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Owner complaints, NHTSA recalls and a reliability grade for each model year, from public NHTSA data. Pick a year:
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the Subaru Forester are highest for the 2019 model year (834) and lowest for 2024 (30). The worst three-year run in this table is 2018–2020, with 1,934 complaints. The complaint area that most often tops a year’s list is Visibility/wiper (5 of 11 years). Newer model years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare years of a similar age.
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Top complaint area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 98 | 3 | Unknown or other |
| 2024 | 30 | 2 | Unknown or other |
| 2023 | 74 | 1 | Unknown or other |
| 2022 | 100 | 1 | Visibility/wiper |
| 2021 | 210 | 0 | Visibility/wiper |
| 2020 | 602 | 0 | Visibility/wiper |
| 2019 | 834 | 3 | Visibility/wiper |
| 2018 | 498 | 3 | Visibility/wiper |
| 2017 | 590 | 1 | Air Bags |
| 2016 | 415 | 3 | Air Bags |
| 2015 | 615 | 3 | Engine |
Counts are a snapshot of NHTSA data from October 2026 (distinct owner complaints and recall campaigns). Open a year for the current numbers, the recalls and the most common problems.
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