Subaru Forester

"first the ball joints were replaced then another front suspension part. we could have hit a road hazard perhaps."

""Vehicle was becoming unsafe at freeway speeds, exhibiting severe vibration throughout front end, Brought to mechanic and determined that both "ball joints" on both left and right lower control arms were nearly destroyed, causing dangerously loose steering. Turns-out these "ball joints" are actually just cheap molded rubber pucks, and they commonly fail somewhere between 50k and 100k miles. Mechanic replaced all joints and vehicle is safe to drive again, but very unhappy with Subaru for using cheap components in the front suspension, especially on their so-called AWD off-road-capable compact SUV. I've had other things fail (like wheel bearings and head gaskets) on the Forester, and I'm done with owning Subarus. They may look good on showroom floor, but they are cheaply-made and not reliable beyond 50k miles.""

"The knuckle that connects ball joints with suspension snapped but held together by a bolt"

"replaced at milage under 100k"

"lower front ball joints replaced on both sides"

""Lower ball joint on drivers side wore out and was loose. The way Subaru designed the ball joint, this is a common problem in snowy areas due to the salt thrown on the roads. It is difficult to remove because the bolt holding it in tends to rust solid.""

"Torn front control arm bushings causing bad vibration"

""Front end was making noises, clunking. Service inpspection reveled bushing were bad.""

""Experience vibration at speeds over 50 mph. Thought it was new tires, but the bushings needed to be replaced.""

"Lower control arm bushing. One bushing rotted out so my independent shop replaced the entire lower control arm since it cost less than just replacing the one bushing. Plus the other two bushings on the control arm where not far behind on wearing out."

""He told me the bushings were wearing out and if I didnt replace some, the steering would start to get very loose until it became dangerous so I had to do it""

""The problem started soon after the vehicle had been in for regular maintenance in November, 2024, so we misinterpreted the rattling as the streets were even worse than we had thought. Initially the rattling was on the highway but then progressed to occurring at lower speeds. The vehicle was taken in for service two months after the maintenance work and the issue was resolved that day (January, 2025).""

"Rear Suspension Bushing was worn resulting in a slight shimming of rear wheel. New bushing / control arm was replaced and problem solved."

"Front and rear bushings needed to be completely replaced as they had cracked and were no longer functional."

"vibration at high speed while turning left (bend in road) required replacement of bushing in right front lower control arm. My mechanic told me this was a common repair on this generation Forester"

""When in for the 100000km service, worn bushings had to be replaced""

""It started around 100k miles, and was noticeable by a strong vibration that would suddenly kick in around 60mph. The problem was resolved by replacing both front bushings ($1,000 repair, plus $150 diagnosis). Cause is unknown.""

"They wore out for the 2nd time within a short period of time. I get work done at the dealership. I don't know much about cars so I believe this is correct. Just seems to have worn down very quickly."

"The bushings on the front passenger side were worn and needed replacement."

"Car steering would vibrate every time once at 80 mph on smooth freeways."

""BOTH L ARM ASSEMBLIES R&R 611425 BUSHING R&R, EACH, BUSHING TRANSVERSE LINK F Damage caused by pot-hole,causing front end shimmy at highway speeds. This was detailed in a service bulletin issued by Subaru. Extended warranty item. no charge.""

""The car has sufffered from chronic problems with air leakage from the tires due to corrosion on the wheel rims. The dealer charged me $400 (after a $100 discount)to fix it once, and after the 90,000 mile service the problem resurfaced. This time the dealer fixed it at no cost (the fix consists of cleaning any corrosion from the wheels and reseating the tires). The dealer believes that the rebalancing of the tires done as part of the 90K service was he cause of the recurrence of the problem. This is my 3rd Subaru, and two out of the three of them have had this problem.""

""The control arm on the passenger side cracked under normal use which causes issues while driving. To ensure no issues began with the other side, we replaced both.""

""One time rats ate the insulation from the wiring to the power steering system. Disabling it. I didn't realize that the power steering was electrically powered. Cost about $2,000 to fix that""

"it wore out and had to be replaced"

""Dealer claimed rear shocks were leaking, but not evident to driver.""

"Front torsion bar broke and had to be replaced"

"Problem appeared at 70mph with noticeable vibration in steering wheel. Dealer fixed at a cost of $675"

"Problem noticed late last year usually at about 70mph.It was intermittent and would last until I slowed down.Was resolved by replacing control arms and sway bar links and bushings."

""The problem began in about July 2024, I felt vibrations for about 2 weeks. The repairs were made in early August.""

""loose steering, vibration at highway speeds""

""Started making low pitched whining, first the left rear, 4000 miles the right rear.""

"The noise tipped me off. The rear axle wheel bearing had worn to the point of needing replacement. The replacement of the bearings solved the problem."

"Both rear wheel bearings were worn to the point that they needed to be replaced."

"The left rear wheel bearings was replaced under warranty 5 yrs ago. The right rear wheel bearing needed to be replaced 3 months ago."

"Rear wheel bearings made noise and were replaced at 65000 miles"

""Wheel bearings repair was $1,600.""

"Started about 6 months before being fixed.Constant noise.Problem resolved by replacing both rear wheel hub assemblies."

""Both rear wheel bearings started making noise at 70,000 miles. Got REALLY bad at 85,000 miles. Had to have both replaced at a cost of $1400""

"Whining sound 6-8 weeks One wheel completed last week. Second wheel yet to be determined."

""Wheel bearings have gone out in 2 different wheels, and the car is not abused - mostly only driven to and from work. Not a problem that we have experienced before""

"I noticed noise which I thought may have been from winter tires but it didn't resolve when I rotted them out to summer tires. An inspection revealed a bad wheel bearing on the rear axle."

"Needed to replace both rear wheel bearings"

"Wheel bearing failure on both rear wheels that progressed gradually over time. Manifested as excess road noise and lower than average fuel efficiency."

"right rear wheel bearing started whining at about 90000 miles. Continued to get louder. Replaced at 105000. I did the work for $200 in parts"

"I know little about cars. I had a bearing on the rear wheels replaced a little over 2 years ago. This year they recommended both get replaced. Not sure if this is normal wear or not, but mechanic once told me before I purchased this car that this was the only problem on Subarus he ever had to fix at his garage."

"I have replaced 2 wheel bearings since owning this car"

"Had to replace the bearing in 2 of the 4 wheels,told the other 2 will probably go soon $900 each!"

""I have needed to replace several wheel bearings on this vehicle since new, and they are difficult to replace.""

"have replaced all and two more than once"

"Rear wheel bearings were replaced due to excessive wear and noise."

"Vehicle developed a humming noise at speed that was originating in a specific quadrant of the vehicle. Local service center identified worn wheel bearing and replaced."

"Both rear wheel bearings began to hum - required replacement"

"During the first hot spell this summer, I noticed that my A/C was not cooling the interior of the car. I took the car to a dealership and they diagnosed a failed compressor. I had them replace it and the A/C has been working fine ever since."

"Compressor had to be replaced."

"The previous owner said there was issues (and a potential recall) with the air compressor a few years back which they had fixed, and since then it had been running fine. Around 2 years into owning the vehicle the air compressor went and I had to replace it. After replacing it, the air still isn't up to my expectations."

""The original compressor failed in 2023 and I paid to have it replaced in late summer. Shortly after this, Subaru issued a recall, I requested reimbursement. This was granted and I was reimbursed fully. The new compressor was used only a few times before fall weather set in. The A/C seas not used during the Fall, Winter, or Spring, but, when turned on in the Summer, did not work at all. The Subaru dealer refused to replace the compressor unless I paid the full cost. I found this unacceptable and am unlikely to buy another Subaru since they do not stand not by their work.""

"it was expensive and took several shop visits to discern that this was the problem"

"Had to replace compressor"

""An O ring failed and freon/compressor oil leaked out, leading to compressor failure and replacement.""

"Had to be replaced."

""The A/C Compressor failed and had to be replaced. I placed numerous complaints of it not blowing cool air consistently for 3 years. The compressor started to make noise and I had checked. It had to be replaced as it was about to lock up. After the replacement, it blows colder that it has in years and the fuel economy increase by 2.5 MPG. This had been part of a recall, but the dealer did not replace it until it had failed and the recall period had expired. Subaru corporate refunded most of my repair expense, but not all of it.""

"AC compressor died at 95,000 miles. Dealer wanted $3200 to replace. That's almost half the value of the car. The receiver/dryer is built into the condenser. I replaced both myself, using genuine Subaru parts, but it still cost me about $1600. This car is expensive to maintain. I have had most of the issue mentioned on CR, almost on schedule. Hoping to get another 50k out of the vehicle before the next major repair."

"replaced compressor,recharge"

""We were experiencing unpredictable cycling of the AC system, usually started out cold, but then would suddenly go warm after a bit and stay warm for a while,then go cold again. Tried recharging system to no avail. Replacing the compressor solved the problem.""

"Try expensive repair bill on ac unit."

"Bearings froze and would not turn the compressor. Replaced compressor."

"No cold air and problem has not been properly seen too."

"Just last month the A/C stopped working and it turned out that the compressor needed replacing. This is the first time it has gone bad. Our Subaru dealership (who do excellent work) was able to replace the compressor that same day. It's expensive, but worth it."

"no cold air was produced by air conditioning system"

"I had had a new AC system rebuilt under warranty several years before, which presumably was a manufacturing defect. But it suddenly stopped working while I was in the desert in 115 degree heat. This happened about 5 years after I had the warranty work done on the AC system, and I thought its failure in such a short time was very dismaying. I had bought this vehicle under the recommendation of Consumer Reports who had rated it's reliability as "better than average" at the time, but I wound up spending over $6,000 in repair bills in a single year. Not sure I will buy another Subaru because getting a reliable vehicle is something of a crap shoot. Will probably buy a Toyota next time"

"3 weeks before warrantee expired, dealer had to replace AC due to compressor failure."

"no cold air was produced by air conditioning system"

""The air conditioning stops working on real hot days, and starts working after changing lanes...dealer thinks it may have to do with auto control switch""

"A/C will blow warm moist air when ambient temperature is in upper 80s. If set to lo compressor will kick in but not automatically. Mechanic replaced the control board but it did not fix the issue. It is an intermittent problem and no one seems to be able to fix it."

""Have been experiencing the A/C intermittently going from cold to warm and back to cold mainly during highway driving. Subaru dealer could not replicate problem in Aug 2024 but added some refrigerant. Seemed to work better for a while but issue returned and then I tried setting temp control to LOW and fan speed on high to bypass auto temp control. Worked better at cooling but occasionally blew warm air for a few minutes then started blowing cold air. Then I been searching on the Subaru Forester Owners Forum and came across a few similar problems that the Subaru dealers could not troubleshoot. One mention of replacing the AC Relay in the fuse box under the hood seemed to work for one owner so I just replaced the relay on June 4, 2025 and drove the car for about an hour and so far did not experience the problem of initial cold air with intermittent warm air and back. Did not have to keep fiddling with the A/C controls. Hopefully, this is the simple fix replacing a $25.00 part.""

""Hot humid weather after driving 2 plus hours, blower fan speed goes to max speed, cannot change speed with controls. Will go back to normal on its own after 45 minutes or more, but issue will repeat on a long trip. Even though speed is on high can control the temperature.""

"Doesn't blow as strong as it should. It works just well enough to keep us comfortable in the summer heat."

"Had to replace blower motor at under 50000 miles"

"It had to be replaced. I think just due to wearing out."

"The condenser was replaced under warranty."

"Blowing hot air.System found to be empty and leaking oil.Removed and replaced condenser."

"Subaru did a recall on the condenser, dealership replaced but not the compressor that I paid $2000 to have done when the Subaru tech said the compressor will fail. I contacted Subaru of America and they stated that each part of the car is its own part even if it relies on othe parts to work like the compressor, evaporator and condenser"

"problem with infotainment started early,Dealer refused to repair,said update not available"

"Expensive repair and car out of service for 4 days."

"Dont know"

"The air conditioner stopped working. I haven't yet had it dignosed."

"A/C stopped working at tge beginning summer. It was fixed but cost quite a lot combined with normal brake maintenance. Went to Subaru dealer"

"car was not immediately cooling when turned on and this was the problem"

"The AC unit did not cool."

""AC wasn't staying cold. It had a leak. It wasn't "major", but cost around $500 to fix""

"Stopped blowing cold"

"leaks from lines from the compressor"

"Last year, our faulty catalytic converter had disabled the Eyesight sensors. Did not know the catalytic converter was the source of the sensor's defect until AFTER the Subaru catalyitic converter recall expired. Had to spend $2600. to replace it"

"Cracked at joint. Recall or warranty item."

"Told I needed to replace the cat converter. When I balked, suddenly I was told it was under warranty."

"I had two different leaks in exhaust pipe. Two connections had to be replaced."

"Starts rough and loud. Fumes in interior of car"

"Leaking gasket between two pipes."

"Hole in pipe"

"exhaust leak in manifold"

""Vehicle started to develop dangerous engine exhaust leaks in engine compartment, which were being sucked into passenger compartment through intake vent below windshield. Exhaust gas odor was especially bad in passenger compartment when vehicle was idling stopped or moving a very slow speeds. Turns-out problem was the exhaust crossover manifold between left and right side of engine. Manifold had developed cracks and was leaking a lot of exhaust. Had to repair entire exhaust manifold to address problem. This is another example of Subaru's cheap approach to components, and turns-out they are "known" for exhaust problems, similar to how they are known for failed wheel bearing and failed head gaskets and failed suspension components. I am done owning Subarus, they somehow continue to be consumer favorites in spite of their consistent legacy of cheap design and poor build quality. They are not built to last.""

"Heard it. Dealer said nothing wrong. Got worse. Turned out to be at the converter. It was covered by extended warranty through Subaru."

"The manifold was cracked and required replacement"

""Rotted out, replaced""

"Muffler was not of high quality"

"windshield washer sensor defective,entire tank needs to be replaced."

""Key wouldnt come out of ignition. Googled and seems to have been a problem going back several years but no recall. Had to pay for a diagnostic to get it fixed 5 months ago. Now suddenly both my key fobs arent working and tire pressure light is on. Apparently there is a connection, but have to pay for a diagnostic again to have it fixed (even though I was told that there is a connection between the two so they must know what the problem is).""

"2 months ago driving with no passanger the alarm for the passenger seat. I had to pull over and put the seat belt on for the alarm to go off. I began feeling heat with no heat or air conditioning on. I just appointed today to get it fixed next week"

"Front end tie rod supports"

"wheel bearings"

"DCM drained batteries, incl 1 that was brand new. Subaru issued a recall notice about this widespread problem. A dealer fixed it free. Still waiting for Subaru to reimburse me."

"suspension bushings worn and dangerous"

""Ignition key will not come out because of a micro switch. We need to do several things before it releases. If we do these things it seems to help. Gearshift needs to be racked back and forth, and steering wheel rocked back and forth.""

"Could not remove key from ignition switch. Dealer replaced shifter plate assembly"

"Recall on DCM Module that caused repeated battery drain and failure. Replaced DCM module and disconneted telematics button. No charge for repairs."

"Wheel bearing replacement"