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2025 Subaru Forester

HybridGas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
D
Safety Signal
66 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical4
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA90
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA35 mpg
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2025 Subaru Forester is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas compact SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Forester Hybrid AWD, is EPA-rated at 35 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 90 complaints, most often about the forward collision avoidance. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Forester Hybrid AWDHybridAWD2.5L 4-cyl + 259V Li-Ion353435$1,800
Forester AWDGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl263329$2,150
Forester Sport/Touring AWDGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl253228$2,250
Forester Wilderness AWDGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl252826$2,400

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 48932, 47740, 47741, 48931.

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Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database
○minor

Equipment

WRH-26
541,237 vehicles
ProblemSubaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2025-2026 Forester Hybrid, Forester, and 2019-2026 Ascent vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured with an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, "Tire selection and rims."RiskAn incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.FixSubaru will mail a new certification label to owners, free of charge. Owners may also choose to have a dealer install the new label, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed August 24, 2026. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-26.
NHTSA campaign 26V436000reported Jul 7, 2026Subaru of America, Inc.
!critical

Fuel System, Gasoline

WRD-26
Park outside69,870 vehiclesHybrid only
ProblemSubaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek hybrid, and 2025 Forester hybrid vehicles. When the fuel tank is near full capacity, an increase in ambient temperature may cause the fuel to expand and spill out of the filler neck due to an insufficient seal on the fuel cap.RiskA fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.FixOwners are advised to park outside and away from structures, and to limit the fuel level to 50% until the remedy is completed. Dealers will replace the fuel filler cap gasket, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2026. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-26. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 16, 2026.
NHTSA campaign 26V106000reported Feb 23, 2026Subaru of America, Inc.
▲high

Child Seat

WRC-25
2,938 vehicles
ProblemSubaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2025 Forester vehicles. The child seat anchor bolts may have been improperly tightened, allowing the bolts to come loose.RiskA loose child seat anchor bolt increases the risk of injury to a child during a crash.FixDealers will inspect the child seat anchor bolts and, if necessary, tighten the bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 15, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRC-25.
NHTSA campaign 25V419000reported Jun 19, 2025Subaru of America, Inc.
▲high

Wheels

WRB-25
20,366 vehicles
ProblemSubaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2025 Forester vehicles equipped with 18" aluminum alloy wheels. The wheels may have been manufactured with an incorrectly specified lug seat surface, which can result in the wheel being improperly attached and cause a loss of vehicle stability.RiskA loss of vehicle stability increases the risk of a crash.FixDealers will inspect and replace the wheels, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 28, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRB-25.
NHTSA campaign 25V033000reported Jan 23, 2025Subaru of America, Inc.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
90complaints filed

11 involved a crash · 2 a fire · 6 injuries · 1 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2024: 7 · 2025: 37 · 2026: 46

Most-cited components

Unspecified18
Forward Collision Avoidance15
Visibility/Wiper13
Fuel/Propulsion System12
Exterior Lighting8
Electrical System8

What owners describe

“Driver side door rear view mirror vibrates at highway speeds (55mph and above) rendering it unusable due to distortion. This is especially dangerous at nighttime with headlights. Dealership is aware, has heard of it from multiple customers, but states no fix available from Subaru of America.”May 25, 2025 · Visibility/Wiper · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that when the vehicle was turned off, the contact closed the front passenger’s door and the liftgate window exploded. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,700.”May 14, 2025 · Visibility · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the windshield wiper blade speed adjuster failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the wiper blade speed adjuster was set for a slow intermittent speed, however the speed increased. The contact stated that …”May 9, 2025 · Visibility/Wiper · NHTSA owner report

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

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆17%
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆17%
SUV AWDnot rated★★★★★★★★★★not rated17%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Other Forester model years

B

2026 Subaru Forester

3 recalls · 19 complaints

C

2024 Subaru Forester

2 recalls · 29 complaints

A

2023 Subaru Forester

1 recalls · 73 complaints

A

2022 Subaru Forester

1 recalls · 97 complaints

A

2021 Subaru Forester

0 recalls · 207 complaints

A

2020 Subaru Forester

0 recalls · 598 complaints

C

2019 Subaru Forester

3 recalls · 833 complaints

C

2018 Subaru Forester

3 recalls · 493 complaints

A

2017 Subaru Forester

1 recalls · 584 complaints

C

2016 Subaru 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. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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