Home · 2013 Subaru Forester Wilderness · Complaints

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)

3 of 77 complaints match · Seat belts · clear filters

Feb 28, 2020Seat beltsEngine

1. CARS SHORT BLOCK IS REPLACED 4 DAYS AGO UNDER WARRANTY. THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED TO -20 CELCIUS (-25 CELSIUS WITH WIND CHILL) I STARTED THE CAR AND IT IS MAKING RATTLING NOISE. ALTHOUGH I ALWAYS WARM THE CAR BY FOR APPROX 5 MIN LIKE LAST DAY, YET A CONTINUOUS RATTLING NOISE IS THERE, AND I HAVE A FEELING THAT TIME-TO-TIME IT SHAKE VIGOROUSLY AFTER SHORT BLOCK REPLACEMENT BY THE SUBARU DEALER. I HAVE YET TO CONTACT THE DEALER FOR THE ISSUE. PRESENTLY VEHICLE IS MAKING RATTLING NOISE WHILE STATIONARY AND ALL THE TIME WHEN IN MOTION TOO. 2. SEAT BELT RECEIVER FOR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AND LITERALLY BAD; DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE THEM UNDER WARRANT. ALTHOUGH I PUT A LITTLE OF LITHIUM GREASE THEN-AFTER THEY ARE WORKING GREAT.

NHTSA ODI 11312033

Dec 2, 2018Seat beltsBrakes

SQUEAKY BRAKES, SEATBELT RECOIL

NHTSA ODI 11155496

Jul 9, 2015AirbagsSeat beltsCrash1 injury

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD DID NOT SEE A UPS TRUCK PARKED ALONG SIDE OF. ROAD . REAR ENDED THE TRUCK HAD SEAT BELT ON AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND HEAD STILL HIT THE WINDSHIELD WHY DIDN'T. THE AIRBAG AND SEAT BELT PREVENT THIS?

NHTSA ODI 10732890

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 →