The 2016 Subaru Forester has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 1,687,999 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 609 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS19V7010002019-10-03366,282 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 WUM-98.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights…
Consequence
Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING16V1620002016-03-2118,187 affected
Defect
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.
Consequence
An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTA-62.
Complaints by component
AIR BAGS
94
9crashes7injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
90
4crashes1fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
68
7crashes1fires5injuries
ENGINE
60
4crashes2fires2injuries
POWER TRAIN
47
5crashes1injuries
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
36
15crashes7injuries
SERVICE BRAKES
29
8crashes3injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
24
5crashes1injuries
SEATS
21
VISIBILITY/WIPER
20
Total complaints609
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“My horn stopped working. The shop said it’s the clock spring and it’s about 1k to fix. Ive been researching this issue and it seems this is a major problem for numerous years of vehicle. I’m really upset with subaru as first I had to deal with the radio not working (dealer said it’s a…”
“I had my foot on the brake, opened the garage door with my garage door opener, and before I took my foot off the brake the car surged, jumped, and smashed into the brick wall next to the garage. I did not put my foot on the gas.”
“I had my foot on the brake, opened the garage door with my garage door opener, and before I took my foot off the brake the car surged, jumped, and smashed into the brick wall next to the garage. I did not put my foot on the gas.”
“I had my foot on the brake, opened the garage door with my garage door opener, and before I took my foot off the brake the car surged, jumped, and smashed into the brick wall next to the garage. I did not put my foot on the gas.”
“The driver's side air bags, and seatbelt restraint system deployed while the vehicle was stopped without a collision occurring. The doors had not been opened. This occurred february 10, 2026, and the vehicle was taken to the local subaru dealership for troubleshooting. The local dealership did not…”
“I have a 2016 subaru forester and started 3 weeks ago with a problem when I turn it on all the lights on the dashboard turn on and the car won't star. The mechanic has changed the battery and the problem continues. It's happened three times now that it's suddenly shut off while I'm driving. It was…”
“The recalled part which was apart of the wum-98r didn't fix the problem and dealership saying im the caused for the ods for front passenger airbag not to work and I fed up with them trying to charge me for a recalled part failure and I'm very aware that I'm not the first person who has the…”
“Currently getting a reoccurring warning, "srs airbag system needs to be checked" which disables the front passenger airbag. This means if I have a passenger sit in the front seat of my vehicle, they don't have the protection of an airbag in the event of a car accident. In 2021, I had this exact…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationPE19009 Opened 2019-08-06 · closed 2020-01-22
Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a…
InvestigationPE19009 Opened 2019-08-06 · closed 2020-01-22
Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a…
InvestigationPE19009 Opened 2019-08-06 · closed 2020-01-22
Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a…
InvestigationPE19009 Opened 2019-08-06 · closed 2020-01-22
Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2016 Subaru Forester as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.