2010 Subaru Forester Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2010 Subaru Forester has 262 NHTSA complaints and 17 recall campaigns, giving it a complaint index of 55 and a Caution verdict, ranked 10th worst of 21 model years. Structure & Body issues lead at 31% of complaints.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 55/100
- #10 of 21 Forester years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 262
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 17
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 21
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 6
- Injuries
- 9
- Top issue
- Structure & Body
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 22
- 20 city / 26 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 9 / 0
Top 2010 Subaru Forester problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Structure & Body81 (31%)
- Engine59 (23%)
- Airbags42 (16%)
- Brakes39 (15%)
- Electrical System16 (6%)
- Fuel System13 (5%)
- Other12 (5%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires8 (3%)
- Visibility & Wipers8 (3%)
- Transmission & Powertrain7 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners describe sudden, unintended acceleration or reverse surges when shifting into reverse or backing up, sometimes ending in a crash into a building or object.
- Some vehicles stalled or would not recognize the key, causing the car to roll backward and crash on inclines.
- Airbags reportedly deployed in shards during a crash, failing to protect the driver, or in another case did not deploy at all after a collision.
- Drivers reported a burning smell along with high engine gauge readings and a warning light, later traced by a dealer to a bolt issue.
- Electrical problems included intermittent ABS/VDS warning lights, a popping sound on startup, a burning plastic smell, and a burned wheel well liner.
- A heated driver seat became extremely hot to the touch, prompting owners to shut it off after noticing burning heat while driving.
2010 Subaru Forester recalls
17 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 22V838000Nov 10, 2022Seat Belts16 vehicles
Seat belts
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles. The front seat belt assembly force-limiter may not operate correctly in the event of a crash.
Risk: The seat belt assembly may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 9, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRJ-22.
- NHTSA 20V001000Jan 2, 2020Airbags258,813 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.
- NHTSA 20V003000Jan 2, 2020Airbags111,562 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.
2010 Subaru Forester fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 20 MPG
- Highway
- 26 MPG
- Combined
- 22 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,950
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2010 compared with other Forester years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2010 Subaru Forester reliable?
- NHTSA data shows 262 complaints and 17 recall campaigns for the 2010 Forester, producing a complaint index of 55 and a Caution verdict. It ranks 10th worst among the 21 Forester model years covered.
- What are the most common problems with the 2010 Subaru Forester?
- Structure & Body complaints make up 31% of reports (81 complaints), followed by Engine at 23% (59 complaints), Airbags at 16% (42 complaints), and Brakes at 15% (39 complaints).
- Does the 2010 Subaru Forester have airbag recalls?
- Yes. NHTSA lists multiple airbag recall campaigns for the 2010 Forester (19V008000, 19V007000, 19V009000, 20V001000, 20V002000, 20V003000) covering front passenger air bag inflator replacement.
- How does the 2010 Forester compare to other Forester years?
- The 2010 model's complaint index of 55 is higher than earlier years like 2008 (index 0, Good verdict) but lower than later years such as 2019, which has the highest complaint index at 100 and an Avoid verdict.
- What mileage do 2010 Forester problems tend to appear at?
- The median mileage at failure across all complaints for the 2010 Forester is 66,000 miles, though it varies by problem area, from 29,100 miles for Visibility & Wipers issues to 78,569.5 miles for Structure & Body issues.