NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 416 owner complaints for the 2016 Subaru Forester.
Recalled components: air bags, exterior lighting, and engine and cooling. Most-described problem: stalling or shutting off (34 complaints, 8%). Most-reported area: air bags (100 complaints, 24%; median mileage when it happened: 40,000).
One of the best Forester years by owner complaints
The 2016 drew 89 owner complaints in its first three years, against 164 for a typical Forester year since 2016. No open NHTSA investigation names it, and it has no recall telling owners not to drive or to park outside.
Years to avoid: 2019 and 2020; best years: 2016, 2022, and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.
Risk: If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUM-98.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats.
Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Risk: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles.
The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.
Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTA-62.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015.
NHTSA listing: FORESTER. Subaru campaign WTA-62.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2016 Subaru Forester; it is closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Occupant detection system (ODS) failure
Preliminary evaluation PE19009Closed Jan 22, 2020 (opened Aug 6, 2019)
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS)… NHTSA's full summary
NHTSA ties this investigation to recall 19V-701, listed above.
A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 416 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Forester. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Stalling or shutting off34 · 8%
Median 39,000 miles at failure, from 26 reports with mileage
Airbag warning light or airbag fault32 · 8%
Unintended acceleration or surging28 · 7%
Median 15,000 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
Most named: sensor, occupant classification (11) · Median 40,000 miles at failure, from 43 reports with mileage
Electrical system93 · 22%
Median 39,800 miles at failure, from 36 reports with mileage
Engine60 · 14%
Median 42,000 miles at failure, from 33 reports with mileage
Powertrain51 · 12%
Median 44,500 miles at failure, from 36 reports with mileage
Speed control37 · 9%
Median 17,300 miles at failure, from 23 reports with mileage
Brakes29 · 7%
Median 32,000 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
Fuel and propulsion system24 · 6%
Unknown or other69 · 17%
Median 39,500 miles at failure, from 36 reports with mileage
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Subaru Forester recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Forester drew the most (525) and the 2016 drew 89.
Owner complaints
2016: 416 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Subaru Forester
Model year
Complaints
2010
262
2011
147
2012
107
2013
78
2014
403
2015
617
2016
416
2017
594
2018
499
2019
834
2020
604
2021
215
2022
100
2023
76
2024
31
2025
102
2026
35
Safety recalls
2016: 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Subaru Forester
Model year
Recalls
2010
17
2011
16
2012
15
2013
12
2014
2
2015
3
2016
3
2017
1
2018
3
2019
3
2020
0
2021
0
2022
1
2023
1
2024
2
2025
4
2026
4
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 416 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Subaru Forester, the problems described most are stalling or shutting off (34), the airbag warning light or an airbag fault (32), and unintended acceleration or surging (28). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2016 Subaru Forester safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2016 Subaru Forester earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2016 Subaru Forester?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2016 Subaru Forester. It lists one closed investigation, which closed on Jan 22, 2020.
How do I check if my Forester has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Subaru dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: FORESTER.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.