Model year record

2018 Subaru Forester

3 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 687 owner complaints on file.

Subaru Forester, 2014–2018 generation
Pictured: the 2014–2018 generation. Artyom Svetlov, CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 21V587000

Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump

Component
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
Manufacturer
Subaru of America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
175,968
Reported to NHTSA
2021-07-29
Owners notified
2021-09-24

Defect description

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Safety risk

Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.

Recall campaignNHTSA 19V701000

Air bags: sensor: occupant classification

Component
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification
Manufacturer
Subaru of America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
366,282
Reported to NHTSA
2019-10-03
Owners notified
2020-02-11

Defect description

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.

Safety risk

If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUM-98.

Recall campaignNHTSA 18V455000

Equipment: other: labels

Component
Equipment: other: labels
Manufacturer
Subaru of America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
3,654
Reported to NHTSA
2018-07-10
Owners notified
2018-07-26

Defect description

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. The Certification Label may indicate the incorrect wheel size, tire size, and air pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

Safety risk

Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected label, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTS-78.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Visibility/wiper13518,000 mi
Air bags9812,000 mi
Unknown or other848,115 mi
Electrical system697,100 mi
Engine3219,000 mi
Seats299,000 mi
Vehicle speed control2918,000 mi
Steering257,900 mi
Power train213,800 mi
Fuel/propulsion system196,000 mi
Visibility: windshield1830,000 mi
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification179,000 mi
Suspension1510,000 mi
Service brakes1335,000 mi
Structure: body1312,000 mi
Seat belts107,100 mi
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger79,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)6160 mi
Lane departure: assist53,000 mi
Wheels52,500 mi
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking4—
Exterior lighting2—
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control28,000 mi
Forward collision avoidance: warnings2—
Fuel system, gasoline238,000 mi
Lane departure: blind spot detection22,909 mi
Lane departure: warning2—
Power train: automatic transmission: internal: CVT247,000 mi
Tires220,000 mi
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module112,000 mi
Air bags: SRS malfunction warning lamp/light1135,000 mi
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera15,000 mi
Back over prevention: warnings165,000 mi
Carry handle, shell, base1—
Electrical system: 12V/24V/48V battery1—
Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator177,978 mi
Forward collision avoidance: sensing system: camera1300 mi
Seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler194,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic13,800 mi
Structure12,500 mi
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal119,000 mi
Visibility150,000 mi
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system: compressor1—
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system: condensor/evaporator1—
Visibility: rear window wiper/washer127,000 mi
Wheels: hub177,409 mi

The 2017 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. The 2019 model has about half as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Other Subaru Forester model years

All Subaru Forester recalls by year

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.