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2016 Subaru Forester

Gas

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

79 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 3

Complaints40 crash · 3 fire · 17 injured reported 416

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 27 mpg

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2016 Subaru Forester is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Forester AWD, is EPA-rated at 27 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 416 complaints, most often about the air bags. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Subaru Forester — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Subaru Forester · Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Forester AWD	Gas	AWD	2.5L 4-cyl	24	31	27	$2,500
Forester AWD	Gas	AWD	2.5L 4-cyl	22	28	25	$2,700
Forester AWD	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	23	27	25	$3,300

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36147, 36146, 36148.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Forester AWD	6–9 / 10	Bin 4 / PZEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
Forester AWD	5 / 10	Bin 5 / LEV-II LEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]
GVWR class	Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg)

Engine Basics

Displacement

2.5 L

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Driver assistance

Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Automatic emergency braking, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: 2.5i, 2.5i Plus, Premium + MR, Premium + MR + ES). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	181.1 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	70.9 in
Height	68.5 in
Wheelbase	103.9 in
Track, front	61.0 in
Track, rear	61.0 in
Curb weight	3,303–3,635 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	57/43

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 4-door SUV 2.0XT, 4-door SUV 2.5I. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Air Bags

WUM-98

366,282 vehicles 88% reported repaired built Jan 20, 2015 – Aug 1, 2017

Problem Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. 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. 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.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 19V701000 reported Oct 3, 2019 Subaru of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Exterior Lighting

WUE-90

1,303,530 vehicles 78% reported repaired built Dec 18, 2012 – Apr 28, 2016

Problem 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. 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. 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.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 19V149000 reported Feb 28, 2019 Subaru of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Engine And Engine Cooling

WTA-62

18,187 vehicles 89% reported repaired built Jun 1, 2015 – Oct 20, 2015

Problem Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT 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. 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.

Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 16V162000 reported Mar 21, 2016 Subaru of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Air Bags — Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure closed

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) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full-sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The complaints reported the ODS failed to operate properly, the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light illuminated, and/or the ODS incorrectly suppressed (turned off) the front passenger air bag when the seat was occupied by a

Opened Aug 6, 2019 · closed Jan 22, 2020 · action PE19009 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific Forester

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2016 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Subaru publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Subaru’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2016 Subaru Forester, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

416complaints filed

40 involved a crash · 3 a fire · 17 injuries · 0 deaths reported

27 per 10,000 built · Subaru reported 156,361 Forester built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2015: 4 · 2016: 30 · 2017: 19 · 2018: 36 · 2019: 80 · 2020: 63 · 2021: 36 · 2022: 40 · 2023: 39 · 2024: 29 · 2025: 20 · 2026: 20

Most-cited components

Air Bags → 115

Electrical System → 94

Unspecified 69

Engine → 60

Power Train → 51

Vehicle Speed Control 37

In depth: airbag problems → · electrical problems → · engine problems → · transmission and drivetrain problems →

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

Car has 15000 miles-uses one quart of oil every 2000 miles-this much oil consumption indicates a serious problem. Car was purchased on 03/05/2016

Engine Sep 29, 2016 NHTSA owner report · ODI 10910596

The tailgate on my 2016 Forester is so low when opened that I hit my head on it every time I reach into the car. I AM 6 feet tall. Other people have the same experience with my tailgate. I had an earlier model Forester where this was not an issue.

Structure Sep 27, 2016 NHTSA owner report · ODI 10909959

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. While the vehicle was in reverse, it accelerated and crashed into a parked vehicle without warning. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The air bags did not deploy. The failure recurred, but only when the contact attempted to shift into reverse. The failure was not diagnosed.

Power Train at 1,800 miles Sep 23, 2016 NHTSA owner report · ODI 10909317

Apparent defective valves on yokohama geolander g91-f stock tires that came with the new vehicle. Car with only 7,626 miles, minimal tread wear, traveling on highway @ 65mph low tire pressure indicator comes on, and ~ 5 sec later the rear driver's side tire just completely shredding.

Wheels at 7,626 miles Sep 8, 2016 NHTSA owner report · ODI 10904589

We got our 2016 Subaru Forester premium 2.5i from bay ridge dealer in brooklyn on june 7,2016

Electrical System at 300 miles Sep 3, 2016 NHTSA owner report · ODI 10903443

Eyesight system did not pick up vehicle in fromt of car and proceed to drive straight toward at 70mph, I had to brake the car. This happened twice in one day. Dealer said they tested car and system was working fine. The system did not detect the large vehicle in front

Vehicle Speed Control at 8,300 miles Feb 11, 2016 NHTSA owner report · ODI 10825580

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Subaru itself: 75 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 2 killed, 90 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 48 per 100,000 built. Every Forester model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 40k

miles, typically

Half the 216 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 17,000 and 55,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

under 10k 32

10k–20k 25

20k–30k 16

30k–40k 37

40k–50k 35

50k–60k 28

60k–70k 10

70k–80k 10

80k–90k 2

90k–100k 4

100k–150k 10

150k + 7

Median mileage by component

Component	Reports	Median miles	Vs same age
Air Bags	55	40,100	0.95×
Electrical System	37	39,589	0.88×
Unspecified	36	40,000	—
Power Train	36	45,000	0.87×
Engine	33	42,000	0.68×
Vehicle Speed Control	22	20,000	0.67×
Service Brakes	19	32,000	0.8×
Visibility/Wiper	18	38,200	1.06×

Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2016-model-year complaint about the same system, all makes: under 1× means owners of this car reported it at lower mileage. Here, owners reported earlier than same-age vehicles: vehicle speed control (0.67×). Which systems go early across the whole fleet: the component study.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	17%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 445

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-10-05

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 419 service bulletins, 26 others

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Engine, Power Train, Equipment Adaptive/Mobility.

11037943 Other
2026-10-05 · Electrical System
This announcement provides information on a new software update for the Midtronics Dss and DCA machines.
13-109-26 Service bulletin
2026-09-18 · Unknown Or Other
This bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
11037930 Other
2026-09-15 · Unknown Or Other
This announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year Subaru warranty coverages for wear items and adjustments.
15-333-25R Service bulletin
2026-09-14 · Electrical System
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
15-304-22R Service bulletin
2026-09-14 · Electrical System
This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
16-156-25R Service bulletin
2026-08-20 · Power Train
This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body. The updated valve body incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to improve durability. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
15-308-23R Service bulletin
2026-08-20 · Electrical System
This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or frequent jump-starts. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
15-304-22R Service bulletin
2026-08-13 · Electrical System
This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
B1760 B1760 on Subaru →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Air Bags	7 bulletins · 1 owner report
B2A16 B2A16 on Subaru →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	5 bulletins
B1650	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Air Bags	2 bulletins · 2 owner reports
P0300 P0300 on Subaru →	Misfire detected, but not isolated to one cylinder.	Electrical System · Ignition coils →	4 bulletins
B1761	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	3 bulletins
B1771	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	3 bulletins
B1795	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	3 bulletins
P0327 P0327 on Subaru →	Knock sensor 1 signal too low.	Engine	3 bulletins
P0328 P0328 on Subaru →	Knock sensor 1 signal too high.	Engine · Knock sensor →	3 bulletins
P0332 P0332 on Subaru →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	3 bulletins
P0333 P0333 on Subaru →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	3 bulletins
P0606 P0606 on Subaru →	An internal processor fault in the engine control module.	Electrical System · Battery →	3 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 2.0%

failed emissions

9,364 initial inspections of 9,087 vehicles.

Measure	The 2016 Forester	Every 2016 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	2.0%	4.2%	9,343
Failed the safety inspection	2.0%	2.2%	9,364
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.20%	0.27%	9,364
Miles driven a year	9,929	10,028	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	102,146	103,109	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2016 vehicle” is every 2016 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Forester by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2026 C 4 30 Do not drive 2025 C 4 98 Park outside 2024 B 2 31 29 mpg 2023 A 1 74 29 mpg 2022 A 1 100 29 mpg 2021 A 0 211 29 mpg 2020 A 0 603 29 mpg 2019 C 3 834 29 mpg 2018 B 3 498 28 mpg 2017 A 1 592 28 mpg 2016 this page C 3 416 27 mpg

Common questions about the 2016 Forester

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2016 Subaru Forester have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 3 recall campaigns for the 2016 Subaru Forester. The most serious on file is 19V701000, covering Air Bags. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2016 Subaru Forester?

NHTSA gave the 2016 Subaru Forester 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (79/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Subaru Forester?

Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2016 Subaru Forester, the best EPA combined figure is 27 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2016 Subaru Forester?

Transport Canada measured it at 181.1 in long, 70.9 in wide (body, without mirrors), 68.5 in tall, on a 103.9 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,303–3,635 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2016 Subaru Forester?

Owners have filed 416 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru Forester, most often about air bags, electrical system, unspecified. Of those, 40 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 17 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2016 Subaru Forester?

The EPA smog rating for the 2016 Subaru Forester runs 5 to 9 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Bin 4, Bin 5, LEV-II LEV, PZEV — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Subaru Forester?

The manufacturer has filed 445 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 Subaru Forester, most often covering electrical system, equipment, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-10-05. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2016 Subaru Forester do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 Subaru Forester failed the emissions check on 2.0% of first inspections — lower than the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.0% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	3 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	3 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	3	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	416	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	1 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	445	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	4 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

JSON for this page · API

2016 Subaru Forester

Specs & fuel economy

Emissions & certification

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Dimensions Exterior

Engine Basics

Fuel Economy

Driver assistance

Dimensions & weight

Factory warranty running out?

Recalls (3)

Air Bags

Exterior Lighting

Engine And Engine Cooling

NHTSA defect investigations

Whether any of this applies to one specific Forester

Hear about a recall before the letter does

Parts & accessories for the 2016 Subaru Forester

Owner complaints

Most-cited components

In owners' own words

When owners reported it

miles, typically

Median mileage by component

Crash ratings

Service bulletins & campaigns

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

At the New York inspection station

failed emissions

Forester by model year

Common questions about the 2016 Forester

Does the 2016 Subaru Forester have any recalls?

How safe is the 2016 Subaru Forester?

What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Subaru Forester?

What are the dimensions of the 2016 Subaru Forester?

What do owners complain about on the 2016 Subaru Forester?

How clean is the 2016 Subaru Forester?

Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Subaru Forester?

How does the 2016 Subaru Forester do at state inspection?

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Where to go next

Sources & method