| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Subaru Forester repairs by problem area
Engine (40%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (9%)
Brakes and Traction Control (6%)
Suspension and Steering (13%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (21%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (7%)
Other (4%)
Chart based on 2788 repairs.
Subaru Forester other repair cost distribution
$2500+ (0%)
$1000 - $2499 (2%)
$500 - $999 (7%)
$100 - $499 (23%)
< $100 (68%)
Chart based on 97 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2021 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
182-horsepower 2.5L H4 7-speed shiftable CVT AWD
| 12413 mi | Glove box lock just won't stay in place. Dealer has just acknowledged that this is a poor design (the release for the lock is right where your fingers go when you open the glove box). This time they just showed me how to put it back. I just leave it in the glove box compartment now; I wasn't going to worry about locking it anyway. |
2018 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD
| 2700 mi US $165 |
Nail in sidewall of rear tire. Replaced tire. |
| 2000 mi | I have had to add air to one of the tires approx. every 300 miles since I got the car; the "honeymoon" is over. |
2017 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD
| 13640 mi | Hydraulics on rear gate lift still squeaking |
2016 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD
| 14000 mi US $82 |
After getting my car washed at the car wash the day before, I noticed the rear wiper/arm totally gone |
| 29030 mi US $7 |
Replaced passenger side wiper blade 17 inch @6.99. |
2015 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 250hp 2.0L H4 8-speed shiftable CVT AWD
| 2000 mi | The left rear view mirror came from the factory with a distortion resulting in an unclear image. The reflection in the mirror looked like a camera out of focus. |
| 37820 mi | Replaced the glass (hit by a rock) with OEM but not from Subaru dealership. Subaru refused to recalibrate the EyeSight because I didn't purchase it from them. |
2015 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD
| 24000 mi | Hatch release not working - hatch couldn't be opened |
| 45000 mi | The last time the dealer rotated my tires the kid doing the rotation cross threaded three lugs on one rotor. When I bought new tires, the tire dealer couldn't get the lugs off without breaking the studs. Dealer had to replace studs & lugs. |
| 69000 mi | Lug bolt replaced |
| 13000 mi US $275 |
Repair leak in windshield washer hose underneath cowl |
| 36000 mi | Struts for rear hatch were replaced under warranty. They were becoming very noisy and were about to fail. |
| 83080 mi C $65 |
Replace rear wiper arm |
2014 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD
| 16120 mi C $27 |
Rear Windshield wiper blade broke. Wiper blade assembly had to be replaced with Subaru brand part. |
| 22940 mi C $850 |
Front tires worn down on edges. All 4 tires replaced. |
| 8000 mi | Persistent chemical odor > 6 months owned. Eyes irrit'd. Per dealer: No problem found: Door gaskets? Some coolant vapor escaping into cabin intake air vent, as designed? (Coolant tank opens/closes regularly, releasing chemical vapor.) |
| 79000 mi US $12 |
replace cracked plastic windshield washer Y pipe under cowl. |
| 40000 mi US $302 |
A large piece of the floor pan deadner came off and wrapped around the drive shaft. The car had to be towed to dealer.Dealer did not have parts. Claimed this was a first time problem; but when they found out that it had happened so often... |
| 68200 mi A $220 |
Wheel stud jammed on, needed replacement |
| 82000 mi US $30 |
windshield washer plastic Y broke and crumbled in pieces. |
| 75341 mi US $16 |
replace cracked plastic windshield washer Y pipe under cowl. |
2014 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 6-speed manual AWD
| 36580 mi C $105 |
Stuck lugnuts |
| 39680 mi C $130 |
Stuck lugnut bolts |
2013 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 19000 mi | rear view mirror fell off |
| 10000 mi | Rearview mirror shaking when driving. Some mounting assembly was replaced. |
| 81800 mi | Replaced gas cap after tether broke. |
| 100000 mi US $25 |
Gas tank cap. Replaced earlier with non-OEM when tether broke. Non-OEM cap faulty. |
2012 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 12800 mi | crack in windshield due to defective rear view mirror installation. |
| 17000 mi | crack due to rear view mirror fixed with the installation of a new windshield; earlier repair not successful. |
2012 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 25420 mi | Fuel cap tether broken |
| 29000 mi | rear headrest not locking |
2012 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 14200 mi | Interior rear view mirror kept falling off. |
| 26000 mi | Driver side rear gas strut that holds opened the rear cargo door failed loosing oil and making the door unable to stay open on its own. |
| 40000 mi US $200 |
Rearview mirror was loose. has been a problem since the car was less than a year old. |
| 21000 mi | gas cap tether broke. gas cap replaced. |
| 31000 mi | starting problem. often doesn't start first time. usually good, second try. brought in... told a temp gauge at fault. repaired. same problem next day. going back. |
| 31100 mi | 30,000 mile check-up. oil change and repairs as needed. |
| 6300 mi | Inside rear view mirror was loose since I purchased the car. It became looser so a friend tried to repair it, but could not. The whole mirror fell which was better than if I had been driving. Dealer was great and even washed my car. |
2011 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| Drivers side visor return spring failed. Dealer ordered and replaced visor. |
2011 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 14000 mi | Rear drivers side window not working. Dealership lubricated track and pronounced it repaired. We shall see. |
| 22000 mi US $1 |
Needed a new bolt for the rear view mirror assembly. The mirror assembly kept on getting lose when driving over bumps. Had to replace the hex socket bolt. |
| 79000 mi US $65 |
One of the wheel stud bolts was stripped so the tire nut would not come off, which prevented having the tires on the driver's from being rotated. |
| 85000 mi US $60 |
This was the 3rd time that a wheel stud (where lug nuts screw on) failed, requiring replacement. Either I have a really bad dealer service (AutoNation) or Discount Tire shop or the metal in the studs is poor quality. Wish I knew which. |
| 105000 mi US $75 |
Replace rear view mirror mounting kit. Apparently, one of the screws got stripped somehow, possibly when the windshield was replaced. Don’t know that I can say this was caused by normal use. But what really made me angry is for the lack of the screw, the whole mount had to be replaced. Really, Subaru didn’t have a replacement screw?!? |
| 108000 mi US $470 |
Once again one of the wheel studs broke off in the lug nut when my tires were rotated at Discount Tire. Then when Subaru mechanic was taking that wheel off, another one broke! This is at least the 5th stud to break. Subaru aluminum alloy wheels from 2011 are junk. |
| 73480 mi C $45 |
Rear lift supports both crashed same day at -40 in Jan 2018. Bought replacements online for $45/ instead of $179 at dealer. |
| 64000 mi US $540 |
Replace broken glove box, reinsert mirror controls |
2010 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 69440 mi | rear central mirror oxydised all around , starting to go to the center. mirror replaced at no cost by dealer, on warranty (lifetime for such items) |
2010 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 80000 mi US $400 |
Two welds on the power driver's seat broke around 74,000 miles with no accidents, no heavy occupants, nothing out of the ordinary. The seat would shift from side to side and not feel stable. The power seat controls were missing some options; felt like sitting a lot lower in the car, did not feel safe. Instead of re-welding the two front seat welds, or giving me the option of doing that, the power seat was replaced and an upholsterer hired to replace the cushion on the new power seat. The dealer and myself shared the cost equally. |
| 24000 mi | TSB software update |
| 29140 mi | The windshield washer spray nozzle was cracked. Dealer advised that this was on warranty. To be ordered and fixed on next trip. |
| 44640 mi C $950 |
Driver seat front edge would not raise evenly. Dealer reports the seat frame needs replacement - $720 part. Not under warranty. |
| 76500 mi | Seat back release lever had come unscrewed. |
| 15500 mi | door lock on rear driver's side door came unhooked. problem fixed under warrantee. |
| 48000 mi US $110 |
previous tire rotation crossthreaded lug bolt so I needed a new one installed. |
2009 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 48460 mi C $400 |
windshield washer tubes kinked and couldn`t spray |
2009 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 145hp 2.0L H4 Diesel 6-speed manual AWD
| 82540 mi $50 |
Headlight senzor broken arm. The arm was repaired, Senzor was good. |
2009 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 22000 mi | Gas cap line snapped, was replaced. |
| 27900 mi | My wife had a tire monitor sensor replaced at Wal-Mart. It caused of an air leak that existed since the car was purchased, the dealer service department ignored it. She also bought a new tire. Now we need 3 more, because of AWD system. |
| 29000 mi | Power steering hose replaced |
2009 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 84500 mi US $509 |
Replaced 4 tires and front and rear alignment. |
| 1000 mi | Drivers side door lock stopped functioning. Froze in either locked or unlocked position and was unable to either open door, or lock it once closed. Dealer determined the linkage between lock control and door lock became disconnected. Drivers side-view mirror is significantly distorted. After dealer ordered replacement mirror, it was determined that the factory producing the mirrors is having an issue and no good glass is available. Will replace when good part is available. |
| 3000 mi | Car clanks and creaks loudly when turned off. |
| 16000 mi US $200 |
Driver manual door lock stopped functioning. It would lock with the electric switch but not the manual. Determined that it was detached. |
| 17000 mi | Gas cap strap broke in half for no reason. |
| 52000 mi | Strap to gas cap broke for the second time. Part replaced under extended warranty. |
| 100000 mi US $50 |
Door handle front passenger stopped opening door. Repaired cable |
| 28000 mi | Window fluid for back window did not work correctly. Manufacturing problem - hose was leading to spray was bent. |
2008 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
173-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 55800 mi C $30 |
rear hatch latch handle became stiff. would not spring back into normal position. hatch would not latch. I used silicone spray to get it functional. Dealer lubed this during visit at no cost. Had exactly same problem in 2013 spring. Annual? |
| 65000 mi US $560 |
Replaced tires for second time and alignment |
2007 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 79000 mi US $65 |
The auto dimming mirror was very wobbly/loose on its mount to windshield. Dealer said mirror mount was stripped and replaced the mount that attaches the mirror to the base glued to the windshield. |
2007 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
173-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 35000 mi | Window screech while being put up or down. Dealer says problem is stabilizer bars. Parts ordered. |
| 36000 mi | Windows screeched going up or down. Dealer replaced stabilizer bars under warranty. |
2006 Subaru Forester
Engine not specified
| 80600 mi | Suspension, noise, power windows |
2006 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
173-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 78000 mi US $20 |
My rear hatch wouldn't unlock. First mechanic said needed a new hatch assembly, $350. Took it to the dealer, which found something loose that was jamming it. Unjammed it for $20. |
2005 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 210hp 2.5L I4 5-speed manual AWD
| 115940 mi C $7 |
Torn rear windshield wiper fluid line. Torn at the rubber boot that transitions the line from the body to the rear door. Symptoms included leaking fluid at rear wheel well, stains. Fixed by installing a hose connector between the torn piece |
2005 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 28000 mi | driver seat became loose, fixed under warranty |
2004 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 210hp 2.5L I4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 143800 mi US $200 |
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 |
2004 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 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. |
2004 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 88660 mi C $400 |
Rear hatch lock replaced |
| 130200 mi C $200 |
Wiper linkages where slack, had to change linkage |
2003 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 58000 mi US $50 |
Check engine light came on because fuel filler vacuum misread. |
| 137000 mi US $237 |
Windshield wiper transmission needed replacement. Wiper motor was unaffected. |
| 177000 mi | Car caught on fire, repairs would have been too entensive. Insurance company totalled the car. |
2003 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
2002 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 140000 mi US $340 |
New battery replaced. Also piece of metal dragging on front fender well removed. |
| 63520 mi | Water in the nearside fog light |
| 172000 mi US $125 |
seat belts replaced cabin air filter replaced door seals reattached |
2001 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 116000 mi US $77 |
The CEL code PO420 came on in June, but that seems to come on every summer once or twice. It returned after I cleared it, within a month an exhaust leak was audible. Shop replaced gasket in front flange. I cleared code. All ok now. |
| 78120 mi C $1200 |
wiper linkage changed (were slack) |
| 81220 mi C $300 |
rear window windshield "wash" not working; tube cut and reinstalled |
| 138300 mi US $800 |
Window wiper in rear needed fluid tubing replaced. Had all done at dealer 800.00. |
2001 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 211000 mi US $680 |
Replaced both rear wheel bearings. The standard Subaru weakness. This is the second time I have replaced them. I wish this car had a sealed bearing cartridge. |
| 60000 mi US $300 |
Rear bearings replaced |
| 211030 mi US $75 |
Replaced front door check Replace rear door check |
2001 Subaru Forester 4-door
4-cylinder automatic AWD
| 151000 mi US $1725 |
replace dipstick tube o ring |
1999 Subaru Forester
Engine not specified
1998 Subaru Forester 4-door
4-cylinder manual AWD
| 132000 mi US $55 |
Doors froze shut, owner damaged door handle trying to open the door |
See TrueDelta's information for all SUVs
See TrueDelta's information for all Subaru models.
