Subaru Forester Reviews

My 2024 Subaru Forester had less than 36,000 miles on it. The tires seemed to be getting noisier since I've had the car. I took it to the dealership for diagnosis since I thought the problem might be in wheel/brake area. After the diagnostic process was completed, I was told I needed new tires. I complained that I shouldn't need new tires at less than 36,000 miles. I was told that Subaru tires are only good for 25,000 to 30,000. I was told that the Ecopia tire, which is on it from the factory, is the lowest quality of the Bridgestone brand.

Purchased a 2023 Forester new. Vehicle developed an oil leak at 30,000 miles. Took it to the dealer and was told that 3 of 4 spark plug tube seals were torn and causing the leak. Had to waste a day off to get the repair done. Completely unacceptable!! No vehicle should have that issue at only 30,000 miles. Also had a 2018 outback that had two rear wheel bearings fail. I will never purchase another Subaru ever!!! Poor quality. Never had these issues with the Toyotas and Shondas I’ve owned.

Had issues with the brakes locking up as I enter a car wash. They lock up as soon I am in and put the car in neutral. Before I enter, I turn off the pre collision braking system, the Auto Start, and Auto Vehicle Hold. Also, the TomTom maps that came installed has a few issues. The speed limit displayed on the dash is wrong a fair amount of the times, gives wrong route info, for example, going around the wrong way on traffic circle on Babcock Ranch. I talked to the dealer, Subaru Corporate Headquarters in Camden, NJ, no help at all.

I was so excited to purchase my 2021 Subaru Forester in October 2024. I performed all of the research and thought I was buying a reputable, safe vehicle for my family to have for many years. Over the past year, I have greatly changed my opinion on this vehicle. I cannot simply get into my car and drive. As one gets in and checks their mirrors and puts their seatbelt on there are also other tasks that I must do in order to not be frustrated on my drive.

Please be aware of Subaru`s engine issues!!! I bought a Subaru Forester five years ago and have had engine issues twice already. Subaru of America declines to fix it for the second one, which cost me thousands. The warranty covered only up to five years and expected more engine issues as time goes on. Engine issues cost you more than you expect. Stay away from this kind of car.

I've been the sole owner of a 2016 Subaru Forester. I'm currently having a continuous CVT parking brake switch problem where my Subaru key cannot be removed from the ignition when the vehicle is in park. I was told by the Subaru dealership that's been seen a lot and by my mechanic on Legacy, Outback, Impreza, Crosstrek, WRX, and Forester models. I was told today that my vehicle is not under warranty to have this work done.

As someone who chose Subaru for their reputation of reliability and customer care, I’m extremely disappointed by how I’ve been treated throughout my recent experience. My vehicle has had a recurring issue with the auto start/stop function stalling in heavy traffic – a serious safety concern. I’ve had this issue “fixed” three separate times, and yet the problem persists. Each time, I hoped it would be resolved, but it’s clear this is a deeper issue that Subaru is either unable or unwilling to properly address. What’s worse is the response I received from Subaru’s corporate office. Instead of offering any real help, they dismissed my concerns and offered only a “goodwill voucher” – but this voucher can only be used toward purchasing or leasing a new vehicle. That’s not a solution; it’s a sales pitch.

So disappointed in Subaru. Had such a good feeling about the company but they still can't make a decent windshield (even after settling the previous lawsuit regarding windshields). I've had my 2025 Subaru Forester Touring Hybrid less than 2 months and it has a crack on the driver's side all the way to the rear view mirror. Sewell Subaru said they see an impact mark and so it's not covered and they want $3,170 to replace the windshield and re-calibrate the mirrors. I don't see an impact mark. I called the Subaru line and they took down my information and will supposedly contact me within 2 days. Also, there is NO ETA on an actual replacement windshield. I've tried glass shops and they can't get one either. I wish I had kept her estimate paper so I could add it here but I didn't. SO disappointed!

2014 Forester Limited. *Engine uses oil. This has been a trend with this entire model year. Subaru has no remedy. 2 to 3 quarts between changes. (140000 miles) It has been this way since purchase. *Rear wheel bearing failed at (49500 miles), Replaced by Subaru. It again failed at (130000 miles). *Loose parts vibrating/rattling since shortly after purchase.

I purchased a Subaru Forester Wilderness in 2022 and have absolutely loved it up until last month. The very delicate windshield has several cracks in it and after several failed attempts at the dealership and a customer service call today in which I was informed that there are no windshield anywhere in the country… There is nothing that they can do. I was advised not to drive my car when I expressed concern about the safety. I’m pretty sure Subaru can do better than this.

I just learned that my touchscreen, which Subaru calls a radio, is dead. Only 40,000 km on my 2021 Forester. No warranty & new replacement cost in the thousands. I called the ‘escalated complaints’ line and person was non-helpful and condescending. The dealer is trying to help. This is NOT a dealer issue. There is already a class action lawsuit in the USA because Subaru not addressing this problem. One would expect that Subaru Canada would address the issue before a class action is launched here. Not happening (yet).

I purchased my 2015 Subaru Forester new. It performed fine for the first 5 years. While I have not had engine issues (only 63,000 miles), the air-conditioning only cools for a short period of time and then blows warm air. Sometimes it starts to cool again and then cycles back and forth from working to not working. Two dealerships have not been able to diagnose the problem and correct it.

I wish I could tell more people not to buy a Subaru. I bought a "brand new" 2024 Forester and within a week it was giving me problems. Lots of noises and such. And I keep getting "oh they're like that, oh that's just how they are, oh it's just this and that, and also driver and weather/road conditions". Even when other cars and Subarus I have been in have not been acting like mine. I had a Forester loaner and it did not do the same things, so I don't understand how driver and road/weather conditions are the main factors.

My Subaru, with 45K miles has required replacement of the control arm for the front steering, two rear wheel bearings, passenger seat sensor for airbag, air conditioner (twice), and windshield washer sensor in a lightly driven car kept in a garage. These systems are critical safety items that a non-mechanical driver would not be aware that have failed which would cause loss of control of the car while driving. Subaru refused to cover the repairs under the 60,000-mile warranty because the car was just over the 5-year warranty which cost me thousands of dollars in repairs. If safety and security are important to you and your family, I would avoid purchasing a Subaru.

My 2016 Subaru Forester XT needs a new radio/navigation unit at a cost of $2308.00 plus a few hundred more for installation. I don't want to spend that much every seven years. My daughters newer Crosstrek needed $4000.00 plus for engine work which took more tha five weeks to complete. It was just past the warranty period.

I’m not a mechanic but have done basic repair on older vehicles. Tune ups, brakes, oil, radiator flush, alternator, etc. So I’m not completely ignorant on autos. Before giving my review on a new Subaru Forester, I would like to list the vehicles I’ve driven and how I compared to my Subaru.

2016 Forester- Anthony Subaru; Kelowna Canada. Faulty wiring harness required replacement within first 3 years. Fast forward: LESS Than 2 years later told I need a new one again. 62508 kl on vehicle. Have had to replace pedal throttle, battery and now the wiring harness again. Subaru Canada- EPIC fail on reviewing situation. Vehicle off warranty. Dealership well oops these things happen. They actually don’t! Vehicle left me stranded multiple times due to loss of power- vehicle still running while on major highway and city driving, potentially a life threatening situation. Power drops from 120kl to clunking 50kl to get off road. Solution: pay the $4000.00 and book a new harness install every 2 years. Shame on SUBARU. Consumer beware: because they don’t care. Sales first, safety last!!!

Endless repairs. At 47k. $500 broken horn button. Have you ever had a horn break? $750 new starter. Front end bushings. They paid for the repair. Fuse cover door fell off. Side panel over left seat controls broke. Oil consumption. The usual leak at the head gasket. That is another huge bill. Subaru said their new gasket will be the fix, to which my mechanic said the new gasket does not fix the problem. I’ve owned a lot of different cars in my life. By far my Forester is the worst overall. My beat up 64 VW beetle was more reliable. I'm waiting to see what else will fall off or go wrong. I admit, it’s a mess and a dealer will just wholesale it out. I just need to bite the bullet and get rid of my hot mess Forester for a RAV4. My Subaru mechanic agreed and Recommended a RAV4.

Just now. NEW-Edit. I purchased a used 2018 Forester Subaru in 2018. The rear lights kept getting condensation in them. Subaru replaced them yet it kept happening. I then purchased a new 2019 Forester. One year later the top of the console got indentation marks. The back of the console fell off and the date would roll at noon not midnight. Subaru would not replace the top of the console. (The date and time part was replaced). I had to get in touch with corporate. I made an issue of this and they finally said they would replace the top of the console. This should have been the dealer's job to battle corporate not mine.

HEAD GASKET, if you are familiar with Subaru, then you should know, your head gasket will most likely go out, and that will cost you maybe 3,000 to fix or if it's under warranty then Subaru will get it for you. This has been a problem since 2003 we are now in 2020. My husband really wanted the new 2020 Forester. Let me preface that we had the 2007 outback and had rebuilt the engine 2 times, yes you heard that 2 times. We were out close to 5,000 after paying for it... So back to the recent story, we have had the brand new Forester less than a year and we had to rebuild this engine... 2 months later car died again... More problems.... The tow truck even mentioned that he tows a lot of these cars. Sooo, if you want an all wheel drive car go somewhere else, Subaru can't seem to solve a 17 year old problem... But there are plenty reliable cars out there that won't need an engine rebuild.

My 2012 Subaru Forester had serious engine failure and has required a large amount of money to repair the short block and all the related parts. After some internet searching, I immediate found an extensive amount of information regarding the reliability and quality of these specific engines. So much that there was a Class Action Lawsuit (my vin # seemed to be eligible at the time) regarding this engine model. Subaru had acknowledged these engines have a known defect and should have replaced them or at the very least Subaru should have informed every buyer, especially if purchased from a Subaru dealership, as my vehicle was.

We have/had a 2012 Subaru Forrester. Never a sign of an oil leak, however it did use excessive oil for not leaking or burning oil. My wife driving home today, 9/8/20, about 2 miles from home, calls and tell me her Forrester was on fire. I got there in just a few minute to see her car totally engulfed in flames. The Forrester had left about a 1/4 mile long oil spray on the road. She said that the car slowed down and wouldn't go into gear. At that time a passerby told her the car was smoking and as she got out, a young man by the side of the road told her there was fire coming out from under the front, let's run.

Would like to buy another, if it is as good as the 2007. One problem for me, was the loud cab. Too much noise for me to enjoy the music or a conversation. I maintained the gas and oil at 5K and never went near the dealership. For mountain driving, I only get 23 mpg. Last Fall, at 162,000 miles, I had to replace a wheel bearing, as it was used to carry heavy purchases, wood, steel, dogs and you name it. My local mechanic takes care of the oil change, tire rotation, inspection and wheel bearing. It doesn't owe me a thing!

I own a Subaru Forester 2014 and it has about 106K miles and is falling apart. I had to spend $$$$ to put entire new AC system. The problem I have with Subaru is its commercial and I believed in everything they said. But when I called Subaru Customer Care in NJ, the supervisor said, "Oh you are out of warranty- GOOD LUCK and SORRY." I think Subaru commercial are cute but very misleading.

I hope to save people from heartache and financial loss with my story. Subaru engines appear to be highly questionable from head gaskets to excessive oil consumption and instead of a recall they just extend warranties a little bit. In 2016 there was a class action lawsuit against Subaru for the very issue I had - excessive oil consumption & engine failure **.

Add my name to the many very dissatisfied with Subaru vehicles, and unfair treatment by customer service. My Forester failed the oil consumption test, and now I need a new engine at 125,000 miles - never received notification about vehicle defect and class action extended warranty. Subaru should pay to fix these defective cars that customers buy in good faith. I was told it was my problem that my Forester showed engine damage past the warranty, and my problem that I never received the notification they claim to have sent, even though I was the original owner, my address was current, I even was employed by my post office as a mail clerk, bought the car new, purchased extended warranty, did all maintenance servicing, and had oil changed every 5,000 miles, and brought car in for airbag repairs when I received notice. Had I been sent notification, I would have immediately brought car in for inspection within the warranty time frame.

I purchased a brand new 2012 Subaru in 2011 (my first Subaru). Up until last summer at 102,000 miles I loved it, then all went downhill. I took it in to the dealership for an unusual noise and was told it would need a new short block engine as it was 3 quarts low on oil. How can that be I asked since not one single dash light had come on during this time. Well when did you last have the oil changed he asked and I replied that he could check in his system since the dealership did my oil changes.

There's a reason you see so many Subarus on the road! When we needed to replace our long loved Ford Edge, we assumed it would be with another Ford. Then, we tried the Subaru with the "eyesight" feature and we were sold. I also have an issue with my back and the seats were a perfect fit.

Very good for snow and off road terrain, huge cargo space, however underpowered to a fault. Main problem so far is that driver’s seat is very uncomfortable, and steering wheel does not extend sufficiently, either your legs are bent or your arms uncomfortably stretched, otherwise, serves the purpose.

Major work needed to be done at 80k. Engine reseal with cams and something else. Right now the transmission sounds bad and I need need new shocks and struts before I get tires. I bought this car 2011 and expected no major work until 150k. Very disappointed.

This is the third Forester I have owned, and by far the best. Added safety features are great, and driving this Forester is an absolute pleasure. As far as looks go, I had no intention on upgrading from my 2016 Forester, but once I saw the new 19 Sport, just had to have it.

Great car. All wheel drive. No problems. Well made to last for long time. This is my second Subaru. Drove thru many snow storms in Rochester NY with no problem. Great color and still shines. 2012 model. Very little maintenance. Bought it as a pre-owned vehicle with low mileage and fantastic warranty. Would highly recommend this car.

I love my 2010 Forester, however, the pick up is weak. I cannot accelerate as quick as I would like to, especially in scary situations on the highway. Subaru puts 4 cylinders in their cars to save on gas, and I understand that, but my car is a little slower than I would like. I have taken this vehicle all across the country. I have done a lot of off-roading in the Nevada, Arizona and California deserts as well as the mountains in California, New York, Utah, etc. It did very well on rough, icy and muddy roads. I actually lived and slept in this car for a while. Surprisingly comfortable! I love my Subaru. I put over 50,000 miles on it since I bought it used back in 2017. I will definitely consider a newer Forester when the time comes to purchase another car.

I have had several Foresters and it is the only car I will buy. It is average on gas, but it is good in the winter weather which is very important to me. I like the way it drives and that is a highly rated safe car.

Love some features, hate some features. The adaptive cruise control is excellent. It works from a dead stop up to the speed the driver has chosen. Driver information messages are awful. The only display for a second or two. A chime lets you know there is a message, but by the time you look down to see it the message has already disappeared.

This is my fourth Subaru. I've owned two Outbacks and two Foresters. Each one I've owned has given me excellent service, with no problems whatsoever. I am especially pleased with the safety features on my 2019 Forester Limited. Mine has Eyesight front collision prevention, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, rear collision prevention, and blind-spot monitoring. The 2019 Forester is larger than its predecessors, peppier, and gets better mileage. How do they do this? Subaru clearly listens to its customers, and this is reflected in each year's improvements. My only complaint in previous models was the turn signal clicker. I often couldn't hear it over traffic noise or the sound system. Subaru fixed this with the 2019 models. I can hear it, even while playing the excellent Harmon Kardon sound system, and it's not obnoxious. Just loud enough to tell me that my turn signal is on. It's this attention to detail that will keep me a loyal customer.

Four months into ownership, 2nd Subaru. Fuel mileage great. Sometimes phone connection is slow on bluetooth. There is no really center console space for stuff. Seat belt connections are too low. I had to buy extenders so I could reach them. They are okay if you are short and move your seat forward, but if not they are between the seat and center console and hard to get to. Also, the door pockets could be just a tad deeper say another 1/2 inch of space so you can actually get stuff and your hand in there.. Also, the fabric floor mats that come with the vehicle are junk. Make them better or remove them from the price. However, they did come with great plastic floor mats which are the only ones I use.

I love this car as it makes me feel safe. It is easy to drive, has ample leg room and is high enough for me to get in and out with ease. I also like the fact that it is a very safe car with an internal frame that makes for a secure feeling. My wife drives one as well and she was t-boned by a large pick up and escaped unscathed. It also offers substantial storage and carrying capacity. I would recommend this vehicle to any one.

Well designed but not as intuitively ergonomic as my prior RAV4. Good mileage, optimal sizing, excellent safety features. Consumer Reports review basically nailed it. Dealer made the buying process unnecessarily drawn out. Website did a good job on hardware options but poor on software. Biggest hiccough so far, setting the clock - I couldn't figure it out, dealership had to call tech support. Now I'm stuck with daylight savings time setting.

The Forester drives like a Cadillac. The interior is very roomy, and Subaru's Eyesight safety system and AWD come standard on all models. This vehicle is rated 5 stars out of 5 stars for crash safety by the NHTSA. Also gets an average of 28 mpg which is also #1 in the subcompact SUV category. Consumer Reports gives the Forester a rating of 84 out of 100 which is one of the 3 highest-rated vehicles they have rated. Great Value. Warranty is average. Would buy again!