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Electrical systemPart report

2026 Subaru Forester Electrical system Problems

Complaints
8about this part
Share
25%of 32 total for the year
Median mileage
6,000miles
Trend
Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.

NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the electrical system of the 2026 Subaru Forester, 25% of the 32 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 6,000 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Vehicle stopped at light,auto start stop engine off,stepped on gas to go engine didn’t restart,my passenger and I jumped out and grabbed a Noco GB40 jump box I carry and jump started car,we were on a road trip out of town and could not wait for the dealership so finished our trip with the auto start stop turned off and if we had a problem starting used the jump box.”

NHTSA complaint #11735341, filed 2026-05

“The gps/map display, displays the wrong speed, on some traffic circles it directs me to go around in the wrong direction. The auto vehicle uses the speed limit from the installed map to display the speed limit on the main dash between the tach and speedometer. Both conditions could easily cause and accident. Contacted the manufacturer, the corporate headquarters, my dealership where I purchased the vehicle, and Tomtom in the Netherlands. None will assist in the correction of the issue. …”

NHTSA complaint #11738456, filed 2026-05

“On Thursday October 1st upon leaving work the dashboard and infotainment system glitched and rebooted while driving. I thought I was seeing things. I was stopping at a stop sign ad paying attention to the road. Everything seemed fine at that point. On October 3rd while driving approximately 45 MPH our 2026 Subaru Forester stalled and quit running without any warning or warning lights. Both the dashboard lights and the infotainment system went black then came back on. After restarting the car the transmission would not engage. Subaru of America had it towed to the closest dealership. …”

NHTSA complaint #11773088, filed 2026-10

“Brand new 2026 Forester's factory amplifier system completely failed within a week from purchasing at approximately 570 miles, disabling hands-free communication. California law strictly requires drivers to use phones in a hands-free manner. Drivers are prohibited from holding or physically touching their phone for any reason while operating a vehicle.”

NHTSA complaint #11743631, filed 2026-06

“The contact owns a 2026 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the engine sputtered before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with an inoperable fuel pump. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure returned three weeks later. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer. The dealer was unable to duplicated the failure but determined that the failure was caused by a blown fuse and the fuse was replaced. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.”

NHTSA complaint #11770139, filed 2026-10, 6,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Electrical system: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2026825%
202599%
202413%
2023811%
20221111%
20213416%
202010317%
201913416%
20187114%
201710618%
20169322%
20158213%
20144210%
201334%
2012109%
2011117%
2010135%
20092212%
2008510%
200757%
200678%
200533%
200442%
200342%
200121%
200011%
199943%
199866%

Other parts of the 2026 Subaru Forester

Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
8 complaints
Forward collision avoidance
7 complaints
Other or unknown
7 complaints
Fuel system
3 complaints
Body and structure
3 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
2 complaints
Brakes
1 complaints
Engine
1 complaints
Lane departure
1 complaints
Latches, locks and linkages
1 complaints
Vehicle speed control
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2026 Subaru Forester

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology