Used car safety, rank #124 of 188
Subaru Forester Safety Rating (2020-23)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2020-23 Subaru Forester, a small SUV, compared with its class and with the current model.
IIHS 2026 edition Β· 2021β2024 crashes. Results apply only to the model years and drivetrain shown. Read the new release and its limits Β· Browse the older edition. Prices and reliability from older model years have not been carried forward.
The 2020-23 Subaru Forester has an IIHS driver death rate of 29 per million registered vehicle years against a small SUVs average of 38, which is 24% below the class average. That places it #124 of 188 used vehicles with a safety score of 40.5/100.
What the Subaru Forester death rate means
At 29 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Subaru Forester beats the small SUVs average of 38 by 24%. The 95% confidence interval is 20 to 39, so the upper end of the range overlaps the class average and the advantage is not certain.
The other-driver death rate of 38 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Subaru Forester. Its 95% confidence interval is 28β48. It is higher than the Subaru Forester's own driver death rate, the usual pattern for this class. Remember that death rates describe vehicles and their drivers together: IIHS adjusts for driver age and gender, but not for where or how carefully people drive. Our score weights this model's own rate at 70% and its class at 30%; see how we rank used cars.
Compared with similar used SUVs
The safest small SUVs in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Subaru Forester highlighted. It ranks 9 of the 9 shown; the class leader is the Toyota RAV4 Prime Plug-in hybrid 4WD at a death rate of 5.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota RAV4 Prime Plug-in hybrid 4WD | 2021-23 | 5 (0 to 15) | 76.9 | n/a | n/a |
| Ford Escape hybrid 4WD | 2020-23 | 6 (0 to 17) | 75.7 | n/a | n/a |
| Hyundai Tucson hybrid 4WD | 2022-23 | 7 (0 to 22) | 74.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota RAV4 hybrid 4WD | 2020-23 | 15 (7 to 23) | 63.8 | n/a | n/a |
| Hyundai Santa Fe 4WD | 2020-23 | 17 (4 to 29) | 60.0 | n/a | n/a |
| Mazda CX-5 4WD | 2020-23 | 17 (8 to 27) | 60.0 | n/a | n/a |
| Hyundai Tucson 4WD | 2022-23 | 20 (2 to 38) | 57.0 | n/a | n/a |
| Hyundai Tucson 2WD | 2022-23 | 21 (0 to 45) | 56.3 | n/a | n/a |
| Subaru Forester (this page) | 2020-23 | 29 (20 to 39) | 40.5 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for small SUVs: 38 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
The new Subaru Forester
Death rates lag the market by several years. For the current Subaru Forester we score IIHS crash tests instead; here is how the latest model years rate on our new-car scale.
| Model year | Model | IIHS award | New-car score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Subaru Forester | TSP+ | 94.3 |
New-car scores use a different scale (crash tests, not death rates) and are not directly comparable with the 40.5 used-car score above.
International crash test results
Euro NCAP (2019)
ANCAP (2019)
International test results are for the same-generation model sold in those markets. Body structures are typically identical across regions. Euro NCAP vs IIHS explained.
Safety recalls for the Subaru Forester
A recall is a defect the manufacturer must repair free of charge, however old the car and whoever owns it now. On a used car this matters more than on a new one: the work is only done if a previous owner took it in.
1 recall campaign on the 2023 model year, covering power train.
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Power train: driveline, driveshaft
Risk: A broken driveshaft can cause a loss of drive power while driving or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake engaged. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the left and right front driveshafts as necessary, free of charge.
Partial lookup: At least one NHTSA model-variant request failed. The campaigns shown were returned successfully; additional campaigns may be missing. Check your VIN.
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-16. A campaign covers a range of build dates, not every car of the model year, and IIHS reports this nameplate across several years while these results are for 2023. Confirm against the VIN. Recalls do not affect the death rate on this page.
Subaru Forester: Common Questions
Is the Subaru Forester a safe car?
Yes, by the measure that matters most. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 29 per million registered vehicle years for the 2020-23 Subaru Forester, 24% below the class average (38 for small SUVs). That earns a used-car safety score of 40.5 out of 100 and rank #124 of 188 used vehicles.
What is the Subaru Forester driver death rate?
29 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 20 to 39. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Subaru Forester died at a rate of 38 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2020-23 models.
How does the Subaru Forester compare with other small SUVs?
The small SUVs class averages 38 driver deaths per million; the Subaru Forester sits at 29. Among the 9 small SUVs compared above it ranks 9 by safety score; the top of that group is the Toyota RAV4 Prime Plug-in hybrid 4WD with a death rate of 5.