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The 2015 Subaru Forester is a small sport utility vehicle 4wd vehicle covered by 3 EPA fuel-economy configurations. In NHTSA's records it has accumulated 615 owner complaints and 3 recall campaign(s). Of those complaints, 53 report a crash and 7 report a fire; 26 complaints report injuries totalling 34 injured people, and 0 deaths are recorded across all complaints for this model-year. The single most-reported component is Engine, named in 131 complaints (21.3% of the total). The sections below reproduce the underlying records in full: crash-test ratings, every recall campaign with its NHTSA campaign number, complaint counts by component, and EPA fuel-economy figures for each configuration.
NHTSA Safety Ratings
NHTSA tested the 2015 Subaru Forester SUV AWD under its 5-Star Safety Ratings program. Ratings run from 1 to 5 stars; "Not rated" means NHTSA did not publish a score for that test for this variant.
| Test | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | ★★★★★ |
| Frontal crash — overall | ★★★★☆ |
| Frontal crash — driver | ★★★★★ |
| Frontal crash — passenger | ★★★★☆ |
| Side crash — overall | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — driver | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — passenger | ★★★★★ |
| Side pole crash | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover resistance | ★★★★☆ |
Electronic stability control was fitted as standard equipment on the tested variant, and NHTSA records no safety recall investigation rating adjustments for it.
Recall Campaigns (3)
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) that include the 2015 Subaru Forester. Each campaign below shows the official NHTSA campaign number, the affected component, and the manufacturer's own summary, consequence and remedy statements as published by NHTSA. To check whether a specific vehicle is covered, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.
Campaign 19V149000 — Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch 28/02/2019
Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Consequence: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.
Campaign 19V701000 — Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification 03/10/2019
Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.
Consequence: If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUM-98.
Campaign 16V162000 — Engine and Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/supercharger 21/03/2016
Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.
Consequence: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTA-62.
Owner Complaints (615)
Owners have filed 615 complaints about the 2015 Subaru Forester with NHTSA. Complaint counts are not sales-adjusted — higher-selling vehicles naturally attract more complaints — but the breakdown by component shows where owners report problems most often.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 131 | 21.3% |
| Air Bags | 102 | 16.6% |
| Power Train | 95 | 15.4% |
| Electrical System | 82 | 13.3% |
| Unknown Or Other | 73 | 11.9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 70 | 11.4% |
| Suspension | 66 | 10.7% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 56 | 9.1% |
| Service Brakes | 36 | 5.9% |
| Visibility/wiper | 23 | 3.7% |
| Seats | 22 | 3.6% |
| Structure | 20 | 3.3% |
Complaints by Component — Visual
Bar length is proportional to the most-reported component for this model-year (Engine, 131 complaints).
By filing year, complaints peaked in 2019 with 131 filings. Owners filed 615 complaints in total across 13 calendar years in the database extract. Complaints involving a crash number 53 and those involving a fire number 7; 26 complaints report at least one injury.
EPA Fuel Economy
The EPA classifies the 2015 Subaru Forester as a small sport utility vehicle 4wd vehicle and published ratings for 3 configurations (engine, transmission, drive and fuel combinations). Combined fuel economy spans 25–27 MPG; the median configuration returns 23 city / 28 highway / 25 combined MPG. Fuel types covered: Premium Gasoline, Regular Gasoline.
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | Fuel | Combined MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | Manual 6-spd | All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 25 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | Automatic (variable gear ratios) | All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 27 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | Automatic (AV-S8) | All-Wheel Drive | Premium Gasoline | 25 |
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and safety ratings databases and EPA FuelEconomy.gov dataset, accessed October 2026. See our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2015 Subaru Forester have?
NHTSA's complaints database held 615 complaints for the 2015 Subaru Forester when accessed in October 2026. The most-reported component was Engine with 131 complaints.
How many recalls affect the 2015 Subaru Forester?
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) covering the 2015 Subaru Forester in the data accessed in October 2026, including campaign 19V149000 for Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch.
What is the 2015 Subaru Forester's safety rating?
NHTSA gave the tested 2015 Subaru Forester SUV AWD an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with 4 stars for frontal crash, 5 for side crash and 4 for rollover resistance.
What MPG does the 2015 Subaru Forester get?
The EPA rated 3 configurations of the 2015 Subaru Forester. Combined fuel economy ranges from 25 to 27 MPG, with a median of 25 MPG (median city 23, median highway 28).