Electrical complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6 | 21% | 6,000 miles |
| 2025 | 8 | 8% | 0 miles |
| 2024 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2023 | 8 | 11% | — |
| 2022 | 11 | 11% | 30,000 miles |
| 2021 | 33 | 16% | 23,000 miles |
| 2020 | 103 | 17% | 2,000 miles |
| 2019 | 134 | 16% | 9,000 miles |
| 2018 | 71 | 14% | 12,000 miles |
| 2017 | 106 | 18% | 38,000 miles |
| 2016 | 93 | 22% | 40,000 miles |
| 2015 | 82 | 13% | 40,000 miles |
| 2014 | 42 | 10% | 61,000 miles |
| 2013 | 3 | 4% | 10,000 miles |
| 2012 | 10 | 10% | 56,000 miles |
| 2011 | 11 | 7% | 63,000 miles |
| 2010 | 13 | 5% | 73,000 miles |
| 2009 | 22 | 12% | 60,000 miles |
| 2008 | 5 | 10% | 90,000 miles |
| 2007 | 5 | 7% | 86,000 miles |
| 2006 | 7 | 8% | 82,000 miles |
| 2005 | 3 | 3% | 24,000 miles |
| 2004 | 4 | 2% | 68,000 miles |
| 2003 | 4 | 2% | 72,000 miles |
| 2001 | 2 | 1% | 189,000 miles |
| 2000 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 1999 | 4 | 3% | 175,000 miles |
| 1998 | 6 | 6% | 98,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2026 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the engine sputtered before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with an inoperable fuel pump. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure returned three weeks later. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer. The dealer was unable to duplicated the failure but determined that the failure was caused by a blown fuse and the fuse was replaced. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
Brand new vehicle purchased 08/29/2026, backed out of the driveway (on Sept 25, 2026.) A few hundred feet down the road turned right (going ~20 MPH?) and all the dashboard warnings including the check engine light came on and the vehicle began to lose power. Turned the car around, barely made it back into the driveway. The car would not restart after several intermittent attempts. Immediately called the dealer's service dept who instructed me to contact the towing service # listed on the window sticker. It was towed within an hour or so to the dealership. Prior to this specific incident there were no other issues. As of today, (Oct 2, 2026) the vehicle is still at the dealership's service department (7 days and counting). The service dept said they are working with the techs to determine the exact cause which is unknown at this time, but possible electrical or communication issue. …
The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid. The contact stated that the hatchback had opened independently while the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that the doors had opened unintendedly while the vehicle was being washed at the car wash. The contact stated that the door required to be slammed to close and to latch securely. Additionally, the contact stated that while reversing out of a 2-15 percent sloped driveway, the Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB) system's beeping sound engaged while there were no vehicles or objects in the proximity of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped abruptly, causing the driver's side seat headrest to hit the contact's head violently. The contact stated that the vehicle became inoperable. The contact exited and inspected the surroundings of the vehicle. The contact verified that the vehicle had not collided with an object. …
8/25/25: Seat Heater came on by itself on a hot day this Summer, it got so hot it burned my Right thigh. Seat Heaters are burning people. I drove directly to Subaru Dealership Service and the Service person, Dave confirmed the Seat heater was off and felt that the seat was hot and getting hotter as the heat began going up into the back of the seat. The service personnel inspected my car and could not duplicate the incident and everything tested "normal" ~ I requested they unplug the heater and they said they could NOT as it will effect the computer. Subaru Corporate connected me with a Customer Advocate who arranged inspection by a corporate service person. …
This vehicle has died 4 times in one week. when this happens, multiple lights have flashed in the dash board, including the "eye sight" warning. Then, it would not restart but continued to "turn over" when the ignition button was pushed. One instance was on a busy street at a stop light, another at a busy intersection in the inner left turn lane, the other 2 instances were in parking lots. The first 2 times the vehicle was able to be jump started and was not taken to the dealership. The 3rd, it was jump started and taken to the dealership. They said the battery was slightly low, but had sufficient charge. They changed the fob battery, and topped off the car battery. That was all. The next day was the episode where it died in the turn lane. I had it towed to the dealership. …
The vehicles battery does not hold a charge during short term, (3-5 weeks of storage). I understand that some prior years of Subaru vehicles have this same problem and there is currently a recall for this. I wonder if this battery problem exists in newer Subaru Foresters. When we purchased this vehicle as new we observed that the Dealership was having problems maintaining the charge on at least two other new Forester vehicles on display and had to replace the battery in one of these to start the vehicle and show it to other customers. We have had to have Triple A, (AAA), visit our home and jump start our 2023 Forester at least three times. We do not use the vehicle much and there is less than 1000 miles on our auto. The auto is stored in the off condition. No warning messages of lamps show the depleted battery conditions until trying to start the vehicle. …
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the Manufacturer's label indicated that the fuel economy stated 26 miles/per city and 33 miles/per highway per gallon; however, the contact stated that the mileage per gallon had never exceeded 23.7 m/p/g. The contact also stated that the fuel meter was locked at 23.7 m/p/g. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that no issues were found. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for a service appointment, the contact was advised that the batter was defective. The contact was informed that the battery was not large enough for the power of the vehicle. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was a known failure of the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,200.
Related recalls (2)
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019.
Electrical system
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783.
Frequently asked questions
Which Subaru Forester years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2019 (134), 2017 (106), 2020 (103), 2016 (93) and 2015 (82) model years. Electrical complaints make up 16% of all complaints for the 2019.
Is there a recall for Subaru Forester electrical problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 19V-297 (switch, Apr 11, 2019); 16V-738 (electrical system, Oct 13, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Subaru Forester electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 40,000 miles; 67% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the 12v/24v/48v battery (9 mentions), followed by the instrument cluster/panel (5).
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.