UsedScore

2025 Subaru Forester: Too new to judge

The 2025 Subaru Forester has been on the road for 23 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 93 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 1.6× the rate other Forester years drew in their first 23 months, per vehicle sold.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the fuel or propulsion system (18% of complaints).

Complaint index
1.6×
partial: first 23 months
Rank
Not ranked
rated after five years
Complaints
93
in 23 months so far
Recalls
4
campaigns
6th generation, 2025–today (first year of the generation; redesign years often run worse) · Updated September 24, 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. Fuel and propulsion18% · 17 complaints
  2. Brakes6% · 6 complaints
  3. Air bags4% · 4 complaints
  4. Speed control5% · 5 complaints
  5. Driver assistance15% · 14 complaints
  6. Visibility22% · 20 complaints
  7. Electrical9% · 8 complaints
  8. Powertrain4% · 4 complaints
  9. Seats and belts4% · 4 complaints
  10. Lights9% · 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

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 187 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:

  • 09-140-26 · 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.
  • 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 2026"This 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…
  • 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.
  • SubaruNet Announcement (W · March 2026This announcment provides updates on owner notification and bulletin availability.
  • 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 2025 Forester bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2025 Subaru Forester reliable?
The 2025 Subaru Forester has been on the road for 23 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 93 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 1.6× the rate other Forester years drew in their first 23 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 the fuel or propulsion system (18%), the brakes (6%) and the air bags (4%). 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 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 2025 Subaru Forester on NHTSA.gov · How we rate