NHTSA has received 74 owner complaints about the 2023 Subaru Forester, or 19.5 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.48, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 92 model-year 2023 vehicles we track, it ranks #46 of 92 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Subaru models its rate is 46% lower; against other Compact SUVs it is 68% lower.
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 2023-03-23 and 2026-10-02. Median delay from incident to filing: 10 days.
74Complaints
19.5Complaints per year on the road
0.48Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
1Recalls
14.9%Share involving a crash or fire
18Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2022) drew 20.5 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2024) drew 10.8 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2023 model collected 44 complaints, 47% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Body & structure (18.9% of complaints), followed by Unspecified or other (14.9%) and Driver-assist systems (13.5%). Body & structure complaints are 2.1 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 11 reports (14.9%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 6 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 18 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (34% of incidents). In the last 12 months 18 new complaints were filed, versus 14 in the 12 months before — up 29%.
NHTSA lists 1 safety recall for this model year.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.48
vs. other Subaru models0.54
vs. other 2023 models0.46
vs. other Compact SUVs0.32
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (44)0.53
Transmission slipped, stranded me in the middle of a road XXX. Stopped wouldn’t go. Started locking down in reverse 1 month after I purchased the vehicle. XXX, my husband was backing down a road that had no turnaround.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-10-02 · ODI 11768438
The contact owned a 2023 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently accelerated, and the Forward Collision Avoidance system was inoperative, causing the front center of the vehicle to crash into…
Driver-assist systems · 2026-07-10 · ODI 11749571 · Crash
I am writing to formally report a critical safety defect regarding the driver-side footwell design in my 2023 Subaru Forester Sport, which poses an immediate and severe risk of a crash.
Brakes · 2026-08-05 · ODI 11754950
Eyesight collision braking system engaged as I was rolling up my driveway to go into garage. Garage door was rolling up and was about 5 feet off the ground when Anti Collision system engaged and slammed the brakes on.
Brakes · 2026-07-27 · ODI 11753115
Tires are wearing badly on the inside edge only. Suspension and drive train components make noise during normal operation.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-07-19 · ODI 11751388
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT Campaign 23V754000 · 2023-11-09
Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek, Impreza, 2023-2024 Forester, and 2023 WRX vehicles. The front driveshaft assemblies' outer race may develop cracks and break.
Risk: A broken driveshaft can cause a loss of drive power while driving or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake engaged. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the left and right front driveshafts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRP-23.
