Reliability report · 2023 Subaru Forester · Updated July 2026 · ~$2,150/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →
The 2023 is the calmest Forester in our data: 69 federal complaints and just one recall. That recall (23V754) covers front driveshafts whose outer race can crack and break, which could cause a loss of drive power or a rollaway if parked without the parking brake — dealers inspect and replace the driveshafts free. It's a driveshaft-separation risk, exactly the kind of recall worth confirming closed.
Beyond that, the 2023 is the settled, mature fifth generation: the early-gen5 thermal-valve and start/stop threads have quieted, the head-gasket meme never applied to this engine, and the head-unit extension (2019–2023) still includes this year. Confirm the one recall by VIN and this is a clean pick.
Evidence: 69 NHTSA complaints · 1 recall campaigns · 4 mechanic & forum sources
Canary status
Calm
What that means: 69 federal complaints — the fewest of any Forester year here, partly because it's newer with fewer cars on the road — and a single recall, a free driveshaft inspection. No expensive out-of-warranty pattern is named for this year.
69
Federal complaints
1
Recall
Tested variant: 2023 Subaru Forester SUV AWD (NHTSA VehicleId 18433)
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.
The 2023-specific recall is 23V754 (Subaru code WRP-23): the front driveshaft assemblies' outer race can develop cracks and break, which could cause a loss of drive power while driving or a vehicle rollaway when parked without the parking brake engaged. Dealers inspect and replace the left and right front driveshafts as necessary, free. A driveshaft-separation risk is exactly the kind of recall you want closed — confirm it shows completed by VIN.
Front driveshaft inspect/replace (recall)
$0
Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Subaru Forester (true count 69) · NHTSA recalls + manufacturer communications (23V754; head-unit extension)
The auto start/stop stalling thread that was loud on 2019–2020 is minimal on the 2023, but a few owners still report the engine not restarting cleanly at stops. It's a driveability nuisance rather than a covered defect. On the drive, run several stop/start cycles in traffic and confirm the engine restarts every time; the feature can be disabled each trip.
Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Subaru Forester (true count 69)
The fourth-gen cam-carrier oil leak is an earlier-car, different-era concern that doesn't define the 2023, and the head-gasket meme has never applied to the FB25 boxer. The thermal control valve that defined 2019–2021 is quiet here, and the head-unit extension (2019–2023) still includes this year, so ask about it if the infotainment freezes or reboots. There's no expensive out-of-warranty pattern named for the 2023 — keep the CVT (continuously variable transmission — the automatic with no fixed gears) fluid serviced and confirm the one recall, and you're set.
Sources: NHTSA recalls + manufacturer communications (23V754; head-unit extension) · Independent Subaru mechanic channel transcripts (gen5 context, head-gasket/CVT rumor debunk)
The front driveshaft assemblies' outer race may develop cracks and break.
Free fixes at any Subaru dealer. Run the VIN — “completed” isn’t always completed.
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.
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 45838 (Forester AWD).
$2,150/yr
at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026
Theft
Stolen about 82% less often than the average vehicle. One less thing to price into coverage.
Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2022–24 models, published May 2025 (report WT-24). 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.
The canary watches your VIN — new recalls and the mileage where known issues start.
Watch my VIN — freevincanary.com/subaru/forester/2023