- Hybrid versions of the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek and 2025 Subaru Forster are part of a recall that includes 71,207 total models.
- The issue stems from a faulty seal around the fuel cap that will allow a nearly full fuel tank to leak in hot temperatures.
- Subaru says owners should only fill their tanks halfway until they bring their vehicle to a dealer so the existing gasket can be replaced with a better one.
Subaru is advising people who own a hybrid version of the 2026 Crosstrek or 2025 Forester to park it outside until an issue with its fuel cap is fixed as part of a new safety recall. The issue, which poses a fire risk, affects 71,207 total copies of the subcompact and compact SUVs—more specifically, 51,707 Forester Hybrids and 19,500 Crosstrek Hybrids.
Both models have fuel caps with faulty seals, and when their gas tanks are nearly full and exposed to rising ambient temperatures while the vehicle is parked, pressure in the tanks can cause fuel to rise up the filler neck and leak out of the cap. That's according to recall documents that Subaru submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
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If gasoline leaks out of the fuel cap, it could pose a fire risk. Subaru learned about the problem after a technical report from the United States market spurred an investigation last December, which revealed the defective fuel-cap gasket and the potential for leaking. While Subaru says it's aware of 33 reports in the U.S., it has not heard of any fires or injuries.
Along with advising customers to park their Crosstrek or Forester hybrids outside, they suggest that owners don't fill the fuel tanks more than halfway until the problematic part can be replaced. That will require every owner to bring their SUV to a Subaru dealer, where the existing gasket will be replaced with an improved version that incorporates an O-ring. While the 2025 Forester Hybrid is now out of production, the 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid remains in production, though its fuel-cap seals will be replaced before delivery. Subaru says owners will be notified by mail by March 25, 2026.
Eric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual '97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a '90 Honda CRX Si.
