2020 Subaru Forester problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 601 owner complaints about the 2020 Subaru Forester, or 88.5 per year on the road — far more complaints than typical (complaint index 2.19, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 83 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #75 of 83 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Subaru models its rate is 144% higher; against other Compact SUVs it is 47% higher.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2019-10-28 and 2026-10-08. Median delay from incident to filing: 5 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2019) drew 107.1 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2021) drew 36.3 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2020 model collected 306 complaints, 444% higher than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Body & structure (50.6% of complaints), followed by Engine (13.8%) and Unspecified or other (11.5%). Body & structure complaints are 5.6 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 29 reports (4.8%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 16 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 21 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (29% of incidents). In the last 12 months 22 new complaints were filed, versus 32 in the 12 months before — down 31%.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles2.19
- vs. other Subaru models2.44
- vs. other 2020 models2.35
- vs. other Compact SUVs1.47
- Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (306)5.44
- #75 of 83 · 2020Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Problem areas: Body & structure · Electrical · Unspecified or other · Engine · Airbags & seat belts · Transmission / powertrain · Driver-assist systems · Brakes · Fuel system · Wheels, tires & suspension
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 26
- Fires reported: 9
- Injuries: 16
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 21 months
What owners report
Smoke and fire occurred in the engine and spread into the car while the car was being driven. The car has not been inspected yet.
While driving my girfriend's 2020 Subaru Forester on August 11, 2026 at approximately 65 to 70 mph, I struck a deer on a highway.
Experienced parasitic battery drain which disabled the vehicle. The drain is tied to a 30 amp fuse labeled "BACKUP" under the hood of the vehicle. This fuse controls the touchscreen, backup camera, interior lights, key fob and radio.
Three times within 30 minutes on short drive, the engine stalled at stop sign or stop light. The car had a half tank of gas, and at the same time as the engine stalled, the miles remaining until empty display showed an anomalous 0.3miles to empty reading.
**Component or System:** Subaru EyeSight Driver Assist System (specifically the Pre-Collision Throttle Management system). **Incident Description & Warning Messages:** There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms of any problem prior to this failure.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2020 · Compact SUVs
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Mazda CX-5 | 107 | 15.8 | 0.39 |
| 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan | 141 | 20.8 | 0.52 |
| 2020 Jeep Compass | 143 | 21.1 | 0.52 |
| 2020 Kia Sportage | 162 | 23.9 | 0.59 |
| 2020 Hyundai Tucson | 178 | 26.2 | 0.65 |
| 2020 Nissan Rogue | 210 | 30.9 | 0.77 |
| 2020 Chevrolet Equinox | 313 | 46.1 | 1.14 |
| 2020 Jeep Cherokee | 324 | 47.7 | 1.18 |
| 2020 Honda CR-V | 439 | 64.7 | 1.6 |
| 2020 Subaru Forester | 601 | 88.5 | 2.19 |
| 2020 Toyota RAV4 | 648 | 95.4 | 2.36 |
| 2020 Ford Escape | 1,826 | 268.9 | 6.66 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.