2011 Subaru Forester Subaru Forester 2011

We are 103,000+ car owners sharing real-world car information.

Join Us

2011 Subaru Forester repairs by problem area

Engine (61%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (4%)

Brakes and Traction Control (3%)

Suspension and Steering (2%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (20%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (6%)

Other (6%)

Select a problem area

Show all problems

Need advice about a specific Subaru Forester problem?

Chart based on 157 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2011 Subaru Forester.

2011 Subaru Forester electrical repair cost distribution

$2500+ (4%)

$1000 - $2499 (0%)

$500 - $999 (4%)

$100 - $499 (7%)

< $100 (86%)

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

Chart based on 28 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2011 Subaru Forester

Engine not specified

1000 mi 2nd time in the shop. dealer could not determine cause and reset the codes. 
1000 mi Car is still in the shop without an update. Been 5 days nows. Dealer is calling Subaru engineers to assist. They gave the car back to me. Apparently a fix is out now, but it is not signed off by the government. 

Return to top

2011 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV

turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD

4700 mi A/C button on control panel popped out and would not fully re-seat. System actually worked okay, just a bad button 
16800 mi TSB for rerouting wiring harness in area of rear seats. 
7000 mi Back of power driver's seat does not hold its position, seat back declines on own when car is powered off. No issues while vehicle is running. 

Return to top

2011 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV

170-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD

95480 mi

C $950
new A/C compressor and dryer 
15700 mi Fuel gauge reads incorrectly. Fuel gauge shows 3/4 tank after filling. A restart or 2 will correct this. But then gauge drop very quickly,dropping from full to 3/4 of a tank after 20 miles 
19700 mi fuel tank sending unit replaced fuel level sensor replaced 

Return to top

2011 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV

170-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD

123000 mi

US $17
Blown low beam headlamp bulb 
151000 mi

US $150
AC not cooling. Recharged system 
3500 mi Replaced relay. Oil consumption check + oil change. 
16700 mi Evaporator core developed a leak and had to be replaced. It took a recharge with leak detector and 2 trips to the dealer to find the problem. 
37000 mi A/C has been leaking inside vehicle since replacement of evaporator. They found pinched seal in evap housing - parts not assembled correctly in previous repair. 
102000 mi Problem with a/c, cooling sporadically; works fine some times, other times not at all; dealer suspected low freon - added freon and dye 
102700 mi A/C still not functioning properly; works intermittantly; dealer could not find freon leak, suggests replacing expansion valve and evaporator 
107000 mi Replace evaporator and expansion valve in effort to fix intermittent cooling 
107000 mi Replace evaporator temp sensor. Finally found the problem behind the intermittent cooling. Previous replacement of evaporator and expansion valve probably not necessary. 
116419 mi After short block replacement, A/C compressor was very noisy. Turns out the mechanic failed to add oil back into the A/C system when reassembling. Oil was added and noise was reduced significantly, but still there (compressor undoubtedly damaged at this point). 
118595 mi Returned for noisy air compressor - dealer said, despite the noise, system working as designed. In order to prove the compressor is damaged, they say we will have to just wait to see if it fails. 
35340 mi Replaced battery under warrenty 
49580 mi

C $350
horn alarm would not shut off had to replace some connection in steering column which had shorted out. 
41000 mi

US $94
radio stopped playing ipod connected via USB port. It recognized the ipod, but would not play... 
28000 mi Faulty tire sensor, replaced under warranty 
9700 mi Rear side drivers window working intermittently. 
18800 mi Rear power window out again. Fourth time in shop. Window motor to be replaced this time. Of course the part has to be ordered so a fifth time will be needed. 
20000 mi Replaced drivers side rear window motor. Fifth time in shop. We will see. 
24000 mi Rear driver's side window working intermittently. Now the front passenger window not working from the driver's door switch. Sixth time in shop for this problem. As normal' part must be ordered resulting in seventh trip. Power window master switch replaced. 
104000 mi

US $2700
driver's window switch replaced 

Return to top

2011 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV

148-horsepower 2.0L H4 5-speed manual AWD

54560 mi Loose tweeter on door 
83080 mi

A $6
Front low beam light 

Return to top

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

2011 Subaru Forester Electrical Problems

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 2011 Subaru Forester problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.