2010 Subaru Forester problems
Owners have filed 307 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Subaru Forester. Seats is the most reported problem area, at 25% of complaints. After that come air bags (14%) and engine (13%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 307 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Seats 25% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 29 and 8
- Injuries and deaths
- 12 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 60,000 miles 236 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 41 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 35 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 41 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 34 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 42 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 18 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 12 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 4 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 5 |
| 200k+ miles | 3 |
What the data shows
Among the 236 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 60,000 miles. For seats specifically, the median reported mileage is about 80,000 miles (68 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 29 complaints mention a crash; 8 complaints mention a fire; 12 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2010 ranks 11th most-complained-about out of 29 model years of the Subaru Forester with enough data (135 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 17 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 subaru forester. The contact shifted into reverse and the vehicle abnormally accelerated backward, crashing into a building. A police report was filed and a bystander was reported as injured. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was then taken to an independent repair shop where the body damage was repaired. Approximately one month later the failure recurred, again upon shifting the vehicle into reverse.
Subaru was slowing to a stop behind a chevrolet suburban when it was struck from behind by a mercedes SUV. The mercedes was traveling at approximately 30 - 35 MPH. The subaru was driven into the rear of the suburban causing the subaru's airbag to deploy. The impact site of the airbag was in the chest area and not the face. Upon arrival, the medics and firemen noted that the seat belt was totally deployed and were unable to retract it into the pillar.
The body control module - which is held in place by double-stick tape(!) - dropped from its place under the dashboard and obstructed the brake pedal. It took 20 feet to figure out that there was something in the way of the brake pedal and get my foot around and under it and stop the car. Fortunately I was in a fairly empty parking garage and driving 15 MPH. Had I been driving on the highway at speed people could have died.
Besides corrosion of brakes in recent recall, body paint behind each wheel is corroding since 2013. Furthermore, subaru issued the brake corrosion recall letter #1 to a company that is not the registered owner!!!