Subaru Forester reliability by year
20 recalls and 5,426 owner complaints across 21 model years. Best year to buy: 2024. Year to avoid: 2019.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 5 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and others. Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 21 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Forester aggregated across 21 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Subaru Forester?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2024 Subaru Forester scores 8.0/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2025 range. 28 complaints on file, 2 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Subaru Forester year should I avoid?
The 2019 Subaru Forester scores 6.2/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 831 owner complaints with NHTSA, 3 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2019 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Subaru Forester should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2019 (avoid — the electrical system — 7 fire-related complaints and 6 crash-related complaints on the electrical system); 2015 (avoid — the powertrain — powertrain: 90 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 19,100–76,000 mi); 2014 (avoid — the powertrain — powertrain: 37 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 16,320–86,000 mi); 2016 (high-risk ownership — electrical system: 81 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 30,000–50,400 mi); 2010 (high-risk ownership — brakes: 29 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 25,000–76,000 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2008, 2007. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Subaru Forester are tracked?
21 model years (2005 through 2025) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 20 recalls and 5,426 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Subaru Forester?
visibility is the most-reported category — 1,140 complaints across 18 model years. Average shop repair runs about $350.