Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Subaru Forester owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My 2010 Subaru Forester's driver seat does not raise up on with the power buttons. I can hear the motor but the front of the seat will not move. Last week, the right side was not moving and now both sides are not. I can physically move the front half of the seat up and down. I can see that the welds on the front arms are off of the frame of the seat rails. If I was in a collision, the whole seat might come off if it is not secured and my safety would be compromised. I called Subaru of America and received a case number. I also plan on taking the car into dealer for an inspection. No warning lights appeared. When I move the seats with the buttons, I sometimes hear a grinding noise. This collapsing seat issue with 2010 Foresters has been found on internet sites. The car was not involved in an accident and I am the primary driver and weigh under 160 lbs.
The bracket on the front right side of the drivers seat (if you're looking at the seat from the sunroof) that connects the seat (where you sit) to the seat frame (which moves the seat forward and back) has separated from the seat frame. The two tack welds have failed so the seat can move freely up and down on the right side of the seat. This issue seems to particularly affect the 2010 model year Subaru Forester as documented by the forum thread: [redacted]
The left side of drivers seat collapsed. Upon inspection, the metal tab that was spot welded to the seat frame failed. The metal tab connects the left front of the seat to the power seat motor components and rail. The power seat no longer works and the seat sags noticeably to the front left. This failure occurred during normal driving conditions, and is typically not overloaded (the primary driver weighs approximately 105lbs). The car has low mileage - 65,380 miles at last service in August.
Left front of drivers seat collapsed while driving 60mph on freeway. This caused a surprise that could have resulted in an accident. This has been reported numerous times as can be referenced here: [redacted] and appears it will be an expensive replacement at my cost for a known issue. This should be considered a major safety issue and deserving of a recall.
The weld on the left side of the seat broken causing the seat cushion to be loose. After quick internet searching, this seems to a be a somewhat common occurrence. I weight 170 Lbs and the car has 140K miles. This issue makes it lean far left causing an unsafe seating position and does not allow for adjustment of the seat up and down.
Power adjustment of Driver's seat front left corner does not raise in synch with right side. This causes the seat to be uneven, resulting in an unsafe driving position. Apparently the weld of the adjustment arm breaking is a well known and documented issue based on even a cursory internet search.
I own a 2010 Subaru Forester. The driver seat bracket weld failed while under low mileage. Thinking that this was a safety concern, I came in to talk about options. I was told I was wrong by thinking it was a common issue and that it wouldn't be covered, and was presented with a bit of a combative tone. I understand this, they can't go around saying yes to everyone that walks in the door. While they did offer to take a look, it was with hesitation. At the very least, I was hoping they would have offered to submit a claim to Subaru of America, but no offer was given. Many people from these threads went to their local dealers and seemed to have it covered, and if not, at least a claim submitted to Subaru of America. This is of great concern to me because of the fact that this is a safety issue putting my family at risk. …
About 2 weeks ago the drivers seat started making a squeaking noise when would sit down. After 2 weeks of this squeaking noise, part of the drivers seat frame broke, seems to be a bad weld. When sitting on the seat, the front left side of the seat bottom sinks down. This seems incredibly unsafe and it's something that should never break in the first place. I am the original owner and weigh about 170 lbs. I'm not putting any unusual stress on the seat. Looking online and doing some quick research, I see a lot of fellow 2010 owners who are starting to have the same problem. I will contact soa shortly because I expect them to pay for the repair. A recall would help, there are a lot of people who are having this issue. I can't trust the structural integrity of the drivers seat in a crash at the moment. The collapse of the seat happened when the vehicle was stationary.
The driver's side power seat collapsed for the second time. A few months ago the right side collapsed. I found that the toggle bracket on the upper right seat frame broke loose from the lower scissor assembly that raises and lowers the seat. The toggle bracket is held the the scissor assembly by two spot welds. The spot welds broke loose causing the seat to fail. There was no Subaru TSB or warranty coverage so I removed the seat and rewelded it. Today I noticed that the left side toggle has broken loose at the same two spot welds. These welds are too weak for the application and Subaru corp should issue a recall. I ask you: where's the love from Subaru for their customers. There are many complaints for this problem on this govt website and a search on-line will reveal a lot more instances of this problem!
Noticed driver's seat (power) was not providing normal support on left side. Assumed it was just age related deterioration at first, but when I investigated I found two welds on the seat frame assembly (pn 64100sc001) had failed. I was concerned that this might have an impact on the performance of the restraint systems and contacted dealer and Subaru to seek assistance in a repair. None was offered. I ordered a replacement factory part from my dealer and notice that the replacement part had been modified by adding a screw to the welds holding the bracket on. Checking on the internet, it appears that this is not an uncommon problem. I was able to replace the seat frame, but this requires removal and disassembly of the seat which is a fairly advanced diy job.
Seat complaints in other Forester years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 2010 Subaru Forester?
NHTSA has 76 complaints about the seats of the 2010 Subaru Forester, 29% of the model year's 262 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2010 Subaru Forester seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats recall for the 2010 Subaru Forester, though it has 17 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2010 Subaru Forester seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to seats problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.