2021 Subaru Forester problems and complaints
Owners have filed 210 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Subaru Forester. The most-reported areas: Visibility/Wiper (76), Unknown Or Other (42), Engine (33).
Key takeaways
- 210 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 16 involve a crash, 5 a fire, 9 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility/Wiper | 76 | 36% |
| Unknown Or Other | 42 | 20% |
| Engine | 33 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 33 | 16% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 17 | 8% |
| Power Train | 15 | 7% |
| Visibility | 14 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 6% |
| Lane Departure | 8 | 4% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 7 | 3% |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 3% |
| Suspension | 4 | 2% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Subaru Forester SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Unknown Or Other - filed 2026-10-11
Driver side rear window spontaneously failed while driving on the highway. Passenger experienced cuts due to glass fragments
Power Train - filed 2026-10-05
The transmission very suddenly (perfectly fine one day, bad the next) developed a severe transmission slip. Like getting rear ended feeling transmission slip. Dealership quotes the CVT control valve body.
Engine,fuel/Propulsion System - filed 2026-10-03
On two separate occasions, less than one year apart after Subaru Service replaced my battery with a “larger” battery without my knowledge my vehicle suffered sudden, catastrophic electrical failure while moving in active highway traffic, causing an immediate loss of propulsion and creating a life-threatening safety haz...
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More for the 2021 Subaru Forester
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.