NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 31 owner complaints for the 2024 Subaru Forester.
Recalled components: powertrain and engine and cooling. Most-described problem: a cracked or shattered windshield (8 complaints, 26%). Most-reported area: air bags (7 complaints, 23%).
Too new to rank against other Forester years
The 2024 Forester has not had three full years of owner complaints yet.
Years to avoid: 2019 and 2020; best years: 2016, 2022, and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
The front driveshaft assemblies' outer race may develop cracks and break.
Risk: A broken driveshaft can cause a loss of drive power while driving or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake engaged. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the left and right front driveshafts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRP-23.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek, Impreza, 2023-2024 Forester, and 2023 WRX vehicles.
The engine water pipe may have loose attachment bolts, allowing the pipe to lose its seal and leak coolant.
Risk: Leaking coolant can contact a hot exhaust pipe, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Subaru's independent distributor processing facilities will tighten the water pipe attachment bolts. The affected vehicles have not been delivered to dealers or sold to owners and therefore, no owner notification letters will be sent. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRO-23.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Forester vehicles.
NHTSA listing: FORESTER. Subaru campaign WRO-23.
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's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2024 Subaru Forester.
What owners report
Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2024 Forester. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Most named: automatic emergency braking (4); adaptive cruise control (3)
Visibility/wiper5 · 16%
Body structure2 · 6%
Exterior lighting2 · 6%
Backover prevention and rearview camera1 · 3%
Brakes1 · 3%
Unknown or other9 · 29%
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 2024 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).
Owner complaints
2024: 31 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
2024: 2 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 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2024 Subaru Forester, the problem described most is a cracked or shattered windshield (8). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2024 Subaru Forester safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2024 Subaru Forester earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2024 Subaru Forester?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2024 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.