A dependable fourth-gen wagon with one real out-of-pocket risk — the cam-carrier oil leak — so inspect the engine for seepage and verify the three recalls.

On the turbocharged 2.0XT built in 2015–2016, the turbocharger air-intake duct can crack and cause an engine stall. Recall 16V162 (Subaru code WTA-62) has dealers inspect the duct by lot number and replace it as needed, free. This applies only to the turbo XT, not the naturally aspirated cars. If you're buying an XT, confirm by VIN that this was done.

Recall 19V149 (WUE-90) covers a brake-light switch that contaminants can make malfunction — the brake lights may not illuminate, and on keyless cars it can also prevent the engine from starting and the transmission from shifting out of park. It's a free switch replacement. A no-brake-lights condition is a real crash risk, so verify this shows completed by VIN.

Recall 19V701 (WUM-98) covers 2015–2018 Foresters with heated seats: the front passenger seat's Occupant Detection System (ODS — the sensor that decides whether the passenger airbag arms) connection can loosen and deactivate the airbag even when the seat is occupied. Dealers inspect and replace the ODS sensor-mat harness free. Confirm it's closed by VIN.

Some owners across these years report repeated dead 12-volt batteries and multiple jump-starts. Subaru settled a battery-drain class action and extended 12-volt battery coverage for 2015–2020 vehicles. If a 2016 has a history of unexplained dead batteries, this is the likely path — confirm the extension work and ask whether the parasitic-drain fix was applied rather than just swapping batteries.

Subaru's well-known oil-consumption saga — the piston-ring surface-treatment defect, its 8-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty extension, and the class-action settlement — applies to 2011–2015 engines only. None of it reaches the 2016 Forester. A 2017-model-year XT owner running the same-era engine reported burning no measurable oil at 10,000 miles. If a 2016 burns oil, treat it as a maintenance/condition question on that specific car, not the covered factory defect — and don't pay a premium expecting program coverage that doesn't exist here.