| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Subaru Forester repairs by problem area
Engine (40%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (9%)
Brakes and Traction Control (6%)
Suspension and Steering (13%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (21%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (7%)
Other (4%)
Select a problem area
- Engine
- Transmission and Drivetrain
- Brakes and Traction Control
- Suspension and Steering
- Electrical and Air Conditioning
- Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim
- Other
Chart based on 2792 repairs.
Subaru Forester transmission repair cost distribution
$2500+ (7%)
$1000 - $2499 (18%)
$500 - $999 (12%)
$100 - $499 (28%)
< $100 (35%)
Chart based on 225 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2020 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
182-horsepower 2.5L H4 7-speed shiftable CVT AWD
| 11000 mi | Went in for an oil change. While I noticed a noise similar to a cv joint I wasn’t prepared to leave it for this. The mechanic came out about 30 minutes later and informed us that the noise was related to the transmission and that they had ordered a replacement. Sent me home with a loaner vehicle. They received the transmission and installed it the next morning under warranty. |
2018 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 250hp 2.0L H4 8-speed shiftable CVT AWD
| 45440 mi | Transmission leak spotted while getting an oil change. |
2018 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 6-speed manual AWD
| 57000 mi US $2000 |
Center viscous differential failed. |
2017 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 250hp 2.0L H4 8-speed shiftable CVT AWD
| 7000 mi | Transmission pan leaking. Dealer made adjustment under warranty. |
| 4000 mi | S# transmission mode kept engine revs well below torque peak, which made no sense given S# mode is "performance mode". |
| 26000 mi | Leak was noticed from transmission pan during normal oil change maintenance. Persisted between changes so they scheduled a time and replaced the gasket under warranty |
| 39000 mi US $150 |
CVT failed. Replaced under Subaru 100k CVT extended coverage. |
2017 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD
| 60000 mi US $2000 |
Wouldn't come out of park, replaced cable/connection below shifter. Also got a brake job, all four wheels and four new tires |
| Factory initiated TSB effort to confirm CVT filled with fluid to proper level. 0.5L added according to repair report. |
| Shudder in car a certain speeds. Dealer checked fluid level in trans.Level was good. | |
| 12400 mi C $150 |
CVT transmission was re-programmed. Happy to report the shudder I experienced has completely gone from the car. Issue resolved after EXACTLY ONE year. |
2016 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 250hp 2.0L H4 8-speed shiftable CVT AWD
| 22000 mi | transmission was leaking, replaced seal |
| 24000 mi | Replaced leaking transmission gasket |
| 39000 mi | CVT leaking from oil pump. Dealership performed chain pump reseal. |
2016 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD
| 16740 mi | Noise of rotating parts when the vehicle was moving. The dealer had to order the tranmission parts and replace them. |
| 114000 mi | CVT Transmission Replaced |
2016 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 6-speed manual AWD
| 90000 mi US $1400 |
throw out bearing went, installed new throw out bearing and clutch, cv axle was seized so repaired that as well |
2015 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 250hp 2.0L H4 8-speed shiftable CVT AWD
| 29000 mi | Pan was leaking CVT fluid around seal.A fresh silicone seal was implemented and leak is gone for now. |
| 23300 mi | transmission torque converter seal leak |
| 25000 mi | Axle seal leak |
| 51000 mi | Transmission was leaking, replaced entire transmission with a new one |
| 95000 mi | Transmission leaking. They said it was a residual leak from a previous repair, so no repair. I’m still monitoring the issue. |
| 106000 mi US $1000 |
Multiple [transmission] leaks |
| 98000 mi | CVT transmission was replaced by dealer under warranty. All the dash lights went off, signaling the problem. Fortunately, this was a problem known to Subaru, which extended the warranty for the transmission to 100,000 miles, and this failure occurred before the car reached that mile marker. The transmission was jerky before. After the replacement, my MPG went up by 2 mpg. |
2015 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 237hp 2.0L H4 8-speed shiftable CVT AWD
| 26040 mi | When the oil change was done at 40,000KM a small oil leak was found on the transmission cover and housing at the gasket joint. |
| 9300 mi | Very slight oil seepage. |
2015 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD
| 7000 mi | There's a loud chirp sound from the front of car when transmission goes into reverse and brakes still applied. Dealer far away. I will visit Dealer when more things go wrong to make that trip more worthwhile. |
| 21000 mi | Front Drive-line still chirps when put into reverse on first start on the day using OEM tires. Does not do this when winter studded tires are installed on a seasonal basis. Go back to OEM tires in spring, chirp returns. |
| 32000 mi | Entire transmission replaced under warranty due to a failing bearing. |
| 37000 mi | Trans went into "neutral" while on hwy. Coasted to stop, engine wouldn't start. Shop foreman said, "probably a leaf got into intake and messed with mas flow sensor. They have seen this happen before."!!! Unbelievable. |
| 119000 mi | Transmission fluid was overheating at speeds as 77MPH. Had been going on for some time. One day a lot of lights came on. Fix was to replace a valve body on the transmission. Apparently the torque converter wasn't getting enough fluid to fully lock which caused overheating. |
| 27900 mi C $4000 |
Total failure of the transmission. Replacement cost with labour was $13,000, I opted for a used transmission with labor for $4000. |
| 103000 mi US $1800 |
Overhaul, including valve, fluid |
| 102000 mi US $1000 |
Transmission overhaul |
| 90000 mi US $350 |
Noise and driving issues [axle] |
| 135000 mi US $450 |
Valve body replacement, still not enough to be road worthy. Car traded in |
| 64000 mi US $1400 |
Rt front axle, CV joint clicking |
2015 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 6-speed manual AWD
| 93000 mi C $450 |
Clutch pedal went to the floor. Needed new master and secondary cylinders and hoses. Clutch pedal went to the floor. Needed new master and secondary cylinders and hoses. |
2014 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 250hp 2.0L H4 8-speed shiftable CVT AWD
| 27280 mi | oil leakage |
| 23000 mi | Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) fluid leaking. Found during routine maintenance. Replaced seal on pan. |
| 120000 mi US $2500 |
Replace DVT valve body (one failed solenoid) |
| 85560 mi C $1000 |
Drive axle replaced |
2014 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 237hp 2.0L H4 8-speed shiftable CVT AWD
| 7020 mi | Some light on the panel turned on. The dealer connected their computer to the car and cleared the code. Everything is good since then. |
| 44000 mi £400 |
Front offside (right hand side) drive shaft failed. |
2014 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD
| 31000 mi | Strong vibration and shutter @ low rpm and low speed. Caused by ice build up inside wheel rims. Went away. |
| 4000 mi | Very jerky acceleration from a stop to cruising speed esp. if acceleration was light. This would occur always with cold engine and intermittent w/ warm engine. The dealer re-set the CVT and put it in re-learn mode. Not sure if prob is fixed. |
| 125000 mi US $1300 |
Transmission Solenoid was replaced under warranty by dealer |
| 17000 mi | During my second scheduled oil change at the Dealership the service rep said that the right front axle had to be replaced because the car had been in a flood. I went to see the dealer principle to take the vehicle back. He denied it had been flooded. |
| 51000 mi US $2900 |
Replaced plate guide |
| 108000 mi | Relay failure that caused CVT malfunction. Dealer misdiagnosed which resulted in unnecessary torque converter replacement. |
| 88000 mi US $300 |
rear CV repaired |
| 82586 mi US $568 |
replace right front cv axle with torn boot |
| 72000 mi | CVT went out. This has apparently been a problem for Subaru in the last few years. The dealer replaced it under the Subaru warranty, which the company extended to 100,000 mi for this issue. |
2014 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 6-speed manual AWD
| 100000 mi US $2386 |
TPMS light on dash came on and could not reset. Checked air in tires. All tires were up to proper pressure. Thought that sensor was bad. Could not shift manual transmission. Clutch pedal had no pressure. Clutch pedal stayed depressed and would not return. Throw out bearing failed. Replaced bearing, disk clutch, lever clutch, release lever, flywheel, spring release lever, clutch cover. Added gear oil. |
2014 Subaru Forester 4-door
4-cylinder automatic AWD
| 21260 mi | Shifting was from park to reverse to forwards was slow. Computer needed to get reprogrammed. |
2013 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 97000 mi US $2450 |
My complaint was a tough (manual) shift from 2nd gear into 3rd. They rebuilt the transmission. It's still not great. |
2013 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 69000 mi | The front axle was bad, it was making a clunking noise when turning. They replaced the axle and then that one was defective so they had to replace it again. The dealer was not at fault the original issue was just a bad axle from 60000 miles |
| 91000 mi US $390 |
axle seal was leaking, I also had a recall |
| 2980 mi | ECU and PCM reset |
| 12400 mi | Transmission fluid was over FULL level (from factory). Dealer adjusted it. |
2012 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 42000 mi US $120 |
Had transmission oil replaced. Car came from lease so maintenance intervals are maintained, but the gears (1st and second) are hard to shift in 40-50s or below weather even after 3-4 minute startup. Not a prob on 97 honda in same weather |
| 87000 mi US $800 |
Front half axle replacement |
2011 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 62000 mi US $900 |
Clutch needed replacing after throw-out bearing failed. Subaru did discount the job 500.00 as I had other car issues in the past. |
2011 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 35200 mi | Slight clunking noise when car is put into reverse then driven forward. |
| 12000 mi | Reprogrammed transmission to correct rough shifting during extreme cold. |
| 42500 mi | During routine maintenance, the rear differential was not properly filled. Failed several thousand miles later and was replaced under warranty. |
| 45000 mi | Replaced transmission with remanufactured transmission |
2011 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
148-horsepower 2.0L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 79360 mi A $900 |
Worn components covered under extended warranty |
2010 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 89000 mi | 90,000 mile service performed, transmission drain plug was over tightened and cracked the transmission case...transmission was then replaced by dealer. Newly installed transmission had leaky axle plug seals, dealer replaced those as well. |
2010 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 113000 mi US $1500 |
Replaced clutch bearing, pressure plate, and flywheel. |
| 116200 mi US $1300 |
Clutch replacement, high pitched whine, likely throw out bearing. |
| 117000 mi US $1000 |
Clutch Pressure plate and release bearing worn out. |
| 102000 mi US $430 |
Throwout bearing howling and replaced. |
2010 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 67580 mi | Rear hanger bearing noisy. Diagnosed as needing replacement. Shaft and bearing one assembly piece replaced. |
| 51000 mi US $425 |
Carrier/center bearing, upon which the driveshaft is supported, failed. Part is only replaced as full driveshaft unit. |
| 115280 mi C $760 |
Driveshaft bearing was grinding whole driveshaft replaced |
| 14200 mi | Transmission temperature light kept coming on; transmission would not shift properly. Dealer had to order in, and replace a module. The transmission actually was not overheating. |
| 15900 mi | The shift lever became hard to move. Parts were ordered in and replaced. |
| 91140 mi C $300 |
Car started to make a ticking sound when making sharp right turns at low speed. This become worse and vibration at highway speeds started under acceleration. My mechanic diagnosed this a bad inner CV. Cost to repair and reboot the front half-shaft is more money than the difference in parts cost to replace the entire half-shaft so I went that route. Mechanic suggested an aftermarket half-shaft which are known to cause vibration issues. This one was no different and I am now waiting on the Subaru OEM part which is on back order. Not impressed that Subaru Canada does not keep a known failure part like this in stock at all times. It's common to many different models and years of Subaru! |
| 99200 mi C $135 |
Vibration diagnosis revealed possible issue with recently replace front half-shaft. |
| 61300 mi US $4200 |
Replaced with rebuilt transmission |
| 175000 mi US $165 |
Transmission cooler lines rusted out, causing severe transmission fluid leak. Replaced hard lines, and two rubber lines connecting to the radiator. |
2010 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
148-horsepower 2.0L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 105280 mi C $3800 |
Heard a slight knocking noise on front passenger side for 6+ mo. Noise got slightly louder. Took it to Subaru dealership out of town; estimated replacing front CV or U joint. Home dealer recommended replacing entire transmission-so did it |
2009 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 55800 mi $1500 |
Replace the viscous center differential |
2009 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 77000 mi | Diff was squeeling. |
| 29000 mi | Rough shifting transmission. Was told Forester transmissions often become rough with wear and that the shifting fell within factory specifications. |
| 33260 mi | drive shaft noise due to loose part |
| 66000 mi US $30 |
Went to dealer to have differential oil changed. They would only do rear diff as the front diff dipstick was stuck in filler tube and would not come out. I bought a new one and with much effort removed the stuck one. The original was corroded. |
| 118000 mi US $265 |
Took my Forester in to have differential axle seals replaced. 4 days after I noticed a strong smell of diff fluid. Took it back to dealer after Christmas and they found that tech had not tightend seal cover properly. Found loose axle nut |
| 124500 mi | Previously replaced right axle seal leaking,when removed found it had been torn on install.Replaced under warrenty. |
2009 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 145hp 2.0L H4 Diesel 6-speed manual AWD
| 62000 mi $650 |
Center differential was broken. It was not replaced but repaired |
2009 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 28000 mi | The stick shift frequently sticks and refuses to go into reverse. Dealership says that it's just the nature of the transmission and there's nothing they can do. |
| 37000 mi US $5250 |
Discovered transmission case was cracked after brakes were replaced, apparently due to getting a flat tire on the highway a couple of weeks earlier. Covered by warranty. |
| 91000 mi US $740 |
Also replaced leaking driveshaft seal. Total includes.other fluid and filter annual maintenance. |
| 127000 mi US $4000 |
Replace Transmission |
| 78300 mi US $250 |
Torn Driver's side CV boot. Replaced. Shop did alignment as well. |
2009 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
170-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 24000 mi | New axles. |
| 66000 mi US $1550 |
2 transmission lines between tranny and cooler behind radiator were corroded and leaking, both were replaced. |
| 69000 mi US $40 |
Replaced propeller shaft (driveshaft) due to worn center carrier bearing. |
| 72000 mi | Car had flashing “at oil temp” light after a rough 1-2 upshift under normal acceleration. Dealer diagnosed an at temp sensor failure which required an internal wiring harness replacement. Dealer upon disassembly realized that the valve body required replacement as an electronic component there had failed. Was covered under enhanced emissions warranty and was no charge. |
| 94700 mi US $350 |
Lines to transmission were leaking, had to be replaced. |
| 22000 mi | Leaking seal on front axle at transmission - seal ordered. Transmission seal on front axle replaced and leak was eliminated. |
| 91500 mi US $600 |
Replacement of sensor system |
| 108900 mi C $250 |
Crankshaft boot leaking so was replaced |
| 53000 mi | Vehicle had a whine from about 5 to 50mph or so, after which it was drowned out by wind/road noise. The noise changed pitch with speed. The dealer dx the problem as faulty transfer gear and tailshaft bearings and replaced under warranty. |
| 150000 mi US $1300 |
transmission stopped working. Installed a used transmission. |
| 48000 mi US $750 |
Slipping in transmission. Transmission flushed. |
| 92000 mi | Car shifts really rough going into 3ed gear (automatic). Transmission can't seem to find correct ratio and shifts up too soon. |
| 12000 mi | Pin point hole in cv boot. Boot replaced. |
2008 Subaru Forester
Engine not specified
| 65720 mi $333 |
CV Joint |
| 86800 mi $1000 |
Outer CV joint |
2008 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 150000 mi US $130 |
rear end needs replaced or major rebuild |
2008 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
173-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 78000 mi US $200 |
CV joint needed replacing |
2008 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
173-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 66620 mi C $250 |
Changed both link kit - front |
| 55800 mi C $30 |
auto, shift linkage became stiff in May 2013. Had lubed and subsequently replaced pivot points, cleaned and lubed -- cable was ok. Became stiff again in June 2014.had cleaned and lubed, including cable. |
| 153000 mi US $325 |
rear u-joint on drive shaft |
2007 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 112000 mi US $200 |
Shifter bushing were replaced |
| 113000 mi US $1500 |
Clutch seized |
2007 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 133000 mi | Front CV joint noise. |
2007 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
173-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 109000 mi US $1800 |
Master bearing of clutch went out; clutch replaced. |
| 177000 mi US $2100 |
Catastrophic transmission failure. Required replacement in full. |
| 117200 mi C $1160 |
Clutch seized - throw bearing fried, clutch totally worn (first clutch replacement @176Km) |
2007 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
173-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 120900 mi C $586 |
Replaced both front cv boots, oil change, filter and inspection of brakes. Rotate tires |
| 60000 mi US $214 |
automatic transmission shift cable replaced |
| 93000 mi A $280 |
Broken driveshaft replaced |
| 38440 mi | Transmission replaced in August. This was for a trans oil leak from the job. |
| 161000 mi | Transmission cooling line failed |
| 225000 mi US $900 |
left front axle Drive shaft replaced because of worn universal joint |
| 64900 mi | RF outer axle boot damaged/leaking at pre-purchase inspection. Dealer replaced |
2006 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 230hp 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 57660 mi C $1937 |
Overhaul / Replace Clutch, Pressure Plate, Throw-out bearing, flush clutch hydrologics and Gear box |
| 89000 mi | Throwout bearing failure |
| 122000 mi | Extension housing of transmission is leaking slightly. |
| 151100 mi US $35 |
Cv joint boot torn, joint about to fail |
2006 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
173-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 65000 mi US $2500 |
transmission had to be replaced |
| 98000 mi US $1550 |
Throw out bearing wore out. Grinding noise and gripping problem, no evident problem the day before. Repair shop recommended new clutch as well as bearing due to mileage. |
2006 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
173-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 61660 mi | Hard 3-4 shifts in cold weather immediately after first start after overnight cold soak. Dealer diagnosed leaking seal in transmission and replaced unit under extended warranty. |
| 113500 mi | Car was overheating, turned out to require major transmission work. |
| 25000 mi | Flush & replace transmission fluid. Car was making a noise such as riding on a rumble strip when it shifted into 3rd & 4th gear. Seems to have stopped. |
2006 Subaru Forester 4-door
4-cylinder manual 4WD
| 190759 mi €598 |
The ramp start system does not work properly. |
2005 Subaru Forester
Engine not specified
| 73800 mi US $1100 |
Transmission seal damaged during head gasket repair that occurred just before I bought the car. Seller paid half. Total was $1,100. |
2005 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 210hp 2.5L I4 5-speed manual AWD
| 125000 mi US $3200 |
difficult to find first and reverse gears. Flywheel was removed and retooled as it was damaged. |
| 136000 mi US $400 |
Cracked boot replaced and another boot that was about to go replaced |
| 122760 mi C $900 |
leaking rear strut. had to replace both rear struts |
2005 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 210hp 2.5L I4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 123000 mi | Diagnostic done: needs: new ball joints, new tires, new steering pump, new transmission. Door latch doesn't work anymore either. No repairs done. |
2005 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 18786 mi €80 |
20000mls service (oil change, oil filter, spark plugs, air filter, compartment air filter) |
| 23250 mi €30 |
25000mls / oil and filter change |
| 55000 mi | Gear shift stuck and wheels locked-mysteriously fixed after towed to mechanic. |
2005 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 69000 mi US $360 |
Boot was broken, changed driver side front axle |
| 75020 mi | Transmission shifting hard |
| 59975 mi | Replaced transmission. Cracked gears. Warranty replacement. |
| 153075 mi US $3887 |
Solenoids in the transmission went bad during high speed freeway travel. Resulted in CEL and lack of gears at operating temperature. As a result, had to replace the solenoids, the torque converter, and all the fluid. 3rd transmission now... Solenoids in the transmission went bad during high speed freeway travel. Resulted in CEL and lack of gears at operating temperature. As a result, had to replace the solenoids, the torque converter, and all the fluid. 3rd transmission now... |
| 68000 mi | failing rear transaxle |
| 140000 mi US $230 |
AWD clutch was binding when turning left or right. Shop drained and flushed the transmission to resolve the problem. Tires grab when turning sharply in either direction. I suspected the sealed silicone awd clutch but mechanic flushed trans fluid and freed up internal clutches to resolve the problem. |
| 114000 mi US $110 |
Replace transmission cooling tube because of a pinhole leak. |
2005 Subaru Forester 4-door
4-cylinder manual 4WD
| 55180 mi $50000 |
Clutch disc was found slightly damaged when the car was in the repair shop for new pistons and rings. It was replaced. |
2004 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 210hp 2.5L I4 5-speed manual AWD
| 87000 mi US $150 |
Front CV axles |
2004 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
turbocharged 210hp 2.5L I4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 273000 mi US $500 |
Replaced front boots and axel. |
| 123000 mi | ongoing clunk from either transmission or differential, diff fluid clean & fairly new as is trans fluid, clunk is sporadic and goes away, normally only happens once per every few weeks, will try changing fluids, probable long term issue |
| 143800 mi US $200 |
right front inner cv joint boot split, typical problem with this vehicles due to boot location near engine exhaust manifold. Not really bad I guess, it lasted 130k + miles. OEM new part as best replacement is expensive. |
| 148000 mi | inner right cv boot (the one near heat location near exhaust) totally failed on trip to cold weather state for holiday, not many tools as locations, had to use too big split boot type for temp repair, worked ok too awhile, good temp fix |
| 161000 mi US $65 |
replaced front right cv axle, extreme wheel wobble felt thru steering wheel on uneven roads, inner cv joint had failed with 2 of 3 bearing races entirely worn out allowing axle to move in the race, up and down movement on axle |
2004 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 70000 mi | Keep getting "Check Engine" light, it's a code 5301 which turns out to be the neutral switch on the Transmission. Resets itself eventually and light goes off so no fix for now. |
| 124000 mi US $1612 |
Center Differential replaced |
| 135200 mi US $75 |
Replaced cv axel because right front inner boot failed |
| 145300 mi US $150 |
Driveshaft u joints started to squeak, replaced driveshaft with one from junkyard with <100k on it for 150 bucks. Easy fix. |
| 83500 mi US $1120 |
Throwout bearing failed. Replace clutch and throwout bearing. Refill with synthetic fluid. Throwout bearing failed and buzzing loudly. Clutch shuddering. Replace clutch and throwout bearing. Refill with synthetic fluid. |
| 115000 mi US $311 |
Replace transmission neutral switch to correct severe shuddering while driving. |
| 126000 mi US $160 |
Replaced clutch master cylinder, clutch slave cylinder, and hydraulic hose. Clutch master cylinder was leaking and not holding pressure. |
| 184000 mi | Issues developing with the transmission/AWD system. Time to trade it in. |
2004 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 59936 mi US $300 |
Transmission pan leaking transmission fluid. Re-seal pan. |
| 60000 mi US $30 |
AWD system chattered when turning sharply at low speeds. Corrected by replacing transmission/transfer case lubricant. |
| 130200 mi C $300 |
Transmission was lazy, result of Fluid Leak, had to seal pipe. |
| 258000 mi | Axle $600 to repair, estim. |
| 70060 mi C $500 |
Part 1: The transmission shifter (automatic) was sticky/heavy to shift. This required a cleaning of the shifter area. Part 2: It was also difficult to get the transmission into Park in order to remove the key. This required a new bushing |
2003 Subaru Forester
Engine not specified
| 86000 mi | Drive shaft sheared. Repairs still in progress, seeking a good used part. |
| 87000 mi £3000 |
Rear diff disintegrating |
| 87000 mi | Rear diff disintegrating |
2003 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 33000 mi | Clutch assembly needed replacement. A few 2002/2003 Foresters developed "cold clutch shudder": Clutch would shudder when engine was cold, fine once warm. Subie recognized this as defective parts they replaced entire clutch system under warranty. |
| 151700 mi US $25 |
P0507 OBD II code with check engine light. Replaced Neutral Switch and cleared code (manual transmission) |
| 169300 mi US $100 |
Replaced Clutch Slave Cylinder |
| 316000 mi US $1100 |
Drive shaft replaced |
| 121000 mi US $1000 |
Replaced worn-out shifter knuckle |
| 129000 mi US $900 |
Replaced Transmission and clutch |
| 15620 mi | Clutch chatter when cold. Replaced clutch assembly under warranty |
| 84320 mi A $2200 |
Clutch pressure plate broke into 3 pieces while driving resulting in partial loss of drive. New clutch kit fitted. Original dual-mass flywheel also replaced with a solid flywheel. New clutch and flywheel kit from Exedy (not Subaru). |
2003 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 210000 mi US $500 |
Replace gaskets |
| 245000 mi US $1600 |
front axle seal replacement |
| 42500 mi US $1817 |
Replaced pinion bearing support. Replaced pinion bearing support. |
| 108180 mi | Transmission bushings replaced - car was starting to get difficult to shift. Also did a full tune up & had the winter tire change over done. |
| 172360 mi C $350 |
Leaking transmission filter, may have hit something, thus low tranmission fluid and dash warning light. |
| 41000 mi | troubleshoot - transmission whine. no problem found |
| 123000 mi US $38 |
AT Oil Temp and Check Engine light came on after having the car washed. Transmission solenoid replaced under warranty (second time in 9 months). Lights both came back on 30 minutes after picking up car, in a rainstorm. |
| 114742 mi US $617 |
Replace transmission pressure line solenoid. Replace transmission pressure line solenoid |
| 114742 mi | Car jerking when changing from 2 to 3rd. No clear diagnosis and advised that repair would cost $1650+. Not worth it for this lemon of a car. |
| 149000 mi US $1600 |
The car was making a strange almost-scraping noise from the front end. Both front wheel bearings were replaced, however, the noise still remained. |
| 138700 mi US $200 |
Rear differential replaced |
| 177000 mi US $100 |
Gear selector froze in Park while I was in line at a fast food outlet. I was able to force the shifter into drive after exerting a tremendous amount of force. The car was repaired by replacing the entire shifter mechanism with a used one. The problem ended up being a failed solenoid on the old shifter. We were not able to simply replace that part because I partially destroyed the shifter when forcing into gear. |
| 151300 mi US $600 |
driver side axle shaft& general maintenance |
2002 Subaru Forester
Engine not specified
| 84000 mi US $570 |
Replace both drive axles and boots |
2002 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 170000 mi US $1416 |
Replace clutch, throwout bearing, etc. |
| 218000 mi US $50 |
Rear Differential grabbing in tight maneuvers after warm. Changed differential fluid and added an additive. Need to drive for a few months to see if problem resolves or differential needs to be replaced. |
| 131000 mi US $100 |
Main drive shaft U-joint failed. Replacement shaft cost $650 (discounted). Installed myself as a bolt-up. Passenger side front CV boot broke and exposed bearing. Pulled old shaft and replaced with remanufactured non-dealer replacement part. Removing outer wheeler bearing knuckle was very difficult. |
| 138700 mi US $1857 |
Replaced CV boot, 100. |
| 210000 mi US $1200 |
Repaced 1 cv boot that was cracked |
| 128000 mi US $300 |
left front axle |
| 149000 mi US $350 |
Front CV joints were noisy, sounding worn out - making clunking noises on startup and on sharp turns. Replaced front axles with reman units prior to failure as a precaution. |
| 149600 mi US $2600 |
Problems with propshaft bearing and rear differential. Was cheaper to put in whole replacement(used)transmission, propshaft, and rear differential than just replace the bad parts. |
2002 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 95000 mi US $2800 |
Passenger front cv axle replaced |
| 125000 mi US $400 |
Replace both front axles; boots/CV joints went out. |
| 98100 mi US $350 |
Inner CV boot on front driver side ripped open and needed replacement. |
| 119000 mi US $4500 |
center differential |
2001 Subaru Forester
Engine not specified
| 108500 mi | CV boot torn on passenger outer. |
2001 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 93000 mi US $140 |
County Auto of Somerville MA did not replace, or did not use the upgrade roller bearings in repair of my car. When I dug into the knuckle to do it right myself, out came original BALL bearings--one was cracked in half! Small claims court, here we come! |
| 109000 mi US $400 |
Replaced driver's side front axle since boot was torn. Replaced front pads, driver's side rotor, slide pin boots. Spent time to grind down pins and brackets so pad movement improved. |
| 110000 mi US $40 |
Since May 2011, when car warm, we experienced what we thought was torque bind, aka center differential bind. Turns out it was actually FRONT diff. bind. Fixed by replacing front differential oil. Myself in driveway. All symptoms gone. |
| 113000 mi US $26 |
Clutch went to floor last summer in very hot traffic jams. I am guessing it is the clutch slave cylinder, so I replaced that myself. Very easy to fix. If it happens again this summer, then I will replace the master cylinder next. |
| 139000 mi US $100 |
Both the clutch master cylinder(inner seals worn, so clutch pedal soft, does not spring up from floor) and the rubber clutch hose failed, pinhole leak (so clutch pedal went to floor, no return). So I bot replacement parts at Advance Auto. |
| 144000 mi US $30 |
Car would not shift into gear even with clutch pedal depressed normally. This happened more lately when the engine was warm, than cold. Clutch fluid looked murky too. Replaced slave cylinder and bled in new clutch fluid. |
| 114700 mi A $400 |
Rubber boot on CV shaft split due to age. |
| 99000 mi US $200 |
CV joint boot. |
| 97000 mi US $486 |
Front axle inner CV joint boots both failed. Opted for new axles given high mileage. |
| 173000 mi US $50 |
Leaking clutch hose. |
| 166000 mi US $600 |
and front drive shaft. |
| 212000 mi | clutch, and the trans makes noise when it's cold. Time to sell! |
| 139200 mi US $358 |
Slave cylinder in clutch died, dealer said had some kind of service recall(TSB) on that part. The part is replaced and you are left with the labor charge to pay. So out of the shop for less then 400.00. |
| 213000 mi US $1671 |
Replaced manual transmission with used one |
2001 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 167000 mi US $350 |
New Axles |
| 168000 mi US $721 |
Left front spindle, axle and inner wheel seal |
| 201517 mi US $100 |
Replaced passenger front CV Axle. Also replaced steering boot. Replaced CV Axle Replaced Steering boot. |
| 177000 mi US $285 |
inner axle boot on passenger side was torn. |
| 222000 mi US $75 |
Replaced passenger front axle. CV boot was torn. |
| 203800 mi US $1500 |
Rear end whine, replaced wheel bearing and axle, still whining. |
| 112500 mi US $800 |
Drive side Axle needed replacement. |
| 185000 mi US $880 |
Front CV joints replaced |
| 150000 mi US $1110 |
Replaced C/V boot driver side |
| 254000 mi US $500 |
Bent Front wheel axel |
2001 Subaru Forester 4-door
4-cylinder manual AWD
| 122000 mi US $200 |
Hydraulic clutch line ruptured. |
2000 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 120000 mi US $1600 |
Replaced clutch and bushings. |
2000 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV
165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 100532 mi US $840 |
Service trans |
| 102400 mi US $480 |
2 front axles replaced due to wobbling on acceleration. I believe a CV is still amiss or something similar as the symptoms persist without radiating up the steering column |
1999 Subaru Forester
Engine not specified
| 70000 mi US $350 |
It makes a loud bang when starting to go from a dead stop but is not fixed. They fixed right front axel. They said that is the problem but it is not. |
| 88000 mi US $200 |
The car would not shift into drive reliably. The transmission fluid and filter were changed. Mechanic felt it would need transmission work shortly and will cost about $2000. Will probably buy a new car |
1999 Subaru Forester 4-door
4-cylinder manual AWD
| 78120 mi | transmission needs replacing; decided to retire the vehicle. |
1999 Subaru Forester 4-door
4-cylinder automatic AWD
| 280000 mi US $500 |
and front cv joints. |
1998 Subaru Forester
Engine not specified
| 234000 mi US $800 |
U Joints went on driveshaft when driving 350 to Idaho. Trapped in Idaho for two days waiting for parts. |
1998 Subaru Forester 4-door
4-cylinder manual AWD
| 140700 mi US $1000 |
CV boots; |
1998 Subaru Forester 4-door
4-cylinder automatic AWD
| 89000 mi US $110 |
delayed forward engagement |
| 191500 mi US $80 |
Trans. fluid temp light came on |
See TrueDelta's information for all SUVs
See TrueDelta's information for all Subaru models.
