2017 Subaru Forester steering problems
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the steering on the 2017 Subaru Forester — 4% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Intermittently, for the past few months, either when I wish to back up or go forward, a buzzer will sound, the anti-lock brakes and eye-sight indicators on the dash will say that neither system is working. The brakes malfunction and the steering wheel is very difficult to turn. Turning off the…”
filed Feb 15, 2026
“My [XXX] mother in law was told by Subaru White Plains NY her both her front control arms and both front sway bar links had to be replaced due to rust as they were not safe and would not pass the NY vehicle inspection. So I did a Google search and saw 2017 Subaru Foresters had rust issues in this…”
filed Sep 15, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Steering problems in other Forester years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Forester | 1 | 1% |
| 2024 Forester | 1 | 4% |
| 2023 Forester | 1 | 1% |
| 2022 Forester | 2 | 2% |
| 2021 Forester | 3 | 1% |
| 2020 Forester | 11 | 2% |
| 2019 Forester | 14 | 2% |
| 2018 Forester | 24 | 5% |
| 2016 Forester | 19 | 5% |
| 2015 Forester | 19 | 3% |
| 2014 Forester | 16 | 4% |
| 2012 Forester | 1 | 1% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2017 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.