The 2018 Subaru Forester has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 545,904 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 669 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the visibility/wiper. Last updated July 5, 2026.
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.
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.
TIRES18V4550002018-07-103,654 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…
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.
Complaints by component
VISIBILITY/WIPER
135
AIR BAGS
90
2crashes3injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
82
4crashes3injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
66
ENGINE
31
6crashes1fires4injuries
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
29
13crashes1injuries
SEATS
27
STEERING
24
2crashes
POWER TRAIN
21
4crashes1injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
18
3crashes1injuries
Total complaints669
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The contact owns a 2018 subaru forester. The contact stated the passenger’s side air bag warning light remained illuminated while his wife was seated in the passenger’s seat. The message that the passenger’s side air bag was disabled was displayed. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was…”
“B1760 code for ods airbag light is on and the light for passenger airbag off is on. There is a recall open for many other subarus, same make, model & year. Safety concern for my daughter as she rides passenger. I had the problem diagnosed and documented receipt from acs in roseville california. I…”
“June 2025: I proactively replaced the battery october 2025: left the car parked for 17 days. Dead battery. Got a jump, drove for 2 hours. May 2026: left the car parked for 10 days. Dead battery. Got a jump, drove to mechanic who replaced it under warranty. Saw article about subaru class action…”
“The air conditioning system of my 2017 subaru forrester suddenly went out without warning. I noticed a defect when the a/c started buzzing with a high pitched sound and blowing semi-warm air instead of cool. I took my auto to a car repair shop. He provided this diagnostic analysis: normal coolant…”
“The air conditioning system of my 2017 subaru forrester suddenly went out without warning. I noticed a defect when the a/c started buzzing with a high pitched sound and blowing semi-warm air instead of cool. I took my auto to a car repair shop. He provided this diagnostic analysis: normal coolant…”
“The a/c compressor seized up causing the belt to break. Looked up online and it seems it's a common occurrence with this year and model.”
“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…”
“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…”
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 2018 Subaru Forester as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.