2018 Subaru Forester

Documented records held locally from official US and Canadian sources. Each record shows its official identifier so it can be confirmed at the source; nothing here is a score or a prediction.

Vehicle coverage

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Coverage held for this vehicle

  • OFFICIAL ACTION 3 US Recalls
  • MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION 400 Manufacturer Bulletins
  • INVESTIGATION 1 Investigations
  • CONSUMER REPORT 493 Consumer Complaints
  • CANADIAN RECALL 3 Canada Recalls

These are counts of distinct official records held locally. They are not combined into any score, and a record count is not a failure rate. A zero means no record is held here, not that none exists.

US Recalls

NHTSA Recall US

  • 21V587000 2021-07-29

    Recall 21V587000

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

    Recorded model years: 2018

  • 19V701000 2019-10-03

    Recall 19V701000

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.

    Recorded model years: 2018

  • 18V455000 2018-07-10

    Recall 18V455000

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. The Certification Label may indicate the incorrect wheel size, tire size, and air pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

    Recorded model years: 2018

A further 44 records exist for the Subaru Forester where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

Campaign applicability can depend on build date, equipment and market, and a remedy may already have been completed. Confirm any campaign against the official record using the VIN.

Manufacturer Bulletins

NHTSA Manufacturer Communication US

  • 11034269 2026-06-30

    02-193-24R

    This 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 / or manifold, and combustion chambers). (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)

    Recorded model years: 2018

  • 11034249 2026-06-12

    SubaruNet Annoucement (E

    This announcement is requesting retailer staff to retain the EyeSight protective hood covers from Generation 4 EyeSight cameras.

    Recorded model years: 2018

  • 11034242 2026-06-02

    16-156-25R

    This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body which incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to improve durability. (This is an revised version of the orignal bulletin.)

    Recorded model years: 2018

Showing 3 of 400 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.

A further 1,726 records exist for the Subaru Forester where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

A manufacturer communication is service guidance issued to dealers. It is not a safety recall, and its existence does not mean this vehicle has the described condition.

Investigations

NHTSA Investigation US

  • PE19009 2019-08-06

    Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure

    The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as…

    Recorded model years: 2018

A further 3 records exist for the Subaru Forester where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

An investigation records that a regulator reviewed a suspected defect. It is not itself a finding of defect and not a recall.

Canada Recalls

Transport Canada Recall CA

  • 2024546 2024-08-15

    Transport Canada recall 2024546

    Multiple source assertions are recorded for this identifier. Consult the official record for configuration-specific detail.

    Recorded model years: 2018

  • 2021466 2021-07-29

    Transport Canada recall 2021466

    Multiple source assertions are recorded for this identifier. Consult the official record for configuration-specific detail.

    Recorded model years: 2018

  • 2019492 2019-10-04

    Transport Canada recall 2019492

    Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger occupant detection system (ODS) may malfunction. This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even when a passenger is seated. Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail and…

    Recorded model years: 2018

A further 32 records exist for the Subaru Forester where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

Canadian campaigns are recorded separately from US campaigns and do not imply one another.

Consumer Complaints

NHTSA Complaint US

493 complaint records in the dataset for this vehicle and year.

Outcomes stated in those reports

  • reports mentioning a crash 26
  • reports mentioning a fire 1
  • reported injuries 9

Outcomes as stated by the person who filed the report. They are not verified, not adjudicated, and carry no exposure denominator, so they cannot be turned into a rate.

By system

  • Visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors)155 (22.8%)Official recall records for this system: 1, covering model years 2026.
  • Air bags (restraint system)121 (17.8%)Official recall records for this system: 22, covering model years 2006–2018.
  • Electrical system70 (10.3%)Official recall records for this system: 6, covering model years 2006–2013.
  • Engine31 (4.6%)Official recall records for this system: 7, covering model years 2004–2024.
  • Seats30 (4.4%)
  • Speed control & accelerator30 (4.4%)
  • Steering24 (3.5%)Official recall records for this system: 1, covering model years 2019.
  • Powertrain (transmission & drivetrain)23 (3.4%)Official recall records for this system: 6, covering model years 2002–2024.

Other / uncategorized: 82 classifications (12.1%) were not assigned to a specific system by the source. They are counted but not treated as an issue area.

A single report can name several systems, so these figures overlap and must not be added together — their sum is larger than the report total above.

A further 6,461 complaint records exist for this vehicle where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

These are owner-submitted allegations, not confirmed defects. Counts are record counts in the dataset. No exposure denominator exists, so no failure rate or reliability score can be derived from them.

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