Reliable Auto DB

2025 Subaru Forester reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 93 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Subaru Forester over 2 years — 47 per year. It is too early to rank against other Forester years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Labels, Child seat, and Wheels.

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

93

Per year

47

Recalls

3

Years on the road

2

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (13 of 93), then Visibility and wipers (13) and Forward collision avoidance (10). The most filings arrived in 2026 (49 of 93). Those filings include 11 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, 6 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2024 and 2026

The 2024 Forester has 29 complaints, 10 per year, and the 2026 has 0 complaints, 0 per year.

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 2025 Subaru Forester. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall Labels 2026-07-07 · NHTSA campaign 26V436000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2025-2026 Forester Hybrid, Forester, and 2019-2026 Ascent vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured with an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, "Tire selection and rims."
Remedy Subaru will mail a new certification label to owners, free of charge. Owners may also choose to have a dealer install the new label, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed August 27, 2026. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-26.
Recall child seat 2025-06-19 · NHTSA campaign 25V419000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2025 Forester vehicles. The child seat anchor bolts may have been improperly tightened, allowing the bolts to come loose.
Remedy Dealers will inspect the child seat anchor bolts and, if necessary, tighten the bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 15, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRC-25.
Recall Wheels 2025-01-23 · NHTSA campaign 25V033000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2025 Forester vehicles equipped with 18" aluminum alloy wheels. The wheels may have been manufactured with an incorrectly specified lug seat surface, which can result in the wheel being improperly attached and cause a loss of vehicle stability.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the wheels, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 28, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRB-25.

Complaints by component (93 total)

Fuel and propulsion system
13
Visibility and wipers
13
Forward collision avoidance
10
Electrical system
8
Exterior lighting
8
Visibility
7
Service brakes
5
Speed control
5
Air bags
4
Back-over prevention
4
Fuel system, gasoline
4
Powertrain
4
Wheels
4
Engine
3
Chest clip, buckle, and harness
1
Child seat
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Lane departure
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Seat belts
1
Seats
1
Steering
1
Structure
1
Suspension
1
Show 16 more Show less
Crash-flagged

11

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

6

Death reports

1

Complaints filed per year

72024372025492026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Driving in middle lane on i-87 heading towards albany (around it), car alarmed (flashed a red box on dashboard) and then the AEB braked for shadows in front and caused cars to swerve behind us with semi trucks getting…"
    Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-09-14
  • "The radio/HVAC system in the 2025 Subaru Forester has a major delay problem which causes the unit to freeze and not accept user input, delay connectivity, and HVAC conteol, and volume comtrol/on/off, etc. This can take…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-14
  • "I recently noticed that the metal lip and outer cap area of my fuel filler neck is rusting. This isn't just a cosmetic issue this is the exact surface where the gas cap needs to seal to keep the fuel system airtight.…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-10
  • "Sunroof cracked completely on its own while vehicle was parked. No surface impact, chip, marking or exterior imperfection in the glass was present. There were small air bubbles in the pane mould around the corner where…"
    Structure · filed 2026-08-18
  • "Noticeable noise after oil change and tire rotation that became progressively worse over time. Constant humming/growling noise from the rear that increases in volume and intensity with speed. Noticeable at 40 mph and…"
    Wheels · filed 2026-08-18

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2025 SUBARU FORESTER HYBRID SUV AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2025 SUBARU FORESTER SUV AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2025 Subaru Forester Wilderness SUV AWD Not rated 5 stars 5 stars Not rated

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 Automatic (AV-S8) All-wheel drive 26 33 29 MPG $2250
Forester hybrid all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S6) All-wheel drive 35 34 35 MPG $1850
Forester Sport/Touring all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S8) All-wheel drive 25 32 28 MPG $2300
Forester Wilderness all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S8) All-wheel drive 25 28 26 MPG $2500

Specs and fitment

6th generation, 2025–present
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 synthetic (2.5L; 5W-30 if 0W-20 unavailable) , 5.1 qt capacity
Tire size 235/50R19, 225/55R18, 225/60R17 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 1,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 25V033000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2025 Forester vehicles equipped with 18" aluminum alloy wheels. The wheels may have been manufactured with an incorrectly specified lug seat surface, which can result in the wheel being improperly attached and cause a loss of vehicle stability. A loss of vehicle stability increases the risk of a crash. Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the wheels, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 28, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRB-25. When NHTSA lists multiple Subaru nameplates in one campaign, the published unit count is shared across them.

Compare

Previous year 2024 Subaru Forester See every Subaru Forester model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2025 Subaru Forester reliable?

Owners have filed 93 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Subaru Forester over 2 years — 47 per year. It is too early to rank against other Forester years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Labels, Child seat, and Wheels.

What are common problems with a 2025 Subaru Forester?

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (13 of 93), then Visibility and wipers (13) and Forward collision avoidance (10). The most filings arrived in 2026 (49 of 93). Those filings include 11 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, 6 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Is the 2025 Subaru Forester more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2024 Forester has 29 complaints, 10 per year, and the 2026 has 0 complaints, 0 per year.

Has the 2025 Subaru Forester been recalled?

The 2025 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 2025 Subaru Forester?

Owners have filed 93 complaints about the 2025 Subaru Forester with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2025 Subaru Forester get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2025 Subaru Forester is 29.5 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).