2016 Subaru Forester electrical system problems
93 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2016 Subaru Forester — 23% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Problem: Recall for passenger side airbag malfunction in heated seats for my model year. Manufacturer has said they addressed the recall but they have not. My car and thousands of others are unsafe for passengers to ride in because the airbag system does not work. Warning light is the airbag symbol…”
filed May 27, 2026
“Passenger Occupant Detection System is malfunctioning. It is not registering a passenger in the seat, and in turn not turning the passenger airbag on when the seat is occupied. This puts any passnger who sit in this seat at risk of the airbag not deploying. This issue has been confirmed by the…”
filed Apr 28, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body which incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to improve durability. (This is an revised version of the orignal bulletin.)
16-156-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 2, 2026
Electrical System problems in other Forester years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Forester | 8 | 9% |
| 2024 Forester | 1 | 4% |
| 2023 Forester | 7 | 10% |
| 2022 Forester | 10 | 11% |
| 2021 Forester | 33 | 16% |
| 2020 Forester | 99 | 17% |
| 2019 Forester | 134 | 16% |
| 2018 Forester | 69 | 14% |
| 2017 Forester | 105 | 18% |
| 2015 Forester | 82 | 13% |
| 2014 Forester | 42 | 10% |
| 2013 Forester | 3 | 4% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2016 Subaru Forester
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.