2021 SUBARU FORESTER

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    glass and windshield

    88 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    90
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=22, median 4,500 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "WITH LESS THAT 800 MILES I CAUGHT A CHIP IN THE WINDSHIELD, SAFELITE REPAIRED THAT CRACK AND FILLED IT, THEN LATER THAT NIGHT WITH NO CARS AROUND ME ANOTHER ROCK HITS THE WINDSHIELD AND IT'S GOT A HUGE CRACK...THE CAR IS A 2021 WITH LESS THAT 800 MILES ON AND…"~805 mi, complaint #1726858
    • "WHILE PARKED AT WORK, MY WINDOW CRACKED ABOUT 10-12' RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. IT LOOKS LIKE IT FORMED FROM A SMALL PIT IN THE WINDOW. EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS MAYBE 5 WEEKS OLD, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE A BUNCH OF THESE SMALL PITS ALL OVER THE WINDOW WHICH COULD…"~1,750 mi, complaint #1733657
    • "I HAVE OWNED THE CAR ONLY SINCE NOV AND ON MY FIRST ROAD TRIP LAST MONTH THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING HOME TO NEW ORLEANS FROM MOBILE, AL. A COLD FRONT WAS COMING THROUGH AND IT WAS RAINING. WE DROVE FROM A WARMER AIR MASS INTO THE COLDER AIR BEHIND T…"~2,000 mi, complaint #1732406
    • "I PURCHASED MY 2021 SUBARU FORESTER IN LATE NOVEMBER 2020. ON THE MORNING OF 2/24/2021 I DISCOVERED THAT MY WINDSHIELD HAD A CRACK. I WAS NOT DRIVING. IT STARTED AT THE BOTTOM CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD AND WENT UP FROM THERE. IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN FROM AN IMP…"~4,500 mi, complaint #1740111
    • "The contact's wife owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that a diagonal crack had formed on the bottom driver’s side of the windshield without incident. The contact then stated that the crack rapidly spread to the upper driver’s side of the windshie…"~8,500 mi, complaint #1807446
  2. #2

    engine stall or no start

    1 stranded, 17 unsafe

    18
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic signal, the vehicle stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while drivin…"~32,000 mi, complaint #2142848
  3. #3

    battery and charging

    8 stranded, 2 unsafe

    10
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "THE CAR IS TWO MONTHS OLD AND THE BATTERY DIED (NOTHING WAS LEFT ON)! "~6,252 mi, complaint #1725406
  4. #4

    unintended acceleration

    10 unsafe

    10
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=8)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, she shifted the gear shifter into reverse(R) and the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration and lunged backward, crashing into another vehicle. Additionally, th…"~7,000 mi, complaint #1837616
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal and attempting to park in the driveway, the vehicle excessively independently accelerated in speed. The brake pedal failed to stop the vehicle and the vehicle was shif…"~10,000 mi, complaint #1858247
    • "The contact owned a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that his wife attempted to turn into a parking lot while her foot depressed on the brake pedal, the vehicle jolted into acceleration, ultimately crashing into two parked vehicles at 5 MPH. The front…"~39,500 mi, complaint #2081025
  5. #5

    adas collision warning

    9 unsafe

    9
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle stopped independently and failed to respond to the brake or accelerator pedal being depressed. The vehicle was turned off and restarted…"~34,000 mi, complaint #1930758
  6. #6

    wiring harness

    6 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The batteries drained overnight 3 times within 7 months after the purchase of the new vehicle. Battery was jumped each time by Subaru Roadside Assistant. The dealer checked the battery and it was fine. It is the electrical (CAN) problem that drained the batter…"complaint #1763210
    • "I have had the wiring in my 2021 Subaru Forrester having to be replaced 2 times - once in front of car, once in fuel parts - due to Rodents eating the wiring. I have been told by Subaru Customer Service staff that the wiring is Soy Based. Subaru has a Class Ac…"complaint #1782315
    • "The wiring system fails when the wiring - SOY BASED - is eaten by rats. SUBARU refuses to take responsibility for this. My car has less the 9500 miles and has had over $3500.00 work done to replace the wiring eaten by Rodents as this is considered "my fault?."complaint #1783201
    • "My dealer diagnosed issues with my car as: the gasket around my sunroof failed and allowed water to infiltrate the cabin and the electrical system over time. This caused corrosion in the electrical harness, which caused battery failure, failure of the adaptiv…"complaint #2068375
    • "After arriving home from a short drive to the grocery store I parked my car in the drive way and went inside. On the drive home I could hear a low humming coming from the speakers and the car was decelerating when the accelerator was not being pressed, no war…"complaint #2122356
  7. #7

    adas lane keeping

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "On 08/23/2022 while driving on a four lane city street, light rain, moderate traffic, at about 35 mph, the car suddenly lost forward speed, depresssing the accelerator move rpm to over 3000, with continued loss of forward speed, until suddenly the drive train…"complaint #1836470
    • "My Forester needed new tires at 13,250 miles. I had my tires rotated and that is when Subaru noticed the worn tires. I called Subaru Corporate and they informed me that do not replace tires. I bought new tires and then went to have a wheel alignment. The t…"complaint #1869341
    • "Was stopped at traffic light. Start Stop system was engaged. Engine turned off as normal. When I took my foot off the brake the engine did not engage and the Eyesight warning light came on that the Eyesight system was not functioning. Put the car in park and e…"complaint #2082334
    • "While driving on I-17 Southbound near mile marker 311 at approximately 75 mph, I experienced a sudden and dangerous malfunction of the Lane Keep Assist (Auto-Steer) system in a 2021 Subaru Forester. The feature was active at the time and unexpectedly veered th…"complaint #2108636
    • "I was going down a highway using the lane keeping assistance feature. Suddenly the vehicle stopped following the road and ran me into a ditch. I was able to steer back onto the road, but if the ditch had been deeper I believe there would have been a rollover a…"complaint #2132255
  8. #8

    other

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Design flaw-2022 Subaru Forester, Antenna placements inside body of car result in pacemaker interference and make it impossible to drive in and avoid. Antennas are built into frame of car and cannot be disabled to accommodate for disabled persons who have imp…"complaint #1806069
    • "On my 2021 Subaru Forester the rear passenger wheel well rubber cover came loose during travel. This has happened on my wife's 2019 subaru forester on the driver rear, and the one on the passenger rear is coming loose. The part was slapping against the side o…"complaint #1838806
    • "We’ve been using our Gold Revolve 360 car seat in rear facing for 14 months with our daughter who just turned two on August 19th. After normal wear, no car accidents and removing the carseat from the vehicle only a handful of times for sleepovers at grandparen…"complaint #1924507
    • "To whom this may concern, My name is [XXX] . I was the owner of a 2021 Subaru Forester. I bought this car brand new and I loved this car. One of the biggest reasons I bought a Subaru is because of the multiple safety features the car has. I've had this car for…"complaint #1989687
  9. #9

    software or update

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My vehicle is equipped with automatic start/stop system. In early 2024, I began having issues with sluggish restart during the start/stop cycle. I took it into the dealer at that time, who stated it required a software update and charged the battery. The i…"complaint #2100152
    • "My Subaru has an auto start/stop. I was at a complete stop, making a left-hand turn, and my car completely shuts off with the following message: For safety, auto restart disabled; eyesight with a \ through the words, put car in park and restart vehicle. In the…"complaint #2147410
    • " My Subaru Forester has a significant safety defect. If my web searches are representative this software problem affects multiple models and years of Subaru. I have addressed this problem with the local dealer, Subaru America, and Subaru Japan and have been…"complaint #2206952
    • "My 2021 Subaru Forester has a recurring, worsening defect in the Idle Stop/Start (ISS) system that creates a stalling hazard. When ISS shuts the engine off at a stop, the engine intermittently fails to restart when I try to move again. It cranks progressively…"complaint #2222041
  10. #10

    acceleration loss or hesitation

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "On 04/02/2022, several minutes after having filled the gas tank, I was driving at about [REDACTED ADDRESS] road at constant throttle, when the engine suddenly lost power for several seconds before it regained acceleration. There was a pickup truck following…"~12,500 mi, complaint #1809090
  11. #11

    engine cooling

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Thermo control valve failed at about 42000 miles on 2021 Subaru Forester Premium, on 1/1/24. Owned 3 yrs 1 mo. Car was parked at work. Immediately after car was started up for return commute -- check engine light was on, ADAS systems ("Eyesight") disabled,…"complaint #1957137
    • "Thermo control valve defective. Not informed one week ago when I purchased car at end of lease. Problem known to Subaru since 2019 or sooner. Would not have purchased if I had been notified about this major problem "complaint #1999340
    • "The Thermo Control Valve failed and the engine overheated in April 2025. The car has only been driven 1,200 miles since then and the engine failed at 65,000 miles likely due to the TCV failure and engine damage."complaint #2112024
  12. #12

    suspension arms and bushings

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that on two separate occasions while driving below 35 MPH, the sway bar fractured and detached from the subframe of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the de…"~26,000 mi, complaint #1839529
  13. #13

    brake pads and rotors

    1 unsafe, 1 broken

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My brake rotors warped at 6900 miles. They were resurfaced and covered under warranty. The shop indicated that because I washed my wheels in the course of a 4 minute car wash 3 blocks from my house that I caused them to warp. The symptoms included very rusty v…"complaint #1866310
    • "Brake Rotor and Pad issues at 20K, 30k, 40k, and 66k- eventually replace OEM parts with aftermarket Duragold parts. Rotors had severe damage at every 10k interval with gauged Metal on rotor "complaint #2109344
  14. #14

    door latch and hinge

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "When I bought my car I was assured that it was impossible to lock the keys inside the car. Typically I put my dog in a special car harness and buckle him into the middle of the back seat. He's 77 lbs. and tall. It's a bit of a project to get him all set. I'm l…"complaint #1847137
    • "While driving on the highway on 8/15/24, the rear driver's side door randomly opened. The warning/indicator light came on, as well as the overhead lights. I also immediately was able to hear extra road noise coming from that side and could clearly see through…"complaint #2016624
  15. #15

    engine internal

    1 stranded, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Vehicle began surging during acceleration. Dealer stated that the Engine Intake Valves had carbon deposits that were causing performance issues including poor fuel economy, increased emissions and running concerns. The valves required a cleaning to correct the…"complaint #2119817
    • "On January16,2026 while driving from Houston,TX to Austin TX the vehicle experienced a complete loss of power on Highway 71 W. We were traveling at approximately 70 MPH when the engine completely failed. We were forced to immediately pull over onto a narrow sh…"complaint #2170121
  16. #16

    fuel tank and lines

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Vehicle was parked and idling unoccupied for under 5 minutes when an extremely noxious, hot blast of fumes came from underneath the back. Black smoke immediately entered the passenger cabin through the vents and flames were visible in the engine compartment an…"complaint #1970025
    • "While driving this car on April 4, 2026 at around 6PM, I experienced the distinct smell of gasoline. I had driven for about [REDACTED ADDRESS] to a local restaurant that is approximately an [REDACTED ADDRESS] from our residence. My wife said that she had jus…"complaint #2197686
  17. #17

    power windows and locks

    2 broken

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while trying to roll up vehicle windows from driver sits and passenger sit they would roll up to 3/4th all the way up and they would roll back down after. The contact stated this was a recurrin…"~22,500 mi, complaint #2223401
  18. #18

    tire failure

    1 stranded, 1 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "This is our 3rd Subaru Forester from Corpus Christi Tx dealer HICKs. During the past six months we have had the stem valves in the tires replaced 4 times.I said to the Manager that there appears to be a systemic issue , the run may be defective and requested t…"complaint #1854150
    • "Tire size: P225/60R/17 98T Was driving around a roundabout @ about 25mph. There was a "Bang" and the right front tire went instantly flat. At no time did the vehicle either hit an object on the road or a curb. Vehicle was pulled over immediately. Ther…"complaint #1948109
  19. #19

    transmission automatic

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The vehicle gets a shudder at different speeds and it feels like it's either the transmission is slipping or its coming from the motor but it NEVER THROWS a Trouble Code so as the dealership says if its not throwing a trouble code they can't diagnose it until…"complaint #1778343
    • "At 40936 the valve body needed to be replaced. With such low milage vehicle is having problems."complaint #2053018
  20. #20

    airbag system

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owned a 2021 Subaru Forester Sport. The contact stated while driving at 75 MPH, the front end of the vehicle crashed into a small deer. The air bags did not deploy. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact's friend who was occupying…"~20,000 mi, complaint #1818939
  21. #21

    control module

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "On 8/12/15, I had stopped at a stoplight. When the light changed and I attempted to move forward with traffic, the Eyesight Disabled warning came on and my car completely stalled and refused to move. The car prompted me to put it into park, I attempted this an…"complaint #2120357
  22. #22

    infotainment head unit

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My vehicle starlink infotainment system does not work. This is a safety hazard because it prevents drivers from using their back up cameras and this car has many blind spots. This also frustrates drivers and causes distraction as navigation is not available. T…"complaint #1960856
  23. #23

    lighting exterior

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I believe Low Beam Head lights must be carefully inspected in low light environments, when driving at around 60mph at [REDACTED ADDRESS] where you cannot use high beam lights, the sight is clear at the sides of the road but its to low down at at the speed driv…"complaint #1825863
  24. #24

    parking brake

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Car was parked on driveway (6 degree slope to rear) Car was placed in park Driver exited car to go into house when she came out car had rolled down the driveway to hit another car parked across street rear facing bot cars had rear damage. The same thing hap…"complaint #1841837
  25. #25

    starter

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Automatic start/stop fails to turn car on - intermittent. Taken it to Subaru detailer miltiple times and paid for services to correct the issue, but the issue persists. Fist time - replaced the battery in July 2025. 2nd time, went on a ride along for 1 hour, i…"complaint #2192580
  26. #26

    steering electric assist

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "driving on [XXX] in NJ on [XXX] at approximately [XXX] my car just stopped in traffic and steering locked up and all lights came on dashboard along with a constant beeping sound-I was in the middle of a four lane highway traveling south-I could not get out of…"complaint #2126951
  27. #27

    suspension struts shocks

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Top bolt on strut fell out. Caused wheel to collapse and bent drive axle."complaint #1755903
  28. #28

    transmission cvt

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "We purchased a 2021 Subaru Forester Touring SUV on [XXX] at the El Cajon Subaru dealer and this July, I experienced the transmission (CVT) inadvertently shift from drive to neutral twice in one day. This was a concern to me and after I did research online,…"complaint #2117901
  29. #29

    wiper and washer

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Intermittently, wipers do not function, even after 2 repairs. The first time, (3 weeks after vehicle purchase) after driving approximately 5-10 minutes in the rain, the wipers (front and rear) stopped working. After approximately 10 minutes, function resumed.…"complaint #1776174

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for SUBARU FORESTER directly.