What owners reported to NHTSA about the 2013 Subaru Forester, its recalls, and what to check before you buy one.

Owners filed about 83% fewer complaints than a typical Forester year. The area owners reported most is the engine and cooling, which half of owners reported by about 82,000 miles.
Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Forester years from 2012 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.
Owners have filed 78 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Subaru Forester. The most reported problem area is the engine and cooling (27, 35% of complaints), followed by the air bags and the brakes and stability control. That ranks 11th of 13 Forester years from 2012 to 2024 for complaints. It has 12 recalls.
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Start my car searchProblem areas ranked by how many complaints mention them. One complaint can name more than one area. Open an area to see what to check on a 2013 Subaru Forester before you buy.
Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 82,000 miles.
I was driving my 2013 Subaru Forester on 10.11.2026 and the engine caught fire driving at 35-40mph. I immediately stopped, and turned off the car. Fire Dept and Police responded and put out the fire. The fire was an oil fire is my best guess (blown head gasket?). The head gasket had been replaced by the dealer (Don Miller Subaru East-…Owner complaint, filed 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Forester. While the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 150,000 miles
Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 28,000 miles.
I had a family member driving an 2013 Subaru Forester all-wheel drive with a manual transition. The car had crash and rolled. The car at the most rolled twice and none of the air bags never deployed. I have photos of the accident and of the vehicle at the towed yard and its clear as day that the air bags are still rolled up.Owner complaint, filed 2025
The contact owned a 2013 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving at 58 mph, another vehicle behind the contact rear-ended their vehicle which caused the vehicle to spun out of control and hit a concrete barrier between highways twice causing damages to the front and rear of the vehicle. The side air bags did deploy but the…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 60,698 miles
Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 23,000 miles.
My 2013 Subaru Forester had some noise (grinding) from the rear passenger side brake pad. I set up an appointment to have it inspected later that week. I then used my car to run an errand several days later. I was driving on the highway and found I had no brakes (brake pedal went to the floor). I was able to get to a parking lot and stop…Owner complaint, filed 2022
I have been hearing a slight squeaking noise when driving. The other day it was a horrific, loud screeching noise! Took it in to mechanic, my caliper is stuck. They couldn't even manually spin tire. Because of this it burned up rotors and pads, so now I need to replace them all at a cost of $900! How does a caliper just freeze up??Owner complaint, filed 2018
Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 16,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the headlights and taillights became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who changed the taillight light bulbs approximately 10 times. The headlight light bulbs were replaced 4 times. The local dealer was not…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 70,000 miles
Since purchasing this vehicle we have replaced the drivers side headlight 6 times. In this same time period we have replaced the passenger side headlight only once. This concerns me, as it makes me think there is a wiring problem & a possibility of a more severe problemOwner complaint, filed 2017, at 3,000 miles
Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 47,000 miles.
The contact owned a 2013 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while idled in reverse with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle accelerated in reverse on its own, colliding with a deck, after which the vehicle shifted into drive and continued to accelerate on its own, colliding with a brick wall, only then coming to a complete stop…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 66,000 miles
On 4/3/21 at approximately 1:30 pm, the 2013 subaru forrester was slowly backed out of the garage, gear was in reverse, foot on accelerator with speed of <1 MPH; just enough momentum to get car out of garage, down driveway and onto the street. While still in reverse, the car was positioned onto the street to drive forward in an eastward…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 60,000 miles
Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 50,000 miles.
This is a follow up to complaint number 11387558. I took my car to the dealership for the [VIN] of the torque converter..the car was getting worse with shaking, shuddering and stalling. They replaced the torque converter and charged me $1,029.25. The service advisor told me subaru has had trouble with their 2010-2013 models especially…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 56,000 miles
The car engine wants to stall out when changing from reverse to drive while pulling onto the street. It usually does this within the first 10 minutes of driving. It also wants to stall out when I come to a complete stop-it will shudder and shake and catch itself at times but it usually stalls out. It will stall out in traffic when I am…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 56,000 miles
I parked in my driveway, which has a slight incline, put car in park but left ignition running and headlights on. I have parked in this space seven years and was not in habit of pulling the parking brake. I had a visitor who needed to see deck steps as it was nighttime. We both got out, went up the steps and I returned to turn off car.…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 20,500 miles
The contact owns a 2013 subaru forester. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle would not shift into any up gears without warning. The contact stated that the floormat on the front driver side would catch on the clutch while the vehicle was in motion. The failures recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it…Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 4,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 subaru forester. The contact stated whenever he drove the vehicle during the daytime there was no visibility of the instrument display panel. However, at night the entire instrument display panel would auto illuminated. The contact stated the problem occurred every time he drove the vehicle. The vehicle was taken…Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 10,000 miles
I understand that there was a recall for this vehicle that claims to be repaired- the ignition turning off while driving. This happened a few minutes ago while driving 65+ on the freeway and we were almost hit by an 18 wheeler because of it. Zero power whatsoever. I was able to put it in neutral and turn the key a few times and restart…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 124,150 miles
1. Cars short block is replaced 4 days ago under warranty. The [VIN] dropped to -20 celcius (-25 celsius with wind chill) I started the car and it is making rattling noise. Although I always warm the car by for approx 5 min like last day, yet a continuous rattling noise is there, and I have a feeling that time-to-time it shake vigorously…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 65,250 miles
Driving down the road did not see a ups truck parked along side of. Road . Rear ended the truck had seat belt on air bag deployed and head still hit the windshield why didn't. The airbag and seat belt prevent this?Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 28,000 miles
Goes through insane amounts of oil. Need to check and add oil almost every time I fill with fuel. Care has only about 50k milesOwner complaint, filed 2017, at 50,000 miles
In june while driving to la from yosemite, my oil light began flickering, engine had about 46k, then came on at times while driving from san diego to la. Subaru told me it was a faulty oil switch. Replaced with autozone ps309. Drove from denver to bismarck nd to drive my cousins kid with a tumor on his heart and spine to mayo clinic to…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 43,000 miles
In my vehicle, I have a backup camera and I'm thankful for it but also I strongly wish that vehicle had that backup sensor system as well with the increasing beeping sound as the vehicle gets closer to an object. Vehicles really need to be equipped with both the camera and backup sensors in combination to be safe. I had a small accident…Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 1 miles
Compare the 2013 with other years before you choose one. Tap a year to see its problems.
Each car is rated against its own other years, since popular models always get more complaints than rare ones.
| Car | Vs. its other years | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Subaru Forester | One of the better years | 12 |
| 2013 Toyota RAV4 | About average | 2 |
| 2013 Honda CR-V | About average | 2 |
| 2013 Mazda CX-5 | About average | 1 |
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles. The front seat belt assembly force-limiter may not operate correctly in the event of a crash.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Forester, 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, Legacy, and 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, and Legacy vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Legacy, Forester, Tribeca, WRX and Outback vehicles, and 2009-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines. The relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump to continuously operate and overheat.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Impreza, 2008-2014 WRX and STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia that were remedied under recall 14V-311 prior to December 23, 2014. The brake lines may experience brake line corrosion due to salt water splashing on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008-2011 Impreza and 2008-2014 Impreza WRX/STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines. Note that affected vehicles not currently, or formerly registered, in the salt belt states identified above are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.
The most reported problem areas on the 2013 Subaru Forester are the engine and cooling (27 complaints), the air bags (13 complaints) and the brakes and stability control (10 complaints).
One of the better Forester years. Owners filed about 83% fewer complaints than a typical Forester year. The area owners reported most is the engine and cooling, which half of owners reported by about 82,000 miles. Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Forester years from 2012 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.
NHTSA lists 12 recalls for the 2013 Subaru Forester. The most recent, from Nov 2022, covers the seat belts. Recalls cover the whole model year, so check the VIN of the car you are looking at to see which are still open.
Half of the owners who reported a problem with the engine and cooling gave a mileage of about 82,000 miles or less. Half of the owners who reported a problem with the air bags gave a mileage of about 28,000 miles or less. Plenty of cars have these problems later or never, so ask for service records.
The Forester years with the most complaints compared with the rest are 2019. Years with clearly fewer complaints are 2012, 2013 and 2021. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly yet.
These problems are for the model year as a whole. Here is how to find out about the one you are looking at.
We inspect the car with a scan tool and paint gauge, read the history report and tell you whether it is worth the asking price, before you hand over any money.