Used car safety, rank #101 of 181
Subaru Forester Safety Rating (2019-20)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2019-20 Subaru Forester, a small SUV, compared with its class and with the current model.
The 2019-20 Subaru Forester has an IIHS driver death rate of 30 per million registered vehicle years against a small SUVs average of 42.6, which is 30% below the class average. That places it #101 of 181 used vehicles with a safety score of 48.6/100.
What the Subaru Forester death rate means
At 30 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Subaru Forester beats the small SUVs average of 42.6 by 30%. The 95% confidence interval is 13 to 48, so the upper end of the range overlaps the class average and the advantage is not certain.
The other-driver death rate of 21 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Subaru Forester. It is no higher than the Subaru Forester's own driver death rate. 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 C-HR at a death rate of 2.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota C-HR | 2018-20 | 2 (0 to 7) | 79.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Honda CR-V 4WD | 2020 | 14 (0 to 36) | 66.1 | n/a | n/a |
| Hyundai Santa Fe 2WD | 2019-20 | 17 (0 to 39) | 63.8 | n/a | n/a |
| Hyundai Santa Fe 4WD | 2019-20 | 19 (0 to 37) | 62.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota RAV4 hybrid 4WD | 2019-20 | 20 (0 to 40) | 61.9 | n/a | n/a |
| Jeep Compass 2WD | 2017-20 | 27 (6 to 48) | 52.1 | n/a | n/a |
| Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 4WD | 2017-20 | 28 (3 to 53) | 50.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Chevrolet Equinox 4WD | 2020 | 30 (0 to 62) | 48.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Subaru Forester (this page) | 2019-20 | 30 (13 to 48) | 48.6 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for small SUVs: 42.6 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 48.6 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
No recalls on record for the 2020 model year.
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 30 per million registered vehicle years for the 2019-20 Subaru Forester, 30% below the class average (42.6 for small SUVs). That earns a used-car safety score of 48.6 out of 100 and rank #101 of 181 used vehicles.
What is the Subaru Forester driver death rate?
30 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 13 to 48. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Subaru Forester died at a rate of 21 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2019-20 models.
How does the Subaru Forester compare with other small SUVs?
The small SUVs class averages 42.6 driver deaths per million; the Subaru Forester sits at 30. Among the 9 small SUVs compared above it ranks 9 by safety score; the top of that group is the Toyota C-HR with a death rate of 2.