2014 Subaru Forester Problems, Recalls & Reliability
576 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2014 Subaru Forester, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 63/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Suspension leads the reports, typically around 55,565 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2014 Subaru Forester sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1998–2000, 2002, 2005–2008, 2012–2013, 2022.
Avoid
Where 2014 sits among all Forester years
What owners report
“Rear coil spring broke while car was parked in garage. Left rear of car sagging. Unsafe to drive.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Forester
“I have had ignition problems turning off the engine after stopping also i have to keep putting a quart of oil in when the oil light comes on while driving”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Forester
“Passenger airbag was off with passenger on seat. It corrected itself for a while and now is off whether there is or isn't a passenger aboard.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Forester
“Driving at about 60 mph and car starting vibrating violently for a few seconds. Continued driving and 10 minutes later same thing for same length of time happened again.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Forester
“The ignition cyclinder will not release vehicle key. Upon turning off vehicle and attempting to remove key from ignition the key will not turn past on to the off position. It can take up to 30 tries of cycling key to remove key. Moving the shifter and starting the car seem to have any effect on…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Forester
“My 2014 subaru forrester accelerated and hit a tree as i pulled into a parking space. It tboned the front end and and the air bags did not deploy..i was going into the space very slowly and it was when it accelerated.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Forester
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 398 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 54,216 miles. Half of those reports fall between 25,000 and 80,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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…
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…
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2014 Forester vehicles manufactured from January 2013 through March 2013. The backing for the carpeted floor mats was not manufactured to specification. As a result, the floor mats may curl when exposed to heat.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace each of the vehicle's four (4) carpeted floor mats with new ones. These services will be performed free of charge. Subaru issued an interim…
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2014 Subaru Forester reliable?
The 2014 Subaru Forester drew 576 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 63/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2014 Subaru Forester problems?
The top reported problems for the 2014 Subaru Forester are suspension (95 complaints), engine (72), and airbags (68).
At what mileage do 2014 Subaru Forester problems show up?
Owners most often report 2014 Subaru Forester problems around 54,216 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 25,000 and 80,000 miles.
Does the 2014 Subaru Forester have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2014 Subaru Forester. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.