Subaru Forester

"started going out summer of 2024. 1st dealership said nothing was wrong. making a high whining sound."

"My wife complained that the air conditioning was not operating properly. We took it to the dealer and they confirmed that the compressor and evaporator needed replaced. That work represents the vast majority of the monies spent in the last year for maintenance."

""After 6 years my A/C quit working properly. It would cool if I was driving on the highway, but since most of my driving is in city driving , it didnt cool. I didnt get it fixed until this spring. Ive never had the A/C go out on any of my Hondas or VWs. The mechanic said it had been a problem with this years model.""

"I had to replace the air conditioner. $1,000. The EyeSight system has a class action."

"A/C started blowing less cold air until it was only blowing ambient temperature air."

"AC was not working. Took it to repair shop. At first they thought it was a leaking value. Upon repairing that still didn't work. Had to replace the entire AC system."

"The compressor would kick in and out so the AC would only blow cold air for a few minutes before it started blowing warm air. The AC had to be turned off for 5-10 minutes before it would start working again. In summary, the compressor would not work for more than 5-10 minutes at a time. We dealt with it for about 6 months and then had it replaced to fix the problem."

"Unable to maintain temperatures inside vehicle."

""The A/C compressor locked up to the point that the serpentine belt couldn't turn the pulley anymore. This happened about 1 year after being out of the manufacturer's warranty. Subaru issued a bulletin in 2016 about potentially faulty A/C compressors, but my Subaru was manufactured in 2017 and still had a compressor that failed. Cost to replace was about $900.""

"I just replaced it and shop was surprised it had gone out with less than 79,000 miles."

"Needed new one. Old one didnt work. Cant remember technical explanation."

""At about 58,000 miles the AC compressor went out releasing fine particles into the refrigerant system causing the whole thing to be replaced. If it wasnt for the extended warranty it would have cost me $3,500 to fix""

""Cooling effectiveness lessened gradually, noticeable over about a month, then finally failed altogether. The repair shop tried to recharge the system, which didn't fix the problem. The eventual repair was pricey, even though the cost didn't include the first, simpler, attempt.""

"The A/C was blowing hot air all the time. It never cooled off the vehicle."

""I spent $650.00 last summer on repairs when it stopped cooling. It worked great for the rest of the season. During our first heat spell this year I found there was no cooling again. The mechanic who did the work last year checked it out without charging me and believes the compressor is going out. He recommended that I go to the dealership since the condenser was replaced in 2022 due to a recall. He thought there might be some warranty issues. The car goes to the dealership tomorrow, so we will see what happens.""

"One incident. At 60K miles compressor seized belts smoked and ac was lost. Repair was 3 days and covered under extended warranty."

"Last Spring A/C wasn't cooling properly. After 2 trips to the repair shop, compressor was replaced."

"Replaced, as it was a recall."

"The a/c compressor stopped working and had to be replaced"

""The A/C compressor and condenser failed due to a refrigerant leak. No warning was given, and it was not identified during regular maintenance visits. This required completely replacing the compressor and condenser.""

"The compressor clutch intermittently failed."

"Occurred immediately following replacement of a dead battery in Nov '24. Dealer said it was coincidence?"

""Driving off the Carvana lot I did not feel that the A/C was as cool as it should be compared to the other two Subaru vehicles Ive owned but I was not familiar with the controls, either. Over the next week the air blew warmer until the compressor finally gave out.""

"I had to replace the compressor last summer. It quit working when we were driving to the beach one hot day! I paid an independent shop to replace it."

""The problem started approx.9 months ago. Air conditioner not putting out cold/cool air. I thought it was going to be as simple as adding freon, but, the whole repair cost me $1500 because it also burned out the compressor!!""

"The a/c compressor gave up the ghost"

"The A/C condenser was replaced 3 times."

"No cold air coming from the air conditioner.Had to replace the compressor to fix the problem."

"Failing a/c compressor over loaded the engine at low rpm causing drivability problems. Correct diagnosis finally came after several evaluations by two dealers and several independent garages."

"AC compressor failed completely out of warranty Was replaced by Subaru dealer Subaru paid $1000 I paid $600"

"A/C clutch went out twice and was replaced by dealer both times"

"The air compressor went out right after the time frame it would have been covered. Was a $1,400 repair (not at dealership), and then that compressor went bad and had to get it replaced a second time."

"A/C performance degraded rapidly over a few days in June 2024 and finally stopped blowing cold air. Took it to the dealer who diagnosed compressor failure. Compressor was replaced. A/C worked fine after that."

"A/C compressor failed 2 years ago. Dealer misdiagnosed the problem and just recharged the system. Independent auto repair shop replaced compressor. Just now, 2 years later, compressor has failed again."

"The ac on my car is absolutely great! I use my ac all the time, sometimes even on some winter days! With the blower always running (on high usually) when Im in the car, I was actually very happy it lasted as long as it did and was the only thing I got fixed under my extended warranty before it just ran out. I love my car and durability is always very high on my list when I buy things and this SUV has shown that it is very durable and well manufactured!"

"AC wasn't working. Upon fixing a leaking valve the Condenser wasn't working."

"The mechanic told us the condenser needed to be replaced when the compressor was replaced so we had both replaced at the same time."

"It was determined that the evaporator needed replaced by the dealer at the same time as the compressor."

"Not cooling"

"One day my cooling was intermittent. I took it in they couldnt find a problem and returned it. Even driving home had same problem. Brought it back and they took it for a drive and found problem. There was an intermittent leak that caused compressor to go on and off it also ended up because of a leak destroyed the radiator which also had to be replaced."

""The heating system is subpar. The heating to the front passengers legs is weak, as is the heating for the backseat passengers""

""From day one the A/C didn't always come on or it would take 30-60 minutes before it did. I mentioned it the first two to three service checks and was always told they couldn't find anything wrong. About two service checks ago I mentioned it again, now out of warranty. I was told that it would cost $500.00 just to check it and more if a problem was found. I decided to live with it. I have always service my cars at the dealership where I purchased the vehicle hoping to have a better relationship. I am rethinking that. I am a Senior+ citizen on a tight budget and tired of having to fight for what's right.""

""The AC stopped cooling. I brought the car in for dx. The condenser or evap. quit working and then replacement cracked and had to be replaced w/in 30 days. Apparently, Subaru is aware that replacement parts are poorly made and often replaced. I'm NOT happy with it.""

"Ac stopped coolin the interior of the car. AC was fixed by replacing seals which included a long tubing."

"Air conditioner compressor replaced in September 2024"

""Air was not getting cold. Refr4igerant was replace, checked for leak none found. No problems since.""

"AC wasn't functioning properly. We took the vehicle in for service and they discovered a leak and an issue with the compressor seal. Both were repaired by the dealership without charge. We are beyond the warranty period."

"AC unit needed to be recharged."

"Seemed to need replacement rather quickly."

"had to replace right front twice in last 18 months"

"Dangerous vibration at high speed while turning to the left"

"Needed Lower Control Arm bushings replaced."

"The bushings in the control arms were faulty almost from the date of manufacture, and in fact there was a service bulletin issued on the subject about six months after we purchased the car. Our dealer did NOT notify us of this defect - which could have been corrected under warranty. The bushings finally failed eight months ago while we were on a road trip, resulting in severe steering vibration at highway speeds, and compromising the control rods. We had to have the whole assemblies replaced, at a cost of almost $1,000 out-of-pocket, since by then we were out of warranty. Needless to say, we will not be going back to that dealer. Apart from that incident, however, we LOVE the car."

"Bushings on lower tie rods had to be replaced. $1100 repair."

"Car vibrated at highway speeds. Bushings were worn out"

"Front bushings were cracked. This despite normal driving conditions and low miles. One of several major repairs required to my 2018 Forrester in the past 12 months. Very frustrated with the quality of this vehicle and may not consider Subaru in the future."

""Lower control arm bushing,failure had to have it replaced""

"The front bushing were cracking and coming apart. It made the suv vibrate and shake at speeds above 50 mph while turning on a curve. I had to have both front bushing replaced at a cost of $600. Note: my son owns the exact same Subaru and he had the exact same problem."

"Car steering wheel started vibrating when I reached speeds about 55 mph or higher. Hard to determine problem. Finally determined that it was lower control arm bushing that needed to be replaced."

"Control arms replaced due to bushing failure."

"These had to be replaced last year too"

"Control arms needed to be replaced; bushings were cracked. Problem discovered after 84 months in service during inspection for possible alignment issues."

"First severe vibration on left side vehicle -replaced control arm. Sevre vibration on right side of vehicle - replaced right side control arm."

"Excessive vibration when vehicle reaches 70 miles per hour"

"The Subaru dealer says rubber is dry rotting and my lower control arm bushings needs to be replaced."

"Intermittently the car steers from forward direction. Most often to the left. Have not been able to schedule an analysis"

"This car is seven years old and I was shocked the power steering went out and also somehow fried the motherboard for the steering, having to replace it entirely and cost us $1700 worth of repairs. And then later, we had wheel bearing trouble which cost us more on this same car within a couple of months."

"During routine maintenance the Subaru mechanic noticed that the rear struts were leaking oil. Subaru replaced both rear struts and strut mounts. I had purchased an extended warranty at the time I purchased the Subaru so I was responsible for the first $100. Side note, at 18,000 miles both front axle boots were found to be torn. Subaru replaced them at no charge."

"The car started a rattling vibration from the right front wheel when braking. Took it to mechanic right away. Both front struts ( dont know if theyre struts in the back) needed replacement. I had the work done and so far all seems well. This was April 2024."

""Had to replace right rear bearing, both front control arms, four wheel alignment""

"Bushings on lower tie rods failed."

"The front tie rods needed replaced and was informed at the time of wheel bearings replacement. Again, 55,000 miles. Seems early"

"Right front wheel bearing needs replacement. This is the second wheel bearing replacement over life of the car. This seems excessive, given the relatively low mileage on the vehicle."

"One of the rear wheel bearings had to be replaced."

"replaced both rear wheel bearings"

"Car is only seven years old. I expect routine maintenance, but not two costly repairs one right after the other. We had power steering go out and then the wheel bearings went bad and cost $1000+ more in repairs. So a seven year old car cost us over $2700 in repairs and the tires are wearing out and will probably also need replacing before winter."

"Vehicle developed an increasingly pronounced grinding noise at the rear of the car. Noise was most noticeable at low speed."

"Rear wheel bearings went bad and they were rusted so bad that regular mechanic could not get them off. Had to take to dealership. These failed way too early!"

"About 80,000 wheel bearing on 2 wheels started making lots of noise and required replacement"

"Rear wheel bearings started being noisy at about 55000 miles. Both sides replaced at 62000 miles."

"Noticed whining from rear of vehicle. Turned out to be the right rear wheel bearing was bad."

"Rear wheel bearing"

"Found by dealership service @70000 miles.Routine wear and tear"

""Noise from wheels, had to replace rear wheel bearings""

"covered by mechanical breakdown insurance"

"Subaru service found the problem and identified it as a safety issue. ($2019.00 price to fix) I questioned it as I have owned numerous cars none of which had experienced this problem. The reply -- "This is a known problem with the Forester." Certainly wasn't anything mentioned in any of my pre-purchase research (including in Consumer Reports)"

"I did not expect the wheel bearings to fail when they did and it was very expensive to fix. ($2000)"

"I noticed the sound at around 106000 miles. I experienced it every time I drove it. It was bad bearings in the rear wheels."

"I have replaced 2 wheel bearings. They both started by making noise."

"Noticed noise in front end, had to have bearings replaced"

"When I have the rear bearings replaced this time it will be the second time. Subaru seems to have an issue with rear wheel bearings."

"I bought the vehicle in Aug 2018. Replaced Right wheel bearing Feb 2022. I paid for this. $550. Replaced Left wheel bearing Jan 2024. I paid for this. $550. Replaced rear hub bearings Feb 2025. Warranty paid for parts only $390. Not labor. Mechanic explained that Subaru vehicles changed quality of wheel bearings in recent years to a lower quality. Warned that this problem may recur."

"Catalytic converter failed and had to be replaced. About 96k miles. $6,000 repair."

"I bought this item used about 2 months ago and on inspection it needed a new catalytic converter in the front."

"pipe between exhaust manifold and converter ruptured"

""After repeated trips to the mechanic, it was determined that there was a leak in the catalytic converter system; a Subaru replacement was going to be over $7000, so we went with one that was half the cost; the warning lights started up again within a few weeks of replacement; it was determined that there was a leak in the replacement; a second replacement has been ordered under warranty from the first replacement, took months to arrive, and has not yet been installed""

"The noise when the car is cold goes away once the car warms up."

"Our Subaru had an exhaust leak that was fixed under an wxtended warranty at no cost to us."

"found problem during an under the hood check; was fixed by Subaru hidden warranty or extended warranty"

"I started hearing a loud sound suddenly that wouldn't go away, so I brought it into the mechanics. They found that my muffler had a large crack that was not repairable. It needed to be replaced. It cost over $2,000 to get it replaced. I am still unsure how the crack happened because I had not been in any accident, and had only driven it locally."

"There is a noise that seems like an exhaust leak/noise when the car is cold"

"The low warning light for the window washer fluid is on and wont go off"

"Ignition key wouldnt come out of lock Dealer repaired under warranty"

"Haad to replace two tires"

"Rear hatch intermittent inop"

"Engine mount replaced"

"Unable to unlock right rear passenger door since June 2024"

"Wheel bearing and hub assembly"

"headlights on the regular setting didn't work; dim lights & brights did work"

"Windshield washer reservoir leaks; service tech says sensor appears to be stuck in the open position; was quoted $400+ to repair (parts & labor) as the entire unit has to be replaced; occasionally the light on the dashboard will go out for a few weeks then it comes back on again; my solution is to add washer fluid once in a while; the problem is an irritant but not a safety or operating issue; one day I'll have probably get it fixed"

"O2 sensor replacement"

"Ignition key would not work/turn when inserted."

"Steering wheel locked and unable to unlock to start the car"

"We just bought it and a few days later the battery was dead. We took it in and they said th wrong battery cable was on it.So they changed it and said it was good to go. A few days later the battery was dead again. We took it in and the said it needed a new DCM because it was keeping the radio on and draining the battery. (I don't know what DCM is.) Now we are going to pick it up again and hope they have fixed it this time."

"Tie-rods were shot. We had a Platinum Fidelity Warranty that I've felt foolish for purchasing for years that came in very handy for this, for once."

"Had a flat tire that couldnt be repaired due to placement of a nail. Had to to buy four new tires."

"The hatch had recall on the struts on the trunk. One broke and almost hit me in the eye. They wouldn't replace the other till it broke ... which it did in another 2 months. Could have hit me in the eye again. I was totally upset with the company, but not the dealership."

"Passenger Seat sensor for airbag. I have tried to order the "electrical harness ". That senses that someone is in the seat. Two dealerships have been unable to get the part since I made the requests 10 months ago They say it's a design flaw that has been changed in later models. Airbags may or may not deploy in case of accident."

"UPPER CONTROL ARM"

"Driver's window was out of alignment and would not close without a manual push."

"needed cam tower reseal and tube seal replacement"

"Needed all 4tires because of 4wheel drive"

"Serpentine belt broke leaving me stranded on traffic."

"Air conditioner failed"

"Wheel bearings needed replacing."

"A part of the exhaust pipe fell off while I was driving the vehicle."