2020 Subaru Forester
Gas Compact SUV
The 2020 Subaru Forester is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV. The most efficient version, the Forester AWD, is EPA-rated at 29 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 598 complaints, most often about visibility/wiper. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forester AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 26 | 33 | 29 | $2,150 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
The 2020 Subaru Forester is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.
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Recalls (0)
No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2020 Subaru Forester. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.
Owner complaints
598 complaints filed
26 involved a crash, 8 a fire, 16 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2019: 11 · 2020: 124 · 2021: 171 · 2022: 103 · 2023: 83 · 2024: 64 · 2025: 28 · 2026: 14
Most-cited components
- Visibility/Wiper — 252
- Unknown Or Other — 107
- Electrical System — 101
- Engine — 77
- Forward Collision Avoidance — 57
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.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 17% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Other Forester model years
2026 Forester
3 recalls · 19 complaints
D2025 Forester
4 recalls · 90 complaints
C2024 Forester
2 recalls · 29 complaints
A2023 Forester
1 recalls · 73 complaints
A2022 Forester
1 recalls · 97 complaints
A2021 Forester
0 recalls · 207 complaints
C2019 Forester
3 recalls · 833 complaints
C2018 Forester
3 recalls · 493 complaints
A2017 Forester
1 recalls · 584 complaints
C2016 Forester
3 recalls · 411 complaints
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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 41568). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.