2012 Subaru Forester: trims, real prices & how to pick yours

28 builds left the factory as a 2012 Forester, each a different combination of engine, transmission and body identified by the first eight characters of its VIN. The 22 main configurations sell for $560–$14,195 today.

  • 22 main configurations
  • 17,313 vehicles built
  • 258 for sale right now
  • $560–$14,195 typical price range

Which Forester is yours?

Enter a VIN — the 17 characters on the windshield or the title — and we’ll match it to its exact factory configuration, typical price and equipment.

Works with any VIN — a different year or model takes you straight to its own page.

Pick your Forester

What actually differs

Premium AWP JF2SHADC-C X-Plus Premium AWP JF2SHBDC-C LTD
Engine 2.5L 4-cyl 2.5L 4-cyl 2.5L 2.5L 4-cyl
Typical price today $7,999 $7,995 $8,995 $8,495
For sale right now 78 81 17 25
Vehicles built 5,447 4,029 1,863 1,741
Same on every 2012 Forester
  • Fuel Gasoline
  • Body Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
  • Doors 4-door

What people actually pay

355 price observations · updated Aug 30, 2026
Premium AWP JF2SHADC-C
$7,999
X-Plus JF2SHABC-C
$7,995
Premium AWP JF2SHBDC-C
$8,995
LTD
$8,495
X-Plus JF2SHBBC-C
$7,398
$543 $4,063 $7,582 $11,102 $14,621
Price trend

Median up $389 over the last 12 months.

2012 Forester price history →
Will it hold value?

A Forester typically keeps about 72% of its price over 5 years — a 5-year-old one runs about $5,747 today.

Forester depreciation by year →
Cost to run

21/26 mpg city/highway. Roughly $2,020/yr on fuel at 15,000 miles.

EPA estimate for the 2012 Forester

Safety, in plain English

NHTSA overall crash rating

★★★★ ★ 4 / 5

15 recalls on file for this model year — check any specific VIN before you buy.

What JF2SHAFC-C means

JF2 SHAFC · C
JF2
the World Manufacturer Identifier Subaru registered — assembled in Japan
SHAFC
together encode the Forester line — Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), 2.5L 4cyl — as Subaru filed it, these five characters are read as one block, not letter by letter
C
in position 10 — model year 2012
9, 11–17
differ on every car: check digit, plant code and the serial number
6 rare configurations — mostly fleet, export or irregular VIN patterns. Fewer than 20 known vehicles each.

Already looking at a specific Forester?

Paste its VIN — we’ll open that exact car’s page: its configuration, market position and every listing we’ve tracked.

2012 Subaru Forester prices →