The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists 3 official safety recall campaigns for the 2016 Subaru Forester in AutoUtility's current federal dataset. The primary affected vehicle systems include Air Bags & Restraints, Brakes & Traction Control, Engine & Cooling.
Key Recall Findings
- • Official Recall Campaigns: 3 campaigns on file with NHTSA
- • Primary Affected Subsystems: Air Bags & Restraints, Brakes & Traction Control, Engine & Cooling
- • Official Remedy: Detailed per campaign in official NHTSA records below
- • Most Recent NHTSA Report: October 3, 2019
VIN-Specific Notice: Safety recall campaigns apply to specific production date ranges and vehicle identification numbers (VINs). A campaign listing on this model-year page does not establish that every vehicle or trim is affected. Check your 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov or with an authorized dealer to verify whether a safety repair is needed.
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign
Air Bags & Restraints
NHTSA records also contain 98 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
View Complaints →
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign
Brakes & Traction Control
NHTSA records also contain 34 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
View Complaints →
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign
Engine & Cooling
NHTSA records also contain 49 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
View Complaints →
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign
Exterior Lighting
NHTSA records also contain 6 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
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Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign
Fuel & Propulsion System
NHTSA records also contain 24 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
View Complaints →
Domain Mapping Methodology: A single NHTSA recall campaign may involve more than one vehicle subsystem (such as electrical wiring affecting fuel delivery), so domain totals can exceed the total number of unique recall campaigns. Complaint and recall counts are grouped by broad vehicle system; component co-occurrence does not establish that an individual owner complaint is related to a specific recall campaign.
NHTSA Campaign #19V701000 Air Bags & Restraints
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
NHTSA Report Date: October 3, 2019
Official NHTSA Defect Investigation Link:
Initiated as a result of NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation #PE19009 (Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure, Status: CLOSED).
View Investigation Details →
Safety Defect Summary: 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.
Safety Risk / Consequence: 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.
Authorized Remedy Instructions: 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.
Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #19V149000 Brakes & Traction ControlExterior Lighting
Affected Component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
NHTSA Report Date: February 28, 2019
Safety Defect Summary: 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 light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Safety Risk / Consequence: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Authorized Remedy Instructions: 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 number for this recall is WUE-90.
Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #16V162000 Engine & CoolingFuel & Propulsion System
Affected Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER
NHTSA Report Date: March 21, 2016
Safety Defect Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.
Safety Risk / Consequence: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Authorized Remedy Instructions: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTA-62.
Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Source Data Notice: Campaign summaries, safety consequences, and remedy descriptions are direct text extracts published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation.
Historical Reporting Note: Recall campaign counts are shown by model year and should not be interpreted as a vehicle reliability score. Campaigns may cover multiple model years, and newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time for new safety campaigns to be issued.
Safety recall campaigns on this page are associated with this make, model, and model year in NHTSA federal records. A campaign may apply only to certain vehicles based on production date, equipment, manufacturing details, or other campaign-specific criteria.
AutoUtility cannot determine whether a particular VIN is affected or whether a recall remedy has already been completed.
For vehicle-specific recall status, check the 17-digit VIN using NHTSA's official recall lookup or contact an authorized dealer. Campaign-specific remedy information shown above is reproduced from official NHTSA recall records.
Official NHTSA Safety Resources:
NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 711)