| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2002 Subaru Forester repairs by problem area
Engine (50%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (18%)
Brakes and Traction Control (3%)
Suspension and Steering (17%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (9%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (0%)
Other (4%)
Select a problem area
Chart based on 78 repairs.
2002 Subaru Forester engine repair cost distribution
$2500+ (11%)
$1000 - $2499 (19%)
$500 - $999 (11%)
$100 - $499 (32%)
< $100 (27%)
Chart based on 37 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2002 Subaru Forester
Engine not specified
| 128000 mi US $145 |
muffler replaced |
| 128000 mi US $300 |
minor vacuum leak, would throw a code once every few months couldn't find it. suspected evap canister in rear under bumper. |
2002 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 144200 mi US $135 |
rear oxygen sensor needed to be replaced |
| 149000 mi | The joint at the back of the catalytic converter was leaking, and there was a small crack in the mid-pipe. The shop welded in a new flex joint and replaced a section of the mid-pipe |
| 138700 mi US $1857 |
CLUTCH, 1457. |
| 143000 mi US $40 |
Exhaust leak - welded |
| 165000 mi US $496 |
Replace knock sensor and coil pack |
| 170000 mi US $1416 |
Replace exhaust system (except cat) |
| 174000 mi | Reset Check Engine Light (showed code for evap system). Code has not reoccurred after additional 600 miles. |
| 179000 mi US $2150 |
CEL indicated leak in evap system. Replaced solenoid purge valve at rear of car |
| 192100 mi US $1100 |
Replace converters and related sensors |
| 196400 mi US $3300 |
Top end rebuild (valves and guides), new piston rings, |
| 65000 mi | Catalytic converter replaced on warrantee |
| 138000 mi US $20 |
Cooling system |
| 138000 mi US $850 |
replace valve cover gasket, spark plugs, wires and tune up |
| 143700 mi US $300 |
replace failed head gasket Replaced radiator due to leaking seal at top (plastic) portion of radiator. Issue became evident after head gasket repair. |
| 226000 mi | engine blew hole in block - needs to be completely replaced or car scrapped |
2002 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 191000 mi US $179 |
Head gasket |
| 207100 mi US $150 |
Replaced upstream and downstream o2 sensors |
| 210500 mi US $145 |
Replaced Radiator |
| 81000 mi US $1000 |
Catalytic converter failure required replacement. |
| 96000 mi US $2000 |
External headgasket leak on both sides required headgasket replacement on both sides. |
| 90000 mi US $500 |
Replace electronic distributor |
| 80000 mi US $1400 |
oil leak from axle casing |
| 111100 mi US $3400 |
leaking headgaskets |
| 256000 mi US $25 |
Car stumbling badly; not yet due for tuneup. CEL code not thrown. Replaced plugs, wires, coil pack, upstream 02 sensor in that order. Problem solved with new upstream 02 sensor. Exhaust flanges from muffler to midpipe rusted through. Cut flanges, brazed, and clamped. |
| 263000 mi US $150 |
Replaced 02 sensor. Exhaust badly corroded. |
| 265100 mi US $250 |
Engine overheated. |
| 267700 mi US $450 |
Replaced entire cooling system including radiator, hoses, thermostat, and expansion tank. |
| 125000 mi | The car had the head gasket leak that the line is infamous for. It just got to the point that it was so bad, you could barely breathe around the car even after it was stopped. It was a $2500 repair I chose not to do. |
| 79220 mi $600 |
O2 Sensor died |
| 200700 mi US $97 |
The downstream O2 sensor was sending a faulty code which indicated it needed to be replaced. The car was stalling when idling and ran rough at time. |
| 222000 mi US $500 |
The engine threw a rod. Disassembled and rebuilt all new gaskets 1 rod, new timing belt, timing belt cover and about 20 hours. |
| 87000 mi | Evap system leak w check engine code. |
| 95000 mi US $2800 |
Head gasket replacement, w machining. Both sides had been seeping, common for this generation of 2.2 engines. |
| 236000 mi | Cracked head gasket. It just stopped with no warning. Donated the car to the kidney foundation. |
| 124000 mi | Second blown head gasket. Repaired at 68k miles, and leaking again at 120k. |
See TrueDelta's information for all SUVs
See TrueDelta's information for all Subaru models.
