model year | electrical complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 Forester | 92 |
| 2018 Forester | 67 |
| 2019 Forester | 117 |
| 2020 Forester | 95 |
| 2021 Forester (this page) | 30 |
| 2022 Forester | 8 |
| 2023 Forester | 7 |
| 2025 Forester | 8 |
1crash
1fire
1injury
What stands out
Owners have filed 30 electrical complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
No new NHTSA electrical complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 4 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering electrical on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body which incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to improve durability.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This bulletin announces a design change to the Power Rear Gate Drive (PRG) Unit to address rare concerns about a very slight drop immediately after the gate is fully open.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This bulletin announces the new procedure and Warranty Fail Code for FirstTime air conditioning (A/C) performance concerns possibly resulting from an undetected A/C refrigerant leak.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This bulletin contains information to help when attempting to complete the STARLINK Telematics subscription process, an Error Code 202 and / or 204 may occur preventing the process from completing successfully
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners describe a cascade of electrical failures that stretch across multiple systems. The auto start/stop feature—meant to save fuel—frequently fails to restart the engine after it shuts down at traffic lights and stop signs, leaving drivers unable to proceed without a full system reboot. This has happened in heavy traffic, at railroad crossings, and near intersections, creating immediate safety hazards. No warning precedes these shutdowns.
Battery drain and failure are rampant. Owners report dead batteries after overnight or short parking periods with no electrical loads left on. Dealers test batteries as "good" and offer no root cause, simply recommending more expensive replacements. Multiple owners needed three or more new batteries within months of purchase.
Several owners have required expensive wiring replacement due to rodent damage—the wiring covering appears attractive to rodents, causing water infiltration and corrosion that cascades into battery failure, headlight failure, and random electrical glitches. Subaru acknowledges a class action lawsuit in Hawaii on the same issue but denies manufacturer responsibility.
Other failures include automatic door locks trapping owners outside, infotainment screens that cut out without warning (disabling backup cameras), and one catastrophic underhood fire that destroyed half the vehicle. Dealers cannot reproduce or identify root causes across most failures, even after software updates and repeated service visits.
Same Subaru Forester electrical reports on nearby years: 2018 · 2019 · 2020
Failure modes owners describe
Auto Start/Stop system fails to restart
The vehicle's automatic engine shutdown feature engages when stopped (traffic lights, stop signs, heavy traffic), but then fails to restart the engine when the driver accelerates or the light changes. The engine either stalls, cranks sluggishly, or requires a full manual system reboot before starting again.
When: At traffic lights, stop signs, and in heavy traffic; some incidents reported at railroad crossings; mileage range 37,000 miles reported in one case
Symptoms owners cite: Engine shuts off unexpectedly while stopped; Sluggish or failed restart after auto-stop engages; Engine stalls during restart attempt; Dashboard message 'For safety, auto restart disabled; Eyesight with backslash' appears; Dashboard message 'Eyesight Disabled' appears; Alarms sound and dash lights flash during failure; Complete system reboot required before restart; No warning before failure occurs
Codes mentioned: TSB #16-147-24, TSB #10232217, TSB #07-218-23R, TSB #10251098
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers have performed software updates and battery replacements (factory and upgraded AGM batteries). One owner reports manual push-button restart works after failure, suggesting system-level issue rather than battery. Dealers attribute issue to low battery or low battery charge.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Subaru factory rep documented owner concerns but stated no fix available yet. Dealer continues to recommend battery replacement even after software updates and new batteries fail to resolve issue. Subaru of America aware of the issue per one owner.
Battery failure and parasitic drain
The vehicle's battery drains overnight or during short periods of parking with no electrical loads active. Batteries fail to hold charge despite being tested as 'good' by dealers. Multiple new batteries (factory and upgraded) required within months.
When: Overnight parking; after 3-4 hours of parking with alarm set; occurring 8-9 times in 8 months for one owner; within 3 months of purchase for multiple owners; at 45,000 miles one owner on third battery; less than 12,000 miles in one case
Symptoms owners cite: Battery completely dead after short parking periods (3-4 hours); Vehicle will not start without jump-start; No warning lamp before battery failure; No obvious electrical loads left on when battery dies; Repeated battery failures despite replacement; Alarm set when battery drains
Codes mentioned: CAN (Controller Area Network) electrical system issue identified in one case
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers charge battery but do not address underlying drain; one owner spent $3,500+ on wiring replacement; recommended higher CCA battery (750 CCA) than Subaru specification; upgraded to AGM battery recommended for auto start/stop systems; batteries tested as 'good' despite repeated failures.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealers state battery is fine after testing; recommend new battery purchase; attribute to auto start/stop system drain; no root cause identified or communicated to owners.
Rodent damage to wiring harness (soy-based covering)
Wiring insulation is attractive to rodents. Multiple owners report extensive wiring damage requiring replacement of electrical harnesses in front and fuel system areas. Subaru attributes this to owner responsibility and recommends building a shed; owners cite class action lawsuit in Hawaii addressing same issue.
When: Less than 12,000 miles in one case; multiple instances within first year of ownership; 2021 model year vehicles affected
Symptoms owners cite: Visible rodent damage to wiring harness; Water infiltration from damaged wiring insulation; Battery failure secondary to corrosion from water damage; Adaptive headlight system failure; Random electrical glitches; Steering and brake system concerns mentioned in one case
Repairs/costs cited: Wiring replacement in front of vehicle: cost over $4,000 in one case; replacement in fuel area: additional costs; full electrical harness replacement performed; insurance appraiser confirmed diagnosis in one case.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Subaru customer service cannot provide straight answer on wiring material composition; some staff say soy-based, others cite different materials; Subaru says owner must build shed to prevent rodent access; aware of class action lawsuit in Hawaii for same issue but does not acknowledge manufacturer responsibility.
Unintended door locks (auto-lock on warm start)
All vehicle doors automatically lock immediately after closing a door without any user action or warning, trapping the driver outside with keys inside. Occurs during warm-weather conditions.
When: When closing door to enter vehicle; temperature 80s–100+ degrees inside parked car
Symptoms owners cite: All doors lock automatically with CLICK sound; No warning before locking occurs; Occurs on warm days with car in sun; Side doors remain locked but rear hatch/lift-gate can sometimes open
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs documented. Owner manually retrieved keys through rear lift-gate in emergency.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Subaru dealer stated they never heard of this happening; mentioned a lock setting exists but owner could not locate it; blamed low key fob battery but provided no low-battery warning system; offered no solution.
Infotainment system (Starlink) failure and backup camera malfunction
Infotainment display abruptly stops working, disabling backup camera functionality and navigation. Dealer solution is expensive replacement. Related to broader electrical issues mentioned in some complaints.
When: Screen abruptly stopped working; vehicle equipped with warranty extension for known infotainment issues per Subaru
Symptoms owners cite: Screen display abruptly stops working; Backup camera unavailable (safety feature); Navigation unavailable; Driver distraction and frustration from lost navigation; Low humming from speakers reported in fire incident case
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer quoted $1,700 for new infotainment system replacement; one fire case suspect infotainment system as potential electrical cause.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Subaru issued warranty extension for known infotainment issues; no proactive notification to owners or free repair; owners told to pay out of pocket or use warranty.
Electrical fire
Vehicle caught fire in driveway approximately 10 minutes after parking, with no prior critical warning. Fire started under hood and spread rapidly, destroying front half of vehicle and nearly spreading to nearby structure. Owner reports pre-fire symptoms of humming from speakers and deceleration issues.
When: Approximately 10 minutes after parking from short grocery store trip
Symptoms owners cite: Low humming from speakers before fire; Vehicle decelerating when accelerator not pressed; Smoke visible from under hood; Flames engulfed hood rapidly; No warning lights or sounds to indicate imminent fire
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle total loss; stored by insurance for investigation; no root cause confirmed by dealer or independent service.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No manufacturer response documented; owner suspects infotainment electrical issues based on warranty extension issued for known problems; vehicle available for investigation but cause not yet determined.
Complete system shutdown with loss of steering and brakes
Vehicle shuts off completely while driving, causing steering wheel to lock and brakes to become unresponsive. Accompanied by loud erratic sounds. Resulted in crash.
When: Incident occurred; no specific timing provided
Symptoms owners cite: Engine shuts off while driving; Steering wheel locks up; Brakes fail to respond; Loud erratic sounds from vehicle; No warning signs before failure
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle available for inspection; dealership unable to reproduce or identify problem after two service visits.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No manufacturer response documented.
Defective factory battery at purchase
New vehicle delivered from dealer with defective battery that failed within three months of purchase despite no indication of a problem.
When: Three months after new vehicle purchase (one case: November 2020 purchase, March 2021 failure); another case within three months of purchase
Symptoms owners cite: Car will not start; Key fob will not open doors; No warning signs before failure
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer replaced with same type of battery without charge to owner; jump-start required to tow vehicle.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No acknowledgment of defect; replacement battery same type as failed battery; no warranty extension or investigation.
Synthesized from 30 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
The wiring system fails when the wiring - SOY BASED - is eaten by rats. SUBARU refuses to take responsibility for this. My car has less the 9500 miles and has had over $3500.00 work done to replace the wiring eaten by Rodents as this is considered "my fault?.
I have had the wiring in my 2021 Subaru Forrester having to be replaced 2 times - once in front of car, once in fuel parts - due to Rodents eating the wiring. I have been told by Subaru Customer Service staff that the wiring is Soy Based. Subaru has a Class Action Suite in Hawaii for this exact reason yet Subaru in Macon continues to insist this is MY problem not theirs. I have Rodent repellant…
Several instances of parasitic drain of the battery resulting in vehicle not being able to be started without a jump. Nothing was left on in the vehicle. Each time it was parked with the alarm set for approx 3-4 hours. The battery was completely dead. This vehicle is only 8 months old and this has happened around 8-9 times. Dealer does nothing about it except to charge the battery. This is…
Had electrical trouble with your 2021 Subaru Forester?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the electrical problem on the 2021 Subaru Forester?
It's a meaningful issue. 30 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $850.
At what mileage does the electrical typically fail?
Based on the 30 complaints filed, electrical issues most often appear around 21,917 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $850 for electrical repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to electrical?
No active recalls currently cover electrical issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2021/Subaru/Forester.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.