Subaru / Forester / 2023

2023 Subaru Forester problems

Owners have filed 111 complaints about the 2023 Subaru Forester with NHTSA. Forward collision avoidance accounts for 14.4% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of visibility/wiper at 9.9%. A further 18.0% were filed without a specific system named.

Complaints111

Crashes11

Fires7

Injuries6

Deaths0

What owners report breaking

Unknown or other 18.0% · 20

Forward collision avoidance 14.4% · 16

Visibility/wiper 9.9% · 11

Air bags 6.3% · 7

Electrical system 6.3% · 7

Lane departure 6.3% · 7

Vehicle speed control 5.4% · 6

Engine 4.5% · 5

Severity

Of those complaints, 11 describe a crash, 7 describe a fire and 6 report an injury.

Reading the numbers

Across the 23 model years of the Subaru Forester in this data, 2023 draws comparatively few complaints; 2019 is the outlier year.

Filings are rising — 91 in the last three years against 20 in the three before. For a vehicle this age that usually points to a wear-related failure owners are hitting now.

The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 9,000 miles.

In owners' own words

Just replaced my winshield for my 2023 suburu, first off safelite uses after market, also I haven't had the car for more than 3 months, the next day the winshield was hit with another pebble causing another crack. Like what the hell is the matter with these winshields and what is suburu go8ng to do about it. I'm missing work, and losing money here, not only that it's very dangerous to drive with these winshields. Visibility/wiper

In three years I've had the Automatic Emergency Braking system engage and almost cause accidents several times. The breaking system engages when it's not needed. Going down a road driving straight at 25 MPH, no obstacles in road and breaks engage. Verry scarry, what if I was going 65 MPH on the highway! Another incident was on an off ramp in a curve, and another making a U-turn. This is not ok! Service brakes

I was driving on a two lane highway in the mountains and came around a small right-veering turn in the road. I straightened out the wheel to resume traveling straight, and my carâs auto-steer kicked in and pulled left into the center divider, and then right across two lanes and crashed into the side of the mountain. The auto-steer has pulled me out of lanes prior to this incident as well. Lane departure

Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Safety recalls

Checking NHTSA for open recalls…

Other Subaru Forester years

2018 678 complaints · 19.9% visibility/wiper 2019 1,084 complaints · 34.1% visibility/wiper 2020 807 complaints · 31.2% visibility/wiper 2021 285 complaints · 26.7% visibility/wiper 2022 140 complaints · 15.7% forward collision avoidance 2025 126 complaints · 11.9% forward collision avoidance

Compare all 23 model years →