The 2012 Subaru Forester has 105 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 15 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are engine 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.
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2012 Subaru Forester vehicles (US, public record).
Across the 12 Forester model years we track, complaint volume runs from 56 (2024) to 487 (2018). With 105 complaints, the 2012 Forester sits about the same asthe 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.
air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Campaign 19V008000Subaru 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 19V007000Subaru 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 19V009000Subaru 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…
electrical system:ignition:switch
Campaign 19V297000Subaru 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 …
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.
Owner insights cover all generations of the Forester. See the full Forester owner picture and every model year.
Used Forester listings typically run $14,131–$28,173 across 2012 to 2026 model years.
Compare every Forester year side by side to see how 2012 ranks against the rest.