2020 Subaru Forester: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 791 complaints
791
Total Complaints
6,000mi
Median Mileage
Visibility/Wiper
Top Issue
44
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

1,900 25th Percentile
6,000 Median Mileage
12,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Visibility/Wiper
252
Unknown Or Other
104
Electrical System
94
Engine
70
Windshield
46
Power Train
30
Automatic Emergency Braking
26
Vehicle Speed Control
21
Warnings
18
Service Brakes
13

Severity Assessment

44
Crashes
11
Fires
35
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I OWNED MY 2020 FORESTER FOR LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AND I GOT A CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET GOING LESS THAN 30 MILES PER HOUR. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING HIT MY WINDSHIELD, BUT HEARD A CRACK AND SAW THE CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD."
"PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS ARE NOT ENABLED WITH A PERSON SITTING IN THE SEAT USING A SEAT BELT EXTENDER. THERE ARE FLAWS ON THE SOFTWARE THAT IDENTIFY THE PASSENGER ACTIONS ENTERING THE CAR, WHEN THE SEAT BELT IS FASTENED AND WHETHER OR NOT A SEAT BELT EXTENDER HAS BEEN USED. IF A SEAT BELT EXTENDER IS..."
"PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS ARE NOT ENABLED WITH A PERSON SITTING IN THE SEAT USING A SEAT BELT EXTENDER. THERE ARE FLAWS ON THE SOFTWARE THAT IDENTIFY THE PASSENGER ACTIONS ENTERING THE CAR, WHEN THE SEAT BELT IS FASTENED AND WHETHER OR NOT A SEAT BELT EXTENDER HAS BEEN USED. IF A SEAT BELT EXTENDER IS..."

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 252 complaints
25th: 1,700 mi Median: 5,000 mi 75th: 8,048 mi
Unknown Or Other 104 complaints
25th: 1,200 mi Median: 6,000 mi 75th: 13,000 mi
Electrical System 94 complaints
25th: 1,000 mi Median: 2,000 mi 75th: 6,850 mi
Engine 70 complaints
25th: 15,500 mi Median: 29,300 mi 75th: 36,338 mi
Windshield 46 complaints
25th: 4,800 mi Median: 12,500 mi 75th: 26,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 134 NY: 66 PA: 44 IL: 36 TX: 34 WA: 33 NJ: 32 OH: 27 FL: 26 VA: 26

Who Files Complaints?

1%
Original Owners
99%
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
201777363
201866053
2019108163
202126728
202213211
20239410
2024344
20258213

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

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