Showing the 2025 Forester Limited Base. NHTSA's VIN data shows it with a 2.5 L engine, but that may not be every version of it, so the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
26–35 mpgcombined; city 25–35, highway 28–34; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$9,280–$12,490U.S. average; Ohio $8,290–$11,160 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 2025 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 97 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 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
Unknown or other
19
1
1
0
Fuel/propulsion system
13
2
0
1
Visibility/wiper
13
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
12
2
0
0
Electrical system
8
0
0
2
Exterior lighting
8
0
0
0
Visibility
7
0
0
0
Service brakes
5
3
0
2
Vehicle speed control
5
5
0
1
Air bags
4
3
1
2
Back over prevention
4
0
0
1
Engine
4
0
0
0
13 more parts
Fuel system, gasoline
4
0
0
0
Power train
4
1
0
0
Wheels
4
0
0
0
Lane departure
2
0
0
0
Seat belts
2
0
0
0
Chest clip, buckle, harness
1
0
0
0
Child seat
1
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
1
Seats
1
0
0
1
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
1
0
0
Steering
1
0
0
0
Structure
1
0
0
0
Suspension
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 4 recall campaigns for the 2025 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 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2025-2026 Forester Hybrid, Forester, and 2019-2026 Ascent vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured with an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, "Tire selection and rims."
Risk: An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will mail a new certification label to owners, free of charge. Owners may also choose to have a dealer install the new label, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed August 27, 2026. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-26.
Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek hybrid, and 2025 Forester hybrid vehicles. When the fuel tank is near full capacity, an increase in ambient temperature may cause the fuel to expand and spill out of the filler neck due to an insufficient seal on the fuel cap.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures, and to limit the fuel level to 50% until the remedy is completed. Dealers will replace the fuel filler cap gasket, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2026. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-26. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 16, 2026.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2025 Forester vehicles. The child seat anchor bolts may have been improperly tightened, allowing the bolts to come loose.
Risk: A loose child seat anchor bolt increases the risk of injury to a child during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the child seat anchor bolts and, if necessary, tighten the bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 15, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRC-25.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2025 Forester vehicles equipped with 18" aluminum alloy wheels. The wheels may have been manufactured with an incorrectly specified lug seat surface, which can result in the wheel being improperly attached and cause a loss of vehicle stability.
Risk: A loss of vehicle stability increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the wheels, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 28, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRB-25.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 198 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2025 Forester, the latest on Oct 5, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (118), unknown or other (39), engine (23), power train (10), structure (10).
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 2025 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: 5–7 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 (AV-S8)
Regular Gasoline
26 / 33 / 29
Forester Hybrid All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S6)
Regular Gasoline
35 / 34 / 35
Forester Sport/Touring All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S8)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 32 / 28
Forester Wilderness All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S8)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 28 / 26
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