Subaru Forester Years to Avoid
Based on federal records, the Subaru Forester years to avoid are 2019, 2015, 2020: the 2019 alone has 0 NHTSA owner complaints and 550 manufacturer service bulletins on file. The cleanest recent records so far belong to the 2025 and 2024 model years.
Sources: NHTSA complaints, manufacturer service bulletins, recall campaigns, CarWhere verified buyer prices · Updated 2026-06-11 · By Sam Reynolds, Lead Researcher
| Model year | NHTSA complaints | Service bulletins | Recall campaigns | Avg. price buyers paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015AVOID | 0 | 489 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | 442 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 0 | 435 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 0 | 397 | 0 | — |
| 2019AVOID | 0 | 550 | 0 | — |
| 2020AVOID | 0 | 454 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 344 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 291 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 230 | 0 | — |
| 2024BEST | 0 | 157 | 0 | — |
| 2025BEST | 0 | 143 | 0 | $39,983 (3 deals) |
| 2026 | 0 | 38 | 0 | — |
Methodology: complaint counts are owner reports filed with NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation; service bulletins are manufacturer communications filed with NHTSA; counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume. Prices are averages of CarWhere verified buyer transactions (shown when 3+ deals exist for the year).
Why these years stand out
2019 Subaru Forester: 0 owner complaints, 550 service bulletins, 0 open recall campaigns.
2015 Subaru Forester: 0 owner complaints, 489 service bulletins, 0 open recall campaigns.
2020 Subaru Forester: 0 owner complaints, 454 service bulletins, 0 open recall campaigns.
2025 Subaru Forester: cleanest recent federal record (0 complaints, 143 bulletins) — verified buyers paid an average of $39,983.
2024 Subaru Forester: cleanest recent federal record (0 complaints, 157 bulletins).
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FAQ
What are the worst years for the Subaru Forester?
Based on federal records, the Subaru Forester years to avoid are 2019, 2015, 2020: the 2019 alone has 0 NHTSA owner complaints and 550 manufacturer service bulletins on file. The cleanest recent records so far belong to the 2025 and 2024 model years. Counts are raw federal filings (NHTSA complaints, manufacturer communications, open recall campaigns) and are not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Subaru Forester?
Among recent model years, the 2025 and 2024 Subaru Forester show the lowest combined complaint and service-bulletin counts on federal record. Verified buyers paid an average of $39,983 for the 2025.
How do I check a specific Subaru Forester before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report for that VIN — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for the exact model year, the original window sticker where the manufacturer publishes one, and a market price check from verified buyers. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Where does this data come from?
Three federal sources — NHTSA owner complaints (ODI), manufacturer service bulletins filed with NHTSA, and open recall campaigns — plus CarWhere's verified buyer-paid transaction prices. Counts are presented raw and refreshed regularly.