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What 77 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Subaru Forester Wilderness

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (77)Crash / fire / injury (15)Engine (26)Airbags (13)Brakes (9)Speed control (7)Transmission & drivetrain (6)Visibility & wipers (5)Body & structure (4)Lights (4)Electrical system (3)Seat belts (3)

1 of 77 complaints match · Engine · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jul 16, 2018EngineFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ALONG WITH OTHER UNKNOWN INDICATORS. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD AND OBSERVED FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED BY THE FIRE AND WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE CONTACT CALLED METROWEST SUBARU AT (508) 651-2000 (LOCATED AT 948 WORCESTER ST, NATICK, MA 01760), BUT NO ONE ANSWERED THE PHONE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. *TT

NHTSA ODI 11111527

Working with the data? Download all 77 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Subaru Forester Wilderness verdict →