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
495 reports, newest first.
Air bags, Apr 27, 2024
I receive a warning light and the passenger air bag does not turn on when I have a passenger in the front seat.
Suspension, Apr 25, 2024
Lower control arm bushing initial stages of premature failure. Issue is a known common defect. No safety incident yet, but potential for steering and control issues while driving. Bushing crack was discovered during brake inspection at 45k miles.
Air bags, Apr 14, 2024
Airbag on passenger side stopped working last November . Subaru says it’s the switch in the seat and the seat needs replacing at a cost of approximately 1300. This should be part of the recall and be paid for by Subaru.
Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 5, 2024
Component: EyeSight Camera motherboard failure due to cold weather (Code B28B3). Possibly an improper conformal coating that is susceptible to cracking or building moisture which then freezes and cracks components of the camera system. Safety Concern: It appears this is common in Subaru EyeSight systems for all models years 2017-2019. A local mechanic shop (Fairbanks, AK) has seen these systems fail repeatedly in our winter climate. I find this concerning that the system that has the ability to control steering and breaking is susceptible to what we consider normal winter climates. Subaru has been vague on the cause of this issue. Reproduced: Yes, this is known and not uncommon per the Subaru Dealer Service Center and an independent local shop. Inspected: Yes the vehicle has been inspected by Kendall Subaru of Fairbanks AK. Warning Lights: No warning before failure. Currently the display shows "EyeSight" in bold indicating the EyeSight system is non functional.
Air bags, Seat belts, Mar 28, 2024
Not sure why my car is not being recalled for occupant detection harness. Subaru telling me it’s the vin number, that’s not the problem it’s I have a defective harness according to Subaru product bulletin wud-98r harness with date prior to 18074 is defective and needs to be replaced free of charge. My harness has a date of 17293. My car has all the criteria of the recall. This started back in April 2020 with warning light on and off same with airbag indicator. Now the warning light is on constantly and airbag is off constantly
Air bags, Mar 28, 2024
Vehicle Airbag light on Dash and is available for inspection upon request. Safety is at risk due to Airbag SRS system being disabled and bas will not deploy due to malfunctioning component. Vehicle has the symptoms of "Subaru recalled certain 2015-2018 Foresters equipped with heated seats, due to faulty wiring in an airbag sensor. If the wire's connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury in a crash. This was remedied by replacing the ODS (Occupant Detection Sensor) in the passenger seat. Vehicle will be brought to dealer for inspection, however, myself and others on forums with 2018 Subaru foresters with heated seats apparently fall outside of the recall, but experience the same issue. Warning lamps appeared and system was scanned, airbag module tested ok.
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 21, 2024
After ice storm and after car was cleaned of any ice, The emergency braking appeared to be confused by the ice on the road. I decided to not go forward once I was on the street as it seemed to slick and tried to back up to my house to get into my driveway which is on a slope. In reverse, the brakes kept slamming on after a foot or two and I would lose momentum and slide forward. I ended up having to drive forward around the block forward to get back to my house. The eyesight system seems to get confused very easily when there are icy reflections or snow on the road.
Air bags, Mar 15, 2024
The passenger airbag warning light had appeared intermittently but now is continuous, indicating that the passenger airbag will not function when someone is seated there. The car was taken to the dealer and I was told that the seat bottom would need to be replaced. There is a recall WUM-98 on this very issue for 2018 Foresters with heated seats which my car has. Neither the dealer nor Subaru of America has explained to me why my car is not included in this recall. This is a serious passenger safety issue and the recall should be expanded since it is clearly a vehicle defect.
Other or unspecified, Feb 27, 2024
The battery completely drains after not being started for 2-3 days. I’ve had the battery checked by autozone and it was found to be in good standing. This issue has happened twice in the last two months. Also, on occasion when driving an icy road message pops up from the eyesight, however it’s a clear sunny day. Although this hasn’t engaged any other safety features, it’s concerning that at any time it could initiate an eyesight safety feature to engage which could pose a safety issue for occupants.
Air bags, Feb 25, 2024
In early October, 2023, the red airbag inoperative light (airbag "off") came on the dashboard when someone is sitting in the passenger seat. This was an intermittent issue with the light coming on at times and off for several days before reappearing. On , the vehicle was brought to the Suburu dealer (Subaru of Auburn, WA) for testing and repair. Suburu technicians tested the seat sensor unit and determined is was at fault. (see uploaded work order) Part number 64139SG200VH was ordered [XXX] as no local dealers had stock of this particular part number. At the time of the order, I was informed that the part would be available in December, 2023. I queried Suburu of Auburn in mid-December and they indicated a new date of February, 2024 for availability of the part. On [XXX], I visited the Suburu dealer and was told the part is still "on back order" with no firm date of delivery. My concern is this is a safety related issued that has no definitive time frame for rectification. This renders the vehicle unsafe for front passenger occupancy. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Visibility/wiper, Feb 22, 2024
A few days ago, a crack suddenly appeared in the windshield. It appeared when the car was parked in the garage. I reached out to SUbaru and they wanted me to take it to dealtership and get pictures taken. So, i complied and pictures were taken. The cause was given as a less than a mm speckk hitting about 1 inch or so above from dash. Area where glass is supposed to be strongest. I repeat, the cause was less than a mm sized dust particle. The vehicle was driven on paved roads, within city at a max speed of 60 miles per hour. MY concen is that when such a small speck can cause a crack, what is to say a 5 mm particle will not blow the windshield on my face. This is a serious quality concern and I am afraid to drive Subaru with Subaru parts in it. ALl while it is advertised as rugged off road vehicle. After reading through forums, it was found that a lot of folks have had this issue and SUbaru has had recalls on some vehicles for the same quality of windshield issue. The response from Subaru was that they make thin glass because of eyesight technology. Either ways, Subaru has compromised on quality to add a piece of technology. Compromise that could shatter the windshield while driving on highways causing accident or worse. I will be happy to provide pictures and communication with Subaru if needed.
Other or unspecified, Jan 28, 2024
The ignition key gets stuck from time to time and will not turn all the way to off, which means it cannot be pulled out. When this happens, I have to turn the car back on and off, move the gear away from park and then back to park, and then try again to remove the ignition key. Sometimes, it takes multiple tries before the key can be removed! This has been happening for several years now.
Air bags, Dec 16, 2023
Our Subaru began experiencing intermittent issues with the warning light for the occupant detection wiring harness (ODS) in October 2023. The vehicle was inspected by Duteau Subaru of Lincoln NE on October 19th 2023 who determined the issue was a malfunctioning of the seat sensor for the occupant seat and was told I would have to replace the entire seat base to correct the issue. I understand that this issue has already been recalled in Subaru Foresters produced from January 20 2015 to August 1 2017 in recall NHTSA ID 19V-701; however, my forester was produced in March 2018 outside the recall dates. Upon inspection of the ODS sensor mat the tag specified in the recall (photo attached) matched the producer (6578) and dates specified prior to 18074 (17321) in the recall so we were wondering why our car was not part of the recall if all parts by that producer were recalled prior to production date code 18074? When I contacted Subaru of America to determine why our car was not also recalled I was told that recalls are VIN specific and set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and no further action was going to be taken to replace the defective seat sensor.
Air bags, Seats, Dec 5, 2023
Around 83,000 miles my passenger safety air bag warning sensor started coming on and off intermittently. It would happen both when a passenger was in the seat and when no one was in the seat. There have been no previous issues. I immediately scheduled my car to be diagnosed at the Subaru dealership and they notified me the passenger occupancy sensor pad is faulty and that it would cost $1,483.47 to replace. The dealer stated that the passenger airbag might not deploy if the sensor is not replaced. This puts the safety of the passenger at risk. I researched and found that there was a recall with 2016-2018 Subaru Forester SUV's with heated seats. Recall WUM-98. However, when I called Subaru they said that there were no open recalls on my car.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 4, 2023, crash
Twice in the last 4 months, after turning into a parking place and accelerating gently to pull forward into the space, the car surged forward much more than it should have given my light acceleration. The first time this happened I slammed into a split rail fence which broke, damaging the vehicle. The fence parts went over a restraining wall and damaged a house. I was able to stop the car but it came very close to going over the 6 foot restraining wall, which might very well have killed me. It happened again today in a different location but similar circumstance and no damage was done because I was able to stop before it hit the house. The car surged on its own. I had the damage to the car fixed, but the problem has not been confirmed by a service center. The damage was inspected by my insurance company and repaired by an auto body shop. My insurance rates will be increased because of the incident. There were no warning lights, messages or other symptoms prior to the episodes.
Other or unspecified, Nov 4, 2023
Engine started to race when applying the brake and vehicle was being placed into gear (either forward or reverse the first time it happened and reverse the second time it happened). I could not verify my foot was not on the accelerator the first time, but I was able to verify I was on the brake and only the brake to second time.
Air bags, Oct 11, 2023
We took the car in for servicing because the SRS light went off. Upon inspection, the Subaru service department found that the SRS sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. They said if not replaced, there is a chance the airbag would not go off in the event of an accident. The part is backordered until January, but Subaru won't ok a rental or car loan until the part arrives. Their solution is to inform us that there is nothing they can do until the part arrives, and released our vehicle with instructions to not have anyone in the passenger seat until then. This cannot be a safe and appropriate course of action.
Electrical system, Oct 11, 2023
Starlink screen has failed - the screen will either only show the initial agreement screen and freeze or it will freeze with the back up camera activated. I can’t access Bluetooth capabilities, camera function, etc
Electrical system, Sep 29, 2023
I purchased the car CPO June 2021 Battery replaced December 2022 Battery replaced January 2023 Between these replacements, car was consistently dying/would not start, required frequent jumps. Left me stranded numerous times. Each time the car was serviced (at different dealer locations), no mention was made of known issues with batteries being drained. This issue was known by Subaru, as evidenced by class action suits filed and won. At this time, the car engine is dead and will not respond to a jump. This has cost me thousands in car rentals/ride shares.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Sep 22, 2023
While driving steering wheel freezes and driver is not able to control steering.Engine quits .
Suspension, Sep 13, 2023
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Lower control arm bushings are worn out. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle starts to wobble and vibrate violently when driving above 70 mph, creating potential safety hazard at such a velocity. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the problem is confirmed by the technician at the Subaru dealership. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Inspected by the technician at the dealership. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? They first started to appear a week prior to repair when driving on the highway.
Electrical system, Sep 5, 2023
I have had multiple instances where I am unable to remove the key from the ignition switch when the vehicle is in Park. Subaru's technical bulletin 16-112-18R states this is caused by contamination of the Park-Range switch internal components. I'm concerned I will be unable to remove the key and will have to leave the vehicle unlocked with the key in the ignition. I am also concerned I'll be stranded somewhere the next time this happens. I found information online that states Subaru dealers are charging $500 to $800 to repair this issue, which should be a recall or extended warranty situation and not a cost to the vehicle owner.
Air bags, Seats, Aug 23, 2023
When there is a passenger in my Subaru Forrester, the Occupant Detection System deactivates the passenger airbag. When I researched the issue, I noticed there is a recall for Foresters but my specific vehicle doesn't fall into the recall. When reviewing Product Campaign Bulletin on the NHTSA website, the Harness Label Inspection Procedure states to inspect the label and if its has supplier code 6578 AND the date code before 18074, the harness must be replaced. My Forester has both the supplier code and the date code before 18074 but my vehicle doesn't have a recall associated with it so the Subaru service center won't replace it. I'm currently driving with a deactivated airbag and that can't possibly be safe. Please NHTSA, widen the recall!
Other or unspecified, Aug 18, 2023, crash
I was making a 90 degree left turn, at a very slow rate of speed, onto a tarred parking bay located in front of a hedge approximately 4 feet high. (This is a parking spot I was very familiar with, and moving extremely carefully which is necessary, because the small cat colony I was there to feed were milling around on the parking bay as they always do.) When I depressed my brake to bring the car to a complete stop, my vehicle surged forward through the hedge and landed up against a wall on the other side of the hedge. The movement was wholly unexpected, and directly contradictory to my braking to bring the vehicle to a stop. It felt as if I, the driver, was not actually in control of the vehicle for those few seconds. After the tow truck pulled it back onto the parking bay, although my Subaru was still mechanically drive-able, I had the vehicle towed to the closest Subaru dealer as it would have been irresponsible for anyone to drive the vehicle given the unexplained spontaneous acceleration issue that had just occurred. I immediately reported the accident to AAA Insurance and made the Claims Representative at the time, and subsequently the Insurance Adjuster, aware of the safety issue experienced. • The mechanical root cause is unknown • Immediately following the body shop repairs I sold the vehicle back to Subaru and made them aware of the safety issue. • I could have been injured. Fortunately, I was alone, and although in shock for several days, not physically hurt. • When I asked Subaru about the feasibility of getting data from the Event Data Recorder, to substantiate what happened, they advised that was not possible without a court order. • Yes, the vehicle was inspected by a Third Party Insurance Assessor but am unsure if they were made aware of the safety event that precipitated the vehicle's damage • There were no prior warning signs which made the occurrence extremely surreal and shocking.
Air bags, Seats, Aug 11, 2023
The SRS passenger warning light comes on intermittently. Sometimes with a passenger the indication is the air bag is "ON" and everything seems to be fine. Sometimes with a passenger we get the message that the "SRS SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CHECKED". And sometimes we get that message even without a passenger. This started at around 80K miles.