10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
70,429 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #7

Jul 312023

Forester

  • miles
fuel tank leaking gasoline from tanks seams and hose nipple, second owned vehicle with same problem. now the vehicle has strong gas smell and is leaking gasoline when driven in a incline. It threw a p0442 "evap leak small" thats why i checked the fault. All these steel tanks seem to rust where the seam of the tank is, and also the filler neck tube connects to the tank, one of the evap hoses was just hanging next to the fuel tank, the nipple that holds it to the tank rusted and came off.

- Hazleton, PA, USA

problem #6

Jan 312023

Forester

  • miles
* Fuel tank leak * Could have exploded or caught fire * Confirmed at independent service center * Inspected by independent service center * Check engine light and gas tank icon on dash. Appeared 1/31/2023 This car has had so many recalls and has been a problem for a long time. We have contacted Subaru and will contact them today regarding this issue.

- Newton, NJ, USA

problem #5

Mar 112021

Forester

  • 160,000 miles
Traveling on an interstate at 70mph, car check engine light came on and car lost all power. Was able to limp off the road and wait 3 hours for a tow to dealership. Diagnosis; stage 4 blown head gasket. There was no prior warning or symptoms and could have been a greater danger if heavier traffic. Head gasket problems know on early model Subaru's.

- Fort Smith, AR, USA

problem #4

Nov 082016

Forester

  • 105,000 miles
Gas tank corroded and is leaking gasoline. Car has not been driven off road, is regularly washed and stored in a garage when not in use. Car is 9 years old and has 105,000 miles on it. Although out of warranty, seriousness of leaking gasoline warrants a look at these tanks, are they properly "rust proofed"? tank hands down under car, rear seat area and is exposed to road salts, water and mud.

- Mason, OH, USA

problem #3

Nov 252014

Forester 4-cyl

  • 65,000 miles
The secondary air pump in Forester/WRX and other Subaru, turbo models accumulates moisture, as a result of which, in many vehicles the emissions system becomes inoperative with engine malfunction codes P2444, P2444B, P0410, P2440 and other such codes. This appears to be a recurring and an engineering defect in the design of Subaru turbo models which requires expensive fix (upto $1500) and without which, the aforementioned Subaru vehicles will not pass emission controls. Most owners are forced to resort to work arounds such as getting rid of the secondary air injection system altogether, but this increases emissions above epa norms. Please investigate into this issue.

- Irvine, CA, USA

problem #2

Aug 172014

Forester 4-cyl

  • 105,000 miles
Shifted from park to reverse with normal brake depression; vehicle immediately accelerated to 20 mph, no brakes and the dash control center completely lit up. The only way I was able to stop vehicle was by shifting to neutral and engaging the parking brake. I then tried the same procedure in forward with the same results except this time resulting with the car colliding with the garage wall causing approximately $6000 worth of damage between the car and house.

- East Aurora, NY, USA

problem #1

Jan 102014

Forester

  • 58,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that there was a strong gasoline odor in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 58,000.

- Randolph, MA, USA