RoadVitals

2022 Subaru Forester

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
98
+1 complaint in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Nov 9, 2023
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
14
5 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 98 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2022 Subaru Forester, most frequently naming the driver assistance, visibility and brakes categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 312 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

Nov 9, 2023
95,830 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: 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.
Subaru of America, Inc.Manufacturer number WRQ-23View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Driver assistance
Filed Sep 13, 2026

On two occasions now, one on XXX and another in XXX our vehicle initiated a pre collision breaking sequence with no visible object in our path. On XXX this occurred while turning off of a main road into a shopping center located on route XXX in [XXX]. I was traveling at about 15-20mph with no cars in front of me. The vehicle displayed a pre- collision warning and the vehicles breaks locked up. No injuries but I had both my children with me in the car and we were all quite shaken up. The event in XXX happened while my husband was traveling on climax rd in [XXX]. On a sunny day with no one ahead of him traveling at about 45mph the same pre collision warning happened and the breaks locked up on him causing his tires to scratch and the car to come to a Hault. no injuries as a result. Additionally we have had multiple failures of the auto start/stop system while in active traffic. At this point it is about 5 times. Each failure resulted in the car having to be turned off and back on while in active traffic. The vehicle is scheduled to be brought into the suburu dealer of Purchase for inspection for these issues. An issues has also been filed with Suburu of America. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11763953
Incident
Sep 11, 2026
Other / unspecified
Filed Aug 27, 2026

The affected product is a Kuat Sherpa 2.0 hitch-mounted bicycle rack (2-bike, [1.25" / 2"] receiver), purchased new in January 2023, mounted on a 2022 Subaru Forester. On two occasions in the past several months, the front ratchet/hook arm that secures the front wheel released on its own while the vehicle was in motion, allowing the bicycle to come off the tray. On July 17th 2026, at approximately 15 mph on a gravel driveway, the bike released and was retained only by the rear wheel strap. On August 26th 2026, at approximately 15 mph, the bike released again and was retained only because a supplemental lock cable was attached; the bike ended up on the ground behind the vehicle with the rack still mounted and deployed (photo attached, timestamped 8/26/26 21:56). The rack was installed and used per the manufacturer's user guide: correct hitch class, provided hitch pin, torqued to spec, genuine unmodified parts, and within the stated weight limit. There was no crash, curb strike, or overloading. No injury or property damage to other vehicles occurred, but a bicycle detaching from a rack at highway speed presents a clear risk of a crash to following traffic. Note for investigators: NHTSA recall campaign 24E044 addressed a similar carrier-drop failure on Kuat's Transfer v2, in which a pivot mechanism could disengage and let the carrier/bike drop while driving. The failure I experienced on the Sherpa 2.0 is the same class of failure. I have not seen a recall covering the Sherpa 2.0.

NHTSA ID
11759893
Incident
Aug 26, 2026
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Aug 19, 2026

On 8/15/2026 my car's EyeSight system falsely automatically engaged Pre-Collision Braking on a clear road with no cars, obstacles or potholes ahead, on a sunny day, accelerating at 10–15 mph from a traffic light stop. The car was brought to an abrupt stop with no warning beeps from the Eyesight system that are supposed to precede its activation. This event almost caused a chain-like rear end collision involving 2-3 cars behind my car. On 8/19/2026 a Subaru dealership scanned for DTC codes, found none, stated that since no codes were found,there is no problem found. Dealership did not offer to recalibrate the Eyesight system or do any additional diagnostic work.

NHTSA ID
11758116
Incident
Aug 15, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 12, 2026

We are experiencing the exact same problem as the recall Under NHTSA Campaign No. 23V755000 (Subaru recall code WRQ-23) for an ineffective weld leading to moisture affecting the backup camera and dashboard lights. However, our VIN is NOT included in the recall.

NHTSA ID
11756597
Incident
Aug 12, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 9, 2026

While driving my 2022 Subaru Forester, the factory EyeSight autonomous safety system completely failed and disabled itself permanently. The total system shutdown caused an immediate loss of Pre-Collision Emergency Braking, Lane Change Detection, and Adaptive Cruise Control, creating an active highway safety hazard. A subsequent diagnostic scan by an authorized retailer confirmed hard fault code B1402, indicating that the internal factory camera software permanently corrupted itself and erased its own model code data profile. The manufacturer has issued TSB 07-225-24 to address this exact internal memory logic crash, but is currently refusing to replace this critical, failed safety system on a vehicle with only 32,364 miles.

NHTSA ID
11749419
Incident
May 21, 2026
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jun 23, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed inhibitor switch. The contact was informed that the inhibitor switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact was informed that parts were on back order. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.

NHTSA ID
11746009
Incident
Jun 17, 2026
Mileage
51,000 mi
Electrical
Filed May 12, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for a service appointment, the contact was advised that the batter was defective. The contact was informed that the battery was not large enough for the power of the vehicle. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was a known failure of the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,200.

NHTSA ID
11737260
Incident
May 11, 2026
Mileage
30,200 mi
Filed Mar 18, 2026

Back window shattered spontaneously. No known cause. No evidence of vandalism. Temperature did drop 45 degrees over night. Shut side door and back window shattered. Had not started car yet. Rear defroster not engaged.

NHTSA ID
11725294
Incident
Mar 17, 2026

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

12-269-25R

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; STRUCTURE:BODY

This bulletin announces the service procedures to be followed when encountering instances of water intrusion from the sunroof area. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.

05-62-18R

STRUCTURE:BODY

This bulletin provides a procedure to address customer concerns of surface rust accumulating in the top center retaining nut area of the front strut mounts. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.

SubaruNet Announcement (C

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; POWER TRAIN

This Announcement provides diagnostic assistance for CVT issues.

16-158-26

POWER TRAIN

This bulletin provides guidance when diagnosing chain slip, judder, shudder, and hesitation concerns on the TR580 model CVT transmissions used in the models listed.

16-132-20R

POWER TRAIN

This Bulletin provides updated diagnostic procedures to follow and a brief questionnaire to complete when diagnosing an alleged Chain Slip condition on the TR580 and TR690 model CVT transmissions used in the models listed. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.

16-154-25R

POWER TRAIN

This Service Information Bulletin announces the release of a new diagnostic assistance application for TR690 and TR580 CVT-equipped vehicles. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Subaru Forester by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026213050.8
2025933061.8
2024292056.0
2023731052.5
2022Viewing981050.2
20212070042.9
20206010038.1
20198333049.4
20184953155.5
20175871151.7
20164143159.6
20156133052.7
20144032052.2
20137712058.1
201210515058.3
201114716057.3
201026217054.7
200917818056.0
2008501148.1
2007741152.7
2006882156.3
2005931148.8
20042192152.6
20031893154.1
2002881047.9
20011390043.3
2000750039.0
19991311143.3
19981011044.6
1997000—
1996000—
1995000—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.