2017 Subaru Forester: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 773 complaints
773
Total Complaints
30,000mi
Median Mileage
Air Bags
Top Issue
63
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

16,000 25th Percentile
30,000 Median Mileage
46,050 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Air Bags
150
Visibility/Wiper
103
Electrical System
101
Unknown Or Other
94
Engine
46
Power Train
39
Vehicle Speed Control
33
Seats
29
Occupant Classification
25
Steering
24

Severity Assessment

63
Crashes
1
Fires
34
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"DRIVER SIDE VENTS ARE BLOWING WARM AIR WHEN AIR CONDITIONER IS TURNED ON. ONLY 1400 MILES ON SINCE I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW LAST MONTH 8/6/16."
"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CONTROL MODULE SCREEN REFLECTED LIGHT ONTO HER FACE WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT'S VISION WAS IMPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,200."
"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CONTROL MODULE SCREEN REFLECTED LIGHT ONTO HER FACE WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT'S VISION WAS IMPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,200."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Air Bags 150 complaints
25th: 17,966 mi Median: 30,000 mi 75th: 45,000 mi
Visibility/Wiper 103 complaints
25th: 15,000 mi Median: 31,000 mi 75th: 45,641 mi
Electrical System 101 complaints
25th: 19,935 mi Median: 38,000 mi 75th: 48,500 mi
Unknown Or Other 94 complaints
25th: 12,000 mi Median: 30,000 mi 75th: 41,000 mi
Engine 46 complaints
25th: 8,500 mi Median: 17,650 mi 75th: 41,550 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 95 NY: 65 PA: 41 CO: 33 NJ: 33 VA: 32 MD: 32 AZ: 31 WA: 30 IL: 26

Who Files Complaints?

0.5%
Original Owners
99.5%
Second+ Owners

Subaru Forester — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
19981389
19991566
2000957
200116939
200210929
200323828
200426819
200510523
200612120
20078916
2008678
200922825
201030528
201119541
201213922
20139417
201457584
201588389
201660177
201866053
2019108163
202079144
202126728
202213211
20239410
2024344
20258213

Active Recalls (1)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Occupant Classification
Campaign 19V701000 | 03/10/2019
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.
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.

Airbag Safety

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

  • Check for open airbag recalls at NHTSA.gov using your VIN
  • Never ignore the airbag warning light — get it diagnosed immediately
  • Don't install aftermarket steering wheel covers that block the airbag
  • Keep the area around airbag deployment zones clear of accessories

Vehicle Rankings

Most complained Worst transmissions Worst engines Worst brakes Most crashes Compare vehicles

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28