Body complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 7% | — |
| 2025 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2024 | 2 | 6% | — |
| 2023 | 3 | 4% | — |
| 2022 | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2021 | 3 | 1% | — |
| 2020 | 15 | 2% | 7,000 miles |
| 2019 | 25 | 3% | 6,000 miles |
| 2018 | 14 | 3% | 12,000 miles |
| 2017 | 15 | 3% | 20,000 miles |
| 2016 | 11 | 3% | 35,000 miles |
| 2015 | 20 | 3% | 29,000 miles |
| 2014 | 27 | 7% | 34,000 miles |
| 2013 | 4 | 5% | 4,000 miles |
| 2012 | 5 | 5% | 3,000 miles |
| 2011 | 8 | 5% | 60,000 miles |
| 2010 | 7 | 3% | 35,000 miles |
| 2009 | 2 | 1% | 99,000 miles |
| 2008 | 1 | 2% | 56,000 miles |
| 2007 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2006 | 7 | 8% | 30,000 miles |
| 2005 | 4 | 4% | 42,000 miles |
| 2004 | 4 | 2% | 45,000 miles |
| 2003 | 19 | 10% | 133,000 miles |
| 2002 | 3 | 3% | 138,000 miles |
| 2001 | 4 | 3% | 100,000 miles |
| 1999 | 3 | 2% | 96,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Door garnish panel (Part Number 91112SJ570) came loose within about 2 weeks of delivery of the new vehicle. The date of the incident is uncertain as the missing part was discovered after the event. The missing part is not available as it was not clear when or where the part fell off the vehicle. The vehicle has been shown to a service centre at Subaru Serramonte who confirmed the part number of the missing part. No investigation was offered as the missing part was not available. No lamps, messages or symptoms alerted the problem.
On my 2021 Subaru Forester the rear passenger wheel well rubber cover came loose during travel. This has happened on my wife's 2019 subaru forester on the driver rear, and the one on the passenger rear is coming loose. The part was slapping against the side of the car and if we had not pulled over and manually removed it it could have easily flown off the car. The driver side on my wife's car has been replaced, and a replacement has been ordered for my car. The local dealer stated that this has not happened before. To have two car suffer from this seems a bit suspect to me.
In the afternoon when I returned to my vehicle, a large crack (roughly 8 inches) formed on the lower sector of the windshield that appeared to have oriented by the mounting of the passenger wiper arm. I inspected the windshield for damage such as a rock chip and could not find anything to suggest that the integrity was compromised in any way. Their was no visible damage to the windshield other than the crack that formed. The crack formed while the vehicle was parked in a parking lot
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the hood was independently unlatched and opened. The light indicating that the hood was opened illuminated. The contact stated that he pulled to the shoulder of the road and closed the hood. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
Automated lift gate opened fully, and then immediately closed without warning upon a person who was trying to access the back, nearly causing injury. It is unknown what precisely is failing within the lift gate and it is available for review. The automated lift gate can close on a person unexpectedly potentially causing injury. This has been reproduced as was "fixed" by the dealer but then reappeared only a month later with the same issue. The vehicle was not inspected by anyone but the dealer's service representatives. There was a soft beep emitted as it came down but the behavior was completely unexpected. There were no warning lamps or other information as to something was non-functional, only the soft beep as the lift-gate fully opened, then automatically fully shut right after.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that since owning the vehicle in October 2019, five separate cracks had formed on the windshield due to various small debris hitting the windshield while driving at various speeds. On five separate occasions, the contact had taken the vehicle to the same independent mechanic who replaced the windshield each time. Despite each repair, the same failure would occur soon after replacement. Currently, the contact stated that there were two cracks on her windshield, one that had formed on the lower driver side of the windshield and another on the bottom side of the passenger's side windshield. The contact stated that the cracks obstructed her view while driving. The contact stated that there were several dents on the hood. …
In May 2025, I had the passenger-side mirror on my 2019 Subaru Forester replaced at a licensed Subaru dealership. I was told the replacement part would be factory-original and matched to the vehicle's VIN, which specifies a dark metallic grey exterior. After the repair was completed, I noticed that the mirror casing was the wrong color - a visibly lighter grey than the rest of the car. While the mirror is functional and undamaged, the color mismatch may affect how other drivers perceive the vehicle, especially during lane changes or turns. In certain lighting or weather conditions, the inconsistency could potentially cause confusion or misinterpretation of the car's shape or position. The dealership acknowledged that the wrong part color was used based on my VIN, but refused to replace it without full repayment. There were no warning lights or error messages associated with the issue. …
Front end collision with car making an illegal left in front of our Subaru. Our car hood, bumper, head lights, grill and parts of the engine were smashed, with liquid draining out of the engine. My husband (wearing a seatbelt) hit his knee and shoulder on impact. Airbags failed - Not a single airbag deployed. A police officer helped him move car parts out of the street. Safety was at risk because my husband hit the dash. Car is at an independent service center now. We need to know how to get it inspected. There were no warning lights on dash prior to impact.
Related recalls (1)
Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate › Hinge and attachments
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Forester vehicles. These vehicles may have been manufactured with an incorrect and/or incorrectly oriented rear hatch support bracket which can detach without prior warning.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear hatch support brackets and, if necessary, replace the stay and support bracket, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 29, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which Subaru Forester years have body problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2014 (27), 2019 (25), 2015 (20), 2003 (19) and 2017 (15) model years. Body complaints make up 7% of all complaints for the 2014.
Is there a recall for Subaru Forester body problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 25V-889 (hinge and attachments, Dec 18, 2025). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Subaru Forester body problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 43,000 miles; 67% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the body (161 mentions), followed by the body › hatchback/liftgate (13).
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.