2025 Subaru Forester recalled for wheel defect

The redesigned 2025 Subaru Forester is being recalled because 20,366 of the crossovers may have incorrectly manufactured wheels.

Affected vehicles are equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels that may have been made with the wrong lug seat surface spec, according to the NHTSA. This could prevent the wheel from mounting properly to the hub, which could cause a loss of stability when driving and increase the risk of a crash, the safety agency said.

Subaru told the NHTSA that it is unaware of any warranty claims related to this issue, which the automaker said was identified when the incorrect lug seat surfaces were spotted on the assembly line.

Dealers will inspect the wheels on affected vehicles, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. Subaru will also reimburse customers who may have paid for any related work out of their own pockets.

Subaru will inform 2025 Forester owners of this recall by mail starting Mar. 24. Owners can also call Subaru’s customer service department at 1-844-373-6614 or visit Subaru’s recall page for more information. Subaru’s reference number for this recall is WRB-25.

The Forester’s 2025 redesign brought updated styling, a more rigid chassis, and more cabin sound deadening, among other changes. A 2.5-liter flat-4 producing a modest 180 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque is standard at the moment, but a hybrid powertrain is expected to arrive later in the model year.

The Forester earned a spot on our 2025 Best Car To Buy finalist list. Although it wasn’t able to pull off a hat trick after winning the award in 2014 and 2019, we found that redesigned Forester fulfills its active lifestyle mission.