1998-2025 model years · 7,080+ owner reports · Updated September 2026
All years · All trims · All engines
Choose the year and equipment for your written issues and visual request.
Interest applies to the selected vehicle and configuration; it is not a reservation. Voting stores a first-party identifier for up to 180 days to prevent repeat votes. No account or email is needed. Clearing cookies or using another device may count separately. Privacy
Visual coming soon
Your interest helps us choose what to build next.
Visual Known Issues · Coming soon
$4.99/month plus taxes at launch · No payment today
Choose a year to request this visual. Trim and engine are optional; omitted trim is Not specified.
According to Au7o's analysis of 7,080+ owner reports, the 1998-2025 Subaru Forester has 46 documented known issues, with 19 rated critical. The most serious are FB25 Engine Excessive Oil Consumption ($0-$4,500 repair), CVT Transmission Shudder and Premature Failure ($0-$8,000 repair), EJ25 Head Gasket Failure (External Leak) ($1,800-$3,500 repair), Rear Coil Spring Corrosion Fracture (Recall WUT-05) — Spring Snaps in Salt-Belt States ($0-$700 repair), EyeSight False / Phantom Automatic Emergency Braking, Starlink DCM Parasitic Battery Drain After 3G Network Shutdown, Front Driveshaft Outer Race Crack and Breakage (Recall WRP-23), PCV Valve Separation Causing Loss of Power and Engine Damage (Recall WUW-08), Secondary Air Injection Pump Relay Failure — Overheat / Fire Risk (Turbo XT, Recall WTM-73 / NHTSA 16V-738) ($0-$120 repair), 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), Front Passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) Sensor Mat Harness Failure — Airbag Warning Light and Deactivated Passenger Airbag ($0-$1,700 repair), Takata Front Passenger Airbag Inflator Rupture Risk (PSAN) — Safety Recall ($0-$0 repair), EJ25D DOHC Head Gasket Internal Failure — Coolant/Oil Mixing and Sudden Overheating (1998-1999 Forester) ($1,600-$3,500 repair), Denso Low-Pressure In-Tank Fuel Pump Failure Causing Sudden Stalling ($0-$1,300 repair), EJ255 Turbo Piston Ringland Cracking and Engine Failure (Forester XT) ($4,000-$8,000 repair), CVT Torque Converter Lock-Up Clutch Solenoid Failure — P2764, Flashing AT OIL TEMP Light ($0-$4,500 repair) and Turbo Failure From Clogged Oil-Supply Banjo Bolt Filter (Forester XT, EJ255) ($1,500-$3,500 repair). The most commonly reported issue is FB25 Engine Excessive Oil Consumption with 3,200 owner reports. Across all issues with published estimates, repair costs range from $50 to $8,000. DIY maintenance guides at au7o.io.
WHEELS
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2025 Forester vehicles equipped with 18" aluminum alloy wheels. The wheels may have been manufactured with an incorrectly specified lug seat surface, which can result in the wheel being improperly attached and cause a loss of vehicle stability.
CHILD SEAT
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2025 Forester vehicles. The child seat anchor bolts may have been improperly tightened, allowing the bolts to come loose.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2025-2026 Forester Hybrid, Forester, and 2019-2026 Ascent vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured with an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, "Tire selection and rims."
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.
+ 1 more recalls. Check all on NHTSA.gov
Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check recalls specific to your vehicle.
Don't see your problem? Describe your symptoms to get a diagnosis, or get a full repair guide.
According to Au7o's analysis of 7,080+ owner reports, the 1998-2025 Subaru Forester has 46 documented issues. The most frequently reported are: FB25 Engine Excessive Oil Consumption, CVT Transmission Shudder and Premature Failure, EJ25 Head Gasket Failure (External Leak). Of these, 19 are rated critical and should be addressed promptly.
The 1998-2025 Subaru Forester has 46 known issues documented across 7,080+ owner reports. 19 issues are rated critical: FB25 Engine Excessive Oil Consumption and CVT Transmission Shudder and Premature Failure and EJ25 Head Gasket Failure (External Leak) and Rear Coil Spring Corrosion Fracture (Recall WUT-05) — Spring Snaps in Salt-Belt States and EyeSight False / Phantom Automatic Emergency Braking and Starlink DCM Parasitic Battery Drain After 3G Network Shutdown and Front Driveshaft Outer Race Crack and Breakage (Recall WRP-23) and PCV Valve Separation Causing Loss of Power and Engine Damage (Recall WUW-08) and Secondary Air Injection Pump Relay Failure — Overheat / Fire Risk (Turbo XT, Recall WTM-73 / NHTSA 16V-738) 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 Front Passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) Sensor Mat Harness Failure — Airbag Warning Light and Deactivated Passenger Airbag and Takata Front Passenger Airbag Inflator Rupture Risk (PSAN) — Safety Recall and EJ25D DOHC Head Gasket Internal Failure — Coolant/Oil Mixing and Sudden Overheating (1998-1999 Forester) and Denso Low-Pressure In-Tank Fuel Pump Failure Causing Sudden Stalling and EJ255 Turbo Piston Ringland Cracking and Engine Failure (Forester XT) and CVT Torque Converter Lock-Up Clutch Solenoid Failure — P2764, Flashing AT OIL TEMP Light and Turbo Failure From Clogged Oil-Supply Banjo Bolt Filter (Forester XT, EJ255). 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. The most critical issue, FB25 Engine Excessive Oil Consumption, typically costs $0-$4,500 to 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 1998-2025 Subaru Forester with 46 documented issues documented across 7,080+ owner reports.
The 2.5L FB25 engine in 2011-2018 Foresters is widely reported for excessive oil consumption, often burning 1 quart every 1,000-1,500 miles. The root cause is defective piston rings that fail to maintain proper oil control. Subaru acknowledged the issue with TSB 02-157-14R and ex… Repairs typically run $0-$4,500. Severity: high.
The Lineartronic CVT (TR690) in 2014-2021 Foresters can develop shuddering, hesitation, and in severe cases, complete failure. Symptoms typically begin around 60,000-100,000 miles. The CVT chain can stretch, causing slippage and shudder during light acceleration. The torque conve… Repairs typically run $0-$8,000. 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.
On Foresters operated in road-salt regions, stone and debris impact chips the protective coating on the rear coil springs. Bare spring steel then pits and corrodes, and a section of the lower coil can fracture and break away. A broken spring end can contact and puncture the rear… Repairs typically run $0-$700. 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.
Certain 2023-2024 Foresters left the factory with a front drive shaft assembly whose outer race was improperly cooled during manufacturing and can crack, then break over time, causing loss of motive power or a rollaway if parked without the parking brake. Recall WRP-23 (NHTSA 23V… 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.
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.
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.
The Occupant Detection System sensor mat wiring harness in the front passenger seat cushion develops an unstable electrical connection (decreased contact pressure between terminals). This causes the SRS airbag warning light to illuminate and the passenger frontal airbag to deacti… Repairs typically run $0-$1,700. 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 first-generation 2.5L DOHC boxer (EJ25D/EJ25DZ) fitted to the 1998-1999 SF Forester used a composite head gasket that fails INTERNALLY — between the coolant and oil galleries, or coolant into the combustion chamber — rather than the slow external seep that the later SOHC EJ25… Repairs typically run $1,600-$3,500. Severity: high.
Foresters equipped with a Denso low-pressure fuel pump (part-number prefix 42022-) built before mid-2019 use a low-density plastic impeller that absorbs fuel, swells and deforms inside the pump housing. The deformed impeller binds against the housing and abruptly cuts fuel delive… Repairs typically run $0-$1,300. 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.
Separate from the well-known belt/chain judder, the TR580 CVT in the SJ-generation Forester suffers electrical failures in the torque converter lock-up circuit. The lock-up clutch solenoid (and its harness) degrades, so the converter clutch cannot be commanded cleanly. The signat… Repairs typically run $0-$4,500. 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.
5th generation Foresters (2019+) have widespread reports of windshield cracks initiating near the EyeSight camera housing area or from the edges with no impact. The windshield design incorporates an acoustic interlayer and EyeSight camera calibration zone that creates stress conc… Repairs typically run $500-$1,500. 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.
