Vehicle Data Hub

2025 Subaru Forester problems

Owners have filed 136 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Subaru Forester. Forward collision avoidance is the most reported problem area, at 15% of complaints. After that come wipers, windshield & visibility (15%) and fuel system (12%).

At a glance

Complaints
136 filed with NHTSA
Most reported
Forward collision avoidance 15% of complaints
Crashes and fires
19 and 2
Injuries and deaths
12 and 1
Typical mileage
3,000 miles 14 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

Complaints by mileage, 2025 Subaru Forester Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 3,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 14 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 0 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 0 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 0 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 0 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 0 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 0 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 0 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 0 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 0 complaints 200k+ miles: 0 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 3,000 miles
Based on 14 complaints that include mileage. 100% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.
View the numbers
MileageComplaints
0k to 20k miles14
20k to 40k miles0
40k to 60k miles0
60k to 80k miles0
80k to 100k miles0
100k to 120k miles0
120k to 140k miles0
140k to 160k miles0
160k to 180k miles0
180k to 200k miles0
200k+ miles0

What the data shows

Among the 14 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 3,000 miles.

Safety-related details: 19 complaints mention a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 12 injuries reported; 1 death reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 82% of model years in our database.

Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2025 ranks 10th most-complained-about out of 29 model years of the Subaru Forester with enough data (136 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 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.

Recently, my mother died in a car accident. A bystander reported that she was driving normally and then suddenly drove off the road. The police investigated and found that the conditions weren't likely to contribute to an accident. There was no immediate explanation for what happened. The car did catch fire as a result of the accident after it struck a tree. We just received a notice in the mail that states there's been a safety recall on the wheels of the 2025 Subaru Forrester that may contribute to accidents.

December 2024 CrashFireDeath

On Wednesday, May 6, the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle while traveling on I-270. After the impact, the vehicle continued down the highway lane and crashed into the highway divider. During the crash, the front hood opened and fumes/smoke came out from the front of the vehicle. Despite the severity of the collision and secondary impact with the highway divider, the airbags did not deploy. The failure of the airbags to deploy placed the driver at significant risk of injury during the crash.

May 2026 CrashFireInjury

The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to stop. The vehicle crashed into a nearby residential garage. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned as a total loss by the insurance company. The contact's wife was the only occupant in the vehicle.

Reported at 2,800 miles, May 2025 CrashInjury

The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that upon inspection, it was discovered that there were several dings and cracks on the front windshield of the vehicle. The contact stated that no objects had struck the windshield, and that the vehicle was mostly parked inside the garage. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer was not yet contacted.

Reported at 4,000 miles, August 2025

The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that a few days after the dealer had serviced the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V106000(Fuel System, Gasoline), the contact refueled the vehicle at the gas station. The contact stated that upon entering the store and returning to the vehicle, the contact noticed both a strong fuel odor and fuel leaking from the fuel tank onto the ground. The contact used soap and water to clean up the area.

Reported at 2,700 miles, July 2026

Other model years of the Forester

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