2018 SUBARU FORESTER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
650
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
35
Service Bulletins
1
Investigation
Overview of the 2018 SUBARU FORESTER
The 2018 SUBARU FORESTER has received a total of 650 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 13 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP. 35 technical service bulletins have been issued by Subaru of America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Visibilitywiper (135 complaints), Air Bags (85 complaints), and Unknown Or Other (79 complaints).
Recalls for the 2018 SUBARU FORESTER
NHTSA has recorded 13 recalls for the 2018 SUBARU FORESTER, potentially affecting up to 2,133,270 vehicles.
Recall 21V587000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
| 175,968 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
View full details →Recall 21V587000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
| 175,968 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
View full details →Recall 21V587000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
| 175,968 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
View full details →Recall 21V587000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
| 175,968 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
View full details →Recall 21V587000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
| 175,968 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
View full details →Recall 21V587000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
| 175,968 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
View full details →Recall 21V587000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
| 175,968 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
View full details →Recall 21V587000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
| 175,968 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
View full details →Recall 21V587000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
| 175,968 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
View full details →Recall 21V587000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
| 175,968 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
View full details →Recall 19V701000 — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
| 366,282 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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.
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...
View full details →Recall 18V455000 — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
| 3,654 vehicles affected
Defect: 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."
Consequence: Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.
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.
View full details →Recall 18V455000 — TIRES
| 3,654 vehicles affected
Defect: 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."
Consequence: Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.
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.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2018 SUBARU FORESTER
650 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2018 SUBARU FORESTER. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
The CVT parking brake switch has failed. The failure leads to the inability to remove the key from the ignition switch when the vehicle is in park. This happens repeatedly, with the only temporary solution being to restart the car, and force the shift lever from "park" to "drive" and back again rather violently. Yes, the problem was confirmed by the dealer and by Subaru of America; the latter issued a limited 1-year warranty extension for the issue a couple of years ago, but it has expired without any further extension (before the problem first presented on my car). The vehicle was inspected by a dealer that confirmed the problem and wanted to charge me to repair it. There were no prior messages, warning lamps or other symptoms prior to the problem first happening.
The defect presents itself when the equipped data communications module (DCM) attempts to communicate with 3G cellular networks. As 3G networks within the U.S. are no longer functioning, the call will continuously fail even after the vehicle has been turned off, draining the battery and resulting in a no-start safety risk for drivers but in order to replace the DCM to the 4G it will cost upwards of $2000.
The AC compressor/condesor needs replaced and I see a lot of complaints on-line about this specific model- 2018 Forester. My kids and I were on a road trip in August 2025 when it stopped working. It was extremley hot even with the windows down and heat stroke became very real while we were sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. There was already a recall on this but now with the new part the AC stopped working and sounds very bad under the hood while the car is turned on. AC is very much needed during hot summer day.s
The AC compressor/condesor needs replaced and I see a lot of complaints on-line about this specific model- 2018 Forester. My kids and I were on a road trip in August 2025 when it stopped working. It was extremley hot even with the windows down and heat stroke became very real while we were sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. There was already a recall on this but now with the new part the AC stopped working and sounds very bad under the hood while the car is turned on. AC is very much needed during hot summer day.s
The AC compressor needs replaced and I see a lot of complaints on-line about this specific model- 2018 Forester so I am reporting in case it may help with a recall. Cost to repair is $2,000+. Right now it may only be covered under warranty or through a TSB goodwill. I will need to pursue with Subaru but wanted to report this in case it's helpful as there seems to be a lot of reports on this specific issue.
Safety Rating for the 2018 SUBARU FORESTER
The 2018 SUBARU FORESTER received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2018 SUBARU FORESTER
Subaru of America, Inc. has issued 35 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2018 SUBARU FORESTER. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
FAQ 15-317-24R — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
T16 Warranty Extension (15-317-24R) Frequently Asked Questions.
09-113-23 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This bulletin announces diagnostic procedures and availability of new Engine Control Module (ECM) reprogramming files to address DTC P2404 (Evap System Leak Detection Pump Sense Circuit Range/Performance) detection.
09-84-22R — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
This bulletin announces Warranty Extension and design changes made to the front exhaust pipe and covers to address the concerns of some customers regarding a rattle-type noise or fluttering sound coming from the undercarriage, during acceleration.
09-84-22 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
This bulletin announces design changes made to the front exhaust pipe and covers to address the small number of customer concerns regarding a rattle-type noise from the undercarriage during acceleration.
09-85-22 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
This bulletin announces design changes made to the front exhaust pipe covers. The covers have a redesigned shape to provide a more streamlined fit with the previously re-designed front exhaust pipe bellows.
09-74-21R — EQUIPMENT
This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel injectors and internal engine components (e.g. intake valves and / or manifold, and combustion chambers).
01-167-08R — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models
10-98-20R — VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:COMPRESSOR
This bulletin announces availability of new A/C compressor assemblies designed to address customer concerns of reduced system performance accompanied by a rattling and / or scraping type sound.
WRB-21R — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is initiating a service program to check and, if necessary, replace the air conditioning condenser assembly in certain 2017 and 2018 model year Forester vehicles.
03-82-18R — EQUIPMENT
This bulletin announces a design change to the clutch release bearing.
Showing 10 of 35 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2018 SUBARU FORESTER
NHTSA has opened 1 investigation into potential safety defects in the 2018 SUBARU FORESTER.
Other Model Years of the SUBARU FORESTER
- 2013 SUBARU FORESTER — 94 complaints
- 2014 SUBARU FORESTER — 573 complaints
- 2015 SUBARU FORESTER — 882 complaints
- 2016 SUBARU FORESTER — 594 complaints
- 2017 SUBARU FORESTER — 765 complaints
- 2018 SUBARU FORESTER (current)
- 2019 SUBARU FORESTER — 1,079 complaints
- 2020 SUBARU FORESTER — 784 complaints
- 2021 SUBARU FORESTER — 265 complaints
- 2022 SUBARU FORESTER — 126 complaints
- 2023 SUBARU FORESTER — 92 complaints
Other SUBARU Models
- SUBARU OUTBACK — 12,068 total complaints
- SUBARU LEGACY — 4,117 total complaints
- SUBARU IMPREZA — 3,406 total complaints
- SUBARU CROSSTREK — 1,431 total complaints
- SUBARU ASCENT — 1,230 total complaints
- SUBARU WRX — 1,207 total complaints
- SUBARU SVX — 373 total complaints
- SUBARU XV CROSSTREK — 354 total complaints