2018 Subaru Forester Problems, Recalls & Reliability
675 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 Subaru Forester, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 60/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Visibility & wipers leads the reports, typically around 20,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2018 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 2018 sits among all Forester years
What owners report
“My car was sitting in the driveway and overnight a windshield crack of 8-12 inches appeared out of nowhere.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Forester
“Passenger front seat. Airbag light is on when someone is sitting in the seat and seatbelt indicator dings when nothing is in the seat.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Forester
“The windshield is pitted and cracked i first noticed the pitting in 03/2018 and it is continually getting worse. The windshield now needs to be replaced as it has a huge crack in it!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Forester
“Battery drains for seemingly no reason. The radio or lights are not left on that would make the car drain while the car off. I had to replace the battery on 5/14/2021.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Forester
“When driving, sometimes my car loses power temporarily. It happens at times when i am going up an incline, but it has also happened on flat surfaces.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Forester
“While parking in a lot: when pulling into a space, hit brake pedal and car accelerated resulting in minor damage to my car and others cars. I believe the car malfunctioned resulting in this accident.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Forester
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 309 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 15,130 miles. Half of those reports fall between 6,300 and 30,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fix: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614.…
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.
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…
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. The Certification Label may indicate the incorrect wheel size, tire size, and air pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor…
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected label, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 19V701000.
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 2018 Subaru Forester reliable?
The 2018 Subaru Forester drew 675 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 60/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2018 Subaru Forester problems?
The top reported problems for the 2018 Subaru Forester are visibility & wipers (157 complaints), airbags (119), and other (89).
At what mileage do 2018 Subaru Forester problems show up?
Owners most often report 2018 Subaru Forester problems around 15,130 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 6,300 and 30,000 miles.
Does the 2018 Subaru Forester have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2018 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.