2017 Subaru Forester: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
580 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
580 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 64.44
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Airbag sensor does not work. It is not activated when someone sits in the passenger seat. This was recalled in other Subaru Foresters but for some reason our specific vin number is not eligible for repair.
The front lower control arm bushing were breaking apart at 53,156 miles. Shop reported significant play in the wheel while on the stand. Sounds like a safety hazards.
My 2017 had the passenger airbag sensor recall in 2020. It went into for repair. It began going off again where the passenger seat airbag is off when a passenger is in the seat in 2023 on and off. It consistently began going off again in August 2024. I spoke to subaru corporate and they said they needed to replace the whole seat and wouldn't cover the cost of the whole repair of 1600. The part had a long backorder be…
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 19V701000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in t… |
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (162 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 34/100, computed from 580 NHTSA complaints and 1 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for the 2017 Subaru Forester, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 03/10/2019. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.