2021 Subaru Forester Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Forester years
- More complaints than other years 10th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 210 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Subaru Forester. That ranks 10th out of 29 Forester model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility/wiper (76 complaints, 36%), typically at around 2,000 miles. Complaints mention 16 crashes, 5 fires, 9 injuries. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year.
- 210owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 16complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2021 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper problems | 76 | 36% | 2,000 | “windshield cracked” (34%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 42 | 20% | 1,750 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 33 | 16% | 14,376 | — | — |
| Engine | 33 | 16% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 17 | 8% | 24,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 15 | 7% | 11,250 | — | — |
| Visibility | 14 | 7% | 8,750 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 6% | 7,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 8 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 7 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 3% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 2% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2021 Subaru Forester recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 2021 Subaru Forester.
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.
Driver side rear window spontaneously failed while driving on the highway. Passenger experienced cuts due to glass fragments
The transmission very suddenly (perfectly fine one day, bad the next) developed a severe transmission slip. Like getting rear ended feeling transmission slip. Dealership quotes the CVT control valve body.
On two separate occasions, less than one year apart after Subaru Service replaced my battery with a âlargerâ battery without my knowledge my vehicle suffered sudden, catastrophic electrical failure while moving in active highway traffic, causing an immediate loss of propulsion and creating a…
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while trying to roll up vehicle windows from driver sits and passenger sit they would roll up to 3/4th all the way up and they would roll back down after. The contact stated this was a recurring event. The dealer was aware of failure…
My 2021 Subaru Forester has a recurring, worsening defect in the Idle Stop/Start (ISS) system that creates a stalling hazard. When ISS shuts the engine off at a stop, the engine intermittently fails to restart when I try to move again. It cranks progressively slower, warning lights illuminate, a…
Other Subaru Forester years
← 2020 Forester · 2022 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 | 210 | 0 |
| 2020 Forester | 602 | 0 |
| 2019 Forester | 834 | 3 |
| 2018 Forester | 498 | 3 |
| 2017 Forester | 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 2021 Subaru Forester?
Owners most often report visibility/wiper, unknown or other, electrical system problems. The top one, visibility/wiper, accounts for 76 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Subaru Forester?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 2021 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 2021 has 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.