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#BS-2012-SUBFOR-326B2012 Subaru Forester
Based on reports from 139 owners and 15 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Think Twice
Based on 139 complaints, 22 crashes, 4 fires, and 15 recalls.
Top reported problems
excessive oil consumption
13 complaints • Severity 7.4/10
ac started blowing hot lost all refrigerant
2 complaints • Severity 10/10
gauges off loud whine in compartment
1 complaints • Severity 10/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
29 owners reported engine issues — failures commonly reported around 48K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (36 reports) • Median: 48K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Engine (29 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2012 Subaru Forester: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 21% of all reports filed for the 2012 Subaru Forester, with 29 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 48,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 48K-mile mark.
Airbags Issues
Airbags complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 2012 Subaru Forester, with 20 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Speed Control Issues
Speed Control complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 2012 Subaru Forester, with 17 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Brakes Issues
Brakes complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2012 Subaru Forester, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2012 Subaru Forester. Recent trend: increasing.
Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (15 recalls)
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2012 FORESTER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 26, 2007, THROUGH MARCH 13, 2012. THE AUTOMATIC LOCKING RETRACTOR in the SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES LOCATED IN THE REAR CENTER SEATING OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES DO NOT MEET LOCKABILITY REQUIREMENTS AND FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, “OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.” SPECIFICALLY, THE ASSEMBLIES MAY NOT PERMIT PROPER INSTALLATION AND SECURE ATTACHMENT OF A CHILD RESTRAINT IN THAT SEATING POSITION.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 Legacy and Outback vehicles, certain model year 2006 through 2012 Tribeca vehicles sold before January 2012, and certain model year 2009 through 2012 Forester vehicles sold before January 2012. Up to 78,650 of these vehicles may have been equipped with accessory puddle lights that, when illuminated, brighten the area under the doors of the vehicle. A short circuit can develop when either the puddle light or connector are exposed to an electrolytic moisture source (such as road spray that has road salt in it) and it penetrates the circuit board of the puddle light or the pins of the puddle light connector(s).
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
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.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
+ 10 more recalls in the full report
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Subaru Forester is the 2014 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.
2012 Subaru Forester vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD)
This vehicle
139
Class avg
128
Complaint volume is roughly in line with other sport utility vehicle - 4wd vehicles from 2012.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 139 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 15 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Subaru Forester Model Years
2012 Subaru Forester: Frequently Asked Questions
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Get the Full 2012 Subaru Forester Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 139 owner reports. Know before you buy.