Complaint volume
12 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2026 Subaru Forester Complaints
12 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2026 Subaru Forester, grouped by component category.
12 Total complaints
0 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
0 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are electrical system, forward collision avoidance, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity context
The enriched records we matched do not show crash, fire, injury, or fatality flags. Still check complaint summaries for repeated drivability, braking, electrical, or visibility symptoms.
Mileage limit
Mileage-at-failure is not available for enough matched complaints here. Ask for maintenance records and inspect wear items instead of relying only on complaint totals.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to electrical system, forward collision avoidance, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2026 Subaru Forester?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2026 Subaru Forester
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2026 Subaru Forester complaints?
0 Crash
0 Fire
0 Injury
0 Fatality
0 Towed
0 Medical attention
What are the most common 2026 Subaru Forester complaint categories?
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2
VISIBILITY 2
VISIBILITY/WIPER 2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1
12 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | 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! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | 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). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | VISIBILITY | Drivers side mirror vibrates making changing lanes a Safty issue as the approaching vehicle is not a clear visual to operator | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | [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) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | VISIBILITY | On the first day of receiving the car the windshield looked clear by day but it had little specks and lines like dust when driven at dusk and night of the first day it was driven. I brought it back to the dealer, they replaced it with a new one, and the problem persists. A clear windshield is much safer than one with specks. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Cell phone does not stay stable on the wireless charging pad. The phone will start to charge, but as soon as the vehicle moves, the phone bounces off the flat charging pad and no longer connects or charges. It’s distracting to try to reposition the phone as the car is moving. It has become a costly, not usable, feature. Have tried many phone cases and different types of phones to eliminate this as a possible problem. Nothing works. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |