2017 Subaru Forester Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Forester years
- Far more complaints than other years 4th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 590 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Subaru Forester. That ranks 4th out of 29 Forester model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (165 complaints, 28%), typically at around 30,000 miles. Complaints mention 40 crashes, 1 fire, 28 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 590owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 40complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2017 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 | 165 | 28% | 30,000 | “passenger seat” (40%) | $1,550 |
| Electrical System problems | 106 | 18% | 38,000 | “remove key” (10%) | — |
| Visibility/wiper problems | 104 | 18% | 31,000 | “windshield cracked” (28%) | $590 |
| Unknown or Other | 96 | 16% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 47 | 8% | 17,650 | — | — |
| Power Train | 46 | 8% | 33,400 | — | — |
| Seats | 33 | 6% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 33 | 6% | 28,980 | — | — |
| Steering | 25 | 4% | 23,825 | — | — |
| Structure | 15 | 3% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 13 | 2% | 23,413 | — | — |
| Wheels | 13 | 2% | 41,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 12 | 2% | 62,750 | — | — |
| Visibility | 12 | 2% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 11 | 2% | 25,150 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 10 | 2% | 26,618 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 8 | 1% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 1% | 25,650 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 5 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 1% | 10,250 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 0% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 0% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 0% | 156,774 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2017 Subaru Forester recalls (1)
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.
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.
Valve control assembly failure. A known TSB. Disables safety features of the car. Should be a recall.
Transmission light over heating comes on
the occupant detection system has failed for years, the subaru dealership keep temporarily fixing the problem and has finally quoted me 2,000 to completely replace the seat as that is where the sensor is located. If i get in a wreck with a passenger they will have no airbag, and i dont think the…
Within 30k miles, Front passinger control arm bushings required replacement due to bushing failure resulting in uneven tire ware. By 35k miles, the front driver lower control arm also had the same issue effecting steering and uneven tire ware.
the TGV valve metal flap screw came undone and came loose with the intake manifold. piece of metal about 1 in x 2 inch (flap) fell down to cylinder 2 intake and rubbed against the intake valve nipping pieces off and those pieces of metal along with loose screw fell chipping corner of cylinder 2 top…
Other Subaru Forester years
← 2016 Forester · 2018 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 | 590 | 1 |
| 2016 Forester | 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 2017 Subaru Forester?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, visibility/wiper problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 165 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2017 Subaru Forester?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2017 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 2017 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.