2015 Subaru Forester Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Forester years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 615 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Subaru Forester. That ranks 2nd out of 29 Forester model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (131 complaints, 21%), typically at around 46,340 miles. Complaints mention 53 crashes, 7 fires, 34 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 615owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 53complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2015 Subaru Forester problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 131 | 21% | 46,340 | “oil consumption” (7%) | — |
| Air Bags problems | 102 | 17% | 59,900 | “passenger seat” (38%) | $1,550 |
| Power Train problems | 95 | 15% | 51,100 | “cvt transmission” (8%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 82 | 13% | 40,000 | “roll connector” (6%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 73 | 12% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 70 | 11% | 36,000 | “parking space” (19%) | — |
| Suspension problems | 66 | 11% | 52,102 | “rear coil” (39%) | $980 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 56 | 9% | 50,000 | “low fuel” (11%) | — |
| Service Brakes | 34 | 6% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 23 | 4% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 22 | 4% | 62,450 | — | — |
| Structure | 20 | 3% | 29,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 20 | 3% | 56,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 19 | 3% | 39,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 15 | 2% | 38,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 14 | 2% | 37,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 9 | 1% | 58,589 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 8 | 1% | 73,504 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 1% | 6,540 | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 1% | 21,520 | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 1% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | 1,400 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 26 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 56,915 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 0% | 108,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 16,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2015 Subaru Forester recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUM-98.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Risk: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/supercharger
Problem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.
Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTA-62.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I started to have problems with my Forester, and reading upon what could be the issue, I ran across recall 16V162000, on which describes exactly what my car simptoms are. I went into different sites, and my car does not show to be part of the recall. Can you help me with the reason on why my car is…
The passenger seat belt went off when my beagle was jumping around on the front seat and I had made an appointment to bring it into the shop the dealer and the light was off but I had the appointment so I brought it in anyway and now the lights on all the time now and it's coming up on the screen…
I was parking at the dentist office in their parking lot going slow, turned into a parking space and thought i was slowly braking but my car lunged forward and hit a tree. I would normally be minimally braking, so I'm not sure what happened but it was sudden. I could have hit the gas pedal but i…
The contact's spouse owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop or at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle hesitated and failed to accelerate as intended. The Hill Assist and Automatic Transmission Oil Temperature warning lights flashed, and…
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passengerâs side air bag warning light illuminated, and the air bag module warning light was illuminated. The air bag occupant classification system was not operating as intended. The…
Other Subaru Forester years
← 2014 Forester · 2016 Forester →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Forester | 28 | 3 |
| 2025 Forester | 97 | 3 |
| 2024 Forester | 30 | 2 |
| 2023 Forester | 74 | 1 |
| 2022 Forester | 98 | 1 |
| 2021 Forester | 210 | 0 |
| 2020 Forester | 602 | 0 |
| 2019 Forester | 834 | 3 |
| 2018 Forester | 498 | 3 |
| 2017 Forester | 590 | 1 |
| 2016 Forester | 415 | 3 |
| 2015 | 615 | 3 |
| 2014 Forester | 403 | 2 |
| 2013 Forester | 78 | 12 |
| 2012 Forester | 105 | 15 |
| 2011 Forester | 147 | 16 |
| 2010 Forester | 262 | 17 |
| 2009 Forester | 178 | 17 |
| 2008 Forester | 50 | 1 |
| 2007 Forester | 74 | 1 |
| 2006 Forester | 88 | 2 |
| 2005 Forester | 93 | 1 |
| 2004 Forester | 219 | 2 |
| 2003 Forester | 189 | 3 |
| 2002 Forester | 88 | 1 |
| 2001 Forester | 139 | 0 |
| 2000 Forester | 75 | 0 |
| 1999 Forester | 131 | 1 |
| 1998 Forester | 101 | 1 |
See all Subaru Forester problems by year, every Subaru model, or the Subaru VIN decoder.
Similar Subaru models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Subaru Forester?
Owners most often report engine, air bags, power train problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 131 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2015 Subaru Forester?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2015 Subaru Forester a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Forester model years, the 2015 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.