UsedScore

2025 Subaru Forester: Too new to judge

The 2025 Subaru Forester has been on the road for 25 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 102 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 1.5× the rate other Forester years drew in their first 25 months, per vehicle sold.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is driver-assistance features and cameras (18% of complaints).

Complaint index
1.5×
partial: first 25 months
Rank
Not ranked
rated after five years
Complaints
102
in 25 months so far
Recalls
4
campaigns
6th generation, 2025–today (first year of the generation; redesign years often run worse) · Updated November 9, 2026 · How we rate
2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid Touring

Photo: 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid Touring · Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Driver assistance18% · 18 complaints
  2. Fuel and propulsion17% · 17 complaints
  3. Brakes6% · 6 complaints
  4. Air bags5% · 5 complaints
  5. Speed control5% · 5 complaints
  6. Electrical10% · 10 complaints
  7. Visibility20% · 20 complaints
  8. Seats and belts5% · 5 complaints
  9. Powertrain4% · 4 complaints
  10. Lights8% · 8 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 report driver-assist features that drop out, brake suddenly for no apparent reason, or fail to warn when backing. Some describe near-misses or collisions, and several say dealers could not find or reproduce the problem.

Warning signs:
Owners report EyeSight warnings and blank screens, safety features turning off, false keep-hands-on-wheel alerts, sudden hard braking with beeping, and backup sensors that sound late or inconsistently.
What shops did:
Some owners say dealers found no code, could not replicate the problem, or called it working as designed; one had a camera replaced and another got a loaner.

“The vehicle falsely identified a stopped car ahead of me and slammed on the brakes, with a loud beeping noise and flashing lights.”

“The screen went completely blue, no rearview camera of course and loss of the eye sight safety system, including radio.”

Fuel and propulsion

Owners of this Forester describe fuel leaking or spilling near the gas cap, sometimes accompanied by a strong gasoline smell and paint damage. Many say a recall repair exists but parts have not been available, leaving the leak unresolved for weeks or months.

Warning signs:
Owners report a strong gasoline odor, visible fuel pooling or spilling near the fuel door, wet or bubbled paint, and occasional check engine or safety-system warnings.
What shops did:
Many owners were told a recall repair applied but that parts were unavailable; some had gas caps or related parts replaced with mixed success, and dealers in a few cases could not identify the cause.

“the contact noticed both a strong fuel odor and fuel leaking from the fuel tank onto the ground”

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

Recalls (4)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 26V436000July 2026541,237 vehicles

    Equipment: other: labels

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2025-2026 Forester Hybrid, Forester, and 2019-2026 Ascent vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured with an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, "Tire selection and rims."

    Risk: An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Subaru will mail a new certification label to owners, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 26V106000February 202669,870 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap

    NHTSA advisory: park outside

    Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek hybrid, and 2025 Forester hybrid vehicles. When the fuel tank is near full capacity, an increase in ambient temperature may cause the fuel to expand and spill out of the filler neck due to an insufficient seal on the fuel cap.

    Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

    Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures, and to limit the fuel level to 50% until the remedy is completed.

  • NHTSA 25V419000June 20252,938 vehicles

    Child seat

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2025 Forester vehicles. The child seat anchor bolts may have been improperly tightened, allowing the bolts to come loose.

    Risk: A loose child seat anchor bolt increases the risk of injury to a child during a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will inspect the child seat anchor bolts and, if necessary, tighten the bolts, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 25V033000January 202520,366 vehicles

    Wheels

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2025 Forester vehicles equipped with 18" aluminum alloy wheels. The wheels may have been manufactured with an incorrectly specified lug seat surface, which can result in the wheel being improperly attached and cause a loss of vehicle stability.

    Risk: A loss of vehicle stability increases the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the wheels, 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 213 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2025 Forester. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • 09-142-26 · October 2026This bulletin announces a change to the troubleshooting tree when diagnosing DTC P2404 EVAP SYSTEM LEAK DETECTION PUMP SENSE CIRCUIT RANGE/PERFORMANCE.
  • 09-140-26 · July 2026This bulletin announces a design change to the filler cap thread shape to improve ease of installation of the fuel cap onto the filler neck.
  • 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. 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…
  • 06-97-26R · June 2026This bulletin announces a design change to the front brake pads with a new friction material and shape that is intended to enhance the removal of rust and debris that can accumulate on the rotor…
  • 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.
  • 06-97-26 · April 2026This bulletin announces a design change to the front brake pads which have been redesigned with a new friction material and shape to enhance the removal of rust and debris that can accumulate on the…
  • WRD-26R · April 2026Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated a new safety recall for certain 2025 model year Forester Hybrid Electric vehicles and 2026 model year Crosstrek Hybrid Electric vehicles to improve the…

All 2025 Forester bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2025 Subaru Forester reliable?
The 2025 Subaru Forester has been on the road for 25 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 102 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 1.5× the rate other Forester years drew in their first 25 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 2025 Forester problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve driver-assistance features and cameras (18%), the fuel or propulsion system (17%) and the brakes (6%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2025 Subaru Forester been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2025 Subaru Forester, the most recent in July 2026 (equipment). 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 2025 Subaru Forester on NHTSA.gov · How we rate