Owners have filed 493 safety complaints about the 2018 Subaru Forester with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.
Complaints for this vehicle report 26 crashes, 1 fire, 9 injuries. No deaths have been reported.
Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2018 Subaru Forester, here is how reports break down by system.
"Windshield cracked starting in the black area under the driver's windshield wiper. Car was idling at a drive through, wipers were on. NOTE: car had fewer than 22,500k miles at the time, was likely around 22,485+. The crack continued to climb to the top edge of the window as my car sat on the driveway."
"Went out in the morning to get in my car and noticed the windshield was a crack that starts close to bottom of windshield on passengers side and goes up and across about half of the windshield. I have not noticed anything else wrong with the windshield. It literally cracked while sitting in the driveway. There were no rock pecks or anything that I had observed prior to this happening."
Complaint filings for the 2018 Subaru Forester over time:
Across the Subaru Forester model years we track, the 2019 has the most complaints on file (832); the 2018 ranks 5 of 7.
3 recalls apply to some or all 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.
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, "…
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.
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.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →
NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.
As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 493 complaints about the 2018 Subaru Forester with NHTSA. The most-reported system is visibility & lighting.
The 2018 Subaru Forester has 3 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.
NHTSA gives the 2018 Subaru Forester an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.
All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.
Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.
This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.