2016 Subaru Forester Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Forester years
- Far more complaints than other years 6th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 415 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru Forester. That ranks 6th out of 29 Forester model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (99 complaints, 24%), typically at around 40,000 miles. Complaints mention 40 crashes, 3 fires, 17 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 415owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 40complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 99 | 24% | 40,000 | “passenger seat” (37%) | $1,550 |
| Electrical System problems | 93 | 22% | 39,795 | “remove key” (8%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 69 | 17% | 39,500 | — | — |
| Engine problems | 60 | 14% | 42,000 | “foot brake” (8%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 51 | 12% | 44,500 | “stuck ignition” (12%) | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 37 | 9% | 17,279 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 29 | 7% | 32,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 24 | 6% | 43,767 | — | — |
| Seats | 23 | 6% | 44,300 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 20 | 5% | 36,350 | — | — |
| Steering | 19 | 5% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 17 | 4% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 14 | 3% | 37,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 11 | 3% | 24,750 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 8 | 2% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 8 | 2% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 1% | 42,200 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 1% | 48,600 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 1% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 0% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 0% | 8,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure (PE19009) — opened Aug 6, 2019, closed Jan 22, 2020, led to recall 19V701000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
We purchased two new Evenflo Revolve 360 convertible car seats in November 2023 (Manufactured September 2023). After only two years of use, the harness straps are frayed almost all the way through. We noticed the issue in December 2025 and reached out to Evenflo in January 2026. The company claims…
The contact owned a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while at a complete stop with her foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated without warning and crashed into a fire hydrant. While the foot was still on the brake pedal, the vehicle continued to accelerate and struck a street…
While driving, the car will beep and display a warning that the SRS system is malfunctioning. It will then turn passenger airbags off, even when there is a passenger sitting in the seat. I took the car in to Subaru of Glendale and was charged over $1000 to replace it, being told that i was not…
We purchased a used car for my [XXX] daughter on August 4th. of this year. On her trip to [XXX] on XXX., appoximently 5pm, the drivers side rear wheel fell off, causing damage to the wheel, lugs, shocks, caliper and tire. She was able to pull over into a parking lot, where a stranger helped her out…
Vehicle reported an SRS Passenger problem intermittently, as displayed on the dashboard, the car's information system, and a diagnostic trouble code (the car's aftermarket radio is connected to the OBD-II connector and can pull codes). The problem would appear, and then disappear upon subsequent…
Other Subaru Forester years
← 2015 Forester · 2017 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 | 603 | 0 |
| 2019 Forester | 834 | 3 |
| 2018 Forester | 498 | 3 |
| 2017 Forester | 590 | 1 |
| 2016 | 415 | 3 |
| 2015 Forester | 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 2016 Subaru Forester?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, unknown or other problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 99 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Subaru Forester?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 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 2016 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.