AI-generated from NHTSA recall & complaint counts

Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2012 Subaru Forester

NHTSA data on file today

The 2012 Subaru Forester has 15 NHTSA recall campaigns and 106 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

NCAP overall rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars, for the 1 NHTSA-tested trim.

Recall campaigns on file

NHTSA #22V838000 Seat Belt Assembly Malfunction NHTSA notice
NHTSA #20V001000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
NHTSA #20V002000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
NHTSA #20V003000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
NHTSA #19V297000 Ignition Switch may Turn Off 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 #19V009000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
NHTSA #18V012000 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 #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

Engine 27 complaints
Air Bags 20 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control 18 complaints
Service Brakes 11 complaints
Electrical System 10 complaints
Unknown or Other 8 complaints

Of the 106 complaints on file, 15 report a crash and 5 a fire; across all 106 complaints, owners report 9 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Recall notices and owner complaints for the 2012 Subaru Forester

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Subaru Forester reliability by year Recalls & complaints for the 2012 Subaru Forester Pre-purchase inspection Run a free VIN check