Subaru

Forester

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD · model years 1998 to 2026

Includes Forester AWD and Forester Hybrid AWD as listed by the EPA.

See all 72 Forester trims All Subaru cars

The verdict

Best year: 2000. complaints: 75, below this model's typical 119; recalls: 0, below this model's typical 2.

Worst year: 2019. complaints: 833, about 14.1x this model's typical 59; recalls: 3, about 1.5x this model's typical 2.

Year by year

Year by year summary for the Subaru Forester
Year	Trims	MPG	HP	Fuel cost	Recalls	Complaints	Investigations	TSBs	Top complaints
1998	2Gas	20.5	no data	$3,025	1	101	0	no data	POWER TRAIN 18%, SUSPENSION 13%, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 12%
complaints: 101, below this model's typical 119 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 2 deaths reported in NHTSA complaints: 1 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 5 complaints reporting a fire: 5 Score: 52 of 100, where higher is better.
1999	2Gas	20.5	no data	$3,025	1	131	0	no data	POWER TRAIN 22%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 17%, SUSPENSION 17%
complaints: 131, above this model's typical 119 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 5 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 62 of 100, where higher is better.
2000	2Gas	21	no data	$2,950	0	75	0	no data	POWER TRAIN 25%, SUSPENSION 23%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 14%
complaints: 75, below this model's typical 119 recalls: 0, below this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 3 Score: 83 of 100, where higher is better.
2001	2Gas	21	no data	$2,950	0	139	0	no data	VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 18%, POWER TRAIN 14%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 10%
complaints: 139, above this model's typical 119 recalls: 0, below this model's typical 2 deaths reported in NHTSA complaints: 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 24 Score: 35 of 100, where higher is better.
2002	2Gas	21	no data	$2,950	1	88	0	no data	VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 22%, POWER TRAIN 15%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 13%
complaints: 88, below this model's typical 119 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 8 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 66 of 100, where higher is better.
2003	2Gas	21	no data	$2,950	3	189	0	no data	FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 13%, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 11%, AIR BAGS 11%
complaints: 189, about 1.6x this model's typical 119 recalls: 3, about 1.5x this model's typical 2 deaths reported in NHTSA complaints: 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 9 Score: 3 of 100, where higher is better.
2004	4Gas	20	no data	$3,500	2	219	0	no data	FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 24%, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 23%, SUSPENSION 9%
complaints: 219, below this model's typical 237 recalls: 2, in line with this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 8 complaints reporting a fire: 4 Score: 58 of 100, where higher is better.
2005	4Gas	20.5	no data	$3,450	1	93	0	no data	SUSPENSION 20%, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 16%, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 14%
complaints: 93, below this model's typical 237 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 11 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 69 of 100, where higher is better.
2006	4Gas	21	no data	$3,350	2	88	0	no data	VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 17%, SUSPENSION 10%, ENGINE 9%
complaints: 88, below this model's typical 237 recalls: 2, in line with this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 5 complaints reporting a fire: 7 Score: 69 of 100, where higher is better.
2007	4Gas	21.5	no data	$3,250	1	74	0	no data	SUSPENSION 13%, POWER TRAIN 12%, ENGINE 10%
complaints: 74, below this model's typical 237 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 7 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 73 of 100, where higher is better.
2008	4Gas	21.5	no data	$3,250	1	50	0	no data	SUSPENSION 17%, ENGINE 11%, AIR BAGS 9%
complaints: 50, below this model's typical 237 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 5 complaints reporting a fire: 3 Score: 77 of 100, where higher is better.
2009	3Gas	22	no data	$2,850	17	178	0	no data	AIR BAGS 18%, ENGINE 12%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10%
complaints: 178, in line with this model's typical 178 recalls: 17, about 8.5x this model's typical 2 deaths reported in NHTSA complaints: 1 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 5 complaints reporting a fire: 7 Score: 15 of 100, where higher is better.
2010	3Gas	22	170	$2,850	17	262	0	157	SEATS 25%, AIR BAGS 14%, ENGINE 11%
complaints: 262, above this model's typical 178 recalls: 17, about 8.5x this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 9 complaints reporting a fire: 6 Score: 12 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.3 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014).
2011	3Gas	23	170	$2,700	16	147	0	219	ENGINE 31%, AIR BAGS 15%, SERVICE BRAKES 9%
complaints: 147, below this model's typical 178 recalls: 16, about 8x this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 4 complaints reporting a fire: 6 Score: 34 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.1 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014).
2012	3Gas	23	170	$2,700	15	105	0	232	ENGINE 19%, AIR BAGS 14%, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 13%
complaints: 105, below this model's typical 178 recalls: 15, about 7.5x this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 9 complaints reporting a fire: 5 Score: 32 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.4 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014).
2013	3Gas	23	no data	$2,700	12	77	0	235	ENGINE 28%, AIR BAGS 14%, SERVICE BRAKES 10%
complaints: 77, below this model's typical 178 recalls: 12, about 6x this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 11 complaints reporting a fire: 2 Score: 34 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.5 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014).
2014	3Gas	25	170	$2,600	2	403	0	403	SUSPENSION 17%, ENGINE 12%, AIR BAGS 10%
complaints: 403, about 2.3x this model's typical 178 recalls: 2, in line with this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 28 complaints reporting a fire: 3 Score: 17 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.4 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014).
2015	3Gas	25	170	$2,500	3	615	0	296	ENGINE 15%, AIR BAGS 12%, POWER TRAIN 11%
complaints: 615, about 3.5x this model's typical 178 recalls: 3, about 1.5x this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 34 complaints reporting a fire: 7 Score: 5 of 100, where higher is better.
2016	3Gas	25	170	$2,500	3	415	1	262	AIR BAGS 16%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 15%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 12%
complaints: 415, about 2.3x this model's typical 178 recalls: 3, about 1.5x this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 17 complaints reporting a fire: 3 Score: 5 of 100, where higher is better.
2017	3Gas	25	170	$2,600	1	588	1	252	AIR BAGS 22%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 14%, VISIBILITY/WIPER 14%
complaints: 588, about 3.3x this model's typical 178 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 28 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 20 of 100, where higher is better.
2018	3Gas	25	170	$2,600	3	498	1	227	VISIBILITY/WIPER 21%, AIR BAGS 15%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 13%
complaints: 498, about 2.8x this model's typical 178 recalls: 3, about 1.5x this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 9 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 6 of 100, where higher is better.
2019	1Gas	29	182	$2,150	3	833	0	306	VISIBILITY/WIPER 35%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 14%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13%
complaints: 833, about 14.1x this model's typical 59 recalls: 3, about 1.5x this model's typical 2 deaths reported in NHTSA complaints: 1 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 21 complaints reporting a fire: 11 Score: 0 of 100, where higher is better.
2020	1Gas	29	182	$2,150	0	602	0	252	VISIBILITY/WIPER 32%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 13%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13%
complaints: 602, about 10.2x this model's typical 59 recalls: 0, below this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 16 complaints reporting a fire: 9 Score: 25 of 100, where higher is better.
2021	1Gas	29	182	$2,150	0	209	0	191	VISIBILITY/WIPER 27%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 14%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 12%
complaints: 209, about 3.5x this model's typical 59 recalls: 0, below this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 8 complaints reporting a fire: 5 Score: 27 of 100, where higher is better.
2022	1Gas	29	182	$2,150	1	98	0	157	VISIBILITY/WIPER 15%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 13%, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 11%
complaints: 98, about 1.7x this model's typical 59 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 5 complaints reporting a fire: 6 Score: 45 of 100, where higher is better.
2023	1Gas	29	182	$2,150	1	74	0	127	UNKNOWN OR OTHER 19%, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 12%, VISIBILITY/WIPER 10%
complaints: 74, above this model's typical 59 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 6 complaints reporting a fire: 4 Score: 56 of 100, where higher is better.
2024	1Gas	29	182	$2,150	2	29	0	91	UNKNOWN OR OTHER 24%, AIR BAGS 19%, VISIBILITY/WIPER 14%
complaints: 29, below this model's typical 59 recalls: 2, in line with this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 1 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 72 of 100, where higher is better.
2025	2Gas, Hybrid	32	no data	$2,100	4	97	0	94	UNKNOWN OR OTHER 15%, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 10%, VISIBILITY/WIPER 10%
complaints: 97, below this model's typical 119 recalls: 4, about 2x this model's typical 2 deaths reported in NHTSA complaints: 1 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 6 complaints reporting a fire: 2 NHTSA advised parking the 2025 model year outdoors over fire risk Score: 2 of 100, where higher is better.
2026	2Gas, Hybrid	32	no data	$2,100	3	25	0	no data	UNKNOWN OR OTHER 19%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 16%, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 16%
complaints: 25, below this model's typical 119 recalls: 3, about 1.5x this model's typical 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 1 Score: 71 of 100, where higher is better.

How the numbers moved

Combined MPG, median1998: 20.5 to 2026: 32

Owner complaints1998: 101 to 2026: 25

How we score each year

We compare each year of the Subaru Forester to the model's own typical numbers, not to other cars. A year reads solid when its recalls, owner complaints, and federal investigations sit at or below what is typical for this model, mixed when some of those numbers run above typical, and avoid when they run far above it. Deaths, reported fires, and an NHTSA advisory to park outside count against a year no matter what this model's baseline looks like.

A year is scored only when NHTSA has both complaint and recall counts for it. Complaint data often lags for the newest years, so a recent year can read not enough data even while its recall count already shows in the table. When the history is too thin, we say not enough data instead of guessing. Service bulletins are routine maintenance guidance from the manufacturer and do not lower a year's score.

Scores run 0 to 100, higher is better. Recall, complaint, and investigation figures come from NHTSA records. Fuel economy, fuel cost, and horsepower figures come from the EPA, shown as the median across the year's trims.

Information is gathered on a best-effort basis from public sources, may be incomplete or out of date, and is not purchasing or financial advice. Verify with the manufacturer or dealer before buying.