Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2013 Subaru Forester
NHTSA data on file today
The 2013 Subaru Forester has 12 NHTSA recall campaigns and 78 owner complaints on file as of . 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 #19V007000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode 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 #18V012000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode 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
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Engine 27 complaints
- Air Bags 13 complaints
- Service Brakes 9 complaints
- Unknown or Other 7 complaints
- Vehicle Speed Control 7 complaints
- Power Train 6 complaints
Of the 78 complaints on file, 13 report a crash and 3 a fire; across all 78 complaints, owners report 11 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $5,000–$8,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2013 Subaru Forester has a moderate recall and complaint history, notably with airbags and engine components. Its safety recalls mostly involve the airbag system and seatbelts, which have been addressed. Owner complaints largely focus on engine and braking system issues, resulting in an average reliability rating.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag inflator | 60,000–100,000 miles | $500–$1,000 | very common |
| Engine seals | 80,000–120,000 miles | $400–$900 | common |
| Brake lines | 70,000–100,000 miles | $300–$700 | common |
| Ignition switch | 60,000–90,000 miles | $150–$300 | occasional |
| Secondary air pump | 70,000–110,000 miles | $200–$500 | 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
- Brake fluid replacement every 30,000 miles
- Coolant flush every 50,000 miles
- Timing belt replacement at 105,000 miles
- Spark plug replacement at 60,000 miles
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Unusual engine noises
- Airbag warning light
- Weak ignition response
- Brake pedal softness
- Check engine light
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2013 Subaru Forester at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.