0.31 vs. all vehicles Too few recent reports to judge
87 of the 2,417 complaints about the Subaru Forester (3.6%) concern Transmission / powertrain, making it the model's #6 problem area. That share is 0.3× the Transmission / powertrain share across all tracked vehicles.
87Complaints · Transmission / powertrain
3.6%Share of complaints
0.31×vs. all vehicles
7Last 12 months
14.9%Share involving a crash or fire
2Related recalls
Analysis
By model year, Transmission / powertrain complaints peak with the 2019 model (26, 3% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2023 model (2). 7 Transmission / powertrain complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
Owners most often describe: “thermo control”, “control valve”, “eyesight”, “tcv” and “cvt”. 13 of these reports (14.9%) describe a crash or fire, with 2 injuries and 0 deaths mentioned.
2 recall campaigns relate to this area, most recently campaign 23V755000 (2023-11-09, model years 2022).
The contact stated that while pulling into a parking spot with the brake pedal pressed, the vehicle displayed unintended acceleration, crashing into the wall of the building in front of the parking space. The air bags did not deploy.
Transmission / powertrain · 2025-07-18 · ODI 11674528 · Crash
Twice in the last 4 months, after turning into a parking place and accelerating gently to pull forward into the space, the car surged forward much more than it should have given my light acceleration.
Transmission / powertrain · 2023-12-04 · ODI 11558442 · Crash
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
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed inhibitor switch.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-06-23 · ODI 11746009
The vehicle will move from park to drive and reverse while the engine is off. It moves an good distance and only flashes a red light on the dash with a sound that the engine is not on. It is a huge safety concern and has happened multiple times.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-03-19 · ODI 11725715
The electrical system fails, and the battery is not charging sufficiently. When the auto start/stop engages, the car does not restart in traffic.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-02-18 · ODI 11718775
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Related recalls
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH Campaign 23V755000 · 2023-11-09 · Model years: 2022
Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT Campaign 23V754000 · 2023-11-09 · Model years: 2023, 2024
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.
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.
How common are Transmission / powertrain problems on the Subaru Forester?
87 of the 2,417 complaints about the Subaru Forester (3.6%) concern Transmission / powertrain, making it the model's #6 problem area. That share is 0.3× the Transmission / powertrain share across all tracked vehicles.
Which Subaru Forester model years have the most Transmission / powertrain complaints?
By model year, Transmission / powertrain complaints peak with the 2019 model (26, 3% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2023 model (2).
Is there a recall for Subaru Forester Transmission / powertrain problems?
2 recall campaigns relate to this area, most recently campaign 23V755000 (2023-11-09, model years 2022).