1998-2024 model years · 7,080+ owner reports · Updated October 2026
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According to Au7o's analysis of 7,080+ owner reports, the 1998-2024 Subaru Forester has 41 documented known issues, with 16 rated critical. The most serious are Excessive engine oil consumption on the 2.5L FB engine — bulletin 02-157-14R, EJ25 Head Gasket Failure (External Leak) ($1,800-$3,500 repair), EyeSight False / Phantom Automatic Emergency Braking, Starlink DCM Parasitic Battery Drain After 3G Network Shutdown, PCV Valve Separation Causing Loss of Power and Engine Damage (Recall WUW-08), Turbocharger Air Intake Duct Cracking From Wrong Material — Rough Idle, Power Loss and Stall (Recall WTA-62 / NHTSA 16V162) ($0-$0 repair), Brake Light Switch Silicone Contamination — No-Start / Stuck in Park (Recall WUE-90 / NHTSA 19V-149) ($0-$90 repair), Electric Power Steering Control-Unit Connector Short — Sudden Loss of Steering Assist (Recall WUC-88 / NHTSA 19V065) ($0-$0 repair), Passenger airbag may switch off with someone in the seat — recall 19V701, Takata Front Passenger Airbag Inflator Rupture Risk (PSAN) — Safety Recall ($0-$0 repair), 2018 Forester Turbo fuel pump may stop working — recall 21V587, Front drive shaft joint may crack and break — recall 23V754, Rear coil spring end can corrode and break off — service program WUT-05, Turbo Failure From Clogged Oil-Supply Banjo Bolt Filter (Forester XT, EJ255) ($1,500-$3,500 repair), EJ255 Turbo Piston Ringland Cracking and Engine Failure (Forester XT) ($4,000-$8,000 repair) and Secondary Air Injection Pump Relay Failure — Overheat / Fire Risk (Turbo XT, Recall WTM-73 / NHTSA 16V-738) ($0-$120 repair). The most commonly reported issue is Excessive engine oil consumption on the 2.5L FB engine — bulletin 02-157-14R with 3,200 owner reports. Across all issues with published estimates, repair costs range from $80 to $8,000. DIY maintenance guides at au7o.io.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Forester vehicles. The engine water pipe may have loose attachment bolts, allowing the pipe to lose its seal and leak coolant.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek, Impreza, 2023-2024 Forester, and 2023 WRX vehicles. The front driveshaft assemblies' outer race may develop cracks and break.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check recalls specific to your vehicle.
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According to Au7o's analysis of 7,080+ owner reports, the 1998-2024 Subaru Forester has 41 documented issues. The most frequently reported are: Excessive engine oil consumption on the 2.5L FB engine — bulletin 02-157-14R, EJ25 Head Gasket Failure (External Leak), EyeSight False / Phantom Automatic Emergency Braking. Of these, 16 are rated critical and should be addressed promptly.
The 1998-2024 Subaru Forester has 41 known issues documented across 7,080+ owner reports. 16 issues are rated critical: Excessive engine oil consumption on the 2.5L FB engine — bulletin 02-157-14R and EJ25 Head Gasket Failure (External Leak) and EyeSight False / Phantom Automatic Emergency Braking and Starlink DCM Parasitic Battery Drain After 3G Network Shutdown and PCV Valve Separation Causing Loss of Power and Engine Damage (Recall WUW-08) and Turbocharger Air Intake Duct Cracking From Wrong Material — Rough Idle, Power Loss and Stall (Recall WTA-62 / NHTSA 16V162) and Brake Light Switch Silicone Contamination — No-Start / Stuck in Park (Recall WUE-90 / NHTSA 19V-149) and Electric Power Steering Control-Unit Connector Short — Sudden Loss of Steering Assist (Recall WUC-88 / NHTSA 19V065) and Passenger airbag may switch off with someone in the seat — recall 19V701 and Takata Front Passenger Airbag Inflator Rupture Risk (PSAN) — Safety Recall and 2018 Forester Turbo fuel pump may stop working — recall 21V587 and Front drive shaft joint may crack and break — recall 23V754 and Rear coil spring end can corrode and break off — service program WUT-05 and Turbo Failure From Clogged Oil-Supply Banjo Bolt Filter (Forester XT, EJ255) and EJ255 Turbo Piston Ringland Cracking and Engine Failure (Forester XT) and Secondary Air Injection Pump Relay Failure — Overheat / Fire Risk (Turbo XT, Recall WTM-73 / NHTSA 16V-738). Prospective buyers should inspect for these issues and factor potential repair costs into their purchase decision. Regular maintenance following the manufacturer's schedule helps prevent many common problems.
Repair costs for known Subaru Forester issues range from $0 to $8,000, depending on the specific problem and whether you choose DIY or professional repair. Au7o provides step-by-step DIY maintenance guides that can help reduce repair costs.
Reliability varies across model years of the Subaru Forester. Based on documented issues, problems are most commonly reported in earlier model years. Au7o recommends checking the specific known issues for your target year before purchasing, and having a pre-purchase inspection performed by a qualified mechanic. Our known issues database covers the 1998-2024 Subaru Forester with 41 documented issues documented across 7,080+ owner reports.
Subaru extended powertrain coverage for excessive engine oil consumption on certain 2.5L FB engines, defined as more than one-third of a quart (10.6 fluid ounces) in 1,200 miles by an oil consumption test; some oil consumption is normal. Applies to: 2011-2014 Subaru Forester with… Severity: high.
The EJ25 2.5L horizontally-opposed engine in 1998-2010 Foresters is notorious for external head gasket failure. Unlike typical blown head gaskets that cause overheating, the Subaru EJ25 gaskets fail externally, leaking coolant and oil down the sides of the engine. The failure is… Repairs typically run $1,800-$3,500. Severity: high.
Forester owners report the EyeSight pre-collision braking system applying hard braking with no obstacle present, including on open highways and curves, plus erratic lane-keep-assist interventions, all attributed to the windshield-mounted stereo-camera assembly. A class action ove… Severity: high.
The Data Communications Module (DCM) that powers Starlink keeps trying to reach the defunct cellular 3G network and fails to sleep, drawing excess current with the car off and killing the battery, causing repeated dead-battery no-starts even after a new battery is installed. A cl… Severity: high.
On 2019 Foresters with the FB25 boxer engine, the aluminum PCV valve can separate during heating/cooling cycles, allowing valve fragments to enter the engine and cause a sudden loss of power while driving. Subaru recalled roughly 51,613 2019 Crosstrek/Forester/Ascent vehicles und… Severity: high.
Subaru recalled 2015-2016 Forester 2.0XT (and WRX) vehicles built in a defined window in 2015 because the turbocharger air intake duct was molded from incorrect material that is susceptible to cracking. A cracked duct admits unmetered air downstream of the mass airflow sensor on… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: high.
Silicone gas outgassed from in-cabin consumer products (cleaners, air fresheners, protectants) can seep into the brake lamp switch housing, where it forms an insulating silicon-dioxide deposit on the contact terminals. Because the brake switch on these Foresters feeds the transmi… Repairs typically run $0-$90. Severity: high.
Subaru recalled 10,417 US 2019 Forester and Crosstrek vehicles because a connector inside the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) unit was molded with small gaps in the plastic, leaving inadequate isolation between adjacent terminals. Those terminals can short, which shuts down elect… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: high.
Contact pressure between terminals in the front passenger seat's occupant detection system (ODS) sensor mat harness can decrease over time, giving a temporarily unstable connection. The system may then misjudge the passenger: the airbag warning light and PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ind… Severity: high.
Certain 2009-2013 Foresters are equipped with a Takata-sourced front passenger frontal airbag inflator using non-desiccated phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN). Over years of exposure to heat and humidity, moisture intrusion can degrade the propellant so the inflator over-pr… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: high.
The low-pressure fuel pump in the tank may have a lower-density impeller. Combined with the fuel pump controller, the impeller can interfere with the pump body and the pump can stop working. The check engine light may come on and the engine may run rough; in the worst case the en… Severity: high.
The outer race of a front drive shaft assembly may have quench cracks from improper cooling during heat treatment at the supplier. Over time a cracked outer race could break, which can cause a loss of motive power, and the vehicle may roll when parked if the parking brake is not… Severity: high.
If stones and road debris damage the outer coating of a rear coil spring, the spring can pit from corrosion over time and a small section of the spring can break away. Owners may notice pieces of spring on the ground where the vehicle is parked, or one corner of the vehicle sitti… Severity: high.
The turbocharger oil-feed line on the EJ255 uses a banjo (union) bolt containing a fine mesh screen meant to keep debris out of the turbo. As the engine ages or oil-change intervals stretch, sludge and carbon clog the screen and starve the turbo of oil. The turbo bearing then ove… Repairs typically run $1,500-$3,500. Severity: high.
The turbocharged EJ255 has thin, cast-piston ringlands that crack under detonation. The large bore, high cylinder temperatures and a flat oil pan that lets oil slosh away from the pickup under cornering make the engine vulnerable: a single knock event (low-octane fuel, poor tune,… Repairs typically run $4,000-$8,000. Severity: high.
On turbocharged Forester XT models, the relay controlling the secondary air injection (SAI) pump can fail in the closed position, leaving the air pump running continuously. Sustained operation overheats the pump, which can melt surrounding components and create a fire risk even w… Repairs typically run $0-$120. Severity: high.
Forester owners report shuddering or jerking during acceleration. The saved 2017 complaints include 2.5L and XT vehicles and reports that software updates did not resolve the concern. Those accounts do not prove one internal CVT failure mode. Applies to: 2014–2018 Forester with a… Severity: medium.
Subaru describes a windshield crack that starts at a small chip and spreads under continual stress from body-structure movement during driving (its "Type 3" damage). The bulletin does not cover star or spider-web breaks from flying debris, or scratches from wipers, metal contact… Severity: medium.
Subaru issued new A/C compressor assemblies for two conditions on this Forester generation. On 2014-2016 models, electrical windings inside the compressor clutch could leave the A/C system not operating. On 2018 models, an internal compressor failure could cause reduced A/C perfo… Severity: medium.
A hard shock load, such as hitting a large pothole or expansion joint, can damage the bearing surfaces in the front wheel hub assembly. A damaged bearing can make a growling sound above about 25 mph. Subaru released a redesigned front hub assembly with bearing surfaces more resis… Severity: medium.
Content on this page was compiled with AI assistance using NHTSA complaints, TSBs, owner reports, and public automotive data. While we strive for accuracy, this information may contain errors. Always verify repair procedures and specifications with your vehicle's service manual or a qualified mechanic.
