Subaru Forester Problems by Mileage in 2026: $0 to $4,000, and Which Ones Are Still Free

Every guide to this vehicle leads with the engine or the transmission. The federal complaint record leads with the glass.

We pulled every Subaru Forester complaint in NHTSA's public Office of Defects Investigation file received between 1 January 2015 and 8 September 2026 — 5,216 of them — and sorted them by what owners actually wrote. 1,268, or 24.3%, describe a cracked or chipped front windshield. The Visibility component family NHTSA assigns is the largest on the vehicle. On 2019 Foresters the windshield is 52.5% of every complaint filed about that model year; on 2020 cars, 56.2%. The median odometer reading in that subset is 10,000 miles, and 87.0% of the readings sit at or under 36,000.

That is not a wear item. That is a nearly new car.

And it is the one problem on this vehicle with money attached to it right now. Subaru bulletin 12-257-25R takes the windshield warranty on 2019-2022 Foresters from three years or 36,000 miles to eight years or 100,000 miles, one replacement, if the damage qualifies on inspection. It is one of ten Forester warranty extensions we downloaded and read in full for this guide — four of which are still running in September 2026, including a CVT extension Subaru revised in April 2026 covering 2019 and 2020 cars. Most Forester owners know about none of them.

By the end of this guide you will know which of the ten failures is due at your mileage, what each costs in 2026, which coverage might still apply to your VIN, and the cheap cause that gets skipped when the expensive one is quoted first.

Claims marked 🟢 rest on a document or dataset in the Sources section. Claims marked ⚪ are shop-price estimates carried from Pulscar's own repair-cost guides.

I built Pulscar — an AI tool that reads car problems from a 30-second recording — after a $380 "full diagnostic" in Phuket in 2025 led to roughly $6,000 over six months across several shops, and the sound never went away (the story is on the About page).

How to use this guide

Find your model year and your in-service date first — on this vehicle those two facts decide more than mileage does, because ten different coverage clocks run from that date. Every entry has the same parts: the tell, what it actually is, the 2026 price, the cheap cause that gets skipped, and where this does not apply. Two entries include a do-it-yourself path with honest limits. Every entry ends with the exact sentence to say at the counter.

One rule overrides everything: on a Forester, ask for the coverage inquiry before you authorize the diagnosis. Subaru's own bulletin 16-107-17 instructs retailers to "ALWAYS perform a Vehicle Coverage Inquiry on Subarunet to determine eligibility for this warranty extension before proceeding with any inspection or repair." That sentence is written for the dealer, and it works just as well as a question from you.

First: which Forester do you actually have?

2014-2018, the fourth generation. The CVT arrives, and with it the first three warranty extensions. Windshield complaints start climbing in 2017, and the 2017-2018 cars sit in the awkward gap covered in item 1.

2019-2022, the fifth generation. The complaint file's center of gravity, almost entirely because of the windshield — and the cars with the most live coverage attached.

2023 and newer. Too recent for a settled complaint history — 73 complaints on 2023 cars, 29 on 2024. Treat published failure mileages for these with caution, including ours.

Older EJ-series engines, through 2010. The head gasket generation. Forty-one complaints in our file name a head gasket, at a median of 95,650 miles; the Outback guide covers that repair in full, because the two vehicles share it.

FB-series engines, 2011 onward. Different characteristic problem: oil consumption, and on the Forester the 2011-2014 2.5 was named in a class settlement. That is item 6.

Turbocharged XT variants and the 2026 Hybrid. Add turbo plumbing and heat items to any of the above. The Hybrid is a separate model row in NHTSA's file and is not in our 5,216; the one thing on its record so far is a 2026 moonroof glass recall.

The 5-minute check that dates your Forester better than the odometer

1. Find your in-service date. Door jamb sticker, owner portal or selling dealer. That single date decides whether four separate extensions are open or closed.
2. Look at the windshield in low sun, from outside, at an angle. Any chip or crack on a 2019-2022 car goes to a Subaru retailer first — item 1.
3. Check whether your glass is the original. Aftermarket glass is outside the extension; the etched logo and part number in a lower corner answer it.
4. From a complete stop, accelerate gently to 25 mph, twice. A shudder that comes and goes with throttle → item 4, and the CVT clock.
5. Note how often the battery has needed a jump. Twice or more on a 2015-2020 car → item 3, and two documents apply.
6. Pull the dipstick. Below the marks with no leak on an FB-engined car → item 6, and start a dated log today.

What actually determines your number

Your in-service date. Ten Subaru warranty extensions touch this nameplate and every one runs from that date, not from your purchase or the model year.

Whether your glass is original. The windshield extension covers original equipment glass. A car on its second, aftermarket screen has spent the coverage without claiming it.

Which engine you have. EJ means head gaskets are the reserve item; FB means oil consumption is.

Independent versus dealer. Typically 30-50% on routine labor — but every extension on this page must be performed by an authorized Subaru retailer, and only they can run a coverage inquiry. The full comparison maps which jobs go where.

All-wheel drive everywhere. Mismatched tire circumference stresses a permanent AWD driveline continuously and is a genuine source of complaints that get blamed on the transmission.

Where you drive it. Gravel and salt pull bearings, bushings, the condenser and the windshield forward. That is the use case the vehicle is bought for, and it costs something.

The ten problems, in the order they arrive

1 · Windshield cracking — from new, with a median of 10,000 miles

The tell. A chip or a short crack in the lower third of the glass that grows across it over days, often noticed on a parked car. In our subset 325 owners (25.6%) explicitly wrote that there was no impact, no rock and no apparent cause, and 367 (28.9%) say the car was parked, in a garage or sitting overnight when they found it.

What it actually is. The largest single cluster in the Forester complaint file: 1,268 complaints, median odometer 10,000 miles, 87.0% at or under 36,000. By model year: 2017 = 125, 2018 = 165, 2019 = 437, 2020 = 336, 2021 = 94 — a share of each model year's own complaints rising from 21.4% in 2017 to 52.5% in 2019 and 56.2% in 2020. Filings peaked in 2020 at 381 and have fallen since. 🟢

The document that matters. Subaru bulletin 12-257-25R, dated 6 February 2025 and revised 24 March 2025, applicability "2019-22MY Forester," extends New Car Limited Warranty coverage on the front windshield "from three (3) years / 36,000 miles to eight (8) years / 100,000 miles (whichever comes first)," and states that "if the damage qualifies, a one-time replacement will be covered under the Warranty Extension." It lists Forester part numbers by configuration, including two for cars with the EyeSight camera. The underlying class settlement was announced to retailers on 17 December 2024.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A phone call. A Vehicle Coverage Inquiry costs $0 and either turns a four-figure job into a free one or does not. Owners in our file were not making it — only 5 of the 1,268 complaints mention a warranty extension at all, against 58 that mention the class action and 100 that mention insurance or a deductible.

Where this does not apply. 2017 and 2018 Foresters, which produce 290 windshield complaints between them with no extension behind them. Aftermarket glass is outside it too, and so is a crack the inspection does not qualify.

Fix it yourself — the honest half. A chip smaller than a quarter, outside the driver's sightline and away from the edge, can be stabilized with a resin kit for $15-$25 and that genuinely stops some of them spreading. The honest limit: do not touch a chip in front of the EyeSight camera or within a few inches of the edge, and do not do it at all on a car that might qualify under the extension — a home repair can be read as prior damage.

At the shop — say this: "Please run a Vehicle Coverage Inquiry on Subarunet against bulletin 12-257-25R for this VIN and tell me whether this damage qualifies for the one-time windshield replacement, before I call a glass company."

2 · Front brakes — 30,000 to 70,000 miles

The tell. A thin high squeal at low speed that stops under hard pressure — the wear indicator at roughly 3mm. Grinding is low, gritty and felt through the pedal.

What it actually is. Normal consumption on a tall all-wheel-drive wagon used in weather that shortens pad life.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A squeal only on the first two damp-morning stops is surface rust — free, and gone by the third stop. Ask for pad thickness in millimeters; above 4mm you are buying time you already have.

Where this does not apply. Highway-heavy driving runs far past the top of this window, and a shop quoting brakes on mileage rather than measurement should be asked for the number.

Fix it yourself — realistic. Front pads and rotors are a genuine driveway job: $120-$220 in parts, two to three hours, jack stands mandatory. The honest limit: uneven wear side to side or a seized slide pin means a caliper — a dragging caliper destroys new parts within weeks. The grinding guide separates the sounds.

At the shop — say this: "What's the actual pad thickness in millimeters front and rear, and are the rotors above minimum spec? If the pads are over 4 millimeters I'd rather wait."

3 · The 12-volt battery, and the module that drains it — 20,000 to 60,000 miles

The tell. A battery that dies after a few days standing, or dies repeatedly despite being replaced. In our file 188 complaints (3.6%) describe a dead or draining battery, at a median odometer of just 27,000 miles, concentrated on 2016-2020 cars. 🟢

What it actually is — the documented half. Subaru bulletin 15-317-24R extends the Data Communication Module warranty on 2016-2018 Foresters from three years or 36,000 miles to eight years or 100,000 miles, and names the mechanism: "In some rare cases, a customer may experience a dead battery as a result of the DCM continually trying to access the 3G network which is no longer available and has not received a previous DCM update." The bulletin makes the battery itself claimable "only when the DCM is determined to be the root cause of battery failure and the battery is determined as failed by the appropriate Subaru approved Midtronics battery test equipment," with the test code required on the claim. It also names the fix: reprogramming the module to "Factory" status under TSB 15-312-23R, "which will reduce the dark current draw to an expected level."

The second document, and the one with a procedure. Bulletin 07-207-22R, "Subaru Battery Drain Product Liability Litigation," covers 2015-2020 Foresters and implements a class settlement on a sliding scale from the in-service date: 100% of the battery replacement cost to five years or 60,000 miles, 80% to seven years or 84,000 miles, 60% to eight years or 100,000 miles. The detail that catches people is procedural: customers "are required to contact our Settlement Administrator to obtain an authorization number prior to visiting the retailer. ONLY the customer can request an Authorization Code."

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A load test and a parasitic draw measurement, in that order, before any battery is sold. A battery that tests good and still goes flat is telling you the drain is elsewhere — and on this vehicle "elsewhere" has a bulletin number. The battery-keeps-dying guide covers the draw test.

Where this does not apply. 2021 and later cars are outside both documents, and a battery that simply reached five or six years old is a battery, not a defect.

At the shop — say this: "Before we replace the battery, can you run the Midtronics test and record the code, check the DCM subscription status, and tell me whether bulletins 15-317-24R or 07-207-22R apply to this VIN?"

4 · CVT shudder, and four warranty extensions covering 2014 to 2020 — 30,000 to 100,000 miles

The tell, in order. A shudder or judder during light acceleration from a stop, often described as driving over a rough surface. Then hesitation before the vehicle responds. Then a whine that rises with road speed rather than engine revs, which is a later and more serious stage.

What the complaint file says, honestly. Very little. Across all 5,216 complaints only 203 use a transmission or CVT word at all, and only 16 pair one with a shudder, slip, whine, judder or hesitation word. Sixteen is a handful of owners over eleven years, not a rate, and we will not dress it up as one. 🟢

What the paperwork says, which is a great deal more. Subaru extended the Forester's CVT warranty four separate times, and the four documents cover an unbroken run of model years:

• 16-107-17 (21 June 2017) — "2014-15 Forester 2.5L NA CVT" and "2014-15 Forester 2.0L Turbo CVT"
• 16-115-18 (6 September 2018) — "2016-17MY Forester 2.5L NA CVT" and "2.0L Turbo CVT"
• 16-117-18 (9 October 2018) — "2018MY Forester 2.5L NA CVT" and "2.0 Turbo CVT"
• 16-155-25R (1 May 2025, revised 24 April 2026) — "2019-20MY Forester 2.5L NA CVT"

All four use identical wording: coverage goes "from the original five (5) years or sixty thousand (60,000) miles (whichever comes first) to ten (10) years or one-hundred thousand (100,000) miles (whichever comes first)," and "This change is not in response to any specific condition." All four restrict coverage to the original or a genuine Subaru replacement CVT.

Do the arithmetic on your own car. Ten years from a 2014 delivery ran out in 2024. A 2018 delivered in mid-2018 runs to mid-2028; a 2020 runs to 2030 — subject always to the 100,000-mile cap, which a commuter reaches long before the calendar does.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The coverage inquiry, then fluid condition. A Lineartronic fluid exchange is a reasonable first step at the shudder stage and a poor substitute for a repair once the drivetrain is whining. Also check that all four tires match before blaming the transmission — unequal circumference stresses a permanent all-wheel-drive driveline continuously.

Where this does not apply. 2021 and later cars are outside all four bulletins. And the eight-year Multi-Plate Transfer clutch settlement that circulates on Subaru forums is an Ascent document, implemented by bulletin 16-146-24, which names no other model.

At the shop — say this: "Please run a Vehicle Coverage Inquiry for the CVT warranty extension on this VIN — bulletin 16-155-25R if it's a 2019 or 2020, 16-117-18 for a 2018 — and read me the end date and mileage cap before any paid diagnosis or fluid service."

Which of the three drivetrain sensations you have decides which bill you are looking at, and only one of the three can be captured with the car parked. A shudder from a stop is early CVT and is felt rather than heard. A whine rising with road speed is a later stage and needs the road. A rattle at idle is usually somewhere else entirely, and that is the one a recording can work on. So the first two go to the dealer's test drive and the VIN clock, not to a microphone. For the third, film the engine running, parked, for thirty seconds and Pulscar's free check returns an Engine Health Score, a system-by-system status, a likely cause, a severity and a repair-cost estimate, or says "inconclusive" when the clip cannot support a verdict. It does not decide whether the car is safe to drive. Free, no card, about ten minutes.

5 · EyeSight, phantom braking and recalibration — any mileage

The tell. The car brakes hard at nothing — an overpass shadow, a cresting road, a car turning out of your lane. Or the EyeSight system switches itself off and posts a message. In our file 296 complaints (5.7%) name EyeSight, phantom braking, forward collision or automatic emergency braking, at a median odometer of 12,634 miles. 🟢

What it actually is. A stereo camera pair behind the windshield, which is why this item and item 1 are physically joined: replace the glass and the camera must be recalibrated. 119 of the windshield complaints mention EyeSight or recalibration for exactly that reason.

The document, with its limits stated plainly. Bulletin 07-235-25, dated 29 July 2025 and revised 30 September 2025, applicability "2014-21MY Forester," covers the EyeSight camera assembly, the RAB sonar sensor and the RAB control unit where "a customer may report an instance of 'phantom braking' or the EyeSight/RAB systems causing unnecessary stoppage/slowing of the vehicle," if the concern "can be duplicated." But read the terms before you get excited: "The 3-year/36,000-mile New Car Limited Warranty will be extended by 1 year or 12,000 miles," and qualifying repairs are "covered 75% during the 1 year/12,000 mile extension period, with the remaining 25% being the responsibility of the customer." For a 2014-2021 vehicle in 2026 that window has almost certainly closed. We list it because it is the only document that acknowledges the condition, not because it is likely to pay your bill.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A dirty or fogged windshield in front of the camera, a dashcam or sticker inside the camera's field, or an unrecalibrated aftermarket screen. All three produce the same complaint and none of them costs anything to rule out.

Where this does not apply. A single hard braking event in heavy rain or fog is the system working within its stated limits. A repeated event on the same clear stretch of road is not.

At the shop — say this: "Can you pull the EyeSight fault history and tell me whether the camera has been recalibrated since the last windshield work? And does bulletin 07-235-25 show anything open on this VIN?"

6 · Oil consumption on FB-series engines — 50,000 to 110,000 miles

The tell. The dipstick drops between changes with no visible leak, and the habit of topping it up becomes invisible. In our file 111 complaints (2.1%) use oil consumption language, concentrated on model years 2011 (17) and 2014 (22), at a median of 79,000 miles. 🟢

What it actually is. The class action alleged defective piston rings causing FB engines to burn a substantial portion of their oil. The settlement class was five specific groups and the Forester is the biggest: 2011-2014 Forester 2.5, alongside 2013 Legacy 2.5, 2013 Outback 2.5, 2012-2013 Impreza 2.0 and 2013 XV Crosstrek 2.0 — the only one of the five with a four-year range.

The number that ends the argument. Under the settlement notice, a dealer-performed oil consumption test showing more than one-third of a quart in 1,200 miles triggered the applicable bulletin repair at no charge. That coverage ran eight years or 100,000 miles from the in-service date and has closed for every vehicle in the class — but the threshold is still the clearest definition of "excessive" this brand has published, and a documented result is worth having in any conversation about a repair or a resale.

The cheap cause that is free, and still worth doing. A dated log: check the level every second fuel fill and write down the date, the mileage and whether you added oil. Consumption that is measured is a maintenance decision; consumption that is merely noticed is an argument.

Fix it yourself — the free half. Keep a quart in the trunk and the log in the glovebox. The honest limit: consumption plus blue smoke at start-up, or plus knocking, stops being a monitoring exercise and needs a compression and leak-down test.

Where this does not apply. 2015 and later Foresters were never in the class. They can still consume oil; they have no settlement behind them.

At the shop — say this: "I'd like a documented oil consumption test against the one-third of a quart in 1,200 miles standard, with the result written on the invoice, before we discuss any repair."

7 · Low-pressure fuel pump on 2018-2019 cars — under 40,000 miles

The tell. A stall at low speed or while idling, a rough or failed start, or an engine that cuts out without warning. Our file carries 292 stall complaints (5.6%) at a median of 32,000 miles and only 30 that name a fuel pump — owners describe the symptom, not the part.

What it actually is. A low-pressure fuel pump impeller that can deform and bind. Subaru recalled 175,968 vehicles including the 2018 Forester in campaign 21V-587 (29 July 2021), then went further: bulletin 09-129-24R extends "the Warranty coverage time period for the fuel pump impeller to 15 years," with "unlimited mileage for vehicles NOT affected by WRD-20 & WRG21 and 150,000 miles for vehicles affected," covering 2018-2019 Foresters and providing "a one-time replacement." The 2018 Forester production range named is 20 April 2018 through 7 August 2018.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A fuel pressure reading and the recall lookup, in that order, before any pump is quoted. The second is a two-minute VIN check.

Where this does not apply. A stall on a 2015 or 2020 car is not this — the crank-but-won't-start guide covers the other path.

At the shop — say this: "Please check this VIN against recall 21V-587 and the fuel pump impeller warranty extension in bulletin 09-129-24R before we price a pump."

What actually counts as excessive oil consumption on a Subaru, in numbers? The class settlement gave the clearest answer on any brand in this series: if an oil consumption test performed by an authorized Subaru retailer shows the vehicle consuming more than one-third of a quart of engine oil in 1,200 miles, the applicable technical service bulletin repair was performed at no charge under the extended warranty. That is a measurable standard rather than a judgment call, and it outlives the warranty because it remains the reference point at a service counter. The test procedure matters as much as the number: a measured fill, a sealed dipstick, a defined distance driven and a re-measurement, all performed by the dealer rather than estimated at home. An owner who arrives with a documented result is having a different conversation from one who arrives with an impression. Oil consumption is silent, and Pulscar's free check hears only the idle, so the dealer test is the evidence.

8 · Air conditioning — 40,000 to 120,000 miles

The tell. Air that starts cold and fades warm after ten minutes, or never gets cold at all. Sometimes a clutch cycling rapidly, or no engagement click.

What it actually is. Refrigerant is not consumed, so a system that is low is a system that leaks. The condenser sits at the front and takes road debris, and on a vehicle driven on gravel, stone damage is worth checking before anything is condemned.

The document, and its honest size. Subaru bulletin 15-269-20R extended the condenser warranty "on all 2017 and a limited number of 2018MY (prior to VIN J*469234) Forester model vehicles" from three years or 36,000 miles to "five (5) years (60 months) and unlimited mileage," naming part number 73210SG011. Our file carries only 14 condenser complaints, ten of them on 2017 and 2018 cars — a small number, reported as small, that lines up with the bulletin's population. The five-year term has expired on every vehicle it covered, so this is history rather than money. It is still worth quoting: a shop that knows Subaru extended this part's warranty for these cars will look at the condenser before the compressor.

The cheap causes. A failed relay gives no cold air with a healthy system; a blend door actuator produces a similar complaint from inside the dash. Both are a fraction of a compressor, and the A/C guide separates them from a compressor that never clicks in.

At the shop — say this: "Was a leak test performed, and where exactly is it leaking? Is there stone damage on the condenser, and can you check the relay before condemning the compressor?"

9 · Wheel bearings — 70,000 to 130,000 miles

The tell. A hum from 40-50 mph that rises with road speed and changes when you steer gently — that sensitivity names the side.

What it actually is. Rolling elements wear and the assembly develops play. It worsens steadily and can eventually affect wheel-speed sensor readings, which on this vehicle brings the driver-assistance systems into the conversation too.

The cheap cause that gets skipped — and the Subaru-specific one. A cupped tire produces nearly the same drone, so rotate and drive. But on a permanently all-wheel-drive vehicle there is a second check generic advice omits: all four tires should match in make, model and remaining tread depth. Mismatched circumference makes the driveline work continuously against itself. Measure tread on all four before buying any driveline part.

The free confirmation. With the vehicle safely supported, spin the wheel by hand listening for a gritty rumble, then rock it at 12 and 6 o'clock feeling for play.

Where this does not apply. If the hum does not change with steering input, look at the driveline instead — including item 4. The humming-noise guide works through the other sources.

At the shop — say this: "The hum changes when I steer, so I think a bearing — but can we rotate the tires, measure tread depth on all four, and show me the play by hand before ordering parts?"

10 · Suspension: struts and the clunk that isn't them — 80,000 to 140,000 miles

The tell. A clunk over speed bumps and expansion joints, felt more than heard, from one corner. Later: floatiness over crests and patchy tire wear.

What it actually is. Struts fade rather than fail, which is why most owners never notice until a newer vehicle feels startlingly composed. Our file carries 304 suspension-component complaints across eleven years — an ordinary number for an ordinary wear item.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The clunk over bumps is more often a sway bar end link than a strut — $150-$250 installed against $700-$1,200 for a strut pair, and confirmed by hand in ninety seconds on a lift. The clunking guide covers the other candidates.

Where this does not apply. The Wilderness trim rides higher on its own struts and springs; order parts to that trim, because a standard-height assembly changes the geometry it was built around.

At the shop — say this: "Before we discuss struts, can you check the sway bar end links and strut mounts on the lift and show me the play? And if we do struts, are you quoting complete assemblies?"

What 5,216 NHTSA complaints about the Forester actually show

The ten items above are the repairs a Forester owner pays for. The federal complaint record is about something narrower, and the gap between the two is the most useful thing we found.

Three measurements are worth carrying away.

The first is that median. Thirty thousand miles against seventy thousand for the file as a whole, and 21,000 miles on model year 2014 and later. Whatever brings a Forester owner to NHTSA, it is not high-mileage wear: 54.2% of the usable readings are at or under 36,000 miles.

The second is the windshield's share by model year: 4.9% of 2016 complaints, 21.4% of 2017, 33.5% of 2018, 52.5% of 2019, 56.2% of 2020, falling back to 27.8% by 2022. One part accounts for more than half of everything owners of two model years told the federal government. Download the by-model-year table.

The third is a contradiction inside the subset, which we publish rather than picking the flattering half. 405 owners (31.9%) name a rock, pebble, stone or debris; 325 (25.6%) explicitly write that there was no impact and no apparent cause. Both descriptions sit in the same file about the same part. The honest reading is not that a quarter of these cracks appeared by magic — an owner can miss a strike, and a crack can propagate days later from a chip nobody noticed. It is that a quarter of these owners went to the trouble of telling a federal agency there was nothing to hit.

Safety flags in that subset run at essentially zero: towed 0.39%, crash 0.08%, fire 0.08%, against baselines of 5.11%, 4.37% and 1.82%. A money problem, not a danger problem — which is exactly why it went unattended for years.

Ten warranty extensions, and which four are still running

We downloaded and read ten Subaru service bulletins in full for this guide. Four are unambiguously open, three more are ending car by car as ten-year clocks run out, and three have closed. Here is what each one does. 🟢

Two things deserve saying out loud. The newest CVT extension was revised on 24 April 2026, five months before this guide was published, and it covers the two model years that dominate the complaint file. And the Forester's CVT is covered for ten years and 100,000 miles in every model year from 2014 through 2020, by four bulletins nobody bundles together because each was published separately, years apart. Download the extensions table.

The recall record: 37 campaigns, and the five that reach most owners

Thirty-seven distinct recall campaigns name the Subaru Forester in that eleven-year file. Campaign populations are published once per campaign across every make and model in them, so they are not Forester numbers — what matters is which ones reach your model year. 🟢

19V-149, 28 February 2019, 1,303,530 vehicles, model years 2014-2016. A brake light switch, and the largest campaign touching this nameplate. Worth checking on any fourth-generation car.

19V-701, 3 October 2019, 366,282 vehicles, 2015-2018. The occupant classification sensor in the passenger seat, out of investigation PE19-009 (opened 6 August 2019, closed 22 January 2020) — the campaign behind a fair share of the 776 air-bag complaints in our file on recent cars.

21V-263, 15 April 2021, 408,271 vehicles, 2019. Rear suspension: a single-model-year campaign on the most-complained-about model year in our data.

21V-587, 29 July 2021, 175,968 vehicles, 2018. The low-pressure fuel pump of item 7.

26V-346, 28 May 2026, 69,663 vehicles, 2026. Power moonroof glass adhesion on the newest Forester, including the Hybrid, with a stop-sale attached — Subaru's retailer announcement calls it "the safety recall and stop sale: WRF-26 Forester Power Moonroof Glass Adhesion."

Behind those, the Takata passenger inflator family reaches 2009-2013 cars through a dozen campaigns filed between 2016 and 2020. Download all 37 campaigns.

What the complaint file does not show, and why that matters

The absences here are as informative as the clusters, provided nobody pretends an absence is proof of safety.

Sixteen CVT symptom complaints in eleven years. It does not mean Forester CVTs do not fail. It means very few owners filed a federal defect complaint about one — and Subaru extended the warranty to ten years and 100,000 miles on seven consecutive model years anyway, in documents saying the change is "not in response to any specific condition." Where the paperwork and the complaint file disagree, follow the paperwork, because the paperwork is what pays.

Fourteen condenser complaints, ten of them on 2017 and 2018 cars — precisely the population of bulletin 15-269-20R. Too small to conclude anything from on its own; worth writing down because it lands inside an extension's exact model-year range.

Forty-one head gasket complaints, median 95,650 miles, concentrated on 2009-2011 cars. The famous Subaru failure is a small share of this file, mostly because it happened before 2015, where NHTSA's current flat files begin.

No denominator, anywhere. NHTSA publishes no registration or sales figures alongside complaints, so none of these counts can become a failure rate. Everything above is a count of what owners wrote. Download the subset table and the windshield filing-year series.

The price ladder: read it from the bottom up

Read it from the bottom up. The four most expensive lines are the four with a document behind them, and on the right car three of those documents are still paying. The check that establishes which costs nothing and takes one phone call.

Your number, by which Forester you drive

One row inverts the guide. A 2019 or 2020 owner has the worst complaint record in the file and the best financial position on this page, because both of the expensive clocks are still running on those cars. A 2017 or 2018 owner has almost the same windshield experience and nothing behind it.

Should you buy a used Forester, and which years?

Most people searching for Forester problems are deciding whether to buy one, so here it is directly.

What the complaint record actually says. It is dominated by one part, on two model years, at very low mileage, with no safety consequence. Strip the glass out and the Forester's federal record is unremarkable: 203 transmission mentions in eleven years, 41 head gaskets, 14 condensers.

What the reputation gets wrong. The head gasket story belongs to engines that stopped being fitted more than fifteen years ago, and the Subaru CVT story people repeat is barely present in this nameplate's file at all. What is present is glass — and glass now has coverage.

Where the live money is. A 2019 or 2020 Forester carries two open extensions on the two most expensive line items here. Both run from the in-service date, both go with the car, and almost nobody prices them in.

The five-minute pre-purchase procedure:

• Get the in-service date, not just the model year. It sets every clock on this page.
• Check whether the windshield is the original, by the etched logo in the lower corner.
• Ask for a Vehicle Coverage Inquiry printout by VIN. Extensions are invisible in the public recall lookup.
• Accelerate gently from a full stop three times and feel for shudder.
• Measure tread depth on all four tires. Mismatched tires on an AWD vehicle are both a cost and a warning about how the car was treated.

The short version: a 2019-2020 Forester with its original glass and a documented in-service date is the strongest buy on this page. A 2017-2018 car is a fine vehicle with one expensive item and nothing behind it, and should be priced that way.

Three diagnostic traps that cost Forester owners the most

Trap 1: the windshield paid for at a glass shop. The situation: a crack spreading across the original windshield of a 2020 Forester at 41,000 miles. What happens: the owner calls a glass company, pays a deductible or the full price, and has it done in an afternoon. What is really happening: 12-257-25R covers a one-time replacement to eight years or 100,000 miles if the damage qualifies on inspection — and an aftermarket screen fitted today ends the coverage for good. Price versus bill: potentially $0 against a median of $1,000 in the figures owners reported to NHTSA. Your protective question: "Does a Vehicle Coverage Inquiry show the windshield extension under 12-257-25R open on this VIN, and does this damage qualify?"

Trap 2: the third battery. The situation: a 2017 Forester on its third battery in four years, at 38,000 miles. What the shop says: "Batteries don't last like they used to." What is really happening: 15-317-24R names a mechanism — a telematics module hunting for a dead 3G network — extends that module's warranty to eight years or 100,000 miles, and makes the battery claimable when the module is proved to be the root cause by a Midtronics test. Meanwhile 07-207-22R may cover part of the battery under a class settlement, but only if the customer calls the administrator for an authorization code first. Your protective question: "Can you check the DCM subscription status and run the Midtronics test with the code recorded, before we sell another battery?"

Trap 3: the fluid service on a covered CVT. The situation: shudder from a stop on a 2019 Forester at 62,000 miles, quoted at an independent shop. What the shop says: "CVT fluid service, $350, and we'll see how it goes." What is really happening: bulletin 16-155-25R, revised 24 April 2026, extends the CVT warranty on 2019-20MY Forester 2.5L NA CVT vehicles to ten years or 100,000 miles from the original warranty start date. Only a Subaru retailer can perform covered work. Your protective question: "What is my warranty start date, and does a Vehicle Coverage Inquiry show 16-155-25R still open on this VIN?"

Three quotes, decoded

These are composite scenarios, not individual customers — the mileages, quotes and outcomes are typical of the pattern each item describes, assembled so the arithmetic is visible. We do not publish invented testimonials, so nothing below is presented as a specific person's story.

Scenario 1 — the crack that was already paid for. A 2019 Forester at 34,000 miles develops a crack from the lower edge of the original windshield, and the owner's instinct is insurance and a glass shop. Bulletin 12-257-25R covers a one-time replacement to eight years or 100,000 miles if the damage qualifies on inspection, and the inspection is free. Lesson: the first call about glass is to a Subaru retailer, not a glass company — the order of those two calls is worth about a thousand dollars.

Scenario 2 — the coverage published after the car was sold. A 2020 Forester at 71,000 miles shudders from a stop. Its second owner bought it in 2024, when no CVT extension existed for that model year. Subaru issued 16-155-25R in May 2025 and revised it in April 2026. Nothing about the car changed; the paperwork did. Lesson: coverage is not static. Re-run the inquiry on a car you have owned for years, because extensions get published after you stop looking.

Scenario 3 — the battery that was never the problem. A 2017 Forester goes flat standing four days. Three batteries in, someone finally measures the parasitic draw and reads 15-317-24R. Lesson: a part that keeps failing is rarely the part that is broken, and here a document names the real one.

How can you tell a real Forester failure from an unnecessary repair quote? Two checks do most of the work on this vehicle. First the date check: ten Subaru warranty extensions touch this nameplate, four are still running in September 2026, and every one of them is keyed to the in-service date rather than the model year — so establishing that date before any paid diagnosis can decide the entire bill. Second the original-part check, which is specific to the two biggest items here: the windshield extension covers the original equipment glass, and the CVT extension covers the original or a genuine Subaru replacement unit, so a car repaired outside those channels has spent its coverage. Beyond those, ordinary discipline applies — parasitic draw before a battery, end links before struts, matching tread depth before any driveline part. Pulscar's free check adds an independent first read on the engine's sound, not on your eligibility.

Your situation right now: four playbooks

"There's a crack in my windshield." Find out whether it is a 2019-2022 car on its original glass. If it is, call a Subaru retailer and ask for the inspection under 12-257-25R. If it is a 2017 or 2018, you are paying, and owner-reported figures ran a median of $1,000 — worth two quotes, not one.

"It shudders from a stop." Find the warranty start date before you authorize anything, including a fluid service. Any Forester from 2014 through 2020 has a CVT extension behind it, and on 2018-2020 cars it is very likely still open.

"The battery keeps dying." Ask for the parasitic draw measurement and the Midtronics test with the code recorded, and name bulletin 15-317-24R on a 2016-2018 car. On a 2015-2020 car, call the settlement administrator yourself for the authorization code before you go in.

"Nothing's wrong, I just bought it." Write your in-service date down. Ask for a coverage inquiry printout today, while nothing is broken, so you know what you are holding.

After the repair: verify, then prevent

Verify within a week. Glass: no new stress crack from the edge, the EyeSight camera recalibrated. Shudder: same gentle pull-away, same road, mileage noted. Battery: still starting after four days standing.

Get every covered repair documented against the VIN, with the bulletin number on the invoice. That record makes the car easier to sell and protects you if the same part fails again.

Prevent the next one. Correct viscosity oil at honest intervals, four matching tires, original equipment glass if the extension pays, and a coverage inquiry once a year — the list of extensions on this vehicle has grown twice since 2024.

Your action plan: 10 minutes, today, this week

Next 10 minutes — free:

1. Find your in-service date and write it down next to your odometer reading.
2. Look at the lower corner of your windshield and check whether the glass is original Subaru.
3. Run your VIN through the federal recall lookup — 37 campaigns name this nameplate.

Today:

4. Call a Subaru retailer with the VIN and ask for a Vehicle Coverage Inquiry printout naming any open extensions — 12-257-25R on a 2019-2022 car, 16-155-25R on a 2019 or 2020.
5. If there is a noise you cannot place, record thirty seconds properly and run it through a free sound check.
6. If you have a quote in hand, run it against the cheap-cause paragraph for that item and use the script.

This week:

7. Measure tread depth on all four tires and note whether they match.
8. If the battery has been replaced more than once, book the parasitic draw measurement and the Midtronics test.
9. Bank a baseline recording of the engine while it is healthy, so any future change is a comparison rather than a guess.

Sources and documents

Primary documents only. Where a claim in this guide is marked 🟢, it rests on one of the items below, and the reference is given so you can pull it yourself. Claims marked ⚪ are shop-price estimates carried from Pulscar's own repair-cost guides — estimates, not measurements from a dataset we own.

1. Subaru Service Bulletin 12-257-25R, "Windshield Warranty Extension / Inspection" — 06/02/25, revised 03/24/25; applicability "2019-22MY Forester," "2019-22MY Ascent," "2020-22MY Legacy & Outback." Front windshield "from three (3) years / 36,000 miles to eight (8) years / 100,000 miles (whichever comes first)"; "If the damage qualifies, a one-time replacement will be covered." Bulletin on NHTSA
2. Subaru Service Bulletin 16-155-25R, "CVT Warranty Extension" — 05/01/25, revised 04/24/26; applicability "2019-20MY Forester 2.5L NA CVT," 2019MY Legacy and Outback 2.5L, 2020MY Legacy and Outback 2.4L, 2019-20MY Impreza, 2019MY Crosstrek, 2019-20MY Ascent. From "five (5) years or sixty thousand (60,000) miles" to "ten (10) years or one-hundred thousand (100,000) miles," original or genuine Subaru replacement CVT only. Bulletin on NHTSA
3. Subaru Service Bulletin 16-117-18, "CVT Warranty Extension" (9 October 2018) — "2018MY Forester 2.5L NA CVT" and "2018MY Forester 2.0 Turbo CVT"; same ten-year, 100,000-mile terms. Bulletin on NHTSA
4. Subaru Service Bulletin 16-115-18, "CVT Warranty Extension" (6 September 2018) — "2016-17MY Forester 2.5L NA CVT" and "2016-17MY Forester 2.0L Turbo CVT"; "There is no mandatory inspection required for this warranty extension." Bulletin on NHTSA
5. Subaru Service Bulletin 16-107-17, "CVT Warranty Extension" (21 June 2017) — "2014-15 Forester 2.5L NA CVT" and "2014-15 Forester 2.0L Turbo CVT"; "ALWAYS perform a Vehicle Coverage Inquiry on Subarunet ... before proceeding with any inspection or repair." Bulletin on NHTSA
6. Subaru Service Bulletin 15-317-24R, "Data Communication Module (DCM) Warranty Extension" — 02/27/24, revised 01/30/25; "2016-18MY Forester" among others. From "3 years (36 months) of 36,000 miles to 8 years (96 months) or 100,000 miles"; "a customer may experience a dead battery as a result of the DCM continually trying to access the 3G network which is no longer available." Bulletin on NHTSA
7. Subaru Service Bulletin 07-207-22R, "Subaru Battery Drain Product Liability Litigation" — 08/18/22, revised 11/27/23; "2015-20MY Forester" among others. Sliding settlement coverage of 100% to five years or 60,000 miles, 80% to seven years or 84,000, 60% to eight years or 100,000, from the in-service date; "ONLY the customer can request an Authorization Code." Bulletin on NHTSA
8. Subaru Service Bulletin 09-129-24R, "Fuel Pump Impeller Warranty Extension" — 09/24/24; "2018-19MY Forester" among others; "to 15 years," unlimited mileage outside recalls WRD-20 and WRG-21 and 150,000 miles inside them. Bulletin on NHTSA
9. Subaru Service Bulletin 15-269-20R, "A/C Condenser Warranty Extension" — 08/17/20, revised 09/04/20; "all 2017 and a limited number of 2018MY (prior to VIN J*469234) Forester," part 73210SG011, "to five (5) years (60 months) / and unlimited mileage." Bulletin on NHTSA
10. Subaru Service Bulletin 07-235-25, "EyeSight Warranty Extension" — 07/29/25, revised 09/30/25; "2014-21MY Forester" among others; EyeSight camera assembly, RAB sonar sensor and RAB control unit for "phantom braking"; "extended by 1 year or 12,000 miles," repairs "covered 75% during the 1 year/12,000 mile extension period." Bulletin on NHTSA
11. Yaegar v. Subaru of America, Inc. et al., No. 1:14-cv-04490 (D.N.J.) — oil consumption class action on Subaru FB engines; class vehicles 2011-2014 Forester 2.5, 2013 Legacy 2.5, 2013 Outback 2.5, 2012-2013 Impreza 2.0, 2013 XV Crosstrek 2.0; class notice threshold: "If the oil consumption test shows that your vehicle consumes more than one-third (1/3) of a quart of engine oil in 1,200 miles, the dealer will perform the applicable TSB Repair at no charge." Class notice (PDF)
12. NHTSA recall campaigns naming the Forester, read from the recall flat file on 19 September 2026: 19V-149 (brake light switch, 2014-2016, 1,303,530), 19V-701 (occupant classification sensor, 2015-2018, 366,282), 21V-263 (rear suspension, 2019, 408,271), 21V-587 (fuel pump, 2018, 175,968) and 26V-346 (power moonroof glass adhesion, 2026, 69,663). Investigations PE19-009 (occupant detection, 2019-2020) and PE11-011 (front lower control arm, 2011).
13. Subaru retailer announcement, NHTSA document 11035629, 10 July 2026 — "This is an update to the safety recall and stop sale: WRF-26 Forester Power Moonroof Glass Adhesion."
14. Our own analysis, published — complaints by model year, windshield complaints by filing year, the ten warranty extensions with document links, 37 recall campaigns, subset sizes and the method file, which states the queries, the case-sensitivity trap, the false-positive reading and the limitations. Licensed CC BY 4.0.

Coverage depends on your VIN and original in-service date, and a warranty extension is not a recall — it will not appear in the public federal lookup, and only a Subaru retailer can run the coverage inquiry.

For the sounds: the noise index, humming and clunking. For the money side: what a diagnostic costs, dealer versus independent and how to dispute a bill. Sister guides: Outback by mileage, RAV4 by mileage, CR-V by mileage and the ten warranty extensions owners miss.

Methodology. Our own figures come from NHTSA's public complaint, recall, manufacturer-communication and investigation flat files, queried on 19 September 2026; the exact queries, exclusions, the false-positive reading and the limitations are in the method file linked above. Complaints are self-reported and unverified, there is no denominator, and none of these counts is a failure rate. Price ranges are US independent-shop estimates carried from Pulscar's own repair-cost guides for each job and vary by region, engine and parts choice; dealer pricing typically runs 30-50% higher. They are marked ⚪ throughout. Claims marked 🟢 rest on the bulletins, campaigns and settlement documents listed above, each identified so you can verify it independently.

Prices verified July 2026 and reviewed quarterly — every range on this page is carried from the Pulscar repair-cost guide for that job, each of which carries that date, and no estimator would serve our checks this pass, so nothing has been re-priced. Technical documents verified September 2026: all ten Subaru bulletins were downloaded from static.nhtsa.gov and read in full on 19 September 2026, and the complaint, recall, bulletin and investigation flat files behind our analysis were queried the same day.

Had a windshield replaced under 12-257-25R, or a CVT repair covered under one of the four extensions? Email [email protected] with the year, in-service date and odometer reading — owner data is how these ranges get sharper.