Used 2026 Subaru Forester Moonroof Recall (26V346 / WRF-26): What VIN Buyers Should Verify

Key facts

• Recall IDs: NHTSA campaign 26V346000 (short form 26V346); Subaru manufacturer code WRF-26.
• Vehicles: 2026 Subaru Forester (gasoline) and 2026 Subaru Forester Hybrid — model-year 2026 only, no earlier years.
• Units: 69,663 total = 65,656 gasoline Foresters + 4,007 Forester Hybrids.
• Production windows: gasoline Forester built June 19, 2025 – March 13, 2026; Forester Hybrid built February 20, 2026 – March 17, 2026.
• Defect: during moonroof assembly, an insufficient/incorrect amount of primer (bonding agent) was applied between the sliding glass panel and the sliding frame; the bond can weaken over time and the glass panel can detach and fall off while driving, becoming a road hazard.
• Supplier: Webasto Roof Systems Inc., Kentucky.
• Scope: applies only to units equipped with the power moonroof; exact scope is defined by VIN, not by trim name.
• Owner letters: scheduled to be mailed by about July 24, 2026 (date can shift).
• Remedy: free of charge — dealers inspect moonroof-panel adhesion and replace the glass-panel assembly if necessary (not a software update).
• Safety status: as of the recall filing, Subaru reported no crashes and no injuries linked to the defect.
• Component class (NHTSA): VISIBILITY: SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY.

What is the 2026 Subaru Forester moonroof recall (26V346 / WRF-26)?

The 2026 Subaru Forester moonroof recall, NHTSA campaign 26V346000 and Subaru code WRF-26, covers 69,663 model-year 2026 Forester and Forester Hybrid SUVs whose power-moonroof glass panels can detach while driving. The cause is an insufficient or incorrect amount of bonding primer applied between the sliding glass panel and the sliding frame during manufacture, which can weaken over time. Subaru of America filed the recall after an NHTSA report received May 28, 2026.

The defect timeline runs as follows, per Subaru's filing and trade reporting: the first detachment report arrived February 26, 2026; Subaru received three total field reports of glass-panel separation between February 26 and March 25, 2026; the manufacturing process was corrected around March 10, 2026; Subaru decided on a voluntary recall around May 21, 2026; and dealer notification followed around May 28, 2026. A detached panel becomes a road hazard and raises crash and injury risk for following vehicles, even though Subaru reported no crashes or injuries at the time of filing.

Which Forester models and production dates are affected?

The recall affects only 2026 Forester and Forester Hybrid SUVs equipped with the power moonroof, built within specific production windows. The gasoline Forester accounts for 65,656 units and the Forester Hybrid for 4,007 units, totaling 69,663. No earlier model years are included. Trim-level details were not published by NHTSA or Subaru, so the only reliable way to confirm a specific vehicle is by VIN.

The Forester Hybrid is affected by the same defect mechanism as the gasoline Forester, not a different one; it simply has a narrower production window and far fewer units.

How do I check whether a specific used Forester is included — and whether it was fixed?

To check a specific Forester, run its 17-digit VIN through NHTSA's free recall lookup at NHTSA.gov/recalls, which tells you whether campaign 26V346 is open against that VIN. NHTSA's tool is the authoritative source for whether a recall remains open or has been marked remedied. You can also call Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614 (reference WRF-26) or give the VIN to any Subaru dealer to confirm repair status.

There are two distinct questions here, and they need different tools:

1. Is this VIN in scope? — answered by NHTSA's VIN lookup and confirmable by Subaru.
2. Was the moonroof actually repaired on this VIN? — answered only by NHTSA's open/remedied status or a Subaru dealer's service records, not by a third-party history report.

A history report such as a Zilocar VIN check is useful here as a screening layer alongside NHTSA's free tool: it flags whether an open recall is recorded against the VIN (the same recall-presence data class NHTSA publishes) and, more usefully, surfaces accident, damage, salvage, odometer, and sales-listing history that a recall tool does not carry. For the definitive repair confirmation, always go to NHTSA's VIN tool or a Subaru dealer.

What can a VIN check tell you about a recalled Forester, and what can't it?

A VIN history report can confirm that an open recall is recorded against a specific Forester (recall presence, the same data class as NHTSA's free lookup) and can surface vehicle history a recall tool cannot — accident and damage records, odometer/rollback checks, theft records, junk/salvage auction records, ownership history, and sales-listing history. It cannot tell you whether the moonroof remedy was actually performed, and it does not track NHTSA investigations or per-VIN dealer repair detail.

Two history items matter most for this specific recall. First, prior glass or roof damage: because the defect is about moonroof-panel bonding, a vehicle with a record of glass or roof damage (or a replaced/leaking moonroof) deserves extra scrutiny from a Subaru dealer. Second, sales-listing history: these are near-new MY2026 units, so a suspiciously fast resale or early flip — short days-on-market, rapid ownership turnover — is worth investigating before you commit.

If I buy used, who pays for the recall repair?

The recall repair is free of charge regardless of who owns the vehicle, because federal safety-recall remedies follow the car, not the original buyer. A Subaru dealer will inspect the power-moonroof glass-panel adhesion and replace the glass-panel assembly if necessary at no cost. You do not need to have owned the Forester when the recall was issued to get it fixed for free.

In practice, a recall repair can be performed on a used Forester you do not yet own — but the dealer typically completes it once the vehicle is in for service, so coordinate with the selling dealer or a Subaru service department. Owner-notification letters are scheduled to mail by about July 24, 2026, and that date can shift.

Are there other open recalls on the 2026 Forester to check?

Yes — there is a separate, unrelated 2026 Forester recall, NHTSA campaign 25V889000, concerning rear hatch/liftgate support brackets, with a report received December 18, 2025. It is not part of the moonroof recall and should not be conflated with 26V346. Treat it as an additional "also check" item when you run the VIN.

Whenever you check a used Forester by VIN, look at all open campaigns, not just the headline one. Running the VIN through NHTSA's lookup will surface every open recall recorded against that vehicle.

Before buying any used or CPO 2026 Forester, a Zilocar VIN check screens for recall presence and pulls the accident, airbag-deployment, salvage- and junk-auction, odometer, theft, ownership, and sales-listing history that a recall tool alone can't show — then confirm the moonroof repair itself with NHTSA's VIN tool or a Subaru dealer.

Sources

• NHTSA Recall API — campaign 26V346000 (regulator)
• NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report PDF — 26V346 (regulator)
• NHTSA recalls / VIN lookup (regulator)
• Subaru of America — recall information (WRF-26), 1-844-373-6614 (manufacturer)
• Cars.com — Subaru recalls 69,000-plus Forester, Forester Hybrid for detaching moonroof (trade)
• Fox Business — Subaru recalls nearly 70,000 SUVs after moonroof panels detach while driving (major news)
• IndexBox — Subaru recalls 69,663 Forester and Forester Hybrid models for moonroof defect (trade)
• CarBuzz — 2026 Subaru Forester moonroof recall (trade)
• 9News/TEGNA — More than 69,000 Subaru SUVs recalled because moonroofs may detach (major news)

NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline: 1-888-327-4236. Subaru recall line (WRF-26): 1-844-373-6614.

Last verified: 2026-06-07. The no-crashes/no-injuries status and the ~July 24, 2026 owner-letter date reflect the recall filing and may change; re-confirm via NHTSA and Subaru.