UsedScore

2022 Subaru Forester: Solid

Owners filed 98 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Subaru Forester in its first five years on the road, about 79 for every 100,000 sold: 0.8× the rate of a typical Forester year. That's close to a typical year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the engine (10% of complaints).

Complaint index
0.8×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Forester year
Rank
4th of 15
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
98
first five years; 79 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
1
campaign
5th generation, 2019–2024 · Updated November 9, 2026 · How we rate
2023 Subaru Forester Sport

Photo: 2023 Subaru Forester Sport · Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Engine10% · 10 complaints
  2. Speed control9% · 9 complaints
  3. Brakes10% · 10 complaints
  4. Visibility24% · 24 complaints
  5. Driver assistance17% · 17 complaints
  6. Fuel and propulsion8% · 8 complaints
  7. Electrical10% · 10 complaints
  8. Air bags4% · 4 complaints
  9. Lights8% · 8 complaints
  10. Powertrain4% · 4 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

Brakes

Owners describe the Forester's automatic braking system suddenly slamming the brakes on with no obstacle present, sometimes at highway speed, while a few also describe the car lurching forward instead of stopping in tight parking situations. Dealers often could not find a cause when the car was inspected afterward.

Warning signs:
Some owners noticed abrupt hard braking with a Pre-Collision warning display or alarm, spongy brake pedal feel, or sudden acceleration while braking lightly at low speed.
What shops did:
Some owners report dealers scanned for codes and found nothing wrong or said the vehicle checked out fine, while others had not yet had it inspected.

“the collision breaking went off and it put the breaks down HARD”

“the engine suddenly revved and the Forester surged forward”

Engine

Owners describe their Forester engines catching fire, stalling, or suddenly accelerating without warning, sometimes leading to total loss of the vehicle. Several say dealers could not diagnose or fix the issue, leaving them unsure what caused it.

Warning signs:
Some report warning lights, spongy brakes, oil smell, onion-like odor, popping sounds, smoke or a gas smell before the failure.
What shops did:
A few vehicles were towed to dealers but not diagnosed or repaired, and one dealer would not confirm warranty coverage without proof of a defect.

“The driver heard a popping sound and then there was smoke under the hood. The vehicle became engulfed in flames.”

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

Recalls (1)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 23V755000November 202395,830 vehicles

    Power train: automatic transmission: park/neutral start interlock switch

    Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.

    Risk: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge.

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 335 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2022 Forester. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • 09-122-24R · October 2026This bulletin the announces diagnostic procedures and availability of new Engine Control Module (ECM) reprogramming files to address DTC P2404 (Evap System Leak Detection Pump Sense Circuit…
  • 15-344-26 · October 2026This bulletin provides a step-by-step diagnostic procedure for resolving Remote Engine Start (RES) failures for both Telematics and remote engine start equipped vehicles.
  • SubaruNet Announcement (S · October 2026This announcement provides information on an outage affecting the Subaru Select Monitor 5 application.
  • 02-193-24R · June 2026This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel injectors and internal engine components (e.g. intake valves and…
  • 06-94-25R · June 2026This bulletin announces availability of new Electronic Brake Booster (EBB) & Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) module reprogramming files developed to address cases of a cracking-type noise heard under…
  • 18-230-26 · May 2026This bulletin announces the diagnostic procedures to be used when DTCs B1571(REFERENCE CODE INCOMPATIBILITY IMMOBILIZER CM TO ECM) and B1572(IMM CIRCUIT EXCEPT ANTENNA CIRCUIT) are detected by…
  • 15-300-22R · January 2026This Bulletin provides the diagnostic procedure for the STARLINK® Remote Engine Start (RES).
  • 09-123-24 · January 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).

All 2022 Forester bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2022 Subaru Forester reliable?
Owners filed 98 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Subaru Forester in its first five years on the road, about 79 for every 100,000 sold: 0.8× 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 2022 Forester problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the engine (10%), speed control (9%) and the brakes (10%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2022 Subaru Forester been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2022 Subaru Forester, the most recent in November 2023 (power train). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of November 9, 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 2022 Subaru Forester on NHTSA.gov · How we rate