2014 Subaru Forester Problems and Recalls (401 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2014 Subaru Forester is Suspension (22% of 401 owner reports). There are 2 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Suspension — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 401 complaints · 2 recalls

What problems show up on the 2014 Subaru Forester?

90 of 401 filings named Suspension (22% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (46 reports).

There are 2 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.

What to check before you buy a 2014 Subaru Forester

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 2 campaigns on file below.
  2. Suspension. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues.
  3. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  4. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Suspension. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Suspension 90 complaints · 22.4% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 48
  • Fires 3
  • Injuries 28
  • Deaths 0
All Subaru Forester years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Suspension (SUSPENSION) appears in 90 of 401 owner complaints (22.4%) in this vehicle snapshot. Suspension (SUSPENSION): 90 complaints, 22.4% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 crash reports 90 · 22.4% Engine (ENGINE): 46 complaints, 11.5% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 2 crash reports 1 fire reports 46 · 11.5% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 42 complaints, 10.5% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 6 crash reports 42 · 10.5% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 34 complaints, 8.5% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 20 crash reports 34 · 8.5% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 29 complaints, 7.2% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 2 crash reports 29 · 7.2% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 19 complaints, 4.7% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 crash reports 1 fire reports 19 · 4.7% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 16 complaints, 4.0% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 4 crash reports 16 · 4.0% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 12 complaints, 3.0% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 12 · 3.0% Steering (STEERING): 12 complaints, 3.0% of reports Steering (STEERING) 1 crash reports 12 · 3.0% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 94 complaints, 23.4% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 10 crash reports 1 fire reports 94 · 23.4% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 90 22.4% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 46 11.5% 2 crashes · 1 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 42 10.5% 6 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 34 8.5% 20 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 29 7.2% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 19 4.7% 2 crashes · 1 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 16 4.0% 4 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 12 3.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 12 3.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 94 23.4% 10 crashes · 1 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2013; the first recall shown was reported in Apr 2013. 2013-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2014-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2014-Q3: 17 owner reports 17 2014-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2015-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2016-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2017-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2018-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2018-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2018-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2018-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2019-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2019-Q2: 29 owner reports 29 2019-Q3: 48 owner reports 48 2019-Q4: 23 owner reports 23 2020-Q1: 18 owner reports 18 2020-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 2020-Q3: 16 owner reports 16 2020-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2021-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2021-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2021-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2021-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2022-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2022-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2023-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2023-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2024-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2024-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2024-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2025-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Apr 2013 Apr 2026 Recall campaign 13V159000 ◆ Recall campaign 13V159000 Recall campaign 19V149000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V149000
  • Campaign 19V149000 was reported 1,175 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2013-Q3 Owner reports 2
2013-Q4 Owner reports 2
2014-Q1 Owner reports 7
2014-Q2 Owner reports 7
2014-Q3 Owner reports 17
2014-Q4 Owner reports 4
2015-Q1 Owner reports 2
2015-Q2 Owner reports 5
2015-Q3 Owner reports 6
2015-Q4 Owner reports 5
2016-Q1 Owner reports 4
2016-Q2 Owner reports 7
2016-Q3 Owner reports 5
2016-Q4 Owner reports 6
2017-Q1 Owner reports 7
2017-Q2 Owner reports 7
2017-Q3 Owner reports 9
2017-Q4 Owner reports 6
2018-Q1 Owner reports 4
2018-Q2 Owner reports 6
2018-Q3 Owner reports 9
2018-Q4 Owner reports 11
2019-Q1 Owner reports 10
2019-Q2 Owner reports 29
2019-Q3 Owner reports 48
2019-Q4 Owner reports 23
2020-Q1 Owner reports 18
2020-Q2 Owner reports 12
2020-Q3 Owner reports 16
2020-Q4 Owner reports 11
2021-Q1 Owner reports 8
2021-Q2 Owner reports 10
2021-Q3 Owner reports 8
2021-Q4 Owner reports 6
2022-Q1 Owner reports 2
2022-Q2 Owner reports 4
2022-Q3 Owner reports 7
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 5
2023-Q2 Owner reports 4
2023-Q3 Owner reports 6
2023-Q4 Owner reports 2
2024-Q1 Owner reports 4
2024-Q2 Owner reports 7
2024-Q3 Owner reports 3
2024-Q4 Owner reports 3
2025-Q1 Owner reports 3
2025-Q2 Owner reports 2
2025-Q3 Owner reports 5
2025-Q4 Owner reports 3
2026-Q1 Owner reports 2
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 13V159000
Recall campaign 1 19V149000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (2)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Lights.

  1. Recall campaign 13V159000

    Safety recall 13V159000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    Curling of the driver side floor mat could distract the driver and/or interfere with proper operation of one or a combination of, the vehicle's clutch, brake, and accelerator pedals. Brake or accelerator pedal interference may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash.
    Remedy:
    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace each of the vehicle's four (4) carpeted floor mats with new ones. These services will be performed free of charge. Subaru issued an interim notification during April 2013. Notification that the remedy is now available was mailed to owners on June 5, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQH-44.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 19V149000

    Lights

    Report date
    Component:
    Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
    Consequence:
    Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 401 complaints · page 1 of 17
2026-06-12Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11743796
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while his wife was driving and stopped in traffic, the steering wheel locked up. The contact stated the steering wheel warning light illuminated and the vehicle was towed. The dealer was contacted and notified of the failure, and the failure was diagnosed with rack and pinion and electrical power steering failures. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure after the repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
2026-03-23Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11726313
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Subaru Forester on March 5, 2026. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 77,000. At the time of the registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 166,000.
2026-03-22Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11726163
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Unintended acceleration while parking /braking in front of a Verizon store leading to crash into store
2025-12-07Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11703583
CrashFireInjuryDeath
On 5/15/2024 and 5/21/2024 I had sudden uninteded acceleration. I had a auto shop try to solve the problem by replacing the air fuel ratio sensor and the mass air flow sensor. This seem to fix the issue until 11/27/2025 & 12/7/2025 when the sudden uninteded acceleration returned.
2025-11-19Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
NHTSA ODI 11700275
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I was driving my 2014 Subaru Forester (about 148,000 miles) behind a minivan at a safe distance and speed. Without warning, my vehicle accelerated uncontrollably. Despite applying the brakes, shifting into low gear, and using the emergency brake, I was unable to slow it down. After impact, the car then hit a telephone pole, spun me around and rolled the car over. There is major damage to the car and we looked at it at the tow yard but the salvage adjuster is moving it shortly.
2025-11-01Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11696927
CrashFireInjuryDeath
LOW CONTRL ARM BUSHINGS DISTROYED,LOUD NOISE AND VIBRATION UNDER THE CAR.
2025-09-25Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11689673
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Liftgate arm (or support) broke while the liftgate was in the raised position, and the liftgate came crashing down to the closed position, while my sister-in-law was very close by. I believe a serious injury could have resulted if someone had been under the liftgate at the time. We also own a 2016 Forester, and I now expect to replace the liftgate supports as a matter of safety and peace of mind. From what I see, checking the liftgate supports is not on the maintenance schedule. I assume other SUVs are also subject to this issue.
2025-07-29Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11676963
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I was on the freeway when the check engine light came on with an alert I couldn't read in time before it disappeared. Then the gas pedal stopped working. I got to a safe place and shut off the car. My brother-in-law then drove the car the 5 miles back home on local roads - he videod the throttle ramping up when he was either braking or the foot wasn't on the gas pedal, which happened 4-5 times. Subaru service pulled fault code P2138.
2025-07-15Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11673628
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would independently accelerate without warning. Due to the failure, the contact stated that they had hit a building while attempting to park in a parking space. The air bag did not deploy during the accident and the contact suffered stiffness to the left side of their neck. The contact was given a ticket by the police as a result of the incident; however, a police report was not filed. Due to the crash, a window was shattered and a few bricks fell off from the building. The contact also mentioned that while attempting to park the vehicle in their driveway, the vehicle jolted forward while the brake pedal was depressed and hit a stone wall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was given a case number. The contact was then referred to a local dealer who gave the contact an estimate for a diagnostic. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
2025-07-08Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11672050
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I have a 2014 Subaru Forester that I purchase in 2023 from a dealership in Yonkers N.Y. I been noticing oil consumption at 1qt. a week at 300 miles. I investigated it on the internet and found out that there was a recalled for oil consumption to replace the short block on it. I emailed Subaru on this matter and they told me that they stopped repairing three years ago. When I purchase this back in 2023 the dealership did not tell me any open recalls on this vehicle. I was told by D.M.V. in New York that the dealer has to tell the buyer for any open recalls. I feel now that I was sold a Lemon. Is there any thing that could been done by repair by Subaru or the dealer. Thanks...

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2014 Subaru Forester?

Owners named Suspension most often — 90 of 401 reports (22%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2014 Subaru Forester?

NHTSA lists 2 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2014 Subaru Forester?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources