2017 Subaru Forester problems and complaints
Owners have filed 593 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Subaru Forester. The most-reported areas: Air Bags (167), Electrical System (106), Visibility/Wiper (104).
Key takeaways
- 593 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 40 involve a crash, 1 a fire, 28 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 167 | 28% |
| Electrical System | 106 | 18% |
| Visibility/Wiper | 104 | 18% |
| Unknown Or Other | 98 | 17% |
| Engine | 47 | 8% |
| Power Train | 46 | 8% |
| Seats | 34 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 33 | 6% |
| Steering | 25 | 4% |
| Service Brakes | 15 | 3% |
| Structure | 15 | 3% |
| Suspension | 12 | 2% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Parts for the 2017 Subaru Forester
GarageDex's verified specs for this car. Each Buy button searches Amazon for that exact part.
- Battery
- Engine oil
- Oil filter
- Engine air filter
- Cabin air filter
- Wiper blades
- Headlight bulb
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| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Subaru Forester SUV AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Unknown Or Other - filed 2026-11-02
Rapid acceleration from a stop. When the accelerator is pressed down even slightly the car lurches forward at a very fast rate. It can travel several feet before I am able to stop it by braking. This is a dangerous condition. In several instances I have almost crashed into a car ahead of me in accelerating after a...
Air Bags - filed 2026-10-29
The Occupant Detection Sensor had a recall in 2019 and we replaced under that recall in 2020, but the part has once again failed and in looking at other Subaru forums, many others with this model year of Subaru Forester have dealt with the same ODS replaced ODS sensor failing again. This sensor deactivates the passenge...
Air Bags,seats - filed 2026-10-20
After replacement of the passenger ODS harness under recall WUM-98, the system still fails to detect a passenger in the seat, making it impossible for me to safely drive with a passenger. Subaru will not fairly cover the defect and would have to install a new seat and recode the new seat to the airbag module. The repai...
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More for the 2017 Subaru Forester
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.