Subaru Forester Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Subaru Forester drew the most (525; most-reported area: visibility/wiper) and the 2023 the fewest (61).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 35 mpg combined, arrived in 2025 and has held since. Includes the Forester Hybrid.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2019 Forester Most reported: visibility/wiper	525	833	3
2020 Forester Most reported: visibility/wiper	409	601	0
2017 Forester Most reported: air bags	200	587	1
2018 Forester Most reported: visibility/wiper	195	495	3
2021 Forester Most reported: visibility/wiper	133	207	0
2016 Forester Most reported: air bags	89	414	3
2022 Forester Most reported: visibility/wiper	70	98	1
2023 Forester Most reported: forward collision avoidance	61	73	1

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	35 mpg Hybrid	3	21
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	35 mpg Hybrid	4	93
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	29 mpg Gas	2	29
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	29 mpg Gas	1	73
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	29 mpg Gas	1	98
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	29 mpg Gas	0	207
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	29 mpg Gas	0	601
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	29 mpg Gas	3	833
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	3	495
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	1	587
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	27 mpg Gas	3	414

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2019: 833 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Subaru Forester
Model year	Complaints
2016	414
2017	587
2018	495
2019	833
2020	601
2021	207
2022	98
2023	73
2024	29
2025	93
2026	21

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 27 to 29 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); 29 since 2019. Hybrid: 35 mpg (2025 to 2026).

Best gas version
Best hybrid version

2026: gas 29 mpg · hybrid 35 mpg

Show as a table

Subaru Forester best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best hybrid version
2016	27	–
2017	28	–
2018	28	–
2019	29	–
2020	29	–
2021	29	–
2022	29	–
2023	29	–
2024	29	–
2025	29	35
2026	29	35

Comparisons

Questions

Which Subaru Forester years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2019 (525) drew the most, then the 2020 (409). Most-reported area for the 2019: visibility/wiper.

Which Subaru Forester years have the fewest problems?

The 2023 (61) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Subaru Forester years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2019, against 164 complaints in a typical Subaru Forester year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Subaru dealers.

Which Subaru Forester years have the most recalls?

The 2025 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (4), then the 2026 (3). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. One recall tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside until it is repaired: NHTSA 26V-106 (2025 models).

What are the most common Subaru Forester problems?

Of the 3,451 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2026 models, the areas named most are visibility/wiper (29%), electrical system (16%), and air bags (12%). One complaint can name more than one area. The recalls and problems page for each year breaks this down further.

Which Subaru Forester year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 35 mpg combined, first reached by the 2025 hybrid version and matched by every year since.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.