UsedScore

2021 Subaru Forester: Solid

Owners filed 188 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Subaru Forester in its first five years on the road, about 117 for every 100,000 sold: 1.0× the rate of a typical Forester year. That's close to a typical year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) (48% of complaints, median 5,000 miles).

Complaint index
1.0×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Forester year
Rank
8th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
188
first five years; 117 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
0
campaigns
5th generation, 2019–2024 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2019 Subaru Forester 2.5i Touring

Photo: 2019 Subaru Forester 2.5i Touring · Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Visibility48% · 90 complaints · median 5,000 miles
  2. Engine12% · 23 complaints
  3. Electrical13% · 24 complaints
  4. Speed control6% · 11 complaints
  5. Driver assistance10% · 18 complaints
  6. Powertrain6% · 12 complaints
  7. Brakes4% · 7 complaints
  8. Fuel and propulsion3% · 5 complaints
  9. Steering2% · 3 complaints
  10. Air bags1% · 2 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Electrical

Many 2021 Forester owners describe dead or draining batteries and an automatic start/stop system that fails to restart the engine, sometimes stalling in traffic. Dealers frequently replace batteries or update software, but several owners say the issue keeps recurring.

Warning signs:
Owners report dashboard warning lights, beeping alerts, sluggish or slow cranking, stalling at stops, and sometimes no warning at all before the vehicle died.
What shops did:
Dealers often replaced or recharged the battery, performed software or TCM updates, or in some cases could not find or duplicate the problem.

“It cranks progressively slower, warning lights illuminate, a continuous alert sounds, and the vehicle cannot proceed until I shift to Park and restart manually.”

“the restart would fail and stall the car. This happened in heavy traffic, which was very scary and unsafe.”

Engine

Owners describe their Forester's engine unexpectedly losing power or stalling, frequently linked to the automatic start/stop system failing to restart at stops or lights. Many say dealers struggled to find a fix, leaving the stalling or hesitation issue ongoing despite repeated visits.

Warning signs:
Many report dashboard warning lights, beeping or alarm sounds, an 'Eyesight' disabled message, rough restarts, hesitation, or a burnt gas or fuel smell before failures.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not duplicate or diagnose the issue, though some replaced batteries, spark plugs, fuel injectors, updated TCM software, or performed thermo control valve repairs.
Mileage:
most between 20,000 and 30,000 miles, among 5 complaints that give it

“While driving the car, the engine stops completely. After a few seconds, it can be restarted. It does this several times a week at random intervals.”

“When ISS shuts the engine off at a stop, the engine intermittently fails to restart when I try to move again.”

Visibility

Owners describe windshields that crack or develop spreading fractures, often without a clear impact, sometimes recurring even after replacement. Many mention this happened while parked or driving normally, and cite a class action lawsuit regarding Subaru windshields.

Warning signs:
Owners describe hearing a ping, tick, or thud from a small stone or unseen source just before noticing a crack, which then quickly lengthened or spread.
What shops did:
Dealers or auto glass shops typically replaced the windshield, sometimes under warranty, though several owners paid out of pocket or a deductible and some report the crack recurring afterward.
Mileage:
most between 0 and 10,000 miles, among 21 complaints that give it

“Windshield developed large L or J shaped crack from very top near roof line, down center of windshield and turns toward the Drivers side.”

“a large crack (roughly 8 inches) formed on the lower sector of the windshield that appeared to have oriented by the mounting of the passenger wiper arm”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2021 Subaru Forester.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Subaru sent NHTSA 362 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2021 Forester. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • 12-269-25R · August 2026This bulletin announces the service procedures to be followed when encountering instances of water intrusion from the sunroof area.
  • SubaruNet Announcement (C · August 2026This Announcement provides diagnostic assistance for CVT issues.
  • 15-308-23R · August 2026This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to…
  • 15-304-22R · August 2026This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns.
  • Article Locator · August 2026Techtips newsletter locator index.
  • 15-333-25R · August 2026This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure.
  • 09-123-24R · July 2026This bulletin announces the design change made to the high-pressure fuel pump developed to prevent DTC P0087 (Fuel Rail/System Pressure – Too Low Bank 1).
  • 09-81-21R · July 2026This bulletin announces design changes made to the fuel injector in response to the DTCs listed.

All 2021 Forester bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2021 Subaru Forester reliable?
Owners filed 188 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Subaru Forester in its first five years on the road, about 117 for every 100,000 sold: 1.0× the rate of a typical Forester year. That's close to a typical year. Ratings compare Forester years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2021 Forester problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) (48%), the engine (12%) and the electrical system (13%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2021 Subaru Forester been recalled?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2021 Subaru Forester.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Subaru. The 2021 Subaru Forester on NHTSA.gov · How we rate