NHTSA vehicle safety data

2014 Subaru Forester Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2014 Subaru Forester has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns and 403 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Subaru dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2014 Subaru Forester, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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2014 Subaru Forester owner complaints

Owners have filed 403 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Subaru Forester, describing incidents dated April 22, 2013 to March 19, 2026.

Most-cited components

Suspension 94 complaints
Engine 72 complaints
Air Bags 57 complaints
Unknown or Other 44 complaints
Electrical System 42 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control 42 complaints

Of the 403 complaints on file, 48 report a crash and 3 a fire; across all 403 complaints, owners report 28 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11743796 · Filed June 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while his wife was driving and stopped in traffic, the steering wheel locked up. The contact stated the steering wheel warning light illuminated and the vehicle was towed. The dealer was contacted and notified of the failure, and the…
ODI #11726313 · Filed March 23, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Subaru Forester on March 5, 2026. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 77,000. At the time of the…
ODI #11726163 · Filed March 22, 2026
Unintended acceleration while parking /braking in front of a Verizon store leading to crash into store

Read all 403 complaints

Owner-reported

2014 Subaru Forester mileage at failure

296 of the 403 complaints on file for the 2014 Subaru Forester give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Component	Median	Middle half	Based on
Suspension	Median 55,000 miles	Middle half 40,000–70,000 miles	Based on 80 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

Brake Lights May Not Illuminate

NHTSA #19V149000 · Exterior Lighting — Brake Lights — Switch · NHTSA notice

Reported February 28, 2019 · Subaru of America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 1,303,530 vehicles

Repair completion: 78.3% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Subaru campaign WUE-90 · Owners notified April 15, 2019 · Vehicles built December 18, 2012 – April 28, 2016 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.

Safety consequence

Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Carpeted Floor Mats may Curl/Interfere with Pedals

NHTSA #13V159000 · Equipment · NHTSA notice

Reported April 24, 2013 · Subaru of America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 10,137 vehicles

Subaru campaign WQH-44 · Owners notified June 5, 2013 · Vehicles built January 1, 2013 – March 31, 2013 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Subaru is recalling certain model year 2014 Forester vehicles manufactured from January 2013 through March 2013. The backing for the carpeted floor mats was not manufactured to specification. As a result, the floor mats may curl when exposed to heat.

Safety consequence

Curling of the driver side floor mat could distract the driver and/or interfere with proper operation of one or a combination of, the vehicle's clutch, brake, and accelerator pedals. Brake or accelerator pedal interference may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace each of the vehicle's four (4) carpeted floor mats with new ones. These services will be performed free of charge. Subaru issued an interim notification during April 2013. Notification that the remedy is now available was mailed to owners on June 5, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQH-44.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

2014 Subaru Forester SUV AWD

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Frontal Crash

Driver: 5, Passenger: 4

Side Crash

Driver: 5, Passenger: 5

Side Pole

Rollover

17% rollover risk

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control Forward Collision Warning (Optional) Lane Departure Warning (Optional)

403 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2014 Subaru Forester.

Steering

ODI #11743796

Incident: June 24, 2024 · Filed: June 12, 2026

The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while his wife was driving and stopped in traffic, the steering wheel locked up. The contact stated the steering wheel warning light illuminated and the vehicle was towed. The dealer was contacted and notified of the failure, and the failure was diagnosed with rack and pinion and electrical power steering failures. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure after the repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.

Electrical System

ODI #11726313

Incident: March 6, 2026 · Filed: March 23, 2026

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Subaru Forester on March 5, 2026. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 77,000. At the time of the registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 166,000.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11726163

Crash

Incident: March 19, 2026 · Filed: March 22, 2026

Unintended acceleration while parking /braking in front of a Verizon store leading to crash into store

Electrical System; Engine; Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11703583

Incident: November 27, 2025 · Filed: December 7, 2025

On 5/15/2024 and 5/21/2024 I had sudden uninteded acceleration. I had a auto shop try to solve the problem by replacing the air fuel ratio sensor and the mass air flow sensor. This seem to fix the issue until 11/27/2025 & 12/7/2025 when the sudden uninteded acceleration returned.

Vehicle Speed Control; Service Brakes; Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11700275

Crash 5 injuries

Incident: November 16, 2025 · Filed: November 19, 2025

I was driving my 2014 Subaru Forester (about 148,000 miles) behind a minivan at a safe distance and speed. Without warning, my vehicle accelerated uncontrollably. Despite applying the brakes, shifting into low gear, and using the emergency brake, I was unable to slow it down. After impact, the car then hit a telephone pole, spun me around and rolled the car over. There is major damage to the car and we looked at it at the tow yard but the salvage adjuster is moving it shortly.

Suspension

ODI #11696927

Incident: July 9, 2025 · Filed: November 1, 2025

LOW CONTRL ARM BUSHINGS DISTROYED,LOUD NOISE AND VIBRATION UNDER THE CAR.

Structure

ODI #11689673

Incident: September 19, 2025 · Filed: September 25, 2025

Liftgate arm (or support) broke while the liftgate was in the raised position, and the liftgate came crashing down to the closed position, while my sister-in-law was very close by. I believe a serious injury could have resulted if someone had been under the liftgate at the time. We also own a 2016 Forester, and I now expect to replace the liftgate supports as a matter of safety and peace of mind. From what I see, checking the liftgate supports is not on the maintenance schedule. I assume other SUVs are also subject to this issue.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11676963

Incident: July 20, 2025 · Filed: July 29, 2025

I was on the freeway when the check engine light came on with an alert I couldn't read in time before it disappeared. Then the gas pedal stopped working. I got to a safe place and shut off the car. My brother-in-law then drove the car the 5 miles back home on local roads - he videod the throttle ramping up when he was either braking or the foot wasn't on the gas pedal, which happened 4-5 times. Subaru service pulled fault code P2138.

Power Train

ODI #11673628

Crash 1 injury

Incident: August 1, 2017 · Filed: July 15, 2025

The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would independently accelerate without warning. Due to the failure, the contact stated that they had hit a building while attempting to park in a parking space. The air bag did not deploy during the accident and the contact suffered stiffness to the left side of their neck. The contact was given a ticket by the police as a result of the incident; however, a police report was not filed. Due to the crash, a window was shattered and a few bricks fell off from the building. The contact also mentioned that while attempting to park the vehicle in their driveway, the vehicle jolted forward while the brake pedal was depressed and hit a stone wall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was given a case number. The contact was then referred to a local dealer who gave the contact an estimate for a diagnostic. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

Engine

ODI #11672050

Incident: August 11, 2023 · Filed: July 8, 2025

I have a 2014 Subaru Forester that I purchase in 2023 from a dealership in Yonkers N.Y. I been noticing oil consumption at 1qt. a week at 300 miles. I investigated it on the internet and found out that there was a recalled for oil consumption to replace the short block on it. I emailed Subaru on this matter and they told me that they stopped repairing three years ago. When I purchase this back in 2023 the dealership did not tell me any open recalls on this vehicle. I was told by D.M.V. in New York that the dealer has to tell the buyer for any open recalls. I feel now that I was sold a Lemon. Is there any thing that could been done by repair by Subaru or the dealer. Thanks...

Other Subaru Forester model years

Check your 2014 Subaru Forester VIN

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