NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 499 owner complaints for the 2018 Subaru Forester.
Recalled components: fuel system, air bags, and tires. Most-described problem: a cracked or shattered windshield (150 complaints, 30%). Most-reported area: visibility/wiper (135 complaints, 27%; median mileage when it happened: 18,000).
More complaints than a typical Forester year
The 2018 drew 195 owner complaints in its first three years, against 164 for a typical Forester year.
Years to avoid: 2019 and 2020; best years: 2016, 2022, and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles.
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.
Tires
Jul 10, 2018
Fails federal standard 110 (tire and rim labeling)
The Certification Label may indicate the incorrect wheel size, tire size, and air pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected label, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTS-78.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles.
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 2018 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 499 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 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
Cracked or shattered windshield150 · 30%
Median 18,300 miles at failure, from 105 reports with mileage
Airbag warning light or airbag fault47 · 9%
Median 20,000 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
Median 18,000 miles at failure, from 94 reports with mileage
Air bags99 · 20%
Most named: sensor, occupant classification (17); sensor, occupant classification, front passenger (7) · Median 13,300 miles at failure, from 30 reports with mileage
Electrical system71 · 14%
Median 9,400 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
Engine32 · 6%
Seats30 · 6%
Speed control30 · 6%
Median 18,000 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
Steering25 · 5%
Median 7,900 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
Unknown or other85 · 17%
Median 10,000 miles at failure, from 35 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 2018 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 2018 drew 195.
Owner complaints
2018: 499 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
2018: 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 499 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Subaru Forester, the problems described most are a cracked or shattered windshield (150), the airbag warning light or an airbag fault (47), and a dead battery or battery drain (30). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2018 Subaru Forester safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2018 Subaru Forester earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2018 Subaru Forester?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2018 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.