Your vehicle report
2023 Subaru Forester
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 74
- Received Mar 2023 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Glass shatters or cracks without impact15 complaints · 20% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Automatic emergency braking applies without reason6 complaints · 8.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off4 complaints · 5.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #23V754000Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek, Impreza, 2023-2024 Forester, and 2023 WRX vehicles. The front driveshaft assemblies' outer race may develop cracks and break.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Glass shatters or cracks without impactFirst signal: Oct 2023
- Automatic emergency braking applies without reasonFirst signal: Jul 2024
- Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows offFirst signal: Mar 2026
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 8 crashes, 4 fires, 6 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.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 8 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
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.
Show as a table
| Month | Complaints |
|---|---|
| March 2023 | 1 |
| April 2023 | 2 |
| May 2023 | 3 |
| June 2023 | 0 |
| July 2023 | 2 |
| August 2023 | 1 |
| September 2023 | 1 |
| October 2023 | 3 |
| November 2023 | 3 |
| December 2023 | 0 |
| January 2024 | 3 |
| February 2024 | 6 |
| March 2024 | 0 |
| April 2024 | 0 |
| May 2024 | 4 |
| June 2024 | 2 |
| July 2024 | 4 |
| August 2024 | 4 |
| September 2024 | 1 |
| October 2024 | 2 |
| November 2024 | 1 |
| December 2024 | 1 |
| January 2025 | 4 |
| February 2025 | 2 |
| March 2025 | 1 |
| April 2025 | 1 |
| May 2025 | 0 |
| June 2025 | 2 |
| July 2025 | 1 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 1 |
| October 2025 | 2 |
| November 2025 | 2 |
| December 2025 | 1 |
| January 2026 | 0 |
| February 2026 | 1 |
| March 2026 | 3 |
| April 2026 | 2 |
| May 2026 | 1 |
| June 2026 | 1 |
| July 2026 | 3 |
| August 2026 | 1 |
| September 2026 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 1 |
| Total | 74 |
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.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 15 | 20% | 4.5× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Oct 2023 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 2.4% |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 6 | 8.1% | 5.4× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jul 2024 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.6% |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 4 | 5.4% | 34.2× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Mar 2026 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 2.1% |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 5.4% | 5.4× | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 4 | 5.4% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 3 | 4.0% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 3 | 4.0% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 3 | 4.0% | – |
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
NHTSA recall #23V754000November 9, 20234,701 vehicles affected
power train: driveline: driveshaft
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek, Impreza, 2023-2024 Forester, and 2023 WRX vehicles. The front driveshaft assemblies' outer race may develop cracks and break.
A broken driveshaft can cause a loss of drive power while driving or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake engaged. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the left and right front driveshafts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRP-23.
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 2023 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