The passenger compartment of the Forester remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger. Subaru showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions. In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of all critical body areas was good or adequate for both occupants, with the exception of the chest of the rear passenger, for which readings of compression indicated marginal protection. In both the side barrier and the more severe side pole tests, protection of all critical body areas was good and the car scored full points in both of these tests. Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision. A geometric assessment of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection. The standard-fit autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system performed well in tests of its functionality at the low speeds at which many whiplash injuries occur, with collisions avoided in all test scenarios.

In both the frontal and side barrier tests, protection of all critical body areas was good for both dummies and the Forester scored maximum points in this part of the assessment. The front passenger airbag is automatically disabled when a rearward-facing child restraint is put in that seating position. Tests showed that the system worked robustly and the system was rewarded. All of the restraint types for which the Forester is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car.

The bonnet provided good or adequate protection to the head of a struck pedestrian over almost the entire surface. The bumper provided good protection to pedestrians' legs and protection of the pelvis was also good. The Forester's AEB system can detect vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists, as well as other vehicles. In tests, the system's response to pedestrians was good, with collisions avoided or mitigated in most cases but its response to faster-moving road users like cyclists was marginal.

The Forester has a seatbelt reminder system for the front and rear seats. The AEB system performed well in tests of its response to other vehicles at highway speeds, with collisions avoided or mitigated in all test scenarios. A lane support system helps prevent inadvertent drifting out of lane and also intervenes in some more critical situations. The driver-set speed limiter helps the driver to avoid over-speeding.