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2021 Subaru Forester: True Cost, Problems & Verdict

207 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.

Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
Subaru Forester
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · open the model page
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Owner complaints: 207 filed with NHTSA

Complaints per year on the road: 41.4

Visibility/Wiper76Unknown Or Other41Electrical System33Engine32Forward Collision Avoidance17Power Train14

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

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True cost of ownership

Fuel (your region) $0
Maintenance band (your region) $1,231$2,521
Estimated running cost this year (age 5) $2,521

Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.

02468101214$4,371vehicle age (years)
fuel/energy + maintenance band (annual, USD, estimate)

Run your own numbers in the true-cost calculator →

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 AVOID with a reliability score of 40/100, computed from 207 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.

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 calculator

Data 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: 2026-08-20.

40RELIABILITY / 100
AVOID
  • 207 NHTSA complaints on record (41.4/yr of exposure)
  • 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems

How this score is computed →

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