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2023 Subaru Forester: engine and transmission complaints

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
16%
10 of 62 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2023 Subaru Forester. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 16% of relevant complaints.

Better than 92% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 11 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 14%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
10
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
73
this model year
Fires reported
4
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
1
8 crashes · 5 injuries

Complaints by component

UNKNOWN OR OTHER20 · 27%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE13 · 18%
VISIBILITY/WIPER11 · 15%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM7 · 10%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL6 · 8%
AIR BAGS6 · 8%

The years either side

2010
25%
53 of 262
2011
65%
73 of 147
2012
46%
38 of 105
2013
53%
32 of 77
2014
31%
104 of 403
2015
45%
226 of 613
2016
36%
111 of 411
2017
21%
89 of 584
2018
16%
63 of 493
2019
18%
145 of 833
2020
19%
110 of 598
2021
20%
41 of 207
2022
18%
15 of 97
2023
16%
10 of 73

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

What owners reported

SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN07/19/2026
Tires are wearing badly on the inside edge only. Suspension and drive train components make noise during normal operation.
ENGINE06/10/2026FIRE
Vehicle caught fire after oil change. Oil leaked from engine onto catalytic converter and causes catastrophic engine fire
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM03/20/2026
Vehicle suffered a major oil leak at under 60k miles. My low oil light didn’t turn on but I was actually extremely low on oil. The dealer confirmed the issue and had to replace multiple components related to the oil filter, caps, etc. If I hadnt noticed/waited any longer I would have had no oil in my car at all.

Three of 10 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (1)

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek, Impreza, 2023-2024 Forester, and 2023 WRX vehicles. The front driveshaft assemblies' outer race may…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2023 Subaru Forester

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.