2026 Subaru Forester problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility/Wiper (6) · Structure:body (3) · Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings (3)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Subaru Forester model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (4)
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint 2026-10-19 · campaign 26V685000 · 8 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek and Forester vehicles. The castle nut on the left-front lower control arm ball joint may be improperly fastened, which can lead to the ball joint separating from the lower control arm.
Risk: A ball joint that separates from the lower control arm can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and replace the left-front lower control arm ball joint assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 16, 2026. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRI26.
Equipment:other:labels 2026-07-07 · campaign 26V436000 · 541,237 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2025-2026 Forester Hybrid, Forester, and 2019-2026 Ascent vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured with an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, "Tire selection and rims."
Risk: An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will mail a new certification label to owners, free of charge. Owners may also choose to have a dealer install the new label, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed August 27, 2026. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-26.
Visibility:sun/Moon Roof Assembly 2026-05-28 · campaign 26V346000 · 69,663 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Forester and Forester Hybrid vehicles. The sliding glass panel of the power moonroof assembly may have been improperly bonded to the sliding frame, allowing the glass panel to detach from the vehicle.
Risk: A detached glass panel may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the power moonroof glass panel for proper adhesion and, if necessary, replace the glass panel assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 6, 2026. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRF-26. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Structure:body:hatchback/Liftgate:hinge And Attachments 2025-12-18 · campaign 25V889000 · 5,603 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Forester vehicles. These vehicles may have been manufactured with an incorrect and/or incorrectly oriented rear hatch support bracket which can detach without prior warning.
Risk: A rear hatch support bracket that detaches can allow the rear hatch to fall unexpectedly during use and increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear hatch support brackets and, if necessary, replace the stay and support bracket, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 29, 2026. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-25. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 20, 2025.
Service bulletins (78)
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.
Power Train 2026-09-28 · SubaruNet Announcement (T · Other
this announcement provides information on an enhancement of the techshare cvt diagnostic assitance application.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-18 · 13-109-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
Electrical System 2026-09-18 · 18-244-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
"this bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following dtcs: dtc c1956: rh actuator circuit dtc c1957: lh actuator circuit"
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.
Showing the 6 most recent of 78 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-27 · Structure:body“at only 800 miles of ownership, the moonroof had a leak that allowed water penetration into the cabin.…”
2026-10-26 · Exterior Lighting · 7,000 mi“the contact owns a 2026 subaru forester. the contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, the headlights activated but failed to illuminate beyond 80 ft. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the headlight aim adjustment was low, and that an auto-headlight leveling beam computer system reinitialization was required. the …”
2026-10-25 · Unknown Or Other“just bought a 2026 subaru forester on august 30, 2026. it was a floor model. never used the moonroof or opened the sliding cover except for day 1 when showing my kids, and second time was today, october 23rd. noticed a big hairline crack. i can feel like crack from the outside, but not from the inside. the line is fine and thin starting from the fr…”
2026-10-24 · Visibility/Wiper“update to existing odi 11761974 - 2026 forester wilderness - wrf-26 power moonroof glass adhesion recall / 26v346000 component/system failed: power moonroof tracking assembly bonding area / roof panel paint. available for inspection upon request, garaged, unrepaired with exposed bare metal. on 08/18/2026 at 3364 miles dealer completed wrf-26 reca…”
2026-10-22 · Power Train“on thursday october 1st upon leaving work the dashboard and infotainment system glitched and rebooted while driving. i thought i was seeing things. i was stopping at a stop sign ad paying attention to the road. everything seemed fine at that point. on october 3rd while driving approximately 45 mph our 2026 subaru forester stalled and quit runnin…”
2026-10-19 · Service Brakes“mid-afternoon - clear day - dry pavement - cruise control set at 70+ mph on interstate 35. car suddenly detects obstacle and starts phantom breaking excessively. causes complete terror that we're about to hit something - only there was no obstacle to be found. alarm eventually shut off and after a few moments, i was finally able to accelerate again…”
2026-10-13 · Structure:body“i opened the hood all the way to add washer fluid. while doing so, the hood came crashing down on my head.…”
2026-10-12 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking“the pre-collision breaking system activated while i was driving 35mph on a straight road with no cars or obstacles present. there was enough force generated in the abrupt stop that the seatbelt locked and unsecured items were thrown to the floor. …”
2026-10-09 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 6,000 mi“the contact owns a 2026 subaru forester. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the engine sputtered before the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with an inoperable fuel pump. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure returned three weeks later. the vehicle was taken back to the same dealer. the dealer w…”
2026-10-07 · Unknown Or Other“the air-conditioning/hvac system repeatedly failed to cool and blew hot air. the vehicle was leased new on [xxx]; warm air returned within about two days. during a [xxx] round trip between portland and springfield, oregon, hot weather and hot air from the hvac left our two-year-old child red, hot to the touch and breathing rapidly. we were sweating…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.