Owners have filed 28 complaints
about the 2026 Subaru Forester with NHTSA between 2026 and 2026.
The largest single group is the driver assist & collision avoidance.
Across this model's run it ranks 29 of 29 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 5
Against the median year of the Subaru Forester. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
How 2026 compares with every other Subaru Forester
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2026 Subaru Forester
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
932.1%
Windows, Mirrors & Wipers
621.4%
Electrical System
414.3%
Other & Unspecified
310.7%
Fuel & Propulsion
27.1%
Doors, Latches & Locks
13.6%
Median failure at 1,000 miles
Acceleration & Cruise Control
13.6%
Body & Structure
13.6%
Transmission & Drivetrain
13.6%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Mar 2026peak 8Sep 2026
Recalls on the 2026 Subaru Forester
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
United States — NHTSA
26V436000
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
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.
26V346000
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
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.
25V889000
STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
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.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 202632928,461 units in Canada
Label
Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label lists an incorrect gross axle weight rating (GAWR). This could lead you to overload the vehicle, which could cause poor handling or a tire failure. Note: For the Forester model, this recall affects both gas and hybrid models. For the Crosstrek model, only the Crosstrek Hybrid model is affected. Safety Risk: Poor handling or a tire failure could cause a loss of control and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Subaru will mail a new compliance label to each owner. If you'd like help to install the label, you can contact a Subaru dealer to have it installed free of charge.
Recall 20260773,005 units in Canada
Fuel System
Issue: On certain vehicles, the fuel filler cap gasket may not seal properly to the housing. As a result, fuel could leak from the fuel filler neck. Note: This recall only affects certain hybrid model vehicles. Safety Risk: A fuel leak can create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: To reduce the safety risk, Subaru recommends keeping the fuel tank below 50% capacity until the recall repairs have been completed. Subaru will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the fuel filler cap gasket.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Exeter, NH
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I was pulling into a handicapped parking spot at the grocery store, turning right into it, and was almost stopped, with my right foot on the brake, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated at top speed, surging over the median strip, flattening the "Handicapped Parking" sign, and racing ahead into the street beyond. I drove forward and turned left back into the parking lot and parked the car. The flattened parking lot sign ripped the front panels off the car. I went into the grocery store and asked if we needed to call the police, and they said no, and that they would replace the sign. The two store managers helped m by putting the ripped off front, plastic panels into the back seat and advised me to take the car to the dealer to address the damage. My foot was on the brake when this unexpected acceleration occurred. I was extremely lucky that this did not happen when I was breaking at a stop light; if it had, I would have soared out into moving traffic and probably been killed.
NHTSA complaint #11763914 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was pulling into a handicapped parking spot at the grocery store, turning right into it, and was almost stopped, with my right foot on the brake, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated at top speed, surging over the median strip, flattening the "Handicapped Parking" sign, and racing ahead into the street beyond. I drove forward and turned left back into the parking lot and parked the car. The flattened parking lot sign ripped the front panels off the car. I went into the grocery store and asked if we needed to call the police, and they said no, and that they would replace the sign. The two store managers helped m by putting the ripped off front, plastic panels into the back seat and advised me to take the car to the dealer to address the damage. My foot was on the brake when this unexpected acceleration occurred. I was extremely lucky that this did not happen when I was breaking at a stop light; if it had, I would have soared out into moving traffic and probably been killed.
NHTSA complaint #11763914 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sandy Hook, VA
VISIBILITY/WIPER
While the vehicle was stationary and off, the rear windshield shattered and fell in the vehicle for the second time in just over 3 weeks.
NHTSA complaint #11762577 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Meridianville, AL
STRUCTURE:BODY
"My 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness is subject to safety recall Campaign 26V346000 for moonroof adhesive failure. A yellow chemical fluid leaked out from the driver's side moonroof seal assembly and ran down the body panel, burning completely through the factory clear coat down to bare metal. While the fluid is not actively dripping at this exact moment, Landers McLarty Subaru explicitly documented on Invoice #401063: 'YELLOW FLUID COMING OUT OF DRIVERS SIDE OF SUNROOF CAUSING DAMAGED TO PAINT.' Despite this permanent written diagnosis from their own dealer network, Subaru of America is denying all liability and refusing to repair the vehicle, leaving the sheet metal exposed to rapid corrosion."
NHTSA complaint #11761974 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Boulder, CO
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
When I am driving forward, or turning, sometimes the car automatically beeps very loud and puts on the breaks and the car in front of me is far away. It’s stressful and problematic. It doesn’t seem like an effective feature. This has happened like 10 times
NHTSA complaint #11758790 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Boulder, CO
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
When I am driving forward, or turning, sometimes the car automatically beeps very loud and puts on the breaks and the car in front of me is far away. It’s stressful and problematic. It doesn’t seem like an effective feature. This has happened like 10 times
NHTSA complaint #11758790 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When I am driving forward, or turning, sometimes the car automatically beeps very loud and puts on the breaks and the car in front of me is far away. It’s stressful and problematic. It doesn’t seem like an effective feature. This has happened like 10 times
NHTSA complaint #11758790 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2026 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was parked after fueling, the fuel door failed to latch as needed, especially when it was extremely hot outside. The contact poured cool or cold water on the fuel door to latch it securely. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the locking mechanism for the fuel tank door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
NHTSA complaint #11757716 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sandy Hook, VA
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I closed the driver's door, and the rear windshield shattered and collapsed into the vehicle. No known defects were known prior to the incident. Animals or contents in the rear compartment could have been cut by the shattered glass. The vehicle is only 4 months old. The rear windshield will be replaced by an independent glass company. We live in a very rural area, and park well away from the road. There were no storms since the previous use of the vehicle. Thus, no damage prior to the glass shattering.
NHTSA complaint #11757019 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Plainview, NY
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
When filling my tank for the first time, I pumped the gas slightly after the "pop" from the handle. When I did this, fuel poured out of my gas tank onto me, my car, and the gas station. My VIN is not listed but my vehicle model is. Please advise.
NHTSA complaint #11756014 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Uncasville, CT
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Twice within a month. the Eyesight front collision braking system suddenly activated in traffic while passing through a signal light showing green when the car in front made a right turn onto an adjacent street. My vehicle was clear of the car that had turned right and could continue to proceed through the light without incident. The Eyesiight system activated and caused a near-miss potential rear end collision situation between my car and the cars following behind me.
NHTSA complaint #11755786 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Twice within a month. the Eyesight front collision braking system suddenly activated in traffic while passing through a signal light showing green when the car in front made a right turn onto an adjacent street. My vehicle was clear of the car that had turned right and could continue to proceed through the light without incident. The Eyesiight system activated and caused a near-miss potential rear end collision situation between my car and the cars following behind me.
NHTSA complaint #11755786 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lansing, MI
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I was merging into a road in Windsor, Ontario on July 3/4. I was nowhere near another vehicle. There was a LARGE gap between myself in any other cars. I am always extra cautious being out of country and driving. The automatic brakes kicked on and told me I had an obstruction ahead and would not let me control the vehicle. I was stopped turning into the middle of a five-lane road without control of my vehicle. This was incredibly dangerous. Luckily, it was only a few seconds and I had time to move before other cars got to me but it was a much closer call than it should have been.
NHTSA complaint #11750448 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rutland, VT
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Got in the car around 8am. Sat down, shut the door and then BOOM! The rear hatch glass shattered into a thousand pieces. Nothing touched nothing hit it , it just shattered. Luckily no one was in the back seat. Brought it to the dealer. Interesting , at the exact time I pulled into the dealer another Forestef arrived with the EXACT SAME problem!
NHTSA complaint #11746658 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Thousand Oaks, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Brand new 2026 Forester's factory amplifier system completely failed within a week from purchasing at approximately 570 miles, disabling hands-free communication. California law strictly requires drivers to use phones in a hands-free manner. Drivers are prohibited from holding or physically touching their phone for any reason while operating a vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11743631 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Thousand Oaks, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Brand new 2026 Forester's factory amplifier system completely failed within a week from purchasing at approximately 570 miles, disabling hands-free communication. California law strictly requires drivers to use phones in a hands-free manner. Drivers are prohibited from holding or physically touching their phone for any reason while operating a vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11743631 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Conover, NC
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Infotainment center had popup ad about Sirius xm trial ending soon and a phone number to call to extend. Had to hit small x in the corner to disable while vehicle in motion or have no access to air, radio controls, or see map.
NHTSA complaint #11741969 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Charlotte, NC
VISIBILITY/WIPER
In early April 2026 I after washing the auto I noticed a chip in the windshield on the passenger side. I was shocked-normally if the windshield is hit hard enough to chip the drive notices it-I am the only drive and I was totally unaware of any such strike (auto had about 2000 miles on it). Then, May 30th as I exited a highway midway up the ramp going ~40-45 mph behind another auto going the same slow speed with 1-1.5 car length between us, something struck my windshield and immediately the strike had clearly broken the windshield just below the driver's direct line of sight and put a thorough 'star' the size of a nickel coin. There did not appear to be any debris on the road nor off or out of the auto in front of me. (There was not a vehicle ahead of that auto that would have generated this strike.) I feel I may be unsafe in this auto if its windshield cannot hold up under minor strikes such as this. When I called the auto repair center recommended by my automobile dealer they told me they’d already had 14 Subaru windshields call to schedule repairs this week (it was only Tuesday. This is a modest sized single location windshield repair shop).
NHTSA complaint #11742094 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Middletown, NY
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
Drivers side mirror vibrates making changing lanes a Safty issue as the approaching vehicle is not a clear visual to operator
NHTSA complaint #11741542 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
University Place, WA
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I was working on fitting a cargo box on the crossbars the dealer had recently installed and noticed a milky white discoloration and moisture in the front driver's corner of the moonroof. I arranged for an appointment at the dealer who confirmed the glass had delaminated. They happened to have a replacement in stock and replaced it under warranty.
NHTSA complaint #11740854 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Babcock Ranch, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The gps/map display, displays the wrong speed, on some traffic circles it directs me to go around in the wrong direction. The auto vehicle uses the speed limit from the installed map to display the speed limit on the main dash between the tach and speedometer. Both conditions could easily cause and accident. Contacted the manufacturer, the corporate headquarters, my dealership where I purchased the vehicle, and Tomtom in the Netherlands. None will assist in the correction of the issue. Tomtom did commit to investing the issue after I gave them the specific locations, but they closed my record/complaint file. On fb, I see a good many people complain about the same issues and also that they can't get sny help from the dealership, like me, to resolve the issue. Please help the all consumers to be able to purchase a new car that is functioning as advertised and to be confident that they will be safe when driving the highways.
NHTSA complaint #11738456 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Jersey City, NJ
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
[XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] VIA CERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Compliance Division (NVS-210) 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 Wednesday, May 6, 2026 RE: SAFETY DEFECT COMPLAINT – 2026 Subaru Forester VIN: [XXX] Honorable, Eileen Sullivan Associate Administrator, Enforcement I am filing this formal safety defect complaint regarding my 2026 Subaru Forester. A pedestrian incident occurred on February 2, 2026, in which the vehicle failed to warn or brake automatically when a pedestrian crossed in front of my car. Additionally, the Subaru EyeSight system does not remain enabled between ignition cycles. Every time I start the car, I must manually re-engage the system. Consequently, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) is not active by default during ordinary driving and will reverts to off (not remain enable) when I am driving . I believe this poses an unreasonable risk to pedestrian and occupant safety. I am aware of prior investigations (e.g., NHTSA Action Number PE23010 and related lawsuits) involving Subaru EyeSight failures, including lack of braking for obstacles. Vehicle Information: Year: 2026 Make: Subaru Model: Forester VIN: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11736419 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
[XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] VIA CERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Compliance Division (NVS-210) 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 Wednesday, May 6, 2026 RE: SAFETY DEFECT COMPLAINT – 2026 Subaru Forester VIN: [XXX] Honorable, Eileen Sullivan Associate Administrator, Enforcement I am filing this formal safety defect complaint regarding my 2026 Subaru Forester. A pedestrian incident occurred on February 2, 2026, in which the vehicle failed to warn or brake automatically when a pedestrian crossed in front of my car. Additionally, the Subaru EyeSight system does not remain enabled between ignition cycles. Every time I start the car, I must manually re-engage the system. Consequently, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) is not active by default during ordinary driving and will reverts to off (not remain enable) when I am driving . I believe this poses an unreasonable risk to pedestrian and occupant safety. I am aware of prior investigations (e.g., NHTSA Action Number PE23010 and related lawsuits) involving Subaru EyeSight failures, including lack of braking for obstacles. Vehicle Information: Year: 2026 Make: Subaru Model: Forester VIN: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11736419 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Missoula, MT
POWER TRAIN
Vehicle stopped at light,auto start stop engine off,stepped on gas to go engine didn’t restart,my passenger and I jumped out and grabbed a Noco GB40 jump box I carry and jump started car,we were on a road trip out of town and could not wait for the dealership so finished our trip with the auto start stop turned off and if we had a problem starting used the jump box.
NHTSA complaint #11735341 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Missoula, MT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle stopped at light,auto start stop engine off,stepped on gas to go engine didn’t restart,my passenger and I jumped out and grabbed a Noco GB40 jump box I carry and jump started car,we were on a road trip out of town and could not wait for the dealership so finished our trip with the auto start stop turned off and if we had a problem starting used the jump box.
NHTSA complaint #11735341 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.