2018 Subaru Forester
Common Problems
Ranked from 248 federal NHTSA complaints. Every problem links to the complaint IDs behind it.
6 Common Problems
Ordered by how often owners reported each one to NHTSA. The bar shows how common a problem is relative to the most-reported on this vehicle. Expand any problem to see the federal complaint IDs.
- 1
Windshield Cracking Without Apparent Cause
96complaintsSafety riskOtherWindshields crack unexpectedly while parked or during normal driving conditions.
- 2
Windshield Cracking Without Impact
74complaintsHigh severityOtherThe windshield cracks without any apparent impact or cause.
- 3
Battery Drain Without Reason
43complaintsSafety riskElectricalThe battery drains unexpectedly, even when the car is turned off and no lights or electronics are on.
$150–$700est. parasitic-drain diagnosis + battery · 1–4 hrs laborGet local quotes - 4
Passenger Airbag System Malfunction
36complaintsSafety riskElectricalThe passenger airbag system intermittently fails to deploy or is disabled, posing a safety risk.
- 5
Air Bag Malfunction
24complaintsSafety riskElectricalThe passenger airbag does not deploy correctly, potentially endangering passengers in case of an accident.
- 6
Unexpected Vehicle Acceleration While Stopping
24complaintsHigh severityOtherThe vehicle unexpectedly accelerates when the brakes are applied, leading to potential collisions.
Other years & sources
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls. Problems are clustered and ranked from the complaint record; occurrence counts reflect corroborating complaints, not total incidence. Vehicle image is illustrative. Repair-cost figures are typical U.S. independent-shop ranges (parts + labor) for the class of repair shown — actual quotes vary by region, engine, and diagnosis; always confirm with a local shop.