Is the 2021 Subaru Forester reliable?

The settling fifth-gen year — complaints down by a third, no model-year recall we could confirm, and the thermal control valve still covered to 15 years. 207 federal complaints — a third of the 2019 launch — and no 2021-specific safety recall in NHTSA (see the verified-zero note). It's the last year inside the thermal control valve's 15-year/150,000-mile extension, and the early-gen5 bugs are largely sorted.

How many complaints and recalls does the 2021 Subaru Forester have?

The 2021 Subaru Forester has 207 federal complaints and 0 recalls in the NHTSA data (updated July 2026).

What should I check before buying a used 2021 Subaru Forester?

Confirm no open recalls by VIN at purchase — NHTSA data can lag, so a VIN check is the belt-and-suspenders step even in a calm year. Ask whether the thermal control valve was replaced with the updated part; 2021 is the last year of the 15yr/150k extension, so confirm eligibility by VIN. Sit through several auto start/stop cycles in traffic and confirm the engine restarts cleanly every time. Check the acoustic windshield for cracks and test the head unit for freezing/rebooting — both carry extensions that include 2021. Ignore the head-gasket and oil-consumption-program stories for this year — neither applies to a 2021 FB25. Ask for CVT fluid service history — the strongest longevity sign on any Subaru.

2021 Subaru Forester Problems & Reliability — What 207 Owners Report

Q: What are the most common problems with the 2021 Subaru Forester?

Known issues, ranked by the cost of ignoring them: Thermal control valve (P26A3 / P2682) — covered 15 years / 150,000 miles; Auto engine start/stop — quieter, but still worth testing; Windshield and head-unit coverage — extensions apply here; What does NOT apply — head gasket and the oil-consumption program.

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

Thermal control valve (P26A3 / P2682) — covered 15 years / 150,000 miles

major

The thermal control valve (coolant bypass valve) can still fail on the 2021 — stalling and overheating the engine with codes P26A3 or P2682 — but 2021 is the last year inside Subaru's 15-year/150,000-mile warranty extension, and the replacement uses a redesigned valve (stainless internal shaft, better sensor waterproofing). One 2021-era owner in the file noted the part was free to replace under the extension. Ask whether the updated valve has been fitted; if the coolant system codes, the repair should be free under the coverage.

Thermal control valve under extension (15yr/150k)

Out-of-coverage valve replacement

a few hundred

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Subaru Forester (true count 207) · NHTSA manufacturer communications + campaignNumber reconciliation (thermal-valve 15yr/150k, windshield and head-unit extensions; 22V485/24V227 Outback/Legacy-only)

Auto engine start/stop — quieter, but still worth testingmoderate

The auto start/stop stalling thread is thinner on the 2021 than on 2019–2020, but a few owners still report the engine not restarting cleanly at stops. It reads as a driveability nuisance rather than a covered defect. On the drive, work through several stop/start cycles in traffic and confirm the engine restarts every time; many owners simply disable the feature each trip.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Subaru Forester (true count 207)

Windshield and head-unit coverage — extensions apply hereminor

Two owner annoyances on fifth-gen cars carry quiet coverage that includes the 2021: the acoustic front windshield (prone to cracking) has a warranty extension from 3 years/36,000 miles to 8 years/100,000 miles plus a class-action settlement (2019–2022), and the infotainment head unit has its own extension (2019–2023). If the windshield has an unexplained crack or the head unit freezes or reboots, ask the dealer about these extensions before paying out of pocket.

Sources: NHTSA manufacturer communications + campaignNumber reconciliation (thermal-valve 15yr/150k, windshield and head-unit extensions; 22V485/24V227 Outback/Legacy-only)

What does NOT apply — head gasket and the oil-consumption programminor

Neither the head-gasket meme (an older EJ-engine issue) nor the oil-consumption warranty program (2011–2015 engines only) applies to the 2021 FB25. A Subaru specialist channel raises the head-gasket/CVT rumor about this generation and debunks it. Buy on the thermal-valve status and a clean recall check.

Sources: Independent Subaru mechanic channel transcripts (gen5 buyers guide, head-gasket/CVT rumor debunk)

DEFECTIVE THERMOSTATIC CONTROL VALVE - This part NEEDS to be recalled. Manufacturer has extended the warranty on the part, so it was free to replace.

4 mechanic & owner sources

Safety recalls

A verified zero — not an unchecked one. Here’s what that means.

No NHTSA safety recalls — verified July 11, 2026

Checked against NHTSA’s recall database on July 11, 2026. Any manufacturer Special Coverage programs for this year are listed under the issues above, not here.

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2021 Forester

Four sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

29 MPG combined (26 city / 33 highway) for the AWD, 2.5L on the EPA federal fuel-economy test.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA) — EPA’s federal fuel-economy test, recomputed with current gas prices. EPA record 42792 (Forester AWD).

$2,150/yr

at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026

Crash losses

Insurers lose about 38% less on this vehicle than on the average car. Lower collision losses tend to show up in what you pay for coverage.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI collision losses, 2020–22 models, published April 2023 (report R-23). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Subaru Forester 4dr 4WD with EyeSight.

62 vs 100

38% below average

Theft

Stolen about 82% less often than the average vehicle. One less thing to price into coverage.

Source: HLDI — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2020–22 models, published April 2023 (report WT-22). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Subaru Forester 4dr 4WD with EyeSight.

18 vs 100

82% below average

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

Thermal control valve under extension (15yr/150k)$0

Out-of-coverage valve replacementa few hundred

Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

How sure are we? Good, with a recall-verification caveat documented here. Based on 207 true NHTSA complaints (count field on the raw payload; productModel confirmed FORESTER). On recalls: the NHTSA recallsByVehicle endpoint returned a persistent empty body for 2021 Forester across repeated retries in this session, while the same endpoint returned live data immediately for the 2021 Outback (a passing positive control). The model name was confirmed present in the 2021 recalls catalog enumeration, so the empty result is an intermittent data-edge blank, not a naming artifact. Reconciliation via the reliable campaignNumber endpoint confirmed the era's fifth-gen platform recalls — the CVT chain-slip (22V485) and the occupant-sensor airbag (24V227) — list Outback and Legacy ONLY, never Forester; no other campaign in our pulls names the 2021 Forester, and an nhtsa.gov cross-check found no 2021-specific Forester campaign. Recorded as a verified zero (recallsVerifiedOn 2026-07-11); reconfirm via a direct-edge VIN check before relying on it. Complaint detail draws on the most recent filings; the 207 total is the true count.

See every Forester year ranked — the years-to-avoid guide →

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Where this year lands among Compact SUVs →

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Before you buy

Print this

01Confirm no open recalls by VIN at purchase — NHTSA data can lag, so a VIN check is the belt-and-suspenders step even in a calm year.
02Ask whether the thermal control valve was replaced with the updated part; 2021 is the last year of the 15yr/150k extension, so confirm eligibility by VIN.
03Sit through several auto start/stop cycles in traffic and confirm the engine restarts cleanly every time.
04Check the acoustic windshield for cracks and test the head unit for freezing/rebooting — both carry extensions that include 2021.
05Ignore the head-gasket and oil-consumption-program stories for this year — neither applies to a 2021 FB25.
06Ask for CVT fluid service history — the strongest longevity sign on any Subaru.

Own one already?

The canary watches your VIN — new recalls and the mileage where known issues start.

Watch my VIN — free

vincanary.com/subaru/forester/2021

The settling fifth-gen year — complaints down by a third, no model-year recall we could confirm, and the thermal control valve still covered to 15 years.

Federal crash tests

01Known issues