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2018 Subaru Forester
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2018 Subaru Forester — Safety Summary
The 2018 Subaru Forester has 3 NHTSA safety recalls and 488 owner complaints on record. Transport Canada separately lists 3 Canadian recalls for this model. The most frequently reported complaint area is visibility/wiper. It earned an NHTSA overall safety rating of 5 out of 5. Based on this public data we rate its risk profile as high. Enter your VIN above to confirm which of these apply to your exact vehicle, then get the Smart Buyer Report for AI analysis of this model's reliability, common issues by mileage, and a pre-purchase inspection checklist.
NHTSA Safety Ratings
Government crash test results
NHTSA Recalls
3 recall(s) for this year/model
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
29/07/2021Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
03/10/2019Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUM-98.
TIRES
10/07/2018Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. The Certification Label may indicate the incorrect wheel size, tire size, and air pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected label, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTS-78.
Transport Canada Recalls
3 Canadian recall(s) from the official Transport Canada database
Airbag
2019-10-04Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger occupant detection system (ODS) may malfunction. This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even when a passenger is seated. Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the ODS sensor mat harness. It will be replaced if necessary.
Fuel System
2021-07-29Issue: On certain vehicles, the low-pressure fuel pump could fail. If this happens, then engine may run rough or may not start and the check engine light may turn on. This could also result in a sudden loss of engine power while driving. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Subaru will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the fuel pump.
Label
2024-08-15Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" appear in English only, when they should be listed as "Tires/Pneus", "Rims/Jantes", "Front/Avant" and "Rear/Arriere". Canadian regulations require this information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safety Risk: These small errors do not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. Subaru has corrected the compliance label for all new vehicles.
Contains information sourced from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database, licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Data is provided "as is" from Transport Canada's monthly release and may not reflect real-time updates. Transport Canada does not endorse this service. Always confirm open recalls with the manufacturer or Transport Canada before purchase.
Owner Complaints
488 complaint(s) filed with NHTSA
Top complaint categories:
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The free data above comes from public NHTSA records. The Smart Buyer Report adds AI-powered analysis for this exact model — reliability score, common problems by mileage, real maintenance costs in CAD, a pre-purchase inspection checklist, a market value estimate, and Canadian notes on rust, winter, and fuel.
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Data disclaimer:Vehicle history information on CarHistoryReport.ca is compiled from publicly available government sources, primarily the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Reports may not include all incidents, recalls, or issues related to a specific vehicle. Data is provided "as-is" without warranty of completeness or accuracy. Always obtain a professional pre-purchase inspection before buying any used vehicle. CarHistoryReport.ca is not liable for purchasing decisions made based on report contents.