Reliable Auto DB

2016 Subaru Forester reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 414 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru Forester over 11 years — 30 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Forester years here — under the median of the other years, which is 36. 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

414

Per year

30

Recalls

3

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (99 of 414), then Electrical system (93) and Engine (60). Those filings include 40 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 15 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Forester has 613 complaints, 47 per year, and the 2017 has 586 complaints, 67 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

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 2016 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 (414 total)

Air bags
99
Electrical system
93
Engine
60
Powertrain
51
Speed control
37
Service brakes
29
Fuel and propulsion system
24
Seats
23
Visibility and wipers
20
Steering
19
Wheels
17
Suspension
14
Structure
11
Electronic stability control (ESC)
8
Forward collision avoidance
8
Exterior lighting
6
Seat belts
6
Visibility
3
Tires
2
Back-over prevention
1
Lane departure
1
Show 13 more Show less
Crash-flagged

40

Fire-flagged

3

Injury reports

15

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

42015302016192017362018802019632020362021402022392023292024202025182026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owned a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while at a complete stop with her foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated without warning and crashed into a fire hydrant. While the foot was…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-22
  • "While driving, the car will beep and display a warning that the SRS system is malfunctioning. It will then turn passenger airbags off, even when there is a passenger sitting in the seat. I took the car in to Subaru of…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-09-16
  • "We purchased a used car for my [XXX] daughter on August 4th. of this year. On her trip to [XXX] on XXX., appoximently 5pm, the drivers side rear wheel fell off, causing damage to the wheel, lugs, shocks, caliper and…"
    Suspension, Powertrain, Wheels · filed 2026-09-14
  • "Vehicle reported an SRS Passenger problem intermittently, as displayed on the dashboard, the car's information system, and a diagnostic trouble code (the car's aftermarket radio is connected to the OBD-II connector and…"
    Air bags, Seats · filed 2026-08-29
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the rear wheels of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was…"
    Wheels · filed 2026-08-19

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 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 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S8) All-wheel drive 23 27 25 MPG $3200
Forester all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) All-wheel drive 24 31 27 MPG $2400
Forester all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed All-wheel drive 22 28 25 MPG $2600

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 2015 Subaru Forester Next year 2017 Subaru Forester See every Subaru Forester model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Subaru Forester reliable?

Owners have filed 414 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru Forester over 11 years — 30 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Forester years here — under the median of the other years, which is 36. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Occupant classification, Switch, and Turbocharger.

What are common problems with a 2016 Subaru Forester?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (99 of 414), then Electrical system (93) and Engine (60). Those filings include 40 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 15 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Subaru Forester more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Forester has 613 complaints, 47 per year, and the 2017 has 586 complaints, 67 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Subaru Forester been recalled?

The 2016 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 2016 Subaru Forester?

Owners have filed 414 complaints about the 2016 Subaru Forester with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Subaru Forester get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 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).