2004 Subaru Forester Subaru Forester 2004

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2004 Subaru Forester repairs by problem area

Engine (48%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (9%)

Brakes and Traction Control (5%)

Suspension and Steering (12%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (20%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (4%)

Other (2%)

Chart based on 213 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2004 Subaru Forester.

2004 Subaru Forester repair cost distribution

$2500+ (4%)

$1000 - $2499 (7%)

$500 - $999 (17%)

$100 - $499 (41%)

< $100 (31%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 183 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2004 Subaru Forester

Engine not specified

Subaru Forester in Ohio, United States
Jun 2008 - Mar 2010
Jul 2008

75000 mi

US $2000
Turbo went out. Air bag sensors in the front seats malfunctioned. 

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2004 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV

turbocharged 210hp 2.5L I4 5-speed manual AWD

Subaru Forester in New York, United States
Sep 2011 - Apr 2012
Nov 2011

103000 mi
moonroof motor not working, roof wouldn't close all the way = leaking into interior 
Subaru Forester in Arizona, United States
Dec 2010 - Jun 2011
Jan 2011

105000 mi

US $380
Radiator leaked and was replaced. 
Jun 2011

107000 mi
High oil consumption, e.g. 2 quarts every fill up. The mechanics suspect engine cylinder problem or PCV valve problem. 
Subaru Forester in Illinois, United States
- Nov 2006
Nov 2006

90000 mi
Driver's side rear wheel bearing failed. Sourced entire replacement hub from local salvage and performed the repair myself. Dealer quoted $375 to replace the bearing. 
Subaru Forester in Alaska, United States
Feb 2011 - Jun 2017
Sep 2016

129000 mi

US $1200
Clutch replacement 
Subaru Forester in Illinois, United States
Nov 2009 - Mar 2012
Dec 2009

81000 mi
Air Bag light lit. Contact cleaner on yellow wire connection under drivers seat. Problem went away. 
Mar 2011

104000 mi

US $600
Turbo died, made horrible noises, very little power. Replaced turbo with another used one (from a friends WRX) 
Subaru Forester in Maryland, United States
Aug 2011 - Sep 2014
Nov 2013

84600 mi

US $300
Crack in plastic radiator cap leaked coolant. Replaced with fully welded alum radiator 
Feb 2014

86300 mi

US $350
Blown turbo was replaced with used unit 
Jul 2014

87000 mi

US $150
Front CV axles Ball joints and one tie rod replaced 
Subaru Forester in Maryland, United States
Dec 2007 - Jun 2018
Oct 2012

86000 mi

US $150
Rear brakes and rotors 
Aug 2014

97600 mi

US $1980
blown turbo 
Apr 2017

103000 mi

US $150
Bad alternator and belt 

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2004 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV

turbocharged 210hp 2.5L I4 4-speed automatic AWD

Subaru Forester in California, United States
Oct 2009 - Nov 2012
Apr 2010

74000 mi
Rear windshield wiper motor is noisy. Dealer's estimated cost of repair is $300. Decided to wait until next service appointment for the repair because the dealer did not have the part (windshield wiper motor) in stock. 
Jul 2011

88000 mi

US $305
Rear windshield wiper motor noisy (noted on previous visit to this dealer). Replacement performed at Subaru dealer, noisy wiper motor replaced with new rear windshield wiper motor. Noise problem totally solved.  
Nov 2011

91800 mi

US $152
During preventive maintenance replacement of head light bulbs (still working but old) by Dealer, mechanic found melted l/f head light bulb socket. New wiring and l/f head light socket installed. 
Subaru Forester in Washington, United States
Dec 2007 - Aug 2016
May 2008

58000 mi

US $210
Air bag warning light. Problem is in the passenger side impact air bag. There's a TSB on the problem. The recommended solution is to replace a connector in the air bag wiring Replaced connector as recommended in the TSB. Repair did not solve the problem 
Nov 2011

100000 mi

US $50
Slow coolant leak at the fitting at the base of the radiator 
Apr 2014

120300 mi

US $56
check engine light came on due to a piece of foam caught in camshaft angle sensor. Repair was accomplished by removing the foam. 
Nov 2014

125000 mi

US $525
Variable Valve timing solenoid had was stuck in the fully advanced position by a small piece of something. 
Jun 2016

136000 mi

US $500
AC condenser damaged by road debris. Replaced condenser. No other damage, no idea how long ago the damage occurred. 
Subaru Forester in Ontario, Canada
Jun 2007 - Mar 2014
Feb 2009

65100 mi
Catalytic converter replaced under orig warranty. 
Jun 2009

73160 mi
clips holding front/rear fascia rotted out, replaced 
Sep 2010

80600 mi

C $400
breather fallen off cat converter trip cel 
Aug 2011

93000 mi

C $300
a/c interrmittant 
Jul 2012

108500 mi
clutch problem, new compressor needed 
Aug 2012

109500 mi

C $1200
compressor dead. re and re 
Mar 2013

114700 mi

C $50
Clogged cam oiling valve caused check engine 
Jul 2013

118300 mi

C $500
drivers window motor replacement 
Mar 2014

121520 mi

C $165
blew the turbo after getting a p0011 code. filter in the banjo clogged, starved turbo and we lost it. sold the car as is to a kid to play with, as replacement turbo was too much for 10 years old 
Subaru Forester in Illinois, United States
Dec 2009 - Aug 2012
Jan 2011

93900 mi

US $50
Airbag light on- wire got snagged under passenger seat 
May 2011

92900 mi

US $70
Car wouldn't start 
Subaru Forester in Indiana, United States
May 2012 - May 2016
Apr 2012

145000 mi

US $850
A/C Compressor Replace, A/C evacuate and recharge 
May 2012

146000 mi

US $202
Engine Sludge caused CEL. Full engine flush and detergent cleaning followed by dealer oil change 
Mar 2013

152000 mi

US $1323
Turbo Rebuild and replacement. Replacement of gaskets and banjo joints. Antifreeze leak also fixed. 
Apr 2013

152500 mi

US $611
RH Oil Control Valve, Hoses, and Gaskets Replacement 
May 2013

154000 mi

US $413
All engine coil packs and spark plugs replaced due to dead cylinders. 
Nov 2013

165000 mi

US $15
Replaced both headlights for the first time since owning the car 
Feb 2014

168000 mi

US $389
Replaced idler pully Replacement of Fuel line under turbo and hoses and clamps associated with the line 1.5qts low on oil. triggered code P0021. Oil was changed and refilled. Seized caliper and new pads all around. New rotors on the front axle 
Jan 2016 Camshaft position sensor had degraded over the life of the car, causing stalls during acceleration. 
Apr 2016

195000 mi

US $3500
Complete turbo rebuild and engine flush. 
Subaru Forester in California, United States
Jan 2015 - Apr 2015
Jan 2015

273000 mi

US $500
Replaced front boots and axel. 
Feb 2015

273800 mi

US $1900
The turbo blew. 
Apr 2015

278000 mi

US $5600
Heads and block had cracks. Replaced valves, heads, all hoses, steering fluid pump. I turned it over to the technician to keep as his own per his request. He paid the bill for me. 
Subaru Forester in Connecticut, United States
Feb 2014 - Jun 2014
Feb 2014

112000 mi

US $400
Turbo broke while normal driving at 65 mph. Turbo replaced, along with gaskets. New turbo worked perfectly for 950 miles, broke while normal driving at 65 mph. 
Subaru Forester in Georgia, United States
Jun 2013 - Jan 2015
Jul 2013

130800 mi

US $3000
Timing belt skipped 7 teeth within 10,000 miles of being replaced. Had to replace timing belt pullies,and get top end rebuilt due to bent rods. 
Jan 2015

155000 mi

US $10
Mass Air Flow Sensor needed to be cleaned again. Every six months or so I get a code PO171. Cleaning the mas air flow sensor seems to fix it. 
Subaru Forester in Virginia, United States
Nov 2009 - Apr 2013
Apr 2013

70000 mi

US $700
sunroof would not open 
Subaru Forester in Georgia, United States
Dec 2008 - Jun 2011
Feb 2009

56000 mi

US $200
Front sway bar bushing was bad. 
Jun 2009

59000 mi

US $330
small ac coolant leak.  
Subaru Forester in Ohio, United States
Nov 2008 - Mar 2010
Dec 2008

121000 mi

US $180
Worn suspension link. 
Subaru Forester in Alabama, United States
Sep 2008 - Jun 2015
Mar 2008

46000 mi

US $700
A/C belt pulley tensioner replaced recharged system done at dealer under extended warranty gold plan 
Mar 2009

63800 mi
Front left wheel bearing, covered by extended warranty. 
Dec 2009

85000 mi

US $500
Very serious problem. In temps below 0 deg. F fuel lines start leaking. Smoke coming from under hood, initially thought it was water. Had to remove manifold and tighten fuel lines. Extended warranty denied coverage. 
Dec 2011

123000 mi
ongoing clunk from either transmission or differential, diff fluid clean & fairly new as is trans fluid, clunk is sporadic and goes away, normally only happens once per every few weeks, will try changing fluids, probable long term issue 
Oct 2013

143800 mi

US $200
right front inner cv joint boot split, typical problem with this vehicles due to boot location near engine exhaust manifold. Not really bad I guess, it lasted 130k + miles. OEM new part as best replacement is expensive. inner front tires are wearing out faster than proper, likely worn out suspension part problem? need to investigate fully, will report situation investigation results next quarter, not bad for vehicle with 130k+ miles hood latch doesn't shut fully-push down aftr opening hood y it will not close fully-slamming hood no help, pushing down by sitting on hood edge worked 2x-removed/cleaned/reinstall, will probably last 10k, repeat issue from about 10k ago air conditioning air sometimes has moldy smell, known issue with many vehicles from 200-2007, ac condenser too small is general consensus, not bad this year, very dry year, previous repair by spraying borax infused water in2 vents kills mold 
Jan 2014

148000 mi
inner right cv boot (the one near heat location near exhaust) totally failed on trip to cold weather state for holiday, not many tools as locations, had to use too big split boot type for temp repair, worked ok too awhile, good temp fix 
May 2014

156000 mi

US $9
rear left brake caliper piston stuck, removed caliper, cleaned piston and caliper rust, purchased caliper seal repair kit (had to order not stocked) replaced seals, caliper working good, lots of work, suggestion is 2buy reman caliper 
Dec 2014

161000 mi
replaced both front sway bar links, for ease of replacement buy units with wrench flats or use a thin vice grip wrench to hold shaft from turning while tightening the fastener nuts, steering felt tighter after replacement replaced front right cv axle, extreme wheel wobble felt thru steering wheel on uneven roads, inner cv joint had failed with 2 of 3 bearing races entirely worn out allowing axle to move in the race, up and down movement on axle right valve cover has slow leak of oil, drips onto exhaust and turbo exhaust piping causing smoke, just starting leaking enough for drips overnight, due to mileage and exhaust heat, expected repair after 150k miles, check "half moons" also 
Feb 2015

162100 mi
right valve cover now leaking excessively, cannot drive vehicle with that much oil leak, car taken out of service until problem is fixed, might end up fixing both sides and half moons all at once if half moons rear seal pieces are accessible 
Subaru Forester in California, United States
Dec 2008 - Jul 2019
Sep 2009

134000 mi

US $108
Cam position sensor failed and caused rough idle and stalling. 
Apr 2010

144000 mi

US $630
Rear wheel bearings started getting noisy around 141k miles. Both rear bearings were replaced. 
Oct 2010

152000 mi

US $260
Original radiator sprung a leak about a mile from home. Noticed steam coming from under the hood as I pulled into driveway. Top plastic end tank split where it meets the radiator core. Replacement Koyorad ordered and installed. 
Jan 2014

191000 mi

US $484
Left rear wheel bearing was beginning to make noise. Shop installed new wheel bearing, bearing seals, and axle nut. 
Nov 2015

194600 mi

US $393
Steering feel became loose and wobbly over time. Took vehicle to Subaru specialist for replacement of worn inner and outer tie rods, boots and ball joints. 
Subaru Forester in Maryland, United States
Nov 2010 - Mar 2011
Dec 2010

89000 mi

US $270
2 of 4 cylinders suddenly misfired. Dealer diagnosed carbon-choked rods. Rebuilt engine. Did not fix problem. Replaced clogged oil control solenoid valve controlling cylinders 1, 3. Radiator leaking after return from dealer. Replaced radiator at 3rd party shop. 
Subaru Forester in Wyoming, United States
Jul 2010 - Jun 2011
Sep 2010

121000 mi
"clicking" in engine - repair shop could not locate source of "click" without dissasembling the engine block. Told me to take it to dealer for repair. Decided to purchase another car and accept trade-in loss. 
Subaru Forester in Ohio, United States
Dec 2013 - Apr 2014
Dec 2013

160000 mi

US $200
Overheated and subsequently damaged turbo. Likely caused by neglected oil changes. Replaced turbo with used part from junkyard. 
Subaru Forester in Texas, United States
Dec 2007 - Jul 2013
Mar 2011

86000 mi

US $100
Fuel lines leaked under the intake manifold. Gas smell was noticed inside the car when weather was very cold (30F or below). This only happened when A/C was turned on (with the Recirculate function turned Off). 
Jun 2012

97000 mi

US $400
Radiator leaking 
Sep 2012

97000 mi

US $370
Rear wheel bearing was noisy. Replaced wheel bearing. 

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2004 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV

165-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD

Subaru Forester in California, United States
Jul 2011 - Jun 2018
Nov 2015

70000 mi
Keep getting "Check Engine" light, it's a code 5301 which turns out to be the neutral switch on the Transmission. Resets itself eventually and light goes off so no fix for now. Belt squealing - had been replaced recently, shop believes it just needed adjusting and did so no charge. 
Jan 2016

72300 mi

US $12000
Clutch was slipping and was replaced 
Feb 2016

74000 mi
Trim on passenger side door came off Wind noise bad on driver's side, moderate on passenger side. Check engine light comes on, generally after driving down a (steepish) hill. code reads 5301 Appears to be not uncommon and is the Neutral switch on the transmission. Doesn't seem to require a repair, engine light resets itself within a couple of trips. 
Apr 2017

84000 mi

US $100
Stuttering/hesitating when gas given, esp. going up hills. Spark plugs and cables replaced 
May 2017

84000 mi

US $250
Right rear bearing was noisy, normal repair 
Subaru Forester in Wisconsin, United States
Dec 2011 - Jun 2015
Dec 2014

99000 mi

US $900
Wheel bearing wore out 
Subaru Forester in Vermont, United States
Sep 2011 - Jun 2018
Oct 2011

106000 mi

US $830
One bad drive belt pulley. 
Sep 2012

118000 mi

US $850
One of the timing belt pulleys failed, so had to have the entire timing belt, pulleys, water pump replaced, with Subaru parts. Previous replacement of above mentioned parts (only 6,000 miles ago) was with non-Subaru parts, but "good" parts. 
Dec 2012

122000 mi

US $932
One of the pulleys in the timing belt assembly started to come appart after only 4,000 miles since timing bely , etc.replacement. Since I was on the road when this happened, I had the timing belt and all pulleys plus water pump replaced. 
Jan 2015

151000 mi
rear strut, rear brake pad set, rear rotor, rear sway bar links, air filter, trans/dif. gear oil. 
Jul 2017

168300 mi

US $300
A/C repair 
Aug 2017

169000 mi

US $268
The alternator needed replacement. 
Subaru Forester in California, United States
Jun 2011 - Jul 2011
Jul 2011

73000 mi

US $800
The rattling noise was in the back of the car. Mechanic cut off the heat shield, it did help but the problem did not go away. 
Subaru Forester in Wisconsin, United States
Jan 2012 - Feb 2013
Feb 2012

174400 mi
After purchasing car, I noticed a large crack in the windshield under the wipers. The dealership replaced this at no cost to me. 
May 2012

177000 mi

US $250
A/C Compressor clutch quit functioning properly. Replaced with used A/C compressor. 
Feb 2013

184000 mi
Issues developing with the transmission/AWD system. Time to trade it in. 
Subaru Forester in Minnesota, United States
Oct 2014 - Oct 2014
Oct 2014

162000 mi

US $500
Cracked head 
Subaru Forester in Minnesota, United States
Jan 2017 - Apr 2017
Feb 2017

157000 mi

US $1500
Engine issues related to car losing power and stalling. Full clutch replacement. 
Subaru Forester in Illinois, United States
Nov 2014 - Nov 2014
Nov 2014

60000 mi

US $3000
intake injector rails leaked gas, serpentine belt replaced, window howled due to poor seals, rotors replaced at only 40k 
Subaru Forester in Texas, United States
Aug 2008 - Feb 2010
Feb 2010

108000 mi
Needed a new head gasket within the next few months. Traded. 
Subaru Forester in Colorado, United States
Aug 2008 - Aug 2012
Sep 2008

87000 mi

US $25
Engine temp was fluctuating. Dealer replaced radiator cap, No problem seen since.  
Jul 2012

124000 mi

US $1600
CEL lit, dealer replaced valves of evaporative emissions system. CEL lit again, so a second trip- dealer replaced charcoal canister, which had ruptured. CEL lit again, so a third visit. Dealer cleaned tank and replaced fuel pump. 
Subaru Forester in Virginia, United States
Dec 2007 - Jun 2018
Feb 2013

124000 mi

US $1612
Center Differential replaced 
Nov 2013

135200 mi

US $80
Replaced cv axel because right front inner boot failed Replace rear wheel bearing 
Apr 2015

158300 mi
Ball Joint replacement 
Apr 2016

170800 mi

US $340
Leaking Muffler 
Jan 2017

180000 mi

US $400
Replaced Head Gaskets Machine Ship 250 dollars Parts about 150 
Mar 2017

183000 mi

US $20
FOG LIGHT REPLACEMENT bulbs 
Mar 2018

195000 mi

US $270
leaking rear wheel brake cylinders 
Subaru Forester in British Columbia, Canada
Aug 2009 - Sep 2016
Sep 2009

63240 mi

C $340
oxygen sensor 
Dec 2009

75020 mi

C $500
leaking coolant from head gasget 
Mar 2010

77500 mi

C $50
slight coolant leak from head gasket 
Jun 2010

79980 mi
Air Bag light on 
Jul 2010

80600 mi

C $300
rear wheel bearing 
Feb 2012

86160 mi

C $450
Driver's power window motor was seized, therefore replaced 
Apr 2012

88040 mi

C $160
Air bag light on. Faulty wiring detected under driver's seat. 
Jul 2013

104140 mi

C $950
Replaced timing belt and water pump, cam and crank seals, re: minor oil leaks. 
May 2014

116560 mi

C $2120
Valve cover gasket and spark plug tube seals 
Apr 2015

128100 mi

C $700
Left front brake calliper seized. Replaces calliper plus rotors and pads. 80k since last serviced for front brakes. 
Oct 2015

136060 mi

C $100
Oil seepage 
Jan 2016

138960 mi

C $300
Left front brake caliper seized 
Apr 2016

141740 mi

C $430
Rear wheel bearing 
Aug 2016

146940 mi

C $20
Exhaust system, bolts to manifold came loose 
Sep 2016

148800 mi

C $400
Leaking oil, valve cover gadgets replaced 
Subaru Forester in Maryland, United States
Aug 2011 - Mar 2019
Nov 2011

83500 mi

US $1120
Throwout bearing failed. Replace clutch and throwout bearing. Refill with synthetic fluid. Throwout bearing failed and buzzing loudly. Clutch shuddering. Replace clutch and throwout bearing. Refill with synthetic fluid. 
Aug 2017

115000 mi

US $311
Replace transmission neutral switch to correct severe shuddering while driving. Remove buzzing heat shield. Remove rust from rear rotor to prevent parking brake from grinding on rotor when making turns. 
Nov 2017

118000 mi

US $587
Engine surging/stumbling. Starved for fuel. Replaced faulty idle air control valve and, as precaution, evap canister purge valve. 
Jun 2018

126000 mi

US $160
Replaced clutch master cylinder, clutch slave cylinder, and hydraulic hose. Clutch master cylinder was leaking and not holding pressure. 
Subaru Forester in British Columbia, Canada
Nov 2008 - Mar 2010
Nov 2008

118420 mi

C $550
Suspension bushing rear stabilizer Rear Right bearing Suspension end links 
Subaru Forester in Michigan, United States
Jun 2010 - Jan 2013
Jul 2010

100000 mi
threw code P0519 cleaned IACV  
Nov 2010

107000 mi

US $580
Timing Belt and idler assembly replaced. Tensioner was squealing like a pig and book says to do it at 105k. Also while I had things apart did the water pump, thermostat, cam/crank seals, and accessory belts. Rear Wheel Bearing replaced. was grinding pretty badly 
Jan 2012

137000 mi

US $50
Front ball joint replacement 
Aug 2012

145300 mi

US $150
Driveshaft u joints started to squeak, replaced driveshaft with one from junkyard with <100k on it for 150 bucks. Easy fix. 
Jan 2013

135000 mi
Vapor canister clogged resulting in not being able to fill with gas, did not affect driveability. Took 10 min to repair. 
Subaru Forester in Florida, United States
Apr 2017 - Jan 2018
May 2017

148890 mi

US $220
My car was skipping when I accelerated, and it got progressively worse over the course of 3 days. I took it in fearing the worst, headgasket, but they replaced the Plugs and Wires and it's running fine now. Not perfect, but good enough 
Subaru Forester in Pennsylvania, United States
Nov 2009 - Mar 2010
Dec 2009

51000 mi

US $400
reported loss of power  

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2004 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV

165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD

Subaru Forester in Quebec, Canada
Apr 2013 - Jan 2016
Jan 2014

C $250
Changed starter and battery, car stoped to start when minus 30 celcius in quebec 
Jan 2016

130200 mi

C $200
Coil pack damaged, had to change Transmission was lazy, result of Fluid Leak, had to seal pipe. Wiper linkages where slack, had to change linkage 
Subaru Forester in British Columbia, Canada
Sep 2013 - Dec 2013
Oct 2013

89280 mi

C $340
Muffler pipe had hole next to forward hanger & cracks on mid pipe next to hangar replaced with OEM style parts at 144000 km 
Subaru Forester in Washington, United States
Apr 2018 - Jun 2018
May 2018

160200 mi

US $300
Replaced sway bar ends. Also, full pre-buy type inspection and a/c recharge. 
Subaru Forester in California, United States
Feb 2013 - Apr 2018
Apr 2018

83000 mi
Oxygen sensor 
Subaru Forester in Kansas, United States
Dec 2010 - Feb 2018
Jan 2011

54000 mi

US $200
Both head gaskets started leaking! Discovered during routine oil/filter change at 54,000 miles. 5yr/60k factory warranty on my Forester was 2 yrs beyond time limit but 6k within miles so Subaru of America covered it, less a $200 deductible. 
Nov 2016

105300 mi

US $471
L-rear wheel bearing failing. 
Subaru Forester in Colorado, United States
Jan 2010 - May 2013
Jan 2010

90501 mi

US $500
Replaced clock bulb ($6+labor). Replaced valve cover gasket for internal engine oil leak ($98 + labor). Replaced oil soaked ignition wires and coil pack due to coil burnt/rusted #1 cylinder (~$310 total). 
Feb 2010

91000 mi

US $48
Check engine light diagnostics report a "Vent Control System Malfunction." Shop thoroughly examined each component and was unable to find a problem. 
Mar 2010

92000 mi
Return of check engine light with same diagnostic error code. Dealer service checked entire vent control system and could not find a problem. They have contacted Subaru for solution. 
Subaru Forester in Colorado, United States
Jan 2010 - Jun 2018
Feb 2015

52000 mi

US $200
Replace 5-year old battery and corroded cables 
Dec 2015

54000 mi
First reported slow cranking and failure to start in July; dealer svc dept. said all systems were up to spec after quick recharge. Failed to start again in late Dec. Initial test still showed no trouble, but next day found bad cell in batt. 
Subaru Forester in New York, United States
Oct 2009 - May 2018
Jun 2009

59936 mi

US $300
Transmission pan leaking transmission fluid. Re-seal pan. 
Oct 2009

65228 mi

US $500
Front crank seal leaking oil. Replace seal. Charge is almost all labor. Had timing belt replaced at the same time but deducted $112 cost of belt from the $500 repair figure. Total cost for visit with timing belt and oil change was $640.52. 
Dec 2009

67000 mi

US $107
Heat shields vibrating under car. Still not right. Will return for re-repair at next oil change. 
Apr 2010

70000 mi
Heat shields around catalytic converter refastened 
Oct 2011

90000 mi

US $400
Replace Valve Cover Gaskets and Tube Seals. Oil dripping on spark plugs. 
Dec 2012

105000 mi
Tighten exhaust heat shields which were vibrating during acceleration. 
Jan 2013

107000 mi

US $387
Replaced bushings and end links on front sway bar to eliminate clunking over bumps. Tech noted on invoice that he recommends drivers side and passenger side head gaskets. Not happy. Keeping an eye on oil and anti-freeze levels. 
May 2013

110700 mi

US $225
Replace head gaskets. Replace timing belt, accessory belt and A/C belt. Subaru, to their credit, have offered me a goodwill check of $500 towards the repair, offsetting some of the $2066 cost. Rear wheel cylinders leaking. Would not pass inspection. Replace cylinders, new shoes and cut drums. Replace pads up front and cut rotors. Flush brake fluid. Total was $500. Estimated $225 for wheel cylinders. 
Jan 2014

107500 mi
replace lower radiator hose and thermostat to stop coolant leak. this is a follow-up to the June 2013 head gasket replacement. Due to coolant loss I thought there was an issue with that repair. It took 3 trips for the dealership to fix. N/C. 
Mar 2015

136000 mi

US $40
Replace oil cooler gasket to stop oil drip. Exhaust System heat shield vibrating. Found loose heat shield. Drilled hole and inserted screw to wedge against exhaust pipe. Fastened 3" clamp around heat shield. Noise fixed. $1.56. 
Jun 2015

140000 mi

US $360
Replaced evaporator core and expansion valve behind dashboard.Core had leak. Added compressor oil and dye. Ran vacuum pump for one hour. Waited one hour to be sure vacuum held. Recharged system. Price includes gauges, pump and tools. 
Mar 2017

160000 mi

US $30
Upper radiator hose ballooned. Was about to let go. Glad I caught it as it looked normal when the engine was cool. Bought Dayco cut-to-fit hose first. Bad fit at radiator due to excessive bend. Found Subaru OEM hose and clamps at dealer number 7. First 6 no go.Perfect fit of course. 
Jan 2018

166000 mi

US $136
Wire, plug and blower fan receptacle damaged due to overheating at one contact. Remove contact from plug, cleanup and use epoxy glue to hold in place along with new wire. Resolder wires to main harness wiring. Install new blower fan. 
Subaru Forester in Missouri, United States
Mar 2009 - Dec 2011
Jun 2010

60000 mi

US $30
AWD system chattered when turning sharply at low speeds. Corrected by replacing transmission/transfer case lubricant. 
Subaru Forester in Texas, United States
Dec 2007 - Jul 2011
Oct 2010

93000 mi

US $42
vent control solenoid malfunction. Reset CE light; tested solenoid, working ok 
Feb 2011

98700 mi
Owner observed coolant leakage and burning smell. Leak not definitively located; thermostat housing may be leaking; recommend replacement of thermostat and all hoses; waiting until timing belt replacement. Did not recur. 
Apr 2011

102000 mi

US $10
oil leak observed front of engine, added oil stop leak 
Subaru Forester in Alberta, Canada
Feb 2009 - Oct 2021
Mar 2015

74400 mi
Replace door lock actuator. Replaced head light wiring harness. The drivers side headlight was burnt out. Upon inspection the wiring harness was melted. Replaced head light wiring harness 
Nov 2015

85560 mi

C $2500
Replaced head gaskets Replaced fuel pump 
Nov 2017

88660 mi

C $400
Rear hatch lock replaced 
Subaru Forester in Illinois, United States
Mar 2010 - Jun 2016
Mar 2014

96000 mi

US $42
Had a CEL for emission system 
Subaru Forester in Michigan, United States
Dec 2011 - Feb 2015
Jan 2015

US $300
Starter failed, replaced within a day, required towing cost $300 since it was remote area ... 
Feb 2015

258000 mi
Axle $600 to repair, estim. 
Subaru Forester in North Carolina, United States
Sep 2011 - Apr 2018
Jun 2011

132000 mi

US $800
Replaced catalytic converter with bolt-on replacement in order to pass inspection (CEL on since purchase, but no driveability issues) 
Jul 2011

138000 mi

US $600
Front oxygen sensor replaced. 
Aug 2012

142000 mi

US $12
gap between a/c clutch and ac pulley out of spec. I removed the ac clutch and took out two spacers and re-installed. 
Jun 2015

169000 mi

US $110
Belt/pulley tensioner for the A/C belt broke and had to be replaced. Ran OK with broken tensioner, but couldn't adjust or replace the belt 
Jan 2018

188000 mi

US $600
Replaced rear wheel cylinders (drum brakes) due to leaking and front rotors and pads (disc brakes). One of the rotors was damaged, but there was no damage to the caliper. 
Subaru Forester in Arizona, United States
Oct 2012 - Nov 2012
Nov 2012

176000 mi

US $230
idler pulley for A/C bearing failed. Replaced that, and the belts. 
Subaru Forester in Connecticut, United States
Feb 2012 - Mar 2012
Mar 2012

132000 mi

US $585
main exhaust pipe cracked 
Subaru Forester in Massachusetts, United States
May 2008 - Jun 2011
Dec 2008

60000 mi
Head gasket replaced 
Apr 2010

72000 mi
head gasket replaced second time by dealer 
Jun 2011

95000 mi

US $800
AC compressor replaced AC compressor replaced 
Subaru Forester in Vermont, United States
Oct 2010 - Feb 2012
Feb 2011

109000 mi

US $102
Exhaust flange and gasket needed replacing. Part of exhaust pipe needed welding. 
Feb 2012

120000 mi

US $230
Rusted fuel neck filler pipe and corresponding components replaced 
Subaru Forester in Ontario, Canada
Dec 2011 - Aug 2019
Nov 2013

68080 mi

C $75
These older Subarus have an issue with rattles in the exhaust system - specifically, the heat shields placed around the exhaust. I had to have the dealer fix a rattle in this area. 
Jan 2014

68920 mi

C $500
Passenger side front sway bar link broken; sway bar links on both sides replaced. The steering had been feeling heavy, and I was told this was due to 'binding' of the transfer clutches. The transmission system was drained, flushed, refilled, and an additive used to prevent further binding. The airbag sensor under the front seats in these older Subarus has a history of failure due to moving the seat back and forth. I had been noticing the airbag light coming on occasionally. Both front seat sensor harnesses were replaced. 
Jul 2014

70060 mi

C $500
Part 1: The transmission shifter (automatic) was sticky/heavy to shift. This required a cleaning of the shifter area. Part 2: It was also difficult to get the transmission into Park in order to remove the key. This required a new bushing The infamous heat shield rattle. This dealership had attempted to fix it once before; I chose to have the shields removed. 
Nov 2014

71300 mi

C $100
This is a third trip back for the sticky transmission issue from earlier this year. This time, it was the seat heaters not working. During the previous repair, the harness for the seat heaters was not properly re-plugged. 
Subaru Forester in Virginia, United States
Dec 2012 - Jan 2022
May 2013

179000 mi

US $95
exhaust resonator replaced, full piece from catalytic converter to muffler. $92 shipped and $3 back gasket. 

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See TrueDelta's information for all SUVs
See TrueDelta's information for all Subaru models.

2004 Subaru Forester Repair Histories

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2004 Subaru Forester problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.