I Have a 2025 Subaru Forester Sport, I Am Very Disappointed In the Heated Seats, Only Heats to 90 Degrees, So Disappointed, I Can Barely Feel the Heat On High!

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Donna bought a 2025 Subaru Forester, and heated seats were among the top three wants for purchasing a new car. She got them on the new SUV, but they did not meet her expectations. She wrote Subaru but is now even more upset. Here is her frustrating story.

I am very disappointed in the heated seats in my 2025 Subaru Forester.

That's what Donna wrote to me in an email asking if I knew if this was a common problem that other new Subaru Forester owners were having. Her problem is that the heated seats in her new Forester Sport do not get warm enough. 

Imagine doing your research and finding the perfect car. When you purchase the new vehicle, you ensure it has heated seats because they are high on your desired features list. However, when you go out on a cold morning and turn the heated seat switch on, the seats do not get warm enough. That's what happened to Donna. Here is her frustrating story.

Donna's frustration with the heated seats in her 2025 Forester Sport, which she feels does not get warm enough, is evident in her email to me.

Here is Donna's initial email to me:

Donna said, "I have a 2025 Subaru Forester Sport. I am very disappointed in the heated seats. They only heat up to 90 degrees! I contacted Subaru headquarters, and they said it is a safety feature. I'm so disappointed. I can barely feel the heat on high! Anyone who values heated seats should be aware of this. They, Subaru, told me no fix. Ugh! Do you know anything about this? Please advise your readers. Thanks!"

I told her I was unaware of any heated seat issues with the new next-generation 2025 Forester compact SUV. I told Donna I would check it out and get back to her. 

I researched the issue and did not find out any new information. So, I contacted Aaron Cole, Product Communications Manager at Subaru of America. I told him what Donna said, and here is his response. 

Aaron says, "According to the latest information I could find from 2020, the heated seat operation may reach up to 100 degrees F before the thermistor cycles off, although the temperature in the seat depends on several factors, including upholstery and ambient temperature." 

I told Donna what I had found out, sent her the information I had received, and asked her to send me any more details so I could tell her story. She filed a complaint with Subaru of America, which was the right thing to do. 

She sent me her correspondence with Subaru of America's customer support

Donna says, "Here is the reply I got from Subaru about my seats...not acceptable…in this cold weather, you barely feel like they are on!" 

From Subaru of America Customer Advocacy 

Good Afternoon Donna,

My name is Jay from Subaru of America, and I have received your case regarding the displeasure with the heated seats on your 2025 Forester Sport.

I am very sorry to hear about your displeasure with the heated seats. I understand you are looking to get the seats higher than 90 degrees, but they, sadly, are not made to exceed that temperature. I know this is frustrating for you, but this temperature was put in place as a safety concern. Sadly, no adjustment can be made to go beyond the 90-degree limit either.

Should you have any further questions or concerns, please kindly reply back to this email or contact me via phone by using the number and extension provided below my signature. I thank you for contacting Subaru of America, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.

Warm Regards,

Jay

Donna did not get any satisfaction from the note she received and was understandably unhappy that nothing could be done about the temperature of the heated seats. 

She wrote back to me and said, "Here is the reply I sent them! My issue is still NOT resolved!"

Donna's determination to find a solution is clear in her response to Subaru's explanation for the seat temperature limit.

Dear Jay,

This answer is absolutely unacceptable. A safety concern?? You can't even feel the heat on your body with clothes on! Body temperature is 98 degrees!! As a safety concern, this is ridiculous. I am going to check with other manufacturers to see their perspectives.

According to the tech at Great Lakes Subaru of Findlay, others have complained about the same concern. I would never have purchased this car if I had known this issue, as heated seats are important to me!

This (heated seats) was in the top three wants for purchasing a new car. I will let all my friends/family know about this issue and never buy a 2025 Forester if they want heated seats! 

I had a 2013 Honda Pilot with great heated seats. I wish I hadn't traded it in for the cold winter months I spend in northern Michigan! My elderly mother with back and hip problems and myself with back problems sure won't be looking forward to a long drive up north without the comfort of a heated seat.

Saying I am very upset does not even tell you how I feel about this! A $45,000 car, and this is the headache I get! I will call you tomorrow to talk to you directly, but obviously, you have already said it won't help.

A recall is what Subaru should do and please their customers! Here's hoping for a class-action lawsuit! I wish I could get my money back! 

Conclusion:

Donna still awaits a resolution on her 2025 Subaru Forester Sport's heated seats. Unfortunately, there may not be a satisfactory one for her.

From what I can understand from the information from Subaru, the previous generation Forester seats would heat to 100 degrees before cycling off (depending on several factors, including upholstery and ambient temperature). I can only imagine how disappointing this must be for Donna.

The 100-degree temperature in the previous generation Forester's seats would likely have been hot enough for Donna. 

However, it appears that Subaru Corporation has significantly changed the new next-generation 2025 Forester's heated seats, lowering the maximum temperature to 90 degrees. Subaru says it's for "safety concerns" and does not explain further. 

Donna writes back to me and says, "Thank you. I really hope they remedy this issue! Most people who want a heated seat, especially in the winter, are going to be very disappointed in these seats."

We want to hear from you.

Have you purchased a 2025 Subaru Forester with heated seats? What is your experience with them? Click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know. Your feedback is valuable and can help others who are considering buying this car.

Check out my story here on the 2025 Subaru Forester; Why Are Buyers Walking Away From the New 2025 Subaru Forester?

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReportAll Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierlFacebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Donna

Submitted by Gregory Iverson (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 10:03AM

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Yes, the heated seats on my 2025 Forester Touring barely warm up at all here in the Wisconsin winter, even at the highest of the three settings. So now Subaru says this is a feature, not a bug!

In a similar vein, the heated steering wheel does not have 360º heating, as promised, and the cabin heater is sharply challenged by very cold weather. Otherwise, it's a great car --aside, of course, from the inexcusable absence of Homelink in the Touring model.

Submitted by Brian Martens (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 10:13AM

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We purchased a 2025 Forester Sport in August. This is our 3rd Forester (2016,2021)
My wife is always cold, turns the seat heaters on spring, winter, fall.
We live in Colorado, and have a cabin in the mountains. Asked my wife about this story, she stated that the”heated seats worked well” no complaints.
I have no vested interest in Subaru, just really like the car and sport model for its MPG, ability in snow, driving visability, and safety features.
Brian Martens

Submitted by Douglas Coleman (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 11:28AM

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Studies on the internet show that 120 degree seats are hot enought to create 3rd degree burns on human skin after only 10 minutes of skin contact. Another Pilot owner said that she had to switch her heated seats off after only a few moments because her seats became too hot to bear. There was a report of a person with a mobility/paralysis issue receiving skin burn by being in contact with hot seat.

Submitted by Jeremy Checketts (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 1:06PM

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Thanks for this article. I have the same issue. I bought my 2025 Subaru Forester Sport in Aug 2024, took it into the service dept in Salt Lake City in Sep and was told "working." They used an infrared gun and recorded 87°. I use the seat warmers as a heating pad, I'm a runner and use them year round. One Subaru employee thought it may have something to do with the outside temp, so as it got colder in Utah, I was hoping they would work better. Still no luck. I can feel them, a bit, but nothing like I had in previous cars. I had a 2021 Forester Sport and my wife has had a 2018 Crosstrek as well as a 2021 and 2024 outback (you can see we are loyalists) and no other vehicle has had the seat warmer issues the 2025 Forester Sport has. As mentioned in the article, the human body is 96° and having the seats only go to 90° (87° in my case) how can they have 3 levels of heat, if 90° is high what is low 60°? I wrote an email to corporate and got a bit of a run around and a suggestion to go back to a local dealership, the same dealership I had already been to, a course of action I had already taken. I think a recall is needed!

Submitted by Ronald Hunt (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 1:09PM

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Can't see buying a car without heated seats. That being said, someone in legal had to settle with a customer that claimed burns from the seats.
This is the predictable change.
Don't feel bad, lots of us with EV's have our seats on high, and a blanket over our laps.

Submitted by Jim Beam (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 3:17PM

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Leasing a 2024 Subaru Solterra with the same issue. Problem seems rooted in the fact it cycles off more than the max temp, though Have driven a ton of luxury-brand cars but never one with heated seats thaf "cycled" off. Dumb feature.

Submitted by Pete (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 3:20PM

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I would never buy another Subaru ever again. I wish more people would be aware of what could happen. In my case it was just a windshield replacement by Safelite. Now my 2021 Outback touring XT doesn't have eyesight and Safelite claims no responsibility. To fix it would be 5k. Just a simple windshield replacement, but that can happen to any Subaru.

Submitted by Ray (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 3:37PM

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I totally agree with Donna regarding the 2025 Forester's heated seats. It is definitely a disappointment for a vehicle that is made for cold weather climates such as where I live in the upper peninsula of Michigan.

Submitted by Byron (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 3:46PM

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My wife has had three different Subarus in the past and loved them I was skeptical until my son who also had a Subaru WRX and was in an accident when I looked at his car after the accident I couldn't believe he walked away so when my wife retired I decided we would only need one car and we purchased a Subaru outback well I am sold on Subaru between the safety the handling now we just bought a 2025 Subaru Forester and again the safety the handling the car actually warns you when you're not looking at the road we purchased the touring model The heated seats and and steering wheel work perfect I purchased the car in the summer and when I sat in it for the first time at the dealer they were on and it was a pleasant surprise Subaru also has a app that you can use to start your car preset temperature controls locate your vehicle check that all the doors are locked you can lock them in the app you can even set boundary alerts speed alerts as you can tell I'm a very satisfied Subaru owner

Submitted by Tam (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 4:58PM

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I found a Subaru Service Bulletin 12-256-24 (Date: 10/25/24) pertaining to an issue with 2025 Forester heated seats. Maybe it could help. Good luck.

Submitted by George H (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 5:04PM

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I purchased a 25 Forester premium with heated seats. I sold my 19 Forester sport with heated seats. To me, the 25' heats faster and hotter than the 19'. Maybe the age difference? Not sure but I can't keep it on high for too long before I have to turn it down. Sorry to those who are having issues.

Submitted by Brian (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 6:03PM

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Really... This is news worthy? Thus is a Karen level complaint, at best. Heated seats are meant to make them comfortable, not substitute for appropriate clothing, nor to lul you to sleep! If she's that chilly, she should invest in some heated underwear.

Submitted by Donald (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 6:12PM

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I live in central PA and own a 2025 Forester Sport and have noticed there is a difference between the startex seats compared to the leather in my old 2016 Forester Limited. The leather IMO did warm better than the startex but I don't have any issues with them and need to turn them down sometimes. I'm just wondering if Donna has the starlink app to remote start her Sport to warm the seats before getting into the vehicle.

Submitted by Terry A (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 6:12PM

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The heated seats on my 2021 Forester Sport are very hot. So hot that it it’s too hot after awhile, actually uncomfortable hot. So I usually start out on “high” to get it nice and toasty, then switch it to “low” after about 4-5 mins.

Submitted by Ian (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 6:15PM

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Sounds like Karen, I mean Donna would be very hard to please. I own a 2025 Subaru Sport as well, and I think the seats are fine it takes a couple minutes to get it to temperature, but unless you really want to burn your ass then they are fine

Submitted by Kevin (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 6:55PM

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We test drove 3 different '25 Forester Premiums while shopping. The first one we drove, the passenger seat heater was very weak, even when the vehicle warmed up and had been driven for 20min. We made sure to test that on the vehicle we picked when we took delivery and the heated seats work great. We had a cold snap in New England and with temps dipping into the teens, the heated seats on full blast are quite toasty. I suspect its a quality control issue.

Submitted by Ryan Adams (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 7:34PM

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We have the same issue with the heated seats. We brought back to the dealership sighting it wasn't working as we couldn't feel it. They should use the thermal images from the heat gun they used for testing. Told us it is working as expected. They are terrible. Our 2015 Forrester we traded in had excellent heated seats. You could feel the low setting and real toast up on a cold day with high. So having essentially no noticeable heating coming from the heated seats is a big disappointment.

Submitted by Harry (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 7:57PM

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This such a small matter when you consider the quality and safety and reliability of the Forrester.
If it so important to have hotter seats I would suggest finding an after market addition that could be plugged in and placed on the seat for added degrees of heat.

Submitted by James (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 8:04PM

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Dear Donna,
I too have a 2025 Forester and frankly I absolutely love it. I almost never set the seat heat to high, finding uncomfortably hot except for first thing on an exceptionally cold morning. I wonder if you are wearing a coat that blocks the heat? Some thermal coats do an exceptional job of that. Failing that you might examine your own, ahh, insulation. Is it possible you've added to it since your last Forester?

Submitted by Bob (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 8:08PM

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I never thought I'd see the day when **heated seats** are a top 3 must have in a car. Although I'm not a huge fan of heated seats myself I can understand where she is coming from. Barely, but nonetheless, I get it.

Submitted by David (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 8:45PM

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Overall I like my new 2025 Subaru Forester. There are a couple things that I feel are faulty designs that make me have some buyer's remorse though. The heated seats is one issue as they do not get very warm. A second glaring issue is that there is no cup hole that is big enough for a larger water bottle and that includes the storage areas between the seats and in the doors. You would think that Subaru would know that most outdoors enthusiasts have large water bottles. My final complaint is that I was so excited to have a cordless phone charging platform but it does not work with my Samsung phone. They told me that the camera lens sticks up far enough so that it doesn't sit flat on the surface to charge. You've got to be kidding me because those camera lenses are about 2 mm. Subaru couldn't design a phone charging platform that would work? It is so frustrating to have a feature that is inoperable. To be honest if I had known these things in advance I may have looked at a different vehicle.

Submitted by Bob (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 8:49PM

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We purchased a 2025 Forester Premium in October. Had heated seats on our ‘16 Forester and made it a must for the new one. They are excellent. We’ve yet to get to the heart of winter yet, but so far are much better than our previous ones.

Submitted by Ellen Stroo (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 8:58PM

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I also bought a Subaru Forester and can't even feel it when the heated seat is at its highest setting.

Submitted by Jaysmiles (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 9:20PM

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Seats in all cars used to get hotter but then research found people were getting heart attacks. The entire seat industry pulled back on the max temps due to these findings around 2012. For people that need the heat , you need to get 3rd party seat heaters. The materials are not the problem

Submitted by Alan Carpe (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 10:12PM

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I bought my Forester about a month ago, and rarely set the temperature at maximum. These seats are way hot enough.

Submitted by Kelly Freese (not verified) on December 15, 2024 - 10:19PM

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I purchased a 2025 Subaru Forester Premium at the end of September. Living in Michigan, I have had several opportunities to use my heated seats. They work just as they are expected. I can’t leave mine on high because it’s too darn hot for me. We have a 2014 Subaru Legacy, a 2016 Jeep Cherokee and a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. All of our vehicles have heated seats. The Legacy, Cherokee and Pacifica have leather seats. The Forester has cloth seats. Being transparent, both of the Subaru’s have the warmest “heated seats,” followed by the Cherokee, with the Pacifica not keeping up with the others. I hope this helps others readers.