"How reliable is the 2018 Subaru Forester?"

"Based on 660 NHTSA complaints, the 2018 Subaru Forester has a median complaint mileage of 14635 miles. The most common issue is Visibility/Wiper."

"What are common problems with the 2018 Subaru Forester?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2018 Subaru Forester is Visibility/Wiper, accounting for a significant portion of the 660 total complaints filed."

2018 Subaru Forester: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 660 complaints

660

Total Complaints

14,635mi

Median Mileage

Visibility/Wiper

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

6,000 25th Percentile

14,635 Median Mileage

29,730 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Visibility/Wiper

135

Air Bags

Unknown Or Other

Electrical System

Engine

Vehicle Speed Control

Seats

Steering

Power Train

Windshield

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"THE SUBARU (NAV) NAVIGATION SYSTEM IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD NOT BE USED. IT GIVES YOU NO ADVANCE WARNING OF UPCOMING HIGHWAY EXITS OR UPCOMING TURNS. THE NAV SYSTEM WILL EASILY BE THE CAUSE OF SEVER LIFE THREATENING ACCIDENTS DUE TO ITS POOR OPERATIONAL ABILITY TO SAFELY GIVE CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN ..."

"WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MILES AN HOUR ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY, I WAS GOING AROUND A SLIGHT CURVE WHEN THE LANE ASSIST CAME ON. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND NOT NEAR THE LEFT LINE IN ROAD, BUT CENTERED IN THE MIDDLE OF LANE. I HEARD ONE BEEP AND THEN THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY LOOSE IN MY HAND AND IT TOO..."

"BRAND NEW VEHICLE. DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE AT 55MPH AND MADE A SLIGHT LEFT TURN AT A BEND IN THE ROAD, WELL WITHIN THE CLEARLY PAINTED LANE MARKERS. CLEAR WEATHER, TEMP ABOUT 50 DEGREES F. HEARD ONE BEEP AND LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING FOR A SECOND WHILE THE CAR STEERED ITSELF SLIGHTLY LEFT. MY ..."

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.

Visibility/Wiper 135 complaints

25th: 8,992 mi Median: 18,000 mi 75th: 29,562 mi

Air Bags 87 complaints

25th: 6,375 mi Median: 13,279 mi 75th: 28,417 mi

Unknown Or Other 81 complaints

25th: 2,650 mi Median: 10,001 mi 75th: 18,000 mi

Electrical System 64 complaints

25th: 3,454 mi Median: 7,100 mi 75th: 34,500 mi

Engine 31 complaints

25th: 12,375 mi Median: 20,000 mi 75th: 38,500 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 81 NY: 53 FL: 35 CO: 33 TX: 32 NJ: 30 PA: 28 VA: 26 WI: 22 GA: 22

Who Files Complaints?

1.1%

Original Owners

98.9%

Second+ Owners

Subaru Forester — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1998	138	98,000	Vehicle Speed Control	9
1999	156	72,000	Automatic Transmission	6
2000	95	80,000	Wheel Bearing	7
2001	169	60,000	Vehicle Speed Control	39
2002	109	93,000	Vehicle Speed Control	29
2003	238	85,000	Fuel System, Gasoline	28
2004	268	96,000	Fuel/Propulsion System	19
2005	105	80,000	Suspension	23
2006	121	51,000	Vehicle Speed Control	20
2007	89	59,187	Suspension	16
2008	67	87,950	Suspension	8
2009	228	60,000	Air Bags	25
2010	305	60,000	Seats	28
2011	195	54,000	Engine	41
2012	139	42,513	Engine	22
2013	94	47,000	Engine	17
2014	575	50,000	Suspension	84
2015	883	42,206	Engine	89
2016	601	39,000	Air Bags	77
2017	773	30,000	Air Bags	63
2019	1081	8,743	Visibility/Wiper	63
2020	791	6,000	Visibility/Wiper	44
2021	267	8,250	Visibility/Wiper	28
2022	132	2,900	Visibility/Wiper	11
2023	94	9,000	Unknown Or Other	10
2024	34	-	Unknown Or Other	4
2025	82	2,750	Visibility/Wiper	13

Active Recalls (3)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Fuel Pump

Campaign 21V587000 | 29/07/2021

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

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.

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.

Tires

Campaign 18V455000 | 10/07/2018

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

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.

Maintain Visibility

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Replace wiper blades every 6-12 months
Keep the washer fluid reservoir full — use winter-rated fluid in cold climates
Clean the inside of the windshield quarterly to reduce glare
Address windshield chips immediately — they spread with temperature changes

Vehicle Rankings

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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