Reliable Auto DB

2015 Subaru Forester reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2015 Subaru Forester has 613 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 47 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Forester years here — over the median of the other years, which is 28. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Occupant classification, Switch, and Turbocharger.

2012 Subaru Forester
Photo by TTTNIS, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC0
Complaints

613

Per year

47

Recalls

3

Years on the road

12

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (131 of 613), then Air bags (101) and Powertrain (95). Those filings include 53 that report a crash, 7 that report a fire, and 26 that report an injury.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 Forester has 403 complaints, 27 per year, and the 2016 has 414 complaints, 30 per year. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2015 Subaru Forester. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall air bags, sensor, occupant classification 2019-10-03 · NHTSA campaign 19V701000
Summary 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.
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 exterior lighting, brake lights, switch 2019-02-28 · NHTSA campaign 19V149000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.
Recall engine and cooling, engine, gasoline, turbocharger 2016-03-21 · NHTSA campaign 16V162000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.
Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTA-62.

Complaints by component (613 total)

Engine
131
Air bags
101
Powertrain
95
Electrical system
82
Speed control
70
Suspension
66
Fuel and propulsion system
55
Service brakes
34
Visibility and wipers
23
Seats
22
Structure
20
Wheels
20
Steering
19
Exterior lighting
15
Electronic stability control (ESC)
14
Seat belts
9
Forward collision avoidance
8
Engine and engine cooling
5
Tires
5
Visibility
5
Equipment
2
Lane departure
2
Adaptive and mobility equipment
1
Air brakes
1
Back-over prevention
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Traction control
1
Show 21 more Show less
Crash-flagged

53

Fire-flagged

7

Injury reports

26

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

720144720154520164220175320181312019812020572021492022462023222024202025132026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I was parking at the dentist office in their parking lot going slow, turned into a parking space and thought i was slowly braking but my car lunged forward and hit a tree. I would normally be minimally braking, so I'm…"
    Structure, Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2026-07-13
  • "The contact's spouse owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop or at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle hesitated and failed to accelerate as intended. The…"
    Hydraulic brakes, Powertrain · filed 2026-07-07
  • "The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side air bag warning light illuminated, and the air bag module warning light was illuminated. The…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-07-01
  • "Codes for B1760 and B1650 present, intermittent SRS light for the passenger airbag. Passengers put at risk in event of crash. SRS sensor issues seem to be common for this vehicle according to online databases and…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-06-27
  • "2 REAR WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED ON LOW MILAGE VEHICLE.ALTHOUGH CAR IS 10 YEARS OLD IT IS WELL MAINTAINED AND HAS 57K MILES ON OD.nEVER DRIVEN OFF ROAD OR IN WATER. PERHAPS WORSE THREE STUDS AND LUGS HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE…"
    Wheels · filed 2026-06-23

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2015 Subaru Forester SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Forester all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed All-wheel drive 22 28 25 MPG $2600
Forester all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) All-wheel drive 24 31 27 MPG $2400
Forester all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S8) All-wheel drive 23 27 25 MPG $3200

Specs and fitment

4th generation (SJ), 2014–2018
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 synthetic (2.5L; 5W-30 if 0W-20 unavailable) , 5.1 qt capacity
Tire size 225/60R17, 225/55R18 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 1,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 21V587000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that 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. Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. 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. When NHTSA lists multiple Subaru nameplates in one campaign, the published unit count is shared across them.

Compare

Previous year 2014 Subaru Forester Next year 2016 Subaru Forester See every Subaru Forester model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Subaru Forester reliable?

The 2015 Subaru Forester has 613 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 47 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Forester years here — over the median of the other years, which is 28. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Occupant classification, Switch, and Turbocharger.

What are common problems with a 2015 Subaru Forester?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (131 of 613), then Air bags (101) and Powertrain (95). Those filings include 53 that report a crash, 7 that report a fire, and 26 that report an injury.

Is the 2015 Subaru Forester more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 Forester has 403 complaints, 27 per year, and the 2016 has 414 complaints, 30 per year. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

Has the 2015 Subaru Forester been recalled?

The 2015 Subaru Forester has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2015 Subaru Forester?

Owners have filed 613 complaints about the 2015 Subaru Forester with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Subaru Forester get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Subaru Forester is 25.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Subaru Forester use?

0W-20 synthetic (2.5L; 5W-30 if 0W-20 unavailable)

What does NHTSA recall 19V-007 cover on the Subaru Forester?

NHTSA safety recall 19V007000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that subaru of America, Inc.

What generation is the 2013 Subaru Forester?

3rd generation (SH) (2012-2013).