2012 Subaru Forester

The 2012 Subaru Forester sits in the latter, more mature phase of its generation's complaint arc, which began with the 2009 model year (178 complaints, 18 recalls) and peaked in 2010 (262 complaints, 17 recalls) before steadily declining. By 2012, complaints had fallen to 105 from 147 in 2011, and recalls ticked down from 16 to 15, continuing a year-over-year decline that extended into 2013 (77 complaints, 12 recalls). Notably, TSBs rose sharply to 379 in 2012 — the highest in the generation — suggesting Subaru had by then identified and documented a broad range of issues, equipping dealers with repair guidance rather than leaving problems unresolved. The top complaint areas for 2012 center on Engine (20 complaints), Air Bags (16), and Vehicle Speed Control (10), with 15 crash-associated complaints and 5 fire complaints, though the federal data does not specify root causes for these categories. The sharp contrast with the following 2014 model year — which saw complaints surge to 403 with only 2 recalls — reinforces that 2012 benefits from being a late-cycle product in a generation whose major issues were largely addressed. For a used buyer, 2012 represents one of the stronger years in this generation: complaint volume is moderate and trending downward, recall activity is well-documented, and the extensive TSB coverage means known issues are more likely to have been serviced.