2018 Subaru Forester
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Visibility/wiper is the leading concern among 495 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 5th highest complaint count among 26 Forester model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 26 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 9 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpJul 29, 2021
Subaru 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.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 21V587000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, sensor, occupant classificationOct 3, 2019
Subaru 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.
If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.
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.
Campaign 19V701000 on NHTSA.gov
TiresJul 10, 2018
Subaru 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."
Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 18V455000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: air bags
97 reports, newest first. Show all
Steering, Air bags, Seats, Dec 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side seat was extremely hot. Additionally, air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated that the taillights were inoperable. While his wife was driving at an undetermined speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost power steering functionality. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the taillight bulbs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 90,400.
Air bags, Nov 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the passenger’s side air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who reset the fault light; however, the failure persisted. The contact was aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags) however, the dealer confirmed that the VIN was not included. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.
Air bags, Seats, Nov 15, 2022
The passenger sensor light is on and Subaru says I need to replace the seat. There was a recall for certain vehicles but my Vin was not part of the recall - however, if the issue persists why isn't the recall expanded? Do we really want drivers like me to have to replace seats because Subaru is not living up to the standards - due to their faulty wiring? Please expand the recall.
Air bags, Nov 3, 2022
My dashboard for the past several months has intermittently indicated that there is an issue with my front passenger airbag. I just discovered there was a recall for this issue for cars manufactured with heated seats the same year as my vehicle but my vehicle is not part of the recall. This recall may need to be expanded.
Air bags, Oct 5, 2022
I have had a airbag light on for the passenger side of the car for a long time. Subaru said it is from water damage. I do not recall water damage - I didn't drive through a flood. I understand there is a recall on 2015-2018 Subaru Foresters with and has heated seats but even though my car falls within those parameters my VIN shows up as not being recalled. Something seems fishy!
Air bags, Sep 28, 2022
Air bag sensor in passenger seat doesn't recognize when someone is in it therefore keeping it from activating in the event of an accident. There was a recall (Subaru # WUM98R, NHTSA campaign # 19V701) for that problem for 2015-2018 model years which mine is and with heated seats which it also has. Subaru told me there is no open recall based on the VIN and won't repair without being paid for. There are many reports of the exact same thing across both the internet and NHTSA's own site. It's quite obvious there is a problem with more vehicles than being admitted to by Subaru. The repair for a potential death causing issue shouldn't be the burden of the consumer.
Air bags, Sep 12, 2022
Passenger air bag light displays intermittently on and off (mostly off) regardless of whether there is a passenger in the seat. It has not yet been inspected by any dealer, service center, manufacturer, police, insurance, or others.
Air bags, Aug 4, 2022
The passenger airbag is disabled when my light weight wife is riding in our 2018 Subaru Forester. There is a recall for this issue including 2018 models but it looks like Subaru thinks the fault is caused by heated seats. We don't have heated seats - so maybe that's why our VIN doesn't register ??? However it is definitely a safety problem that Subaru must fix. I don't want to get embroiled in a lawsuit if my wife ends up injured in an accident.
Air bags, Jul 26, 2022
I have been getting an airbag warning light for the past few months. I took it into my local Subaru dealer and they confirmed that the issue was the passenger recognition system. The system will recognize a passenger and turn the airbags on sometimes, and sometimes it will not. This puts the passenger’s life at risk in the event of an accident and the airbags don’t deploy.
Air bags, Jul 22, 2022
Passenger seat when empty will at times indicate person is sitting in seat without buckling seat belt and sound alert
Air bags, Seats, May 11, 2022
Similar to recall notice WUM-98R (NHTSA 19V-701). Passenger seat occupancy sensor is intermittent indicating no passenger when one is present or, at times, indicating a passenger when none is present causing the seat belt warning and air bag system to malfunction. Currently, this occurs about 80% of the time. When I queried the internet about this issue, I found the referenced recall. Subaru claims that my vehicle is not included in the recall group. I have asked them to review this claim.
Air bags, Mar 21, 2022
We went it because the ODS (Occupant Detection System)/SRS (supplemental restraint system lit up on our dashboard. I took it in to Subaru of America after seeing that there were no VIN specific recalls on this issue. They immediately said they would cover the parts but we would have to pay for the labor. I then checked for recalls again and found that there was this exact same issue with 2015-2018 Subaru Foresters accounting for almost 370 thousand vehicles but apparently not ours. Obviously the car was no longer safe to drive as we weren't sure if the airbags would trigger in the event of the crash so we are paying out of our pocket to fix the issue but this seems like the old recall needs to be extended to cover other 2018 Subaru Foresters as well because from what I've seen on complaints here and on message boards, the problem is widespread. Hopefully, the NHTSA can investigate and see that the issue is further reaching than the initial 370 thousand vehicles. It's also important to note that 370 thousand subaru foresters between 2015-2018 is about half the amount sold in the US. If this issue affected that many vehicles on the road, it seems like the issue could be further widespread.
Air bags, Service brakes, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 5, 2022, crash
While turning in a parking lot car accelerated and hit a tree. Foot was on brake and airbags didn’t deploy despite extensive damage. Body shop estimator said computer wouldn’t confirm problem. It was not caused by floor mat! No warning lights prior to incident.
Air bags, Seats, Oct 16, 2021
Repeatedly the passenger air bag turns off even when car is in motion (warning lights turn on) with passenger in front seat. We have heated seats but apparently are not part of the recall that covers other Foresters with the exact same problem. Anytime we are in the car and it is deactivated it puts the passenger at risk if an accident would occur. This is extremely dangerous and can lead to death from a problem that the company appears to be aware of. It used to be we could turn the car off, have the passenger get out, restart the car, and the sensor will work, but now that does not happen. We would love to get rid of this vehicle but that is not an option at this time.
Air bags, Oct 15, 2021
NHTSA Recall No. : 19V-701 Manufacturer Recall No. : WUM-98 The issue in this recall is affecting my car and it fits the description in the recall and the exact issue is happening in my car but dealership is charging me $1087.58 to fix it.
Air bags, Sep 12, 2021
Repeatedly the passenger air bag turns off during road trips (warning lights turn on) with passenger in front seat. This will be my second complaint because I felt you all needed time to add my cars VIN to your recall list. Anytime we are in the car and it is deactivated it puts the passenger at risk if an accident would occur.
Air bags, Aug 30, 2021
Passenger air bag light came on two weeks after the 3 year warranty expired. Vehicle was purchased on August 4th 2018 and light came on last week on Tuesday August 24th. No previous issues. Passenger air bag is deactivated even with passenger in the seat. Resetting ECU and other basic troubleshooting did not solve the issue. Wiggled wires and connectors under seat and light went off but came back on during driving. Upon research, this is a known issue with my car that has heated front seats, which mine does. However, for whatever reason, my car VIN is not associated with the recall. ODS issue. The NHTSA campaign number is 19V701
Air bags, Aug 9, 2021
Passenger side airbag sensor malfunctioning, vehicle has heated seats. Sometimes when passenger is seated the passenger airbag does not turn on and the airbag malfunction light comes on. There is a recall for the same issue for the same year model Subaru Recall #19V701000. However, my particular Subaru does not fall within the date range listed on original recall, though it appears to be the exact same problem based on the description.
Air bags, Jul 12, 2021
When a passenger sits in the front passenger seat of my Subaru Forester, the airbag notification light indicates that the airbag is "OFF". It is my understanding that there was a recall for this very issue but when I contacted Subaru to get it fixed, they said that my vehicle wasn't on their list of recalled vehicles and would not service it under the recall.
Air bags, Seat belts, Apr 12, 2021
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE AIR BAG SYSTEM WAS DEACTIVATED. THE SEAT BELT ALERT WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUBARU OF KENNESAW (905 ERNEST W BARRETT PKWY NW, KENNESAW, GA 30144) HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER DIAGNOSED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A WIRING HARNESS CONNECTION FAILURE, BRAKE PEDAL SENSOR AND THAT THE SEAT BOTTOM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE FELT UNSAFE OPERATING THE VEHICLE AND REQUESTED THAT THE MANUFACTURER BUY BACK THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
Air bags, Sep 16, 2020
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH A FRONT SIDE PASSENGER, INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE PAST THREE WEEKS, THE DISPLAY SCREEN INDICATES "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF", THE DISPLAY BRIEFLY GIVES A MESSAGE TO HAVE THE SRS CHECKED, AND THE RED AIRBAG DASHBOARD LIGHT ILLUMINATES AND REMAINS ILLUMINATED FOR THE DURATION OF THE TRIP. (THESE TRIPS INCLUDED BOTH CITY AND HIGHWAY DRIVING.) THE DEALER (ADVENTURE SUBARU OF MENTOR, OHIO) WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THIS PROBLEM. MORE TROUBLING THOUGH, THE DEALER STATED THAT A SCAN REVEALED NO ACTIVE OR RETAINED ALARM CODES. THIS CAR WAS BUILT AFTER THE END DATE OF RECENT NHTSA CAMPAIGN 19V-701, BUT THIS PROBLEM IS EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN THAT CAMPAIGN.
Air bags, Sep 11, 2020
SUBARU FORESTER 2018 AIR BAG WON'T TURN ON WITH ADULT IN FRONT PASSENGERS SEAT. I HAVE SEVERAL PHOTOS TO SHOW THAT IT IS OFF FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED BUT THE FIRST TIME I WAS ABLE TO DOCUMENT IT.
Air bags, Jun 29, 2020
PASSENGER AIRBAG OCCASIONALLY SHOWS AS 'OFF' EVEN THOUGH AN OCCUPANT IS IN THE SEAT. THE INFO CENTER (AS SHOWN IN THE ATTACHED PICTURES) ALSO INDICATES AN ISSUE WITH AN AIRBAG AND TO CHECK THE OWNER'S MANUAL. A SIMILAR AIRBAG DEFECT WAS REPORTED IN NHTSA BULLETIN - 19V701000 - SUBARU WUM-98, HOWEVER FOR WHATEVER REASON MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED EVEN THOUGH IT HAS SIMILAR SYMPTONS.
Air bags, Jun 3, 2020
THERE IS A CURRENT RECALL AFFECTING 2018 SUBARU FORESTER'S (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V701000). I CURRENTLY OWN A 2018 FORESTER THAT THE VIN NUMBER DOES NOT MATCH THE RECALL. HOWEVER MY VEHICLE I DOING THE EXACT THING THAT THE RECALL IS FOR, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG TURNS OFF, LIGHT COMES ON AND AN SRS AIRBAG WARNING MESSAGE COMES ON. TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A TROUBLE CODE FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG THAT THEY JUST CLEARED. SIX MONTHS LATER AND NOW NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, VEHICLE IS DOING THE SAME THING, TURNING THE AIRBAG OFF, ERROR MESSAGE COMING ON. I FEEL AS THOUGH SUBARU DIDN'T INCLUDE ALL OF THE CORRECT VIN NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT WERE AFFECTED. IT CREATES A SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE PASSENGER, BEING THAT THE AIRBAG TURNS OFF AND WILL NOT WORK IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. I ALSO DON'T FEEL LIKE I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY TO FIX SOMETHING THAT IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM WITH OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME YEAR MODEL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM JUST CAUSE MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED. THEY SHOULD EXTEND THE VIN'S TO ALL 2018 MODELS. *TR
Air bags, Mar 3, 2020
DEALER IS UNABLE TO GET PARTS FOR THE RECALL. SAFETY RECALL: WUM98|NHTSA CAMPAIGN: 19V701000 AUTONATION SUBARU IS SAYING IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT 2 MONTHS FOR THEM TO GET PARTS. THIS RECALL HAS BEEN ACTIVE SINCE OCTOBER 2019. ADDRESS. 9955 E ARAPAHOE RD CENTENNIAL, CO 80112