Recall campaigns by affected system, 2016–2024.
23V755000NHTSA report received November 2023Model years: 2022
NHTSA campaign 23V755000: Subaru Forester power train recall
Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
Consequence: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge.
23V754000NHTSA report received November 2023Model years: 2023–2024
NHTSA campaign 23V754000: Subaru Forester power train recall
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek, Impreza, 2023-2024 Forester, and 2023 WRX vehicles. The front driveshaft assemblies' outer race may develop cracks and break.
Consequence: A broken driveshaft can cause a loss of drive power while driving or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake engaged. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will inspect and replace the left and right front driveshafts as necessary, free of charge.
23V723000NHTSA report received October 2023Model years: 2024
NHTSA campaign 23V723000: Subaru Forester engine and engine cooling recall
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Forester vehicles. The engine water pipe may have loose attachment bolts, allowing the pipe to lose its seal and leak coolant.
Consequence: Leaking coolant can contact a hot exhaust pipe, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Subarus independent distributor processing facilities will tighten the water pipe attachment bolts.
21V587000NHTSA report received July 2021Model years: 2018
NHTSA campaign 21V587000: Subaru Forester fuel system recall
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.
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge.
21V263000NHTSA report received April 2021Model years: 2019
NHTSA campaign 21V263000: Subaru Forester suspension recall
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid, and 2019 Forester vehicles. The rear stabilizer bracket bolts may loosen and detach.
Consequence: Missing bolts may allow the rear stabilizer bracket to shift, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will retorque and replace any missing bolts, free of charge.
19V856000NHTSA report received December 2019Model years: 2019
NHTSA campaign 19V856000: Subaru Forester engine and engine cooling recall
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Crosstrek, Forester, and Ascent vehicles. The aluminum Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve can separate, allowing the separated components to enter the engine, resulting in a loss of power while driving.
Consequence: An unexpected loss of power while driving can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the PCV valve, free of charge.
19V701000NHTSA report received October 2019Model years: 2016–2018
NHTSA campaign 19V701000: Subaru Forester air bags recall
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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge.
19V149000NHTSA report received February 2019Model years: 2016
NHTSA campaign 19V149000: Subaru Forester exterior lighting recall
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Consequence: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge.
19V065000NHTSA report received February 2019Model years: 2019
NHTSA campaign 19V065000: Subaru Forester steering recall
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Forester and Crosstrek vehicles. A connector inside the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) unit may short circuit resulting in a loss of electric power steering assistance.
Consequence: Loss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): None of the affected vehicles have been sold yet.
18V455000NHTSA report received July 2018Model years: 2018
NHTSA campaign 18V455000: Subaru Forester tires recall
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."
Consequence: Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected label, free of charge.
16V162000NHTSA report received March 2016Model years: 2016
NHTSA campaign 16V162000: Subaru Forester engine and engine cooling recall
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.
Consequence: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct.
The same full inspection at every tier, at the seller’s location, with a photo-documented report:
Other compact SUVs to weigh against the Subaru Forester. Recall counts cover different model-year spans and are not a reliability ranking.
How many recalls does the Subaru Forester have?
As of NHTSA records retrieved 2026-08-27, NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns for the Subaru Forester, model years 2016–2024. A recall applies to specific VIN ranges, variants, trims or build dates, so a particular vehicle may be affected by all, some, or none of them, and a campaign count is not a reliability ranking. Whether an open recall is a safety risk depends on the campaign, so read the NHTSA entry for the VIN. Each campaign below shows the remedy NHTSA records, which may be a dealer or service-center repair, an over-the-air software update, or, for some campaigns, a repurchase. This page details the most recent campaigns; the full record for any VIN is at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What should an inspector check on a used Subaru Forester?
Beyond the standard pre-purchase checks, the recall history for this model concentrates in: engine and engine cooling, power train, exterior lighting, air bags, fuel system, tires. An inspector documents the visible and operational condition of those systems without disassembly; internal parts, software-only issues and whether a recall remedy was performed are VIN-lookup questions, not inspection findings.
Can a pre-purchase inspection tell me whether a Subaru Forester recall was done?
No. Whether a recall repair was performed is recorded against the VIN, so NHTSA's lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls (or the manufacturer's own) is the authoritative check. Run it before you travel. The inspection covers what a VIN lookup cannot: the physical condition of the vehicle in front of you.
Can you inspect a Subaru Forester at a dealer, a private seller, or out of state?
Yes. The inspector usually travels to the vehicle at the seller's location — a dealer lot or a private seller — and you do not need to be there. Vehicle Inspectors dispatches an independent inspector within 50 miles of any US ZIP code, widening to 150 miles if needed; more remote locations are quoted case by case. You get a photo-documented PDF report in 24–48 hours.
How much does a Subaru Forester pre-purchase inspection cost?
A pre-purchase inspection of a Subaru Forester through Vehicle Inspectors: Bronze $249 · Silver $349 · Gold $449. Your card is saved at booking, not charged. A hold is placed when an inspector schedules, and you are charged after the inspection is completed. If no inspector accepts within 72 hours, the request auto-cancels and nothing is charged.
Vehicle Inspectors matches buyers with independent inspectors nationwide. Local pages for cities with active inspectors:
