NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 414 owner complaints for the 2016 Subaru Forester.
3Safety recalls
414Owner complaints
40Complaints citing a crash
3Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: air bags, exterior lighting, and engine and cooling. Most-reported area: air bags (99 complaints, 24%; median mileage when it happened: 40,000). Includes the Forester Hybrid.
3 safety recalls for the 2016 Subaru Forester
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
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.
0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. 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.
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.
What owners report
The areas named in the 414 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Forester. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Air bags99 · 24%
Most named: sensor, occupant classification (11) · Median 40,000 miles at failure (43 reports)
Electrical system93 · 22%
Median 39,800 miles at failure (36 reports)
Engine60 · 14%
Median 42,000 miles at failure (33 reports)
Powertrain51 · 12%
Median 44,500 miles at failure (36 reports)
Speed control37 · 9%
Median 17,300 miles at failure (23 reports)
Brakes29 · 7%
Median 32,000 miles at failure (20 reports)
Fuel and propulsion system24 · 6%
Unknown or other69 · 17%
Median 39,500 miles at failure (36 reports)
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: 414 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
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
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
2016
3
2017
1
2018
3
2019
3
2020
0
2021
0
2022
1
2023
1
2024
2
2025
4
2026
3
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.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Subaru Forester SUV AWD
Rollover risk 16.9%
Questions
What are the most common 2016 Forester problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: air bags (99), electrical system (93), engine (60). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
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.
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 Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
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.