2021 Subaru Forester: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
207 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The Forester's record mirrors the Outback's: oil-consumption complaints on the FB25 engine in 2014–2015, a long moderate stretch, and then a spike for the 2019 model year with the fifth generation's launch — the Starlink infotainment, battery drain, and the EyeSight driver-assistance system braking unnecessarily. The 2021–2024 years score between 83 and 91. Read the full note on the model page. 2021 specifically: a year the record favours — 207 complaints, score 83/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Subaru Outback and Forester: oil consumption, then Starlink, then a clean run, including 2021 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 207 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 41.4
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while trying to roll up vehicle windows from driver sits and passenger sit they would roll up to 3/4th all the way up and they would roll back down after. The contact stated this was a recurring event. The dealer was aware of failure and diagnosed issue needing repairs for window regulator and run channels for driver and passengers side. Manufacturer…
Driving along and various system warnings came on, then started losing power, then the engine died and the car was completely dead. Got a jump start and the car ran for a couple of minutes and died again. Had it towed to a repair shop and when they checked it the next morning, they couldn't find a problem and it ran great for them. I replaced the battery and alternator just to be safe because we were about to leave o…
While driving the car, the engine stops completely. After a few seconds, it can be restarted. It does this several times a week at random intervals. It's very dangerous since it usually happens when we're driving in traffic. The dealer checked it out in July but couldn't find anything wrong. Even though it's a serious safety problem, they said to keep driving it until it does it every time the car is driven or u…
Recalls: 0 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
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What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 29 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,100
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Visibility/Wiper76 complaints · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
- Unknown Or Other41 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System33 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine32 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Forward Collision Avoidance17 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Power Train14 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
Other Subaru Forester years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Subaru Forester?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Visibility/Wiper (76 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Subaru Forester a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 83/100, computed from 207 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Subaru Forester's most common problem?
76 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Subaru Forester sit in the Visibility/Wiper group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $490–$1,200 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2021 Subaru Forester cost to run per year?
About $4,256 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $21,280 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Compare with
Other compact suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2021 Subaru Forester really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & 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: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 207 complaints, 0 recalls on record
- 207 NHTSA complaints on record (41.4/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (41.1/yr)
- 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems