2018 Subaru Forester Problems and Recalls (491 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2018 Subaru Forester is Glass / wipers / cameras (30% of 491 owner reports). There are 3 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Glass / wipers / cameras — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 491 complaints · 3 recalls

What problems show up on the 2018 Subaru Forester?

147 of 491 filings named Glass / wipers / cameras (30% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Airbags (63 reports).

There are 3 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags and Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2017 has 583 reports on file; this year has 491. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2018 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 3 campaigns on file below.
  2. Glass / wipers / cameras. Check windshield, wipers and any camera or sensor the listing claims is there.
  3. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  4. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Glass / wipers / cameras. 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: Glass / wipers / cameras 147 complaints · 29.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 26
  • Fires 1
  • Injuries 9
  • 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 Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) appears in 147 of 491 owner complaints (29.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 147 complaints, 29.9% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 147 · 29.9% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 63 complaints, 12.8% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 1 crash reports 63 · 12.8% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 55 complaints, 11.2% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 55 · 11.2% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 20 complaints, 4.1% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 8 crash reports 20 · 4.1% Engine (ENGINE): 19 complaints, 3.9% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 3 crash reports 1 fire reports 19 · 3.9% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 14 complaints, 2.9% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 2 crash reports 14 · 2.9% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 13 complaints, 2.7% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 13 · 2.7% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 10 complaints, 2.0% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 10 · 2.0% Steering (STEERING): 9 complaints, 1.8% of reports Steering (STEERING) 1 crash reports 9 · 1.8% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 166 complaints, 33.8% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 9 crash reports 166 · 33.8% 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)
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 147 29.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 63 12.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 55 11.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 20 4.1% 8 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 19 3.9% 3 crashes · 1 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 14 2.9% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 13 2.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 10 2.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 9 1.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 166 33.8% 9 crashes · 0 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 2017; the first recall shown was reported in Jul 2018. 2017-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2018-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2018-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2019-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2019-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 2019-Q3: 19 owner reports 19 2019-Q4: 28 owner reports 28 2020-Q1: 29 owner reports 29 2020-Q2: 21 owner reports 21 2020-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2020-Q4: 25 owner reports 25 2021-Q1: 30 owner reports 30 2021-Q2: 32 owner reports 32 2021-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 2021-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 2022-Q1: 20 owner reports 20 2022-Q2: 19 owner reports 19 2022-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 2022-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2023-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2023-Q2: 15 owner reports 15 2023-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2023-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2024-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2024-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2024-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2024-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2025-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2025-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2025-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2025-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2026-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2026-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2026-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 Owner reports Jul 2017 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 18V455000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V455000 Recall campaign 19V701000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V701000 Recall campaign 21V587000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V587000 Investigation PE19009 ● Investigation PE19009
  • Campaign 18V455000 was reported 305 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V701000 was reported 451 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V587000 was reported 610 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2017-Q3 Owner reports 2
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2018-Q1 Owner reports 2
2018-Q2 Owner reports 8
2018-Q3 Owner reports 12
2018-Q4 Owner reports 12
2019-Q1 Owner reports 9
2019-Q2 Owner reports 12
2019-Q3 Owner reports 19
2019-Q4 Owner reports 28
2020-Q1 Owner reports 29
2020-Q2 Owner reports 21
2020-Q3 Owner reports 14
2020-Q4 Owner reports 25
2021-Q1 Owner reports 30
2021-Q2 Owner reports 32
2021-Q3 Owner reports 20
2021-Q4 Owner reports 14
2022-Q1 Owner reports 20
2022-Q2 Owner reports 19
2022-Q3 Owner reports 20
2022-Q4 Owner reports 11
2023-Q1 Owner reports 12
2023-Q2 Owner reports 15
2023-Q3 Owner reports 13
2023-Q4 Owner reports 6
2024-Q1 Owner reports 8
2024-Q2 Owner reports 8
2024-Q3 Owner reports 8
2024-Q4 Owner reports 10
2025-Q1 Owner reports 5
2025-Q2 Owner reports 10
2025-Q3 Owner reports 9
2025-Q4 Owner reports 5
2026-Q1 Owner reports 9
2026-Q2 Owner reports 7
2026-Q3 Owner reports 6
Recall campaign 1 18V455000
Recall campaign 1 19V701000
Recall campaign 1 21V587000
Defect investigation 1 PE19009
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (3)

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

In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags and Fuel system.

  1. Recall campaign 18V455000

    Safety recall 18V455000

    Report date
    Component:
    Unclassified NHTSA leftover
    Consequence:
    Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected label, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTS-78.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 19V701000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    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.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 21V587000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
    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 3 of 491 complaints · page 1 of 20
2026-08-28Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11760470
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS), including the occupant detection sensor system in the passenger seat, has malfunctioned. The SRS/airbag warning light is illuminated. The vehicle produced diagnostic trouble codes B1650 and B1760. The affected passenger seat and components remain installed in the vehicle and are available for inspection upon request. As the SRS light is on, none of the airbags may not deploy as intended in a crash because the occupant detection system is incorrectly classifying an adult passenger as “Empty or CRS.” With an adult seated normally and wearing the seat belt, the system continues to display “PASS AIR BAG OFF.” This could prevent or improperly control deployment of vehicle airbag during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Yes. The problem was confirmed by a Subaru dealership. The dealership diagnosed the passenger Occupant Detection System/SRS issue and confirmed that the passenger occupant detection system is malfunctioning. The vehicle produced diagnostic trouble codes B1650 and B1760. The vehicle has been inspected/serviced previously by a Subaru dealer in connection with the passenger occupant detection system recall. The recall repair was completed before I purchased the vehicle. Subaru of America has also been contacted regarding the current SRS issue and opened a case. The SRS/airbag warning light illuminated on the instrument cluster. The passenger airbag indicator also displays “PASS AIR BAG OFF” when an adult is seated normally in the passenger seat. The SRS warning light appeared after I had purchased the vehicle. A subsequent diagnostic scan reported codes B1650 and B1760. The vehicle had previously received the applicable passenger occupant detection system recall repair before I purchased it.
2026-08-18Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11757637
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Airbag light came on - dealership confirmed it is an occupant detection system failure - wiring harness has gone bad. No history of moisture exposure, which would leave faulty part as the problem. Similar to Subaru recall from 2020 on heated passenger seats - this vehicle was not included in that recall, but is in the same year range and has heated seats. Entire bottom piece of front seat must be replaced, including wiring harness and seat mounting bracket; otherwise air bags may not deploy in case of accident. Quick online search reveals this problem has been prevalent in other 2018 Foresters not included in the original recall.
2026-08-09Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11755742
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Discovered (06/08/26) that the engine would not turn over without the accelerator being pushed down when warm from driving after resting 30-60 minutes. Car was taken to Capital Subaru. No codes were triggered. The throttle body was cleaned. No change. The Crankshaft Position Sensor was replaced, the ECU was reprogrammed, then the EVAP Purge Valve was replaced. A bottle of fuel injector cleaner was added to the gas tank by the dealership mechanics. No improvement. Then both CAM sensors were replaced. No improvement. All with no effect. Finally the injectors were pulled and a rail pressure test was conducted. The injectors were not holding pressure for more then 2-3 minutes. The warm start issue was fixed when the injectors were replaced on July 31, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2018 Subaru Forester?

Owners named Glass / wipers / cameras most often — 147 of 491 reports (30%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2018 Subaru Forester?

NHTSA lists 3 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags and Fuel system. 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 2018 Subaru Forester?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check windshield, wipers and any camera or sensor the listing claims is there. 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