Subaru Forester

"This vehicle has rimless windows. The rubber gasket allows wind noise and it is a one-piece unit for both front and back windows. Thankfully, it is only air, not water that leaks"

"Leaks around the Moon Roof"

"Both headlights fill with water"

"Water leaked into the headlight and car failed inspection around $400 for a new headlight assembly"

"Sunroof leaked two different locations"

"Sunroof leaks"

"The part of the window near the side mirror has to be squeezed with pliers every few months to reduce the wind noise. It's a nuisance."

"One headlight is filling with water. Replaced 4 years ago with same problem. Seal on windshield is breaking down. Original windshield."

"head gaskets failure resulting in oil leak"

"Seal at driver and passenger doors is SO loud we decided to buy another Subaru. Travel about 500 RT to visit family. Noise is SO loud we use the car as our mini pickup for the business to deliver parts."

"Constant wind whistling at highway speeds."

"This car has had repeated water leaks around the weather stripping around the sun roof"

"Rain water leaks into headlights"

"Under carriage rattle when encountering small bumps."

"Rattle in back somewhere, can’t seem to find it."

"A rattle that I can’t find."

"Any kind of bump or rough spot, the car rattles -- almost like a ball joint is shot -- but that's not the case. It's just a noisy car -- wind noise is terrible -- windows aren't framed, which i think is the problem with that"

"Rattle on right rear side, seemingly inside of vehicle. May be there is something loose in the rear gate"

"loud rattles sounding as if coming from the back end"

"The exhaust or engine mounts are getting old and the engine or exhaust vibrates during acceleration from stops. The vibration is enough to get attention from pedestrians and is bothersome to occupants if the car windows are open. No solution yet"

"The noise is very stressful if driving any distance. It's not even effective to listen to the radio or a cd. In fact, we sometimes take the Civic to avoid the Subaru noise."

"Deteriorating window seals caused wind noises that made playing the radio.CD player too hard to hear."

"When traveling at highway speeds the wind noise in the cabin is a little noisy, I had the same issue with my old 2003 Subaru Forester so i'm assuming it's an issue with models from 2003-2007"

"common problem extra seal was needed but still didn't stop wind noise only passenger door"

"When you drive you can barely hear radio because of wind noise"

"The wind noise has existed for several years. It is not severe but became more noticeable after my wife got a new car and I noticed the difference."

"Seal around passenger doors breaking down."

"Road and wind noise has been getting increasingly worse since this car was purchased"

"Black plastic mounting for sideview mirrors allow sig wind noise to enter cabin. I have replaced one & need to replace other"

"Loud wind noise from the area around exterior mirrors"

"Because the the front door windows have no metal a round them they are very prone to air leaks"

"wind noise from driver door"

"Excessive wind noise front edge of front door side windows and side mirror area. wind noise sometimes loud around windshield despite windshield and seals being replaced 3 times"

"Because the windows aren't framed, there is never a tight seal when the door is closed. Wind noise is loud, and is always of a different quality, because when you open a window or door and then shut it again, the seal changes, and the pitch changes"

"This car is a noisy ride with wind noise even when windows are tightly closed"

"Front driver and passenger doors get a lot of wind noise when driving at freeway speeds"

"When yo wash car water gets between glass and seal. When you are on the highway there is a lot of wind noise"

"Can't figure why there is the wind noise left of steering wheel"

"irritating drivers side window air leak. loud. my mechanic cant fix this easily"

"There is some much noise it is hard to hear the radio at highway speeds"

"At highway speed noise around front window/outside rear mirrors is too loud, uncomfortable, interferes with conversation and listening to radio/cds"

"driver's side behind the sail panel had high wind noise and the rubber had to be replaced"

"Noise at doors caused by poor seals"

"At high speeds when there is a crosswind, there is a terrible squeal. I think it may be due to a worn out seal for the front windshield"

"Went to change brake pads and noticed piston rubber boot was leaking brake fluid. Replaced front calipers, pads and rotors."

"Had to replace right caliper when brake disc broke and caliper bolts were stripped."

"Front calipers required replacement."

"a piston would not retract and held the brake on"

"Garage said, at different visits, both the front and rear calipers needed replacing due to rust and wear"

"Caliper on rear was frozen"

"same as the Toyota. age-related not releasing properly causing brake to heat up"

"Have never had or heard of a brake disc breaking before."

"Complete break job"

"Actually after 132000 miles I expected that a brake job was in order"

"Failure of dealer to complete preventive maintenance procedures for brake wear"

"It was just time to have them replaced"

"We have had tremendous luck with this car and will be looking to buy a new or two year old car turned in by lessee. We have maintained it and considering the mileage which will soon reach 220,000, we have no complaints!"

"we were aware of the mileage and age f the car and expected that it would need a brake job after so many miles"

"Brake warning light was always on. This led to to being advised that the brakes needed new linings."

"Rust did it's job after 10 years, not so bad"

"My mechanic and I feel brake pads wear out too fast for miles driven (mostly highway miles, not "city" driving). Also rotor replacement seems needed about every other pad replacement."

"Breaks have been replaced a few times & they seem to still have a soft almost to the floor pressure needed to stop"

"The brakes have repaired about 5 times and replaced 3 times...after the first set that came with the car, I have had numerous issues with the brakes"

"this car is always needing brakes and often including rotors. the front calipers also had to be replaced before the 50000 mile mark"

"It required a second set of pads in what I thought was a short time. I don't drive the car hardly at all. My wife is basically the sole driver"

"The brake maintenance was within the regular scheduled life of the brakes"

"In cold weather and snow, the brakes typically lock up. When coming to a slow yield or stop, it is an issue, too"

"Regular time to fix brakes"

"Normal brake wear. All brakes were serviced at once"

"Rear brakes were worn due to normal wear and tear. Brakes were serviced with certain parts replaced as a result"

"Not sure when it started. Had rotors replaced about in April 2020."

"Rust easily"

"At different times was told both front and rear rotors needed replacing due to excessive wear"

"It is now cheaper to replace rotors than to have them resurfaced"

"Replaced all Rotors"

"The calipers stop working because du to salt snow etc and the rotors where out"

"had to replace rotors twice"

"Breaks are squeaking loudly, presently. But, when checked last August, they were still in good shape."

"This overall the noisiest car I have ever owned. Squeaking, wind sound, reverberation- can't even hear the radio well"

"Had squeaking fixed several years ago. Started squeaking again month later. Lived with problem. Plan on taking to Subaru dealer to fix soon"

"Sometimes they squeak and most times they don't; however, if I drive in reverse, the squeaks are louder off and on"

"the squeaking stopped after the brakes were repaired"

"clunking from under car was found to be due to rust inside driver side rear brake drum. OK after dealer service cleaaned and removed rust. $112"

"The car experienced alternator failure on one of the most extreme cold mornings. After that was replaced, in only a few months time the other belt failed and destroyed the new alternator and its drive belt. In both times failed on the road and had to be towed and caused hours of delay"

"The crank pulley failed at the rubber joint securing the belt grooves to the main pulley. The belt grooves were able to move and ended up shredding the two accessory belts"

"Check engine light is always on. Have replaced O2 sensors, converter to no avail"

"Design flaw that causes strong gas smell when engine gets cold, at or around freezing. The fuel rail system leaks"

"started dripping fuel where line enters body from rear"

"The engine design of the Subaru makes the heads prone to warping and leaking of oil and\or engine coolant. On ours, it looks like it might just be a bad oil cooler casuing the oil leak, but it may be the heads weeping oil. If so, it will cost around $3000.00 or more to get this fixed. Subaru knows about the problems with this engine, but generally won't cover the repairs. We find this unacceptable and it will result in us not buying another Subaru - we have owned four of them. When we replace this car it will most likely be with another Mazda."

"This should not be happening....repair would be over 2k"

"At some point the valve gaskets started leaking on this vehicle and I need to get them replaced, I had the same problem with a 2003 Subaru Forester that I used to own, seems to be a common issue with this particular engine."

"Engine is leaking oil in multiple locations. It will cost a couple thousand dollars to fix and that still might not fix the underlying issues. Probably will need a new engine."

"Apparently Subabrus leak a lot, as the repair shop said they would have been surprised if it wasn't leaking a little. We should have been checking the oil more frequently than we were."

"Oil leaks are a 'normal' problem with the engine in the 2006 Subaru. Because of the head design, warpage can occur that results in oil leaks or coolant leaks. Fortunatlewy, I have only had the issue with oil leaks and so far I ahve not had to have the engine heads repaired. The issue has soured us on Subaru as a car company an dwe will not buy another."

"Used or leaked about a quart a month."

"Continuous oil leak that took several dealer visits to fix"

"Produces moderate oil leaks one right after the other. first it was the valve gaskets which I got fixed and now it's something else on the engine leaking oil. it's tiresome."

"The 2006 Forester typically has a problem with head gasket leaking"

"I have had 2-3 small oil leaks due to degrading hoses and connections. Often this ends up dripping on the exhaust system, creating an odor that is noticeable from outside the car (not inside)."

"Associated with head gasket"

"The engine began to leak oil with only 78000 miles, I previously owned a 2000 forester and never had any problems with that vehicle. I highly regard Subaru and was unhappy that this leak occurred with so low of miles on the engine."

"pressure switch leaking"

"oil pan sealer and oil cooler sealer replaced"

"rear main and other gasket leaks"

"Oil leak turned out to be easy fix of oil,switch"

"I experienced significant oil leakage around engine resulting in the need to add oil between oil changes"

"slow leakage due to aging seals; problem corrected by replacing them"

"Drain plug on the oil pump cause oil to drip on the exhaust pipe"

"Oil leaking from oil pressure unit mounted on engine and needed to be replaced"

"VARIABLE VALVE TIMING OIL SENSORS BOTH WERE REPLACED ONE AFTER THE OTHER, SO THEY GO ABOUT 150000 MILES. THEY BOTH LEAKED BAD AND LEAK ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPING, I'm SURPRISED i DIDN'T HAVE A FIRE"

"Significant oil leak an o-ring between the engine and a block that holds the oil filter"

"oil leaking form two switches on the engine as well as the head gasket. I have the leaks from the switches repaired but have not done the head gasket yet"

"Oil leak in engine... resulted in engine rebuild"

"Needed a new head gasket"

"I had an oil leak in this car due to head gaskets going bad. I had the head gaskets replaced"

"Our Subaru had a head gasket leak, apparently a well-known and recurring issue in Subarus. It required a repair at significant expense"

"Head gaskets had to be replaced"

"Oil pressure sensors leaking"

"Valve covers"

"Head gasket failure"

"The check engine light came on. It took a $700 repair, which went beyond the normal tuneup. I believe that the distributor and spark plug wires had to be replaced"

"replaced catalytic converter"

"Engine light for this goes on"

"Needed to take it back in due to defective replacement part"

"Check engine light comes on regularly, mechanic says it's emission control but too costly to find/diagnose/repair"

"The secondary air pump system regularly triggered the CEL even though components were tested and replaced and found to be functioning properly, at a cost of about $2000. We removed the system entirely, since it operates only at startup"

"there are valves in the exhaust manifold that can get damaged by condensation, freezing opened or closed. This seems to occur at about 60,000 miles, and is only covered by warranty in California. Subaru of America reduced the cost of this repair, b"

"Code 0461 - catalytic converter. Seems to be going"

"There is an air pump that provides extra air to the catalytic converter right after a cold startup (only on the turbo models). It cost well over a $1000 to replace, and this is the third one that has failed"

"Catalytic converter was replaced at 78K miles"

"Check engine light came on and it was determined to be caused by faulty catalytic converters"

"I hit a deer and did significant damage to the front of the car. While the damage was supposedly fixed, I began have problems with the "check engine" light coming on and a decrease in MPG. Finally took it back in and found I needed a a new EGR"

"Secondary Air Pump"

"Needed to replace fuel cap"

"I am told to make sure the gas cap clicks a couple of times. But then it is on so tight, I can't budge it. I've replaced the cap both from a Subaru dealer and from a Auto supply store. Same problem. Now I use a pair of pliers to grip the cap so I can turn it to get it off. Don't have the strength to grasp it and turn it. Subaru tells me that is my problem for it not starting getting gas. What's a fellow to do?"

"The check engine light comes on and the cruise control is does not function until many kilometers later both clear after the gas cap is removed and re-tightened"

"It keeps causing the "check engine" light to come on. And it won't reset itself"

"It was the fuel emission valve and filler pipe, not on your list"

"Internal fuel sensor fault misdiagnosed and renewed after fuel cap replaced. internal sensor may have been replaced in error...not sure. Fuel pump gasket discovered to have been installed improperly, to finally fix problem."

"When I get gas, I have to wait for about 5 mins. with the key turned on, because it won't start. Something to do with a pump on top of the fuel tank, is what I'm told. Also they tell me it is the evaporative cannister which causes the car not to start after filling my tank. I use regular octane. I get more excuses, nobody can tell me exactly why this is happening"

"Check engine light and cruise control disabled."

"Dropped it off to get brakes down while out of town. Shop had check engine light on, they took it upon themselves run diagnostics, and fix the error because they said they couldn't get ahold of me. They never tried to talk to me about the problem. This is the 3rd time, I've had these replaced. I'm driving that car into the ground and will NEVER purchase another Subaru!"

"We have had to replace O2 sensors 2 times after the check engine light came on"

"The engine light kept coming on, even after the repair shop fixed the oxygen sensor. Then another sensor was bad within 5 hours of having car fixed. After second service, car was fixed without reoccurring problem."

"Upstream O2 sensor was not working. Had to be replaced"

"Check engine light came on intermittently then later solid light.Air pump to exhaust system was bad. Replacement cost $900"

"Had to have the O2sensor replaced"

"Engine code said either oxygen sensors or catalytic converter. We replaced both oxygen sensors but error code returned. We now need to also replace the catalytic converter"

"Fuel Pressure sensors caused check engine light to come on multiple times. It took some time and effort to identify the problem which was eventually resolved by dropping fuel tank and replacing fuel sensor valves located on top of the tank"

"The car was bought used in 2010 and the O2 sensor was frequently a problem after about 2014; the check engine light would go on and off. It was replaced when I had to get the new EGR"

"need service light on. Cruise control light stayed on. checked at garage and it was the oxygen sensors"

"The one after catylic conv"

"CAR broke down on highway. Had to have alternator replaced"

"I was driving and car was not driving properly. I made it home and next day had a dead battery. Had someone diagnose. Charged battery and then put in a new alternator."

"Alternator went out, had to be replaced"

"May 2014 - alternator failed while using car, able to drive to dealer - cost was excessive and was down a couple of days"

"failed"

"Alternator failed and we had to have car towed for about 198 miles. It was handled well but lack of dealerships in rural areas is a real downer"

"just died"

"Car wouldn't start one day and it was because the alternator was worn out"

"Alternator failed, was not charging. Shop where I go installed a rebuilt alternator. Less expensive that a new one from Subaru"

"could not start car, needed AAA to jump. Luckily a Meinecke's was across the street"

"Walmart battery, about 3 years old,generated so much corrosion it ate up the positive battery cable and all the way to a junction box"

"Cables from car to battery failed. Caused battery to fail multiple times. Had to replace newer battery - wouldn't take a charge. Had to replace connectors after new battery wouldn't work"

"Corrosion from battery ate up the positive cable and a junction box. Alternator died soon after. Battery was from Walmart"

"A coil was failing intermittently. Caused the engine to run rough, especially when warming up. Repair shop replaced the coils (they're all in one assembly) and spark plug wires."

"Electric ignition system had to be rewired"

"Had to replace crankshaft positioning sensor"

"I believe most of the problem was because mechanics working in an independent garage received commissions for replacing parts. So it was to their financial advantage to decline to fix cheaper parts and wait until expensive parts failed. I stopped going to this garage where I had taken multiple cars for almost 20 years. Despite backfires, check engine lights, etc. the spark plugs were not replaced. Eventually the misfires fouled the catalytic converter which had to be replaced. Finally took the car to a new independent garage which successively replaced spark plugs and wires to injector(s)(?). SUV has operated fine since."

"One of the four spark plugs was too tight in cylinder heads to remove, This plug was original when manufactured."

"wires became unseated on plugs and started to have hesitation"

"A/C worked intermittently, then quit functioning altogether"

"The compressor failed and the entire unit needs replacing. There was no warning. I was surprised how well I adapted to not having an A/C for the past 2 years. I grew up in Philly without an A/C. I got used to a hot car and kept windows open etc"

"A/C fails to work when the car is idling"

"This problem took at least 4 visits and at least a year for the dealership to figure out the problem. The a/c worked unless the outside temp. was above 80"

"AC drops out frequently"

"Replaced the A/C Compressor and Drier so the A/C would work"

"Magnetic clutch failed and compressor had to be replaced"

"It stopped functioning could not cool the car"

"It failed to cool the car consistently. It turned out to be the belt that was failing, and the compressor had to be replaced"

"Stopped working and needed replacement"

"The AC stopped working & they needed (at Subaru Service) to replace the big expensive item (Condenser?). Since I had just moved to Florida from NY it was an essential repair -- now works fine"

"Condenser fan motor failed resulting in several hundred dollar diagnosis and repair."

"Evaporator failed and had to be replaced. No cause given"

"Again, we did replace the compressor which did not stop the leaks."

"I just had to replace all the freon in my car. Not sure where it's leaking."

"Failed safety check required for plate renewal. Reduced mpg, cruise control does not work when this fails. Expensive repair"

"Check engine light came on indicating a problem with the catalytic converter. I did not repair"

"Rusted connector, fell off, replaced"

"Inspect engine light comes on with flashing cruise control light. Put on diagnostic digital computer tool. Says catalytic converter below bank thresh hold. Automotive service found nothing wrong with with catalytic converter. I now just erase inspect engine light if it comes on with problem over converter"

"resonator Seam split open causing leak. unable to weld and had to replace"

"Cracked manifold Repair cost $600"

"They fixed a loose heat shield cover"

"Heat shield rattles - no repair done"

"rusted brackets and pipe join"

"Muffler still fine. Hangers all broke"

"The entire exhaust system was rsuted out"

"Exhaust pipe leaking and rusted; pipe freed up. sectioned, re-welded"

"Radiator leaked. Engine overheated. Installed new radiator."

"Radiator leaked needed replacement"

"Radiator collapsed internally. No leak but caused engine to overheat and destroyed the engine."

"Radiator began leaking and had to be replaced"

"It was made out of plastic, it cracked. I replaced it for $750. They told me this happens all the time"

"replaced radiator"

"Again, I don't feel like the mileage justifies having two major problems like this"

"Had I kept up with my regularly scheduled maintenance this issue wouldn't have happened. The water pump started to leak causing the radiator levels to drop. The pump finally gave out on a long trip. The cost to fix along with all the other leaks is more than the vehicle is worth"

"Paint is cracking/peeling from the aluminum hood"

"On a small outside body part, behind the side rear window, the paint is wanting to flake off in large flat pieces. The paint is not adhering to the body shell"

"The paint between the back seat windows and the cargo area is peeling"

"The rust is just starting to form on the rear quarter panel in back of the wheel well, but I don't ever wax the car. It just goes through car washes to get protective coatings"

"Rust on body above rear wheel passenger side- over $700 to repair"

"Rust around rear driver side wheel well"

"bad rust on underbody, rocker panels and wheel wells"

"clutch smelled and slipped at 51000 miles, had it replaced at a private shop, smell never went away, having it replaced again after 2500 miles at a dealership"

"clutch gave out. At least third replacement in 6 yrs. We are both very experienced drivers of manual transmission cars (50 yrs + each) mechanic says hill-holding feature is to blame"

"Third clutch replacement. This time a leak was found iin the system causing the early failures"

"We had the torque converter replaced as advised by the dealership. We still have the same problem of feeling vibration at slow speeds. It feels like your are driving over a cattle guard, giving a vibration"

"cost $3600 to replace"

"experienced sudden and complete transmission failure while driving a highway speed - was very dangerous and the it needed to be completely rebuilt, down time was 10 days"

"transmission seemed to be slipping, then rapidly died. Car came to complete stop and could not be driven"

"The 4EAT is a terrible transmission, its been sloppy since 50,000 miles. It currently stumbles substantially upon acceleration, lurches upon resuming acceleration, and when I really need to accelerate it essentially disengages from the engine, which redlines, while the car goes nowhere. I am finally at the point where I can't take it anymore, and am looking at replacing it with a performance aftermarket version, just so I can have one that does what it should have done from the start. That sho"

"A $4 seal leaks requiring replacement of transmission wiring harness, $480. Slow leak, left as is."

"It's an old car. The transmission fluid dipstick was seized and had to be replaced."

"Hoses were soft and needed replacement"

"Back door latch sticks; tricky to open"

"Electric do roc (driver's side) failed shortly after warranty expired"

"Does not close properly. Apparently this is a common problem, and a $1000 repair"

"Electric sun roof broke, had to be repaired, replaced probably because it had previously been in an accident"

"Electric windows don’t work in cold temps of western Maine"

"Rear wheel bearings needed replacement again! This is the 3rd pair this car has needed"

"There was a whining noise coming from the forester. Subaru diagnosed the hanger bearing on the drive shaft. The shaft and bearing are one unit they replaced it for 1000$"

"Roll back problem"

"radio just stopped working and requires a replacement"