2021 Subaru Forester Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 0 safety recalls and 215 owner complaints for the 2021 Subaru Forester.

Most-described problem: a cracked or shattered windshield (91 complaints, 42%). Most-reported area: visibility/wiper (76 complaints, 35%).

Fewer complaints than a typical Forester year

The 2021 drew 133 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.

Every Forester year ranked

0Safety recalls

215Owner complaints

16Complaints citing a crash

5Complaints citing a fire

Check your Forester for open recalls

Opens NHTSA's lookup in a new tab; your VIN goes to NHTSA, not to us. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard, the door jamb and your registration. Safety recall repairs are free at Subaru dealers.

How to check a car for recalls, step by step

Get a vehicle history report from EpicVIN (opens in a new tab): a paid report with the car's title, odometer and salvage records, from an approved NMVTIS data provider. Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you buy. If you typed a full VIN above, the link sends it to EpicVIN and opens its checkout page for that VIN. Check the price before you pay: EpicVIN's $1 trial lasts 3 days, then becomes a monthly subscription until you cancel ($49.99 to $99.99 a month on its pages as of Oct 2, 2026). Disclosure

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Nov 12, 2026

0 safety recalls for the 2021 Subaru Forester

NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2021 Subaru Forester in its recall file dated Nov 12, 2026. Recalls can still be issued later, so check your VIN from time to time.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2021 Subaru Forester.

What owners report

Owners have filed 215 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 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 windshield91 · 42%

Median 4,500 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
Stalling or shutting off21 · 10%
Auto start-stop problems17 · 8%
Dead battery or battery drain11 · 5%
Won't start10 · 5%
Loss of power or limp mode8 · 4%
Driver-assist errors or blocked-sensor messages8 · 4%
Unintended acceleration or surging8 · 4%

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

Visibility/wiper76 · 35%
Engine36 · 17%
Electrical system35 · 16%
Forward collision avoidance17 · 8%

Most named: automatic emergency braking (13); warnings (7)
Powertrain17 · 8%
Visibility14 · 7%

Most named: windshield (13)
Speed control12 · 6%
Unknown or other42 · 20%

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.

Subaru Forester recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2021 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 2021 drew 133.

Owner complaints

2021: 215 complaints

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

2021: 0 recalls

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.

Tested version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover
Subaru Forester SUV AWD Rollover risk 16.9%

2021 Forester MPG

EPA rates the 2021 Subaru Forester up to 29 mpg combined.Every version and fuel cost

Questions

What are the most common 2021 Forester problems?

In the 215 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Subaru Forester, the problems described most are a cracked or shattered windshield (91), stalling or shutting off (21), and auto start-stop problems (17). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.

Is the 2021 Subaru Forester safe?

In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 Subaru Forester earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.

Is NHTSA investigating the 2021 Subaru Forester?

No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2021 Subaru Forester.

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.