2018 Subaru Forester seats problems
29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the seats on the 2018 Subaru Forester — 6% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“I brought my vehicle to an authorized Subaru dealership (Byers Imports, LLC in Columbus, Ohio) to diagnose the reason for the airbag warning lamp illuminating. The dealer had the manufacturer's WUM-98 Safety Recall (NHTSA Campaign Number 19V701000) performed to remedy a defective Occupant Detection…”
filed Jul 19, 2026
“Passenger front seat. Airbag light is on when someone is sitting in the seat and seatbelt indicator dings when nothing is in the seat.”
filed Mar 10, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Seats problems in other Forester years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Forester | 1 | 1% |
| 2023 Forester | 3 | 4% |
| 2022 Forester | 1 | 1% |
| 2021 Forester | 1 | 0% |
| 2020 Forester | 4 | 1% |
| 2019 Forester | 4 | 0% |
| 2017 Forester | 32 | 6% |
| 2016 Forester | 22 | 5% |
| 2015 Forester | 22 | 4% |
| 2014 Forester | 14 | 3% |
| 2012 Forester | 2 | 2% |
| 2011 Forester | 4 | 3% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2018 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.