NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 587 owner complaints for the 2017 Subaru Forester.
1Safety recalls
587Owner complaints
40Complaints citing a crash
1Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: air bags. Most-reported area: air bags (164 complaints, 28%; median mileage when it happened: 30,000). Includes the Forester Hybrid.
1 safety recall for the 2017 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.
NHTSA listing: FORESTER. Subaru campaign WUM-98.
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 587 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Forester. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Air bags164 · 28%
Most named: sensor, occupant classification (25); sensor, occupant classification, front passenger (10) · Median 30,000 miles at failure (81 reports)
Electrical system106 · 18%
Median 38,000 miles at failure (49 reports)
Visibility/wiper104 · 18%
Median 31,000 miles at failure (77 reports)
Engine47 · 8%
Median 17,600 miles at failure (27 reports)
Powertrain44 · 7%
Median 33,400 miles at failure (33 reports)
Seats33 · 6%
Median 28,000 miles at failure (15 reports)
Speed control33 · 6%
Median 29,000 miles at failure (24 reports)
Unknown or other96 · 16%
Median 30,000 miles at failure (49 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 2017 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 2017 drew 200.
Owner complaints
2017: 587 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
2017: 1 recallTap 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 2017 Forester problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: air bags (164), electrical system (106), visibility/wiper (104). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2017 Subaru Forester safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2017 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.