NHTSA has received 11 owner complaints about the 2026 Subaru Forester, or 11.0 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.27, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2026 vehicles we track, it ranks #37 of 73 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Subaru models its rate is 70% lower; against other Compact SUVs it is 82% 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
Limited data: fewer than 30 complaints, so shares and indexes are unstable.
Complaints filed between 2026-03-27 and 2026-06-26. Median delay from incident to filing: 24 days.
11Complaints
11.0Complaints per year on the road
0.27Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
3Recalls
0.0%Share involving a crash or fire
11Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2025) drew 54.3 complaints per year, more than this one.
The most common problem area is Body & structure (36.4% of complaints), followed by Electrical (27.3%) and Unspecified or other (18.2%). Body & structure complaints are 4.0 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. No report describes a crash, fire, injury or death.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 4 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (100% of incidents). In the last 12 months 11 complaints were filed, versus none in the 12 months before.
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.
Unspecified or other · 2026-06-26 · ODI 11746658
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.
Electrical · 2026-06-11 · ODI 11743631
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.
Electrical · 2026-06-04 · ODI 11741969
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…
Body & structure · 2026-06-04 · ODI 11742094
Drivers side mirror vibrates making changing lanes a Safty issue as the approaching vehicle is not a clear visual to operator
Body & structure · 2026-06-02 · ODI 11741542
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2025-2026 Forester Hybrid, Forester, and 2019-2026 Ascent vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured with an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, "Tire selection and rims."
Risk: An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will mail a new certification label to owners, free of charge. Owners may also choose to have a dealer install the new label, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed August 27, 2026. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-26.
Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Forester and Forester Hybrid vehicles. The sliding glass panel of the power moonroof assembly may have been improperly bonded to the sliding frame, allowing the glass panel to detach from the vehicle.
Risk: A detached glass panel may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the power moonroof glass panel for proper adhesion and, if necessary, replace the glass panel assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 6, 2026. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRF-26. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS Campaign 25V889000 · 2025-12-18
Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Forester vehicles. These vehicles may have been manufactured with an incorrect and/or incorrectly oriented rear hatch support bracket which can detach without prior warning.
Risk: A rear hatch support bracket that detaches can allow the rear hatch to fall unexpectedly during use and increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear hatch support brackets and, if necessary, replace the stay and support bracket, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 29, 2026. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-25. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 20, 2025.
