Subaru Forester 2019–2024
5th generation (SK)
NHTSA data through 12 August 20262,457 complaints, 952 with mileageMethod
On this generation, 69% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 18 times higher than during the rest of the car's life.
- First 12,000 miles — 69% of all failures
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 10%
- 500
- 25%
- 2,100
- Median
- 7,392
- 75%
- 15,000
- 90%
- 30,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 565 | 59.3% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 207 | 21.7% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 79 | 8.3% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 53 | 5.6% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 15 | 1.6% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 10 | 1.1% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 10 | 1.1% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 5 | 0.5% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 2 | 0.2% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 1 | 0.1% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 1 | 0.1% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 2 | 0.2% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 1 | 0.1% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 1 | 0.1% |
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 2,457 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019–2024 Subaru Forester, and 952 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
69% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 18 times higher than during the rest of the car's life. Failures clustered that early usually indicate a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear.
The most-reported areas are visibility/wiper (29.9% of complaints, typically around 6,000 miles), problems owners could not categorise (13.7% of complaints, typically around 6,000 miles), the electrical system (11.6% of complaints, typically around 6,000 miles).
6 recall campaigns cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Visibility/wiper6,000median 6,000 miles, middle half 2,000 to 11,000
- Problems owners could not categorise6,000median 6,079 miles, middle half 2,000 to 14,000
- Electrical system6,000median 6,000 miles, middle half 1,000 to 20,000
- Engine23,000median 23,000 miles, middle half 6,500 to 36,000
- Forward collision avoidance12,000median 12,000 miles, middle half 5,000 to 16,000
- Visibility equipment14,000median 14,000 miles, middle half 6,000 to 29,000
- Transmission and driveline11,000median 11,426 miles, middle half 3,000 to 30,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper | 734 | 29.9% | 6,000 | 2,000–11,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 337 | 13.7% | 6,000 | 2,000–14,000 |
| Electrical system | 285 | 11.6% | 6,000 | 1,000–20,000 |
| Engine | 228 | 9.3% | 23,000 | 6,500–36,000 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 181 | 7.4% | 12,000 | 5,000–16,000 |
| Visibility equipment | 107 | 4.4% | 14,000 | 6,000–29,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 91 | 3.7% | 11,000 | 3,000–30,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 78 | 3.2% | 11,000 | 2,500–26,000 |
| Lane departure | 62 | 2.5% | — | — |
| Brakes | 57 | 2.3% | 12,000 | 9,000–22,000 |
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 7,392 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
Visibility/wiper accounts for 29.9% of complaints (734 reports, 416 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 6,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,000 and 10,700 miles.
A single system taking 29.9% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 13.7% of complaints (337 reports, 114 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 6,079 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 1,900 and 14,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 11.6% of complaints (285 reports, 68 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 6,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 1,000 and 20,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 9.3% of complaints (228 reports, 33 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 23,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 6,500 and 35,600 miles.
Forward collision avoidance accounts for 7.4% of complaints (181 reports, 21 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 12,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 5,000 and 16,000 miles.
Visibility equipment accounts for 4.4% of complaints (107 reports, 97 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 14,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 6,000 and 29,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2019 model year drew the most — 1,084 complaints — while 2024 drew the fewest at 38. The median year sits at 211.
That makes 2019 an outlier: roughly 5.1 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 6 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the transmission and driveline (2), the engine and its cooling system (2), the suspension (1). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
Of the 2,457 complaints filed against this generation, 161 reported a crash; 64 reported a fire; 97 reported an injury; 1 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 6.6% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 69% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.
On inspection, visibility/wiper and problems owners could not categorise are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Visibility/wiper in particular shows a median failure mileage of 6,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Documented problems
Fuel Pump 2019
Denso low-pressure fuel pump impeller can crack and deform, causing the pump to fail and the engine to stall without warning; NHTSA recall covering MY2019 Subaru vehicles including the Forester.
Glass 2019–2024
Continued windshield cracking complaints from minor impacts.
Electrical 2019–2024
Parasitic 12V battery drain producing repeat no-start conditions, frequently associated with infotainment and telematics modules failing to sleep.
Powertrain (generation Context) 2019–2024
The turbocharged option disappeared entirely for the US market in this generation, and no manual transmission was offered. Every US 2019-2024 Forester is FB25D plus CVT, which makes this generation unusually homogeneous for analysis. A MY2022 facelift added the Wilderness trim.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1,084 | 552 |
| 2020 | 802 | 329 |
| 2021 | 285 | 41 |
| 2022 | 137 | 18 |
| 2023 | 111 | 11 |
| 2024 | 38 | 1 |
Recalls (6)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 23V755000 | 2024-01-08 | Power Train:automatic Transmission:park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch |
| 23V754000 | 2024-01-08 | Power Train:driveline:driveshaft |
| 23V723000 | 2023-11-22 | Engine and Engine Cooling |
| 21V263000 | 2021-05-17 | Suspension:rear |
| 19V856000 | 2020-01-31 | Engine and Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:crankcase (pcv) |
| 19V065000 | 2019-02-07 | Steering:electric Power Assist System |
What owners reported
I leased this car late march 2019 and from day one i smelled a gasoline like odor when turning on the car for the first 5 to 10 min. I've had BMW forn10 years and Subaru is new to me. I thought the smell was normal because it's a 4WD. At my last vehicle service at Subaru i mentioned the smell to them. They ultimately…
2019 · Fuel and propulsion system
Homelink, the in car operation for garage door openers changed creating what i believe to be a hazard. The current version only operates with the ignition on while previous models did not have this requirement. I contacted Subaru and their reply was "working as intended". My point is this, how many people might now…
2019 · 10 miles · Problems owners could not categorise
Windshield is defective and easily damaged. First damaged occurred on november 24, 2019 with 4501 miles driven. A small pebble struck the windshield resulting in a small star burst crack while the car was in motion. Second damaged occurred on march 15, 2020 with 8,651 miles driven. A stress crack from the…
2019 · 15 miles · Visibility/wiper
The homelink garage door opener does not function when the ignition is off. This could be a dangerous situation for a woman, driving into her garage, shutting off the engine, then getting out of the car to walk to the front of the garage where the wall button is located. The driver, knowing that the opener is…
2019 · 20 miles · Electrical system
Built from 952 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page