Subaru Forester Engine Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Some, but not unusually many. Owners have filed 792 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2008–2025 Subaru Forester. For the Subaru Forester, that's 0.38 engine complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2022 cohorts, close to the 0.44 median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2015, 2019 and 2020.
Engine complaints
792
Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2025 models
Per 1,000 sold
0.38
2015–2022 cohorts
Share of all complaints
15.2%
of 5,225 complaints for this model
Engine recalls
4
NHTSA campaigns, all years
Subaru Forester engine complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Engine and Engine Cooling, and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Engine complaints | Per 1,000 sold | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Engine recalls | Engine TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 9 | — | 18% | 0 | — | 36 |
| 2009 | 39 | — | 21.9% | 6 | 08V460000 | 39 |
| 2010 | 40 | — | 15.3% | 5 | — | 36 |
| 2011 | 67 | — | 45.6% | 9 | — | 119 |
| 2012 | 29 | — | 27.6% | 2 | — | 135 |
| 2013 | 26 | — | 33.8% | 1 | — | 123 |
| 2014 | 72 | — | 17.9% | 6 | — | 157 |
| 2015WORST | 134 | 0.76 | 21.9% | 12 | 16V162000 | 112 |
| 2016 | 60 | 0.34 | 14.8% | 6 | 16V162000 | 84 |
| 2017 | 47 | 0.26 | 8.1% | 4 | — | 90 |
| 2018 | 31 | 0.18 | 6.4% | 8 | — | 72 |
| 2019WORST | 111 | 0.62 | 13.4% | 9 | 19V856000 | 93 |
| 2020WORST | 75 | 0.42 | 12.7% | 4 | — | 82 |
| 2021 | 32 | 0.21 | 15.5% | 6 | — | 74 |
| 2022 | 10 | 0.09 | 10.6% | 4 | — | 59 |
| 2023 | 6 | — | 8.2% | 4 | — | 55 |
| 2024 | 1 | — | 3.2% | 0 | 23V723000 | 35 |
| 2025 | 3 | — | 3.2% | 0 | — | 19 |
- Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
- Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
- Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
- *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the engine.
Common Subaru Forester engine problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 792 engine complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.
Subaru Forester years to avoid for the engine
2015 Subaru Forester
134 engine complaints (21.9% of the year's 611), 0.76 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving. Covered by engine recall 16V162000.
2019 Subaru Forester
111 engine complaints (13.4% of the year's 831), 0.62 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: misfire or check-engine light. Covered by engine recall 19V856000.
2020 Subaru Forester
75 engine complaints (12.7% of the year's 591), 0.42 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: misfire or check-engine light.
Worst years are those with at least 10 engine complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Subaru Forester years to avoid.
Subaru Forester engine recalls
NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Engine for any Subaru Forester model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.
- 23V723000 · 2023-10-26 · 2024 models
The engine water pipe may have loose attachment bolts, allowing the pipe to lose its seal and leak coolant.
- 19V856000 · 2019-12-02 · 2019 models
The aluminum Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve can separate, allowing the separated components to enter the engine, resulting in a loss of power while driving.
- 16V162000 · 2016-03-21 · 2015–2016 models
The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.
- 08V460000 · 2008-09-11 · 2009 models
SUBARU IS RECALLING 16,715 MY 2007-2008 LEGACY SEDANS AND WAGONS, MY 2008 IMPREZA SEDANS AND WAGONS, AND MY 2009 FORESTER VEHICLES. SOME VEHICLES MAY HAVE THE CYLINDER HEAD-SIDE OIL SUPPLY PIPE AND TURBOCHARGER-SIDE PIPE IMPROPERLY ASSEMBLED.
Related research
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2015 Subaru Forester have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 134 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2015 Subaru Forester, 21.9% of all 611 complaints for that year, or 0.76 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (33 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 16V162000. 12 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2019 Subaru Forester have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 111 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2019 Subaru Forester, 13.4% of all 831 complaints for that year, or 0.62 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "misfire or check-engine light" (41 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 19V856000. 9 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2020 Subaru Forester have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 75 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2020 Subaru Forester, 12.7% of all 591 complaints for that year, or 0.42 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "misfire or check-engine light" (24 complaints). 4 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Which Subaru Forester years have the most engine complaints?
2015 (134), 2019 (111) and 2020 (75), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the engine. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.
What are the most common Subaru Forester engine problems?
In the 792 engine complaints, owners most often describe stalling or shutting off while driving (19.8%), misfire or check-engine light (18.8%) and oil consumption or oil leaks (15.7%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a engine failure rate?
No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.
How we count
Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Subaru Forester model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a engine complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Engine and Engine Cooling.
Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 engine complaints that clears those floors.
These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration