Model year
2011 Subaru Forester
NHTSA lists 16 recalls and 147 complaints for the 2011 Subaru Forester (recall file dated Oct 23, 2026; complaint file dated Oct 23, 2026). The components listed on the most complaints are ENGINE (60), AIR BAGS (29), SERVICE BRAKES (17). NHTSA rated 2 variants 4 stars overall. EPA rates it 21–23 mpg combined depending on configuration (fuel economy file dated Sep 29, 2026). EPA's annual fuel-cost figures for these configurations are $2,900–$3,900, based on 15,000 miles and 55% city driving.
- 2000 75 complaints
- 2001 139 complaints
- 2002 88 complaints
- 2003 189 complaints
- 2004 219 complaints
- 2005 93 complaints
- 2006 88 complaints
- 2007 74 complaints
- 2008 50 complaints
- 2009 178 complaints
- 2010 262 complaints
- 2011 147 complaints
- 2012 105 complaints
- 2013 78 complaints
- 2014 403 complaints
- 2015 615 complaints
- 2016 415 complaints
- 2017 592 complaints
- 2018 498 complaints
- 2019 834 complaints
- 2020 603 complaints
- 2021 211 complaints
- 2022 100 complaints
- 2023 74 complaints
- 2024 31 complaints
- 2025 98 complaints
- 2026 29 complaints
Recalls
22V838000 · Nov 10, 2022
SEAT BELTS
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles. The front seat belt assembly force-limiter may not operate correctly in the event of a crash.
20V003000 · Jan 2, 2020
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado,…
20V002000 · Jan 2, 2020
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas,…
20V001000 · Jan 2, 2020
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California,…
19V297000 · Apr 11, 2019
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed…
19V009000 · Jan 9, 2019
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts,…
19V008000 · Jan 9, 2019
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, and Legacy vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois,…
19V007000 · Jan 9, 2019
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Forester, 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, Legacy, and 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina,…
18V012000 · Jan 9, 2018
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Legacy, Forester, Tribeca, WRX and Outback vehicles, and 2009-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina,…
17V014000 · Jan 10, 2017
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Subaru Baja, 2006-2011 Impreza (including WRX and STI models), 2006-2012 Tribeca, 2009-2012 Forester, Legacy, Outback, and 2012 WRX vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama,…
6 more recalls are in the NHTSA file for this name and are not listed here. Campaign numbers above link to NHTSA.
Complaints
147 distinct complaints. Crash flag on 21, fire flag on 6, injury field 4, deaths field 0. A complaint can be counted under more than one component. The injury and death figures are the file's numbers (the highest value on each complaint, then added), not a separate verified count of people.
Investigations
No investigations are matched to this name.
Safety ratings
| Variant | Overall | Front | Side | Pole | Rollover | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD Early Release | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 · possibility 0.179 | NHTSA photo |
| SUV AWD Later Release | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 · possibility 0.179 | NHTSA photo |
Fuel economy
| Configuration | Fuel | City | Hwy | Comb | kWh/100 mi | Range | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forester AWD · 2.5L · Manual 5-spd · All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 21 | 27 | 23 | — | — | $2,900 |
| Forester AWD · 2.5L · Automatic (S4) · All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 21 | 26 | 23 | — | — | $2,900 |
| Forester AWD · 2.5L · Automatic (S4) · All-Wheel Drive | Premium Gasoline | 19 | 23 | 21 | — | — | $3,900 |
Open this model year in the fuel-cost calculator. The calculator starts with no fuel price filled in.
Check a vehicle
This page is not a VIN lookup. NHTSA's recall tool checks a specific vehicle: nhtsa.gov/recalls. NHTSA's page for this model year is 2011 Subaru Forester at NHTSA. Complaint narratives stay on NHTSA's site and are not copied here.