BrakeNewsOwner complaints, read early

Your vehicle report

2021 Subaru Forester

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
212
Received Jan 2021 to Oct 2026
Official recalls listed
0
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
2
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Glass shatters or cracks without impact99 complaints · 47% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Engine suddenly shuts off while driving17 complaints · 8.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Battery drains and dies when parked14 complaints · 6.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

No recalls naming this model year are listed in this data. This does not establish that your vehicle is free of safety problems.

View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 16 crashes, 5 fires, 9 people injured, 0 deaths.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 6 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

Brakes

Electrical & lights

Airbags, belts & seats

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Steering, suspension & tires

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Body, doors & glass

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 2021 Subaru Forester
9
Show as a table
MonthComplaints
January 20211
February 20212
March 20212
April 20216
May 20215
June 20217
July 20219
August 20216
September 20213
October 20212
November 20217
December 20218
January 20226
February 20220
March 20223
April 20228
May 20222
June 20227
July 20224
August 20225
September 20224
October 20222
November 20224
December 20224
January 20234
February 20230
March 20236
April 20231
May 20234
June 20231
July 20231
August 20231
September 20235
October 20230
November 20231
December 20232
January 20243
February 20245
March 20240
April 20243
May 20242
June 20242
July 20242
August 20243
September 20241
October 20242
November 20241
December 20240
January 20254
February 20252
March 20250
April 20252
May 20254
June 20253
July 20257
August 20256
September 20253
October 20253
November 20251
December 20252
January 20261
February 20261
March 20261
April 20263
May 20262
June 20263
July 20262
August 20260
September 20260
October 20265
Total212

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Glass shatters or cracks without impact9947%1.9×
Engine suddenly shuts off while driving178.0%10.5×BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jan 2025
Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 5.0%
Battery drains and dies when parked146.6%17.6×BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jul 2021
Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 2.3%
Unintended acceleration despite braking94.3%–
Automatic emergency braking applies without reason52.4%–
Vehicle catches fire from wiring41.9%–

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

No safety recalls naming the 2021 Subaru Forester are listed in the data through October 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA for current information; an empty list is not a safety assessment.

Other model years

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2021 Subaru Forester.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN