2018 Subaru Forester problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility/Wiper (135) · Air Bags (49) · Electrical System (47)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Subaru Forester model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
242 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2021-07-29 · campaign 21V587000 · 175,968 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification 2019-10-03 · campaign 19V701000 · 366,282 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Equipment:other:labels 2018-07-10 · campaign 18V455000 · 3,654 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. The Certification Label may indicate the incorrect wheel size, tire size, and air pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (411)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-10-05 · SubaruNet Announcement (M · Other
this announcement provides information on a new software update for the midtronics dss and dca machines.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-18 · 13-109-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
Engine 2026-09-16 · 09-84-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin announces warranty extension and design changes made to the front exhaust pipe and covers to address the concerns of some customers regarding an odor or a rattle-type noise/fluttering sound coming from the undercarriage, during acceleration. this is an revised version of the original b
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-15 · SubaruNet Announcement (C · Other
this announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year subaru warranty coverages for wear items and adjustments.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-14 · 15-333-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Electrical System 2026-09-14 · 15-304-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of infotainment concerns. this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Showing the 6 most recent of 411 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-02 · Unknown Or Other“the air conditioning system began blowing warm or hot air. determined that the compressor failed and required replacement. vehicle was purchased new from the dealership in oct. 2018, with this issue arising at approximately 50k miles. this is apparently a common and known issue for 2018 subaru forester vehicles. this is a hazard in hot weather such…”
2026-10-02 · Air Bags“my srs airbag system warning light illuminated on the dashboard while driving. subaru dealership service department informed me that the passenger airbag system occupant detection technology failed and the airbag function was disabled. the repair required replacement of the entire seat bottom. …”
2026-09-30 · Air Bags · 100 mi“the contact owns a 2018 subaru forester. the contact stated that while driving, the passenger's side air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with ods failure. the contact was informed that the ods needed to be replaced. the manufacturer had covered the cost for the diagnostic test. the contact r…”
2026-09-22 · Unknown Or Other“the front passenger airbag of my subaru forester 2018 is deactivated, i brought my car to the subaru dealer in white plains, ny to check because i found out that there was a recall for malfunction of the airbag and i was told that i have to pay for it since the repair was already done, then, i have to pay for the repair ( see the estimated bill) …”
2026-09-17 · Steering“on july 31, 2026, i was driving with my daughter when the a/c compressor clutch seized up and experienced a catastrophic compressor failure that also blew out the expansion valve o-rings. the failure led to a total loss of engine power and control of the vehicle. the car would not start back up because the clutch was seized and the pulleys wouldn’t…”
2026-08-28 · Air Bags“the passenger occupant detection system (ods), including the occupant detection sensor system in the passenger seat, has malfunctioned. the srs/airbag warning light is illuminated. the vehicle produced diagnostic trouble codes b1650 and b1760. the affected passenger seat and components remain installed in the vehicle and are available for inspectio…”
2026-08-18 · Seats“airbag light came on - dealership confirmed it is an occupant detection system failure - wiring harness has gone bad. no history of moisture exposure, which would leave faulty part as the problem. similar to subaru recall from 2020 on heated passenger seats - this vehicle was not included in that recall, but is in the same year range and has heated…”
2026-08-09 · Fuel/Propulsion System“discovered (06/08/26) that the engine would not turn over without the accelerator being pushed down when warm from driving after resting 30-60 minutes. car was taken to capital subaru. no codes were triggered. the throttle body was cleaned. no change. the crankshaft position sensor was replaced, the ecu was reprogrammed, then the evap purge valve …”
2026-07-24 · Air Bags“- the passenger-side occupant detection system (ods) sensor, which is part of the supplemental restraint system (srs) airbag system, has failed. this component was previously replaced under a subaru safety recall completed in may 2020. the srs airbag warning light is now illuminated again, indicating a failure of the same system. the vehicle and fa…”
2026-07-19 · Seats“i brought my vehicle to an authorized subaru dealership (byers imports, llc in columbus, ohio) to diagnose the reason for the airbag warning lamp illuminating. the dealer had the manufacturer's wum-98 safety recall (nhtsa campaign number 19v701000) performed to remedy a defective occupant detection system (ods) sensor harness.despite the recall rem…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.