What is the best year for a Subaru Forester?

The 2024 Forester (28 complaints, 10/10 safety, 4 severe) is the standout year — the best on record. Avoid 2014 (402 complaints, 53 severe) and 2018-2019 (483 and 831 complaints respectively), which coincide with documented engine oil consumption and EyeSight recall issues. The 2022-2024 window shows significant improvement.

How much does Subaru Forester insurance cost?

Forester insurance averages about $2,035/year — roughly $170/month.

Is the Subaru Forester or Toyota RAV4 cheaper to maintain?

The RAV4 is $203/year cheaper — $429 versus $632 for the Forester, over $1,000 in savings over five years. The RAV4 also has higher reliability (8 vs. 7), lower major repair probability (10% vs. 13%), and lower repair frequency (26% vs. 37%). The RAV4 has a significant advantage on every maintenance metric.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Subaru Forester?

Reliability score of 7, major repair probability of 13%, and repair frequency of 37% — all above the compact class average — make extended warranty worth considering, particularly for 2014-2019 models with severe documented complaint spikes. For 2022 and newer, the risk profile improves substantially but still trails the class average.

Subaru Forester Maintenance Cost

Subaru Forester maintenance costs. Full year-by-year breakdown, common problems, and which years to buy or avoid.

Last verified July 2026

$632

Annual maint.

7/10

Reliability

13%

Major repair risk (5yr)

$2,035

Avg. insurance / yr

// RELIABILITY BY YEAR

Which year Forester should you buy?

Green is safe, red means major known issues. Tap any year.
Years scored against Forester's own complaint record — not against other SUVs.

2010 Subaru Forester

Third generation (SH)

Engine: 2.5 L EJ25 SOHC flat-4 (170 hp); 2.5 L EJ255 turbo flat-4 (224 hp, XT trim)

Transmission: 4-speed automatic; 5-speed manual; Lineartronic CVT (from 2012)

Neutral

Vehicle Speed Control complaints most reported in 2010. NHTSA recall 14V311, 14V830, 20V001 and others issued.

17 recalls on record. Affected systems:

Air Bags
Electrical System
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Seat Belts
Exterior Lighting

// COMMON PROBLEMS

What breaks on the Forester

Top issues ranked by share of total NHTSA complaints.

Unknown or other, visibility/wiper

Common

Years affected: 2010–2026

Engine

Moderate

Years affected: 2010–2025

Air bags

Moderate

Years affected: 2010–2025

Unknown or other

Moderate

Years affected: 2010–2026

Vehicle speed control

Moderate

Years affected: 2010–2026

Electrical system

Rare

Years affected: 2010–2026

Suspension

Rare

Years affected: 2010, 2014–2019, 2021–2023, 2025

Service brakes

Rare

Years affected: 2010–2022, 2024–2025

Seats

Rare

Years affected: 2010–2012, 2014–2020, 2022

Steering, suspension, unknown or other

Rare

Years affected: 2010, 2014–2025

// EXTENDED WARRANTY

Is a Forester extended warranty worth it?

Worth considering. The Subaru Forester has an above-average major repair probability for the segment — a warranty is worth pricing before you buy, especially on higher-mileage examples. If you want to minimise risk, stick to the 2023 and 2026. Pay particular attention to 2011, 2012, and 2013 model years.

// NEW VS USED

Buy new or save on a used Forester?

The Forester holds 87% of its value after 3 years — one of the best in its class. That strong resale narrows the used-car savings, but here's the real math.

87%

Value retained · 3 yr

68%

Value retained · 5 yr

54%

Value retained · 7 yr

New Forester

$29,600

MSRP including destination charge for base trim

Used Forester

$22,200

KBB Fair Purchase Price, 2023, national average, good condition, ~36k miles

Avg. maintenance / yr$632

Major repair risk (any year)13%

Avg. insurance premium / yr$2,035

MPG combined (City/Hwy)29

Value depreciation after 3 yr$3,924

// HEAD TO HEAD

How it compares

Toyota RAV4

$429/yr maint · 8 reliability

Full comparison

Honda CR-V

$407/yr maint · 9 reliability

Full comparison

Mazda CX-5

$447/yr maint · 9 reliability

Full comparison

More Compact SUVs

Chevrolet Equinox Ford Escape GMC Terrain Honda CR-V Hyundai Tucson All Compact SUVs →

// FAQ

Common questions

The Forester costs $632/year to maintain — $111 above the compact segment average of $521. Repair frequency of 37% is above the class average of 30%. Reliability score of 7 is below the class average of 8, and major repair probability of 13% is above the 11% norm. It trails the compact class average on every ownership-cost metric.

How we calculated this. Maintenance costs and reliability scores from RepairPal. Complaints and recalls from NHTSA. Fuel economy from the EPA. Insurance averages from CarEdge. Pricing from KBB. Depreciation from iSeeCars. Full methodology →