YearToAvoid

2020 Subaru Forester Brakes Problems

NHTSA lists 15 brake-related complaints for the 2020 Subaru Forester, 2% of its 601 total complaints for the year. These complaints link to 6 crashes, 1 fire, and 8 injuries, with a median mileage at failure of 7,500 miles. No related recalls are listed for this area.

Brakes complaints
15
2% of 601
Crashes reported
6
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
8
Median mileage
7,500 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical brake symptoms owners report

  • Automatic emergency braking activates unexpectedly with no obstacle present, causing sudden stops or skids at low speed.
  • Owners describe the brake pedal failing to stop the vehicle during unintended acceleration, in some cases resulting in a collision with a fixed object.
  • Some owners report the anti-lock brake system engaging along with a locking, veering steering wheel while driving on the highway.
  • Owners report a driver-assist and safety-feature shutdown, including forward collision braking, lane departure, and adaptive cruise, sometimes tied to a check engine light or heavy rain.
  • One owner reported that the automatic braking system failed just before a front-end collision that was followed by an engine fire.

When 2020 Subaru Forester brake complaints were filed

First complaint Dec 17, 2019, latest Mar 6, 2026.

2020 Subaru Forester brakes complaints: complaints filed per month2Dec 2019Dec 2020Sep 2021Feb 2022Aug 2022Nov 2023Jul 2024
15 complaints filed with NHTSA from Dec 2019 to Mar 2026; peak Mar 2022 (2).

Brakes recalls for the 2020 Subaru Forester

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Brakes complaints by Forester model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20057 (8%)
  2. 20062 (2%)
  3. 20074 (5%)
  4. 20082 (4%)
  5. 200920 (11%)
  6. 201039 (15%)
  7. 201121 (14%)
  8. 201219 (18%)
  9. 201310 (13%)
  10. 201434 (8%)
  11. 201545 (7%)
  12. 201634 (8%)
  13. 201720 (3%)
  14. 201820 (4%)
  15. 201934 (4%)
  16. 202015 (2%)
  17. 20217 (3%)
  18. 202210 (10%)
  19. 20235 (7%)
  20. 20241 (3%)
  21. 20256 (6%)

Frequently asked questions

How many brake complaints does NHTSA have for the 2020 Subaru Forester?
NHTSA lists 15 brake complaints for the 2020 Forester, which is 2% of the 601 total complaints filed for that model year.
Are there any recalls for 2020 Forester brake problems?
No related recalls are listed for the brakes component on the 2020 Forester in this data.
How serious are the reported brake issues?
Among the 15 brake complaints, NHTSA data shows 6 crashes, 1 fire, and 8 injuries, with a median mileage at failure of 7,500 miles.
Is the 2020 Forester worse than other years for brake complaints?
Its 2% share of complaints tied to brakes is lower than several other model years in this data, including 2010 through 2016, which each show higher shares.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.