3 NHTSA safety recalls cover the 2016 Subaru Forester. Owners have filed 415 complaints with NHTSA about this model year. Every recall repair is free at any Subaru dealer.
Is yours affected? Recalls cover ranges of VINs, not every 2016 Subaru Forester. Check your Forester by VIN and confirm open recalls at NHTSA.gov.
Each campaign as NHTSA published it: what is wrong, what can happen, and the fix. Newest first.
Owners filed 415 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru Forester, reporting 40 crashes, 3 fires, 17 injuries. Subaru has issued at least 455 technical service bulletins (repair instructions to dealers) for this model year. Complaints are unverified owner reports; a recall is the manufacturer’s admission of a safety defect.
Read Subaru Forester owner complaints and bulletins, every year
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation lists this model year in one investigation. An investigation is not a recall; it is how NHTSA decides whether one is needed.
Owners have filed 415 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru Forester. A few in their own words, shortened. Complaints are unverified and are not proof of a defect or of any recall.
“The contact owned a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while at a complete stop with her foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated without warning and crashed into a fire hydrant.”
Complaint filed with NHTSA, not verified by the agency · NHTSA complaint 11766126
“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.”
Complaint filed with NHTSA, not verified by the agency · NHTSA complaint 11726168
“Vehicle self-accelerated abruptly while parked and crashed into another vehicle causing damage to both vehicles”
Complaint filed with NHTSA, not verified by the agency · NHTSA complaint 11684309
“When parked on a slope, driver attempted to back SUV out of parking space. Before starting car, with key inserted, ignition on and foot on brake, driver attempted to remove gearshift from park. Car drifted backward rapidly and uncontrollably. The brakes completely failed even with foot on brake.”
Complaint filed with NHTSA, not verified by the agency · NHTSA complaint 11618333
“I backed out of a parking space, put my foot on the brake and shifted into Drive to finish maneuvering out of the space. Although I didn't remove my foot from the brake, my Forester immediately accelerated at extremely high speed, striking the two cars parked next to me, and seriously damaging both.”
Complaint filed with NHTSA, not verified by the agency · NHTSA complaint 11586376
Search the official database: NHTSA. Excerpts are quoted from the public record, shortened at a sentence and with personal details removed.
Not every 2016 Subaru Forester is in every recall. Enter your 17-character VIN to see the recalls on record for your exact vehicle, then confirm which are still open at NHTSA.gov or with any Subaru dealer.