UsedScore

2023 Subaru Forester: Too new to judge

The 2023 Subaru Forester has been on the road for 47 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 73 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 0.7× the rate other Forester years drew in their first 47 months, per vehicle sold.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is driver-assistance features and cameras (23% of complaints).

Complaint index
0.7×
partial: first 47 months
Rank
Not ranked
rated after five years
Complaints
73
in 47 months so far
Recalls
1
campaign
5th generation, 2019–2024 · Updated September 24, 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. Driver assistance23% · 17 complaints
  2. Speed control8% · 6 complaints
  3. Engine8% · 6 complaints
  4. Air bags8% · 6 complaints
  5. Brakes7% · 5 complaints
  6. Visibility16% · 12 complaints
  7. Electrical10% · 7 complaints
  8. Steering1% · 1 complaints
  9. Powertrain5% · 4 complaints
  10. Lights5% · 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

Driver assistance

Owners describe the Forester's driver assistance features, especially forward collision braking and eyesight camera systems, engaging unexpectedly or failing without warning. Several say this caused sudden hard stops, near rear-end collisions, or unintended steering that dealers were not always able to permanently fix.

Warning signs:
Some report a beep or warning message just before sudden braking, while many say the braking or steering intervention occurred with no warning at all.
What shops did:
Owners report dealers performing software updates, recalibrations, sensor resets, or full eyesight system replacements, sometimes without a lasting resolution.

“the pre-collision braking went into effect and slammed me to a total stop”

“my car’s auto-steer kicked in and pulled left into the center divider, and then right across two lanes and crashed into the side of the mountain”

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 23V754000November 20234,701 vehicles

    Power train: driveline: driveshaft

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek, Impreza, 2023-2024 Forester, and 2023 WRX vehicles. The front driveshaft assemblies' outer race may develop cracks and break.

    Risk: A broken driveshaft can cause a loss of drive power while driving or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake engaged. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the left and right front driveshafts as necessary, 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 250 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2023 Forester. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • 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.
  • 09-74-21R · 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.
  • 07-241-26 · June 2026This Service Information Bulletin was developed to provide removal and installation tips to be followed when working with EyeSight Stereo Cameras.
  • 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).
  • 15-246-19R · December 2025This Service Information Bulletin outlines a new required procedure to follow when performing immobilizer-related repairs on models listed.
  • 18-228-25R · December 2025This bulletin announces the diagnostic procedures to be used when DTCs P2096 (POST CATALYST FUEL TRIM SYSTEM TOO LEAN BANK 1) and P2097 (POST CATALYST FUEL TRIM SYSTEM TOO RICH BANK 1) are detected…

All 2023 Forester bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2023 Subaru Forester reliable?
The 2023 Subaru Forester has been on the road for 47 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 73 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 0.7× the rate other Forester years drew in their first 47 months, per vehicle sold. 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 2023 Forester problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve driver-assistance features and cameras (23%), speed control (8%) and the engine (8%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2023 Subaru Forester been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2023 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 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 2023 Subaru Forester on NHTSA.gov · How we rate