2020 Subaru Forester Engine Problems
Owners have filed 81 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2020 Subaru Forester, 13% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 29,300 miles. The words owners use most often: “thermo control” (27% of reports).
- 81engine complaints
- 29,300median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 45%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Thermo control: mentioned in 22 of 81 complaints (27%)
- Safety features: mentioned in 8 of 81 complaints (10%)
- Eyesight disabled: mentioned in 5 of 81 complaints (6%)
- Eye sight: mentioned in 5 of 81 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 6 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 81 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 4 a fire.
Subaru Forester engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Forester | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2025 Forester | 4 | 4% | 15,000 |
| 2024 Forester | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2023 Forester | 5 | 7% | 200 |
| 2022 Forester | 10 | 10% | 5,000 |
| 2021 Forester | 33 | 16% | 30,000 |
| 2020 Forester | 81 | 13% | 29,300 |
| 2019 Forester | 106 | 13% | 18,253 |
| 2018 Forester | 32 | 6% | 20,000 |
| 2017 Forester | 47 | 8% | 17,650 |
| 2016 Forester | 60 | 14% | 42,000 |
| 2015 Forester | 131 | 21% | 46,340 |
| 2014 Forester | 69 | 17% | 36,643 |
| 2013 Forester | 27 | 35% | 82,000 |
| 2012 Forester | 27 | 26% | 86,000 |
| 2011 Forester | 60 | 41% | 73,500 |
| 2010 Forester | 34 | 13% | 85,000 |
| 2009 Forester | 27 | 15% | 92,000 |
| 2008 Forester | 7 | 14% | 113,000 |
| 2007 Forester | 9 | 12% | 102,500 |
| 2006 Forester | 11 | 13% | 80,000 |
| 2005 Forester | 3 | 3% | 153,000 |
| 2004 Forester | 23 | 11% | 110,000 |
| 2003 Forester | 12 | 6% | 133,000 |
| 2002 Forester | 1 | 1% | 160,823 |
| 2001 Forester | 2 | 1% | 127,358 |
| 1999 Forester | 3 | 2% | 125,700 |
| 1998 Forester | 1 | 1% | 120,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2020 Subaru Forester. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Experience a total engine stall while stopped/accelerating at an intersection. The stall triggered immediate 'EyeSight Disabled' and 'Engine Oil' dashboard warnings, requiring a manual button restart in traffic. Had concerns of permanently being stalled in intersection. Taking to dealer for…
Smoke and fire occurred in the engine and spread into the car while the car was being driven. The car has not been inspected yet.
Three times within 30 minutes on short drive, the engine stalled at stop sign or stop light. The car had a half tank of gas, and at the same time as the engine stalled, the miles remaining until empty display showed an anomalous 0.3miles to empty reading. Put the car in park allowed the engine to…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2020 Subaru Foresters have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 81 owner complaints about engine for the 2020 Subaru Forester (13% of the 603 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2020 Subaru Forester engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 29,300 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2020 Subaru Forester?
The most frequent phrase is “thermo control”, in 22 of 81 complaints, followed by “safety features” (8).
Other 2020 Subaru Forester problems
See all 2020 Subaru Forester problems or engine problems across all Forester years.