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2017 Subaru Forester Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

792 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.34 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious19V701000

Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification

If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, raises the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Complaint volume

792 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

63Crashes
1Fires
35Injuries
0Deaths

Across 792 complaints. Severity Index 0.34.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Air Bags160 · 20%Visibility/Wiper103 · 13%Electrical System101 · 13%Unknown Or Other96 · 12%Engine46 · 6%Power Train41 · 5%Vehicle Speed Control33 · 4%Seats32 · 4%
  1. Air Bags — 160 reports
  2. Visibility/Wiper — 103 reports
  3. Electrical System — 101 reports
  4. Unknown Or Other — 96 reports
  5. Engine — 46 reports
  6. Power Train — 41 reports
  7. Vehicle Speed Control — 33 reports
  8. Seats — 32 reports
  9. Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification — 25 reports
  10. Steering — 24 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1998 (1) · 1999 (1) · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 (1) · 2003 (3) · 2004 (2) · 2005 (1) · 2006 (2) · 2007 (1) · 2008 (1) · 2009 (18) · 2010 (17) · 2011 (16) · 2012 (15) · 2013 (12) · 2014 (2) · 2015 (3) · 2016 (3) · 2017 · 2018 (3) · 2019 (3) · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 (1) · 2023 (1) · 2024 (2) · 2025 (3) · 2026 (3)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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