Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
The 2014 Subaru Forester has 403 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, most often about suspension (94). EPA rates it at 24 to 27 mpg combined, with a 5-year fuel cost of $12,030 to $16,100 at U.S. average prices, based on 15,000 miles per year. NHTSA gives it 5 stars overall. There are 2 recall campaigns, which may apply to this car, covering lights and accessories.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
24–27 mpgcombined; city 22–24, highway 27–31; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$12,030–$16,100U.S. average; Ohio $10,750–$15,170 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2014 Forester. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 403 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Forester. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Suspension
94
1
0
0
Engine
69
4
2
1
Air bags
57
9
1
6
Unknown or other
44
5
1
2
Electrical system
42
4
1
1
Vehicle speed control
42
25
0
13
Power train
41
7
0
3
Service brakes
31
11
0
9
Structure
27
10
1
7
Steering
16
1
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
15
3
0
7
Seats
14
0
0
0
16 more parts
Wheels
11
1
0
0
Exterior lighting
10
1
0
0
Seat belts
9
1
0
0
Visibility/wiper
9
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
6
1
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
5
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
3
0
0
0
Equipment adaptive/mobility
3
0
0
0
Visibility
3
0
0
0
Back over prevention
2
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
2
0
0
0
Tires
2
0
0
0
Child seat
1
0
0
0
Equipment
1
0
0
0
Lane departure
1
0
0
0
Traction control system
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2014 Forester over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Risk: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2014 Forester vehicles manufactured from January 2013 through March 2013. The backing for the carpeted floor mats was not manufactured to specification. As a result, the floor mats may curl when exposed to heat.
Risk: Curling of the driver side floor mat could distract the driver and/or interfere with proper operation of one or a combination of, the vehicle's clutch, brake, and accelerator pedals. Brake or accelerator pedal interference may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace each of the vehicle's four (4) carpeted floor mats with new ones. These services will be performed free of charge. Subaru issued an interim notification during April 2013. Notification that the remedy is now available was mailed to owners on June 5, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQH-44.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 637 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2014 Forester, the latest on Oct 5, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (210), electrical system (153), engine (90), engine and engine cooling (67), power train (61).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2014 Forester.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 6–7 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Forester All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
24 / 31 / 27
Forester All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Premium Gasoline
23 / 27 / 25
Forester All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
22 / 28 / 24
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data