Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2010 Subaru Forester
NHTSA data on file today
The 2010 Subaru Forester has 17 NHTSA recall campaigns and 262 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #22V838000 Seat Belt Assembly Malfunction NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #20V003000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #20V002000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #20V001000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V297000 Ignition Switch may Turn Off NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V009000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V008000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V007000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V012000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V013000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #17V014000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V738000 Power Relay may Fail Allowing Air Pump to Overheat NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V358000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V830000 Brake Line Corrosion at Four-Way Connector NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V311000 Brake Lines may Fail due to Corrosion NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #12V602000 Accessory Puddle Light may Short-circuit NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #12V099000 CENTER SEAT AUTOMATIC LOCKING RETRACTOR/FMVSS 208 NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Seats 76 complaints
- Air Bags 42 complaints
- Engine 34 complaints
- Service Brakes 28 complaints
- Vehicle Speed Control 24 complaints
- Electrical System 13 complaints
Of the 262 complaints on file, 21 report a crash and 6 a fire; across all 262 complaints, owners report 9 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $5,000–$12,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2010 Subaru Forester has an average reliability rating based on the moderate number of owner complaints and recall campaigns. With 262 complaints and 17 recalls, issues mainly revolve around seats, airbags, and the engine. However, the evidence is limited to justify significant reliability concerns beyond these aspects.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | 80,000–120,000 miles | $250–$600 | common |
| Airbags | 70,000–100,000 miles | $400–$1,000 | common |
| Engine | 100,000–150,000 miles | $1,500–$4,000 | occasional |
| Service brakes | 90,000–130,000 miles | $300–$800 | occasional |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil change every 5,000 miles
- Tire rotation every 7,500 miles
- Brake pads replacement as needed
- Scheduled timing belt replacement
- Coolant flush every 60,000 miles
- Transmission fluid change at 100,000 miles
- Spark plugs replacement every 90,000 miles
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Check engine light on
- Increased braking distance
- Airbag warning light
- Unusual seat noises
- Intermittent electrical issues
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2010 Subaru Forester at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.