AutoUtility currently tracks 492 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2018 Subaru Forester. Visibility, Wipers & Glass issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 156 complaints (31.7% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 26 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 6 report one or more injuries.
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 492 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Visibility, Wipers & Glass (156 reports • 31.7% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Air Bags & Restraints (98), Electrical System (70)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 26 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 1 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 6 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Most Reported Problems for 2018 Subaru Forester
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
Visibility, Wipers & Glass
Air Bags & Restraints
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #19V701000 AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
Electrical System
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
Seats & Interior
Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 Subaru Forester
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.
12V Battery Parasitic Drain / Dead Battery
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 Subaru Forester
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"Airbag light came on - dealership confirmed it is an occupant detection system failure - wiring harness has gone bad. No history of moisture exposure, which would leave faulty part as the problem. Similar to Subaru recall from 2020 on heated passenger seats - this vehicle was not included in that..."
"Discovered (06/08/26) that the engine would not turn over without the accelerator being pushed down when warm from driving after resting 30-60 minutes. Car was taken to Capital Subaru. No codes were triggered. The throttle body was cleaned. No change. The Crankshaft Position Sensor was replaced,..."
"- The passenger-side Occupant Detection System (ODS) sensor, which is part of the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) airbag system, has failed. This component was previously replaced under a Subaru safety recall completed in May 2020. The SRS airbag warning light is now illuminated again,..."
"I brought my vehicle to an authorized Subaru dealership (Byers Imports, LLC in Columbus, Ohio) to diagnose the reason for the airbag warning lamp illuminating. The dealer had the manufacturer's WUM-98 Safety Recall (NHTSA Campaign Number 19V701000) performed to remedy a defective Occupant Detection..."
"I am filing a formal complaint against Subaru of America for refusing to remedy an active federal safety recall (NHTSA Campaign 19V701000 / Subaru Recall WUM98). My passenger airbag is currently disabled (DTC B1760). SRS light goes on and off and visit to the Sheehy Fredericksburg Subaru location..."
Complaint History for Subaru Forester
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Subaru Forester | 613 | 53 | 3 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Subaru Forester | 410 | 39 | 3 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Subaru Forester | 582 | 39 | 1 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Subaru Forester Current Page | 492 | 26 | 3 | Current |
| 2019 Subaru Forester | 832 | 36 | 3 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Subaru Forester | 596 | 26 | 0 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Subaru Forester | 207 | 16 | 0 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Subaru Forester | 96 | 8 | 1 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Subaru Forester | 73 | 8 | 1 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Subaru Forester | 29 | 4 | 2 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Subaru Forester | 90 | 11 | 4 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Subaru Forester | 0 | 0 | 3 | View 2026 Problems → |
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2018 Subaru Forester
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 89 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 123 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 61 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 52 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEATS | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEATS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,SEATS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER,LANE DEPARTURE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CARRY HANDLE, SHELL, BASE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE,ENGINE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEATS,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,AIR BAGS,SEATS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,STRUCTURE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires NHTSA category: TIRES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TIRES,WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VISIBILITY,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)
Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full-sized, small stature, a child seat or o...
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.