2020 Subaru Forester Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2020 Subaru Forester has 601 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 93, ranking 2nd worst of 16 model years and earning an Avoid verdict. Visibility & Wipers issues dominate at 50% of complaints, with median failure mileage of 5,800 miles.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 95/100
- #2 of 21 Forester years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 601
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 0
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 26
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 9
- Injuries
- 16
- Top issue
- Visibility & Wipers
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 29
- 26 city / 33 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 16 / 0
Top 2020 Subaru Forester problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Visibility & Wipers301 (50%)
- Other108 (18%)
- Electrical System105 (17%)
- Engine105 (17%)
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras44 (7%)
- Transmission & Powertrain32 (5%)
- Lane Departure22 (4%)
- Structure & Body20 (3%)
- Brakes15 (2%)
- Fuel System13 (2%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Airbag warning light fails to detect a lighter passenger or randomly illuminates without cause.
- Vehicles have burst into flames within minutes after frontal collisions, with fire spreading from the engine bay into the passenger compartment.
- Automatic braking system reportedly activated incorrectly or failed, contributing to front-end collisions followed by engine fires.
- Steering wheel veered and locked to one side while the anti-lock brake system engaged during highway driving.
- Accelerator pedal reportedly malfunctioned, causing unintended acceleration even while the brake was depressed, leading to collisions with buildings or walls.
- Vehicle allegedly moved on its own while parked and stationary with the driver's foot on the brake.
2020 Subaru Forester recalls
No safety recalls on record for this model year.
2020 Subaru Forester fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 26 MPG
- Highway
- 33 MPG
- Combined
- 29 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,250
- 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.
2020 compared with other Forester years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2020 Subaru Forester reliable?
- NHTSA data shows 601 complaints and a complaint index of 93 for the 2020 Forester, the second-highest among 16 model years tracked, giving it an Avoid verdict relative to other Forester years.
- What is the most common problem with the 2020 Subaru Forester?
- Visibility & Wipers issues account for 50% of all complaints (301 of 601), far more than any other category, followed by Electrical System and Engine problems at 17% each.
- Does the 2020 Subaru Forester have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 0 recalls for the 2020 Subaru Forester, with 0 classified as do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2020 Forester compare to other years?
- The 2020 model ranks 2nd worst of 16 years with a complaint index of 93, close to the worst year, 2019, which had an index of 100 and 833 complaints.
- At what mileage do 2020 Forester problems typically occur?
- The median mileage at failure across all complaints is 5,800 miles, with Visibility & Wipers issues showing up at a median of 5,962 miles.