2010 Subaru Forester: common problems and reliability

The 2010 Subaru Forester has 262 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 17 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are seats and air bags. Owners most often flag cvt transmission longevity concerns: concerns about long-term reliability beyond 100,000 miles, with strong owner consensus recommending proactive fluid changes every 30,000-60,000 miles despite some manufacturer guidance. frequency: very frequent.

Safety record for the 2010 model year

262
Owner complaints
17
Recalls
21
Crash reports
6
Fire reports

Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2010 Subaru Forester vehicles (US, public record).

Is 2010 a good year for the Forester?

Across the 12 Forester model years we track, complaint volume runs from 56 (2024) to 487 (2018). With 262 complaints, the 2010 Forester sits abovethe model's median of 112.

These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.

Where owners report problems

seats
76
air bags
42
service brakes
38
engine
34
vehicle speed control
24

Recalls affecting the 2010 Forester

air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Campaign 19V007000

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, G

air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Campaign 19V009000

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, Col

air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Campaign 19V008000

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, A

air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Campaign 20V003000

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,

What owners say across generations

Overwhelmingly positive sentiment across multiple generations, with the Forester consistently praised for its practicality, safety, all-weather capability, and long-term reliability when properly maintained.

  • CVT transmission longevity concerns: Concerns about long-term reliability beyond 100,000 miles, with strong owner consensus recommending proactive fluid changes every 30,000-60,000 miles despite some manufacturer guidance. Frequency: very frequent.
  • Infotainment system glitches: Occasional screen freezes, slow response, or connectivity issues. Noted as an annoyance but not a dealbreaker. Frequency: recurrent.

Owner insights cover all generations of the Forester. See the full Forester owner picture and every model year.

Typical used price

Used Forester listings typically run $14,131–$28,173 across 2012 to 2026 model years.

Other Forester model years

Compare every Forester year side by side to see how 2010 ranks against the rest.

Compare the Forester against its rivals