2018 Subaru Forester service brakes problems
13 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the service brakes on the 2018 Subaru Forester — 3% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The CVT parking brake switch has failed. The failure leads to the inability to remove the key from the ignition switch when the vehicle is in park. This happens repeatedly, with the only temporary solution being to restart the car, and force the shift lever from "park" to "drive" and back again…”
filed Feb 9, 2026
“After starting the car for the first time of the day, letting it warm for a minute or two, I started driving and when I went to stop at a stop sign about three blocks from my starting point I pressed the brake. The engine started to rev immediately so I had to stomp the brake to the floor and push…”
filed Oct 25, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Service Brakes problems in other Forester years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Forester | 5 | 5% |
| 2024 Forester | 1 | 3% |
| 2023 Forester | 5 | 7% |
| 2022 Forester | 10 | 10% |
| 2021 Forester | 7 | 3% |
| 2020 Forester | 13 | 2% |
| 2019 Forester | 22 | 3% |
| 2017 Forester | 13 | 2% |
| 2016 Forester | 29 | 7% |
| 2015 Forester | 34 | 6% |
| 2014 Forester | 31 | 8% |
| 2013 Forester | 9 | 12% |
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.