2022 Subaru Forester
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Visibility/wiper is the leading concern among 98 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 16th highest complaint count among 26 Forester model years with reports.
Of the 2022 reports, 8 involved a crash and 6 involved a fire. 5 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power train, automatic transmission, park/neutral start interlock switchNov 9, 2023
Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.
Campaign 23V755000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
98 reports, newest first.
Electrical system, Fuel system, Gasoline, Apr 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the Manufacturer's label indicated that the fuel economy stated 26 miles/per city and 33 miles/per highway per gallon; however, the contact stated that the mileage per gallon had never exceeded 23.7 m/p/g. The contact also stated that the fuel meter was locked at 23.7 m/p/g. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that no issues were found. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
Service brakes, Apr 5, 2023, crash
I was pulling into the garage at home on 4/3/23 tapping the brakes to get a few inches farther inside and the car accelerated, instead of stopping, crashing into a table positioned in front of the passenger side of the car and our home. The car has damage to the light, number, fender, and hood. We were lucky no one was in front of the vehicle, they would have been pinned between the car and the wall of our home. I have an appointment with Subaru on 4/13 to examine the vehicle, but they are requesting the EDR readings, but refuse to share a copy with me. Therefore, I am declining their assistance.
Other or unspecified, Mar 16, 2023
OEM windshield glass is thin and defective. I’ve had to replace the windshield twice in an eight month period since purchasing the vehicle.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 16, 2023
At 5.000 miles I observed a crack in the lower portion of the windshield. The crack was vertical and about 8 inches in length. The crack was located almost in the center of the windshield. The crack is smooth to the touch on both the interior and exterior of the windshield. At no time to my knowledge did any objects strike the windshield. In the next few days of driving the crack grew to approximately 2 feet in length and spread horizontally across the passenger side. I contacted the dealer and was informed that the vehicle warranty does not cover glass. I made arrangements at a local auto glass shop to have the windshield replaced. I believe that the glass was defective.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 4, 2023
The windshield seems to crack and get chipped very easily. I have been driving on the same freeway for 10 years. I bought the Subaru last year and have received four windshield cracks in one year. This can’t be a coincidence that this only became an issue with this specific vehicle. The windshield is incredibly expensive to replace yet breaks far too easily.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 3, 2023
Honestly I don't know where to report this. Even though, running out of gas somewhere, because of false advertising, could be dangerous. - When we bought our 2022 Subaru Forrester they were advertising 26 miles per gallon in the city and 33 on the highway. We have never gotten better than 21 1/2 mpg average combining both in town and highway miles. Both myself and my wife are careful drivers and make a serious effort to sustain decent mileage. That's quite a lower figure than it should be. - If you can't help me perhaps you can tell me where to report this.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 24, 2023
Windshield developed multiple small chips for no apparent reason. I am the only one who drives the car and never felt any rock or pebble hitting my windshield. Chips were small (less than 1cm). I took the car to my authorized Subaru Dealer (Pembroke Pines, Florida) to be inspected and they told me that windshield needed to be replaced. They did not accept that this was a manufacturer problem and they told me it was not covered by my warranty. They referred to a company they work with to replace my windshield. I am uploading pictures of some of the chips. There were more but I did not take pictures of all of them. Chips were all over the windshield which obviously is very unlikely to happen and never happened to me before with any of my cars.
Electrical system, Visibility/wiper, Jan 13, 2023
2 incidents. First day we took car home the vehicle infotainment system failed while phone was connected to Apple CarPlay. Screen went black and there was a loud noise like interference. Has happened repeatedly since, supposedly due to needing a firmware update but it’s been a well documented problem in Subaru automobiles for several years and the manufacturer has done nothing to alleviate the flaw. Second incident involves the windshield cracking in the lower driver side with no apparent cause from anything striking the windshield. Again, this is a well documented issue and there are several complaints on nhtsa.gov from other unhappy customers
Visibility/wiper, Jan 8, 2023
Over the past year that I have had my vehicle, having bought it in April 2022, I have had my windshield crack 3 times. Each crack has occurred around the end he’s of the windshield. One was caused by a rock hitting the windshield while driving less then 20 miles per hour - resulting in two cracks up the windshield.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Jan 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that after the vehicle had been parked for approximately 3-hours, the alarm sounded indicating that the locks were being tampered with. The contact stated that the doors were locking and unlocking independently. The contact stated that several electrical features had malfunctioned. The contact stated that on occasion, the brake pedal was spongy when depressed, and the check engine and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle occasionally failed to start up as needed. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Other or unspecified, Jan 1, 2023
The hood wobbles in light wind (imagine a windy day) or from a passing vehicle or semi, it seems very flimsy in protecting the hood from just flying open one day.
Other or unspecified, Dec 16, 2022
Because of your regulations mandating the black spot in cars with HID/LED headlights, we notice a dark line in our windshield when driving in unlit areas at night. This makes it hard to see. Using the brights help, but this is an infraction within our neighborhood and similar dark, forested places. It seems that you have solved one problem but created a new one. This dark windshield line is particularly hard on seniors, whose night vision is commonly diminished.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Dec 13, 2022
The battery was completely discharged overnight when the car was only 4 months old. We had a flatbed tow to a dealer who charged the battery and performed tests which all checked out ok. Said we weren't driving the car often enough. This same battery discharge happened 3 more times, approximately 30 days apart each time. August 20 was the first time, September 19, October 13 and November 16, all in 2022. Car was purchased new in April 2022. Took it into the dealership where we bought it; they did tests also saying everything was ok, not being driven enough. The 4th time the overnight discharge happened was about a week after our dealership tested it. Every time this has happened the car was driven the previous day. Car is driven 4-5 times a week for local errands. Currently has 1,100 miles and is 8 months old. We are senior citizens and need a dependable car.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Dec 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while pulling into a parking space, the vehicle accelerated independently without warning, causing the vehicle to drive over the curb. The contact desperately depressed the brake pedal several times and the vehicle came to a complete stop. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 1,430.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 10, 2022
Woke up this morning to a cracked windshield. Car was garaged over night and I drove it around 8:30pm the evening before and their was no crack. Now have a 4” crack in the passenger side windshield.
Other or unspecified, Dec 10, 2022
Went to my car on the morning of Dec 10 and found a 4” crack in my windshield. I drive the car the night before around 9pm and it was in my secure garage overnight. No crack the evening before. Next morning - cracked. This is an ongoing problem with Subaru
Exterior lighting, Nov 9, 2022
I purchased my Forester Wilderness on 11/5/22 - this problem is with the headlights. I have a serious safety concern 1. There are two large shaded dark spots directly in my field of vision. These are approximately fifteen to twenty feet directly in front of the vehicle and never go away - because the headlights are steering responsive, they are always moving which is distracting and dangerous. 2. The cutoff lines of the projection are jagged and irregular with low points dropping down. These too, are always in motion with the steering responsive headlights. 3.Two rectangular black areas below the cutoff area in my field of vision. And these too are always in motion with the steering responsive headlights. These headlights create a variety of safety concerns. The dark shaded areas result in a reduced clarity in the most needed area; directly in front of the car in the dominant field of vision. The jagged irregular moving cutoff lines are extremely distracting. When the lowered dark cutoff areas move across your field of vision, it’s as if something is jumping out in front of the car. As the driver, it's hard to know if there is an actual need for emergency action or not. Then perhaps the greatest concern of well being is the two dark moving rectangular boxes below the cutoff lines. My eyes tend to fixate on these moving rectangles. This is distracting and I'm concerned I and other Forester drivers are not giving complete attention to the whole field of vision. 4. This is especially prominent and dangerous on unlit roads which is what I mainly travel. I first thought it was an issue with my vehicle and mentioned it to the dealer a day or so after purchase. But today I found many other 2022 Forester owners reporting the same problem. Subaru needs to create a fix for this dangerous issue!
Other or unspecified, Nov 6, 2022
Windshield cracked on driver’s side - appeared while at a stop. no debris on road, no accidents. Vehicle is 2 weeks old.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 31, 2022, fire
-Engine failure: fuel line issue causing 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness to catch fire and explode - beforehand rod bearing was pulverized in separate incident a few months prior - engine was then replaced and car exploded 600 miles later causing total loss of vehicle. -Car exploded while driving in it, lost all personal belongings in car, barely got out of vehicle in time before explosion. -Investigation completed by Subaru of America and confirmed as a fuel line issue a few weeks later. -Smelt gas on highway while driving a few moments prior to car exploding.
Seats, Visibility/wiper, Oct 26, 2022
Two things have already failed on this vehicle. The first being the seats/seat belt clips on the driver and passanger seat. The seat in constructed in such a way that no matter what adjustment is made, the driver feels as if they are falling into the steering wheel. Any attempts to correct the positioning leaves the driver feeling as if they do not have control of the vehicle. Additionally, the inward positioning of the seat-belt clip on the right side on the driver facing inward pushes into the drivers hip and/or thigh causing extreme pain. The narrowing of the seats does not allow the driver to get away from the pain of the seat belt clip. Second, the issue with the windshield. This is my second Subaru Forester. On my first, I had a cracked windshield in 5 places due to small debris hitting the vehicle in a normal operating matter. This was replaced. My current vehicle, with less than 500 miles on it, already has 5-6 chips in the windshield due to some defect in the glass that causes the glass crack under nearly no pressure at all. I can't even imagine where the cracks came from with such low mileage and driving in near perfect, normal operating condition. It is only a matter of time before I will need to have the windshield replaced on this vehicle. It is also hazardous to know that it may shatter and injure me at any time. I have had the vehicle less than 5 weeks.
Exterior lighting, Oct 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at night with the low beam headlights activated, the illumination was extremely poor causing a visibility failure. The contact indicated there were dark spots and shadowy lines present on the windshield within the driver’s field of view, creating a visibility hazard for the driver. Additionally, the contact indicated that the headlights failed to illuminate the roadway adequately for safe nighttime driving. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 10.
Suspension, Oct 25, 2022
At only 3,000 miles front suspension “clunks” at low speeds over speed bumps, potholes, and other uneven surfaces
Visibility/wiper, Oct 5, 2022
Windshield spontaneously cracked while stationary on a level paved major thoroughfare. There was no impact on the windshield of any kind. No prior damage. Just sitting at a red light no traffic approaching from any direction and the windshield cracked in the middle sections of the glass, on the right edge.
Other or unspecified, Oct 2, 2022
2022 Subaru Forester Touring Leaks an unknown fluid under the engine compartment. Left a pizza size stain on the driveway that slowly dissipated. Placed cardboard under the vehicle to identify leak location. Sizable amount of unknown fluid on cardboard. It also dissipated. Nasty burning smell that enters the cabin and smells horrible outside of the vehicle happening multiple times at only 100 miles. I thought it was residual that would burn off. Nope. Now have only 350 miles on it. I’ve owned two new Foresters in the past and nothing like this. Taking it to the dealer tomorrow. Saw someone on Reddit who had their 2022 Forester catch on fire and burn up at 70 miles. Subaru blamed a hole in the radiator. I highly doubt that. Need your help on this one please.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 15, 2022, fire
I was driving to work and my car started stalling. So i pulled into a parking spot and when I got out I noticed a trail of oil behind the car. I closed the door and the car started smoking and within seconds it was in flames. I bought it on 7/25 and on 8/3 it was gone. It only had 78 miles on it, 100% driven on city streets. I have several pictures and videos of the event but this site doesn't support them so I can share separately if needed. You are also welcome to inspect the car as it will be hauled to a salvage yard shortly.