NHTSA Safety Recalls
2012 Subaru Forester Recalls
The 2012 Subaru Forester has 15 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on November 10, 2022.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2012 Subaru Forester. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 15
- Owner complaints
- 105
- Crashes reported
- 15
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★☆
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
5 fires
overall, 5 stars max
On a 2012 Subaru Forester, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
15 recalls on the 2012 Subaru Forester
Seat belts
- Campaign
- 22V838000
- Reported
- November 10, 2022
- Vehicles affected
- up to 16
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2011, 2013 Forester
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 20V001000
- Reported
- January 2, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 258,813
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2011, 2013 Forester, 6 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 20V002000
- Reported
- January 2, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 127,547
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2011, 2013 Forester, 6 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 20V003000
- Reported
- January 2, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 111,562
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2011, 2013 Forester, 6 other models
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- Campaign
- 19V297000
- Reported
- April 11, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 511
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2011, 2013 Forester, 5 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 19V007000
- Reported
- January 9, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 43,394
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2010–2011, 2013 Forester, 5 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 19V008000
- Reported
- January 9, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 330,120
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2010–2011, 2013 Forester, 5 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 19V009000
- Reported
- January 9, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 452,630
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2010–2011, 2013 Forester, 5 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 18V012000
- Reported
- January 9, 2018
- Vehicles affected
- up to 64,179
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2011, 2013 Forester, 5 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 17V014000
- Reported
- January 10, 2017
- Vehicles affected
- up to 53,480
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2011 Forester, 6 other models
Electrical system
- Campaign
- 16V738000
- Reported
- October 13, 2016
- Vehicles affected
- up to 100,127
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2011, 2013 Forester, 3 other models
Service brakes, hydraulic
- Campaign
- 14V830000
- Reported
- December 31, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 200,064
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2011, 2013 Forester, 3 other models
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- Campaign
- 14V311000
- Reported
- June 10, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 461,338
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2011, 2013 Forester, 5 other models
Exterior lighting
- Campaign
- 12V602000
- Reported
- December 26, 2012
- Vehicles affected
- up to 633,842
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2011 Forester, 3 other models
Seat belts: rear/other
- Campaign
- 12V099000
- Reported
- March 13, 2012
- Vehicles affected
- up to 326,014
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 208, occupant crash protection
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2011 Forester
2012 Subaru Forester complaints by year
NHTSA has received 105 owner complaints about the 2012 Subaru Forester, the newest on April 22, 2026. Of these, 15 describe a crash (14%) and 5 a fire; owners reported 9 injuries.
In complaints about the 2012 Subaru Forester, the component group named most often is the engine (26%), followed by the air bags (19%) and the vehicle speed control (17%).
8 of the 2012 Subaru Forester's 15 recalls also concern the air bags.
Where 2012 Subaru Forester owners gave the mileage (68 complaints), the median was 43,405 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Engine27
- Air Bags20
- Vehicle Speed Control18
- Service Brakes11
- Electrical System10
- Unknown Or Other8
Complaints received, by year
| 2011 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 10 | |
| 2013 | 7 | |
| 2014 | 9 | |
| 2015 | 8 | |
| 2016 | 12 | |
| 2017 | 13 | |
| 2018 | 7 | |
| 2019 | 12 | |
| 2020 | 10 | |
| 2021 | 5 | |
| 2022 | 4 | |
| 2023 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 2 | |
| 2026 | 1 |
Complaints about the 2012 Subaru Forester peaked in 2017, when NHTSA received 13. 33% arrived between 2011 and 2015, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2012 vehicles, the 2012 Subaru Forester drew 0.6× the complaints of the median Subaru Forester year in the same window: 15th highest of the 23 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: ★★★★☆
- Frontal: 4/5
- Side: 4/5
- Rollover: 4/5
The 105 complaints about the 2012 Subaru Forester are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Subaru Forester by model year
Other 2012 Subaru models
Newest record on this page: April 22, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted