Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2007 Subaru Forester submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
The contact owns a 2007 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the wheel bearings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 101,000.
Head gasket , radiator failed suddenly while going 65 on hwy (115K) . Had new radiator, heads resurfaced/HG replaced, etc. Now less than 15K later (128K) head gasket leaking again.
ON FEBRUARY 13, 2019 MY TRANSMISSION FLUID LIGHT STARTED FLASHING, WHEN I WAS DRIVING HOME. I STOPPED TO BY THE FLUID BUT COULDN'T FIND OUT WHERE TO FILL IT UP AT AND THE DIPSTICK WAS STUCK. I WAS DRIVING AROUND 40 MPH.. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND ASKED HIM TO CHECK IT OUT. HE SAID IT WASN'T THE FLUID THAT WAS THE PROBLEM IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. PREVIOUS TO THIS THE LIGHT NEVER FLASHED AND WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON I DO GET I CHECKED TO SEE IT ITS SERIOUS OR NOT. CHAT CONVERSATION START 76K PEOPLE LIKE THIS CARS 7:55 PM HI, I BOUGHT A USED 2007 SUBARU FORESTER AND IT HAS REQUIRED A COUPLE OF LARGE REPAIRS THAT YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT. IN 2015 I HAD TO REPLACE THE OIL HEAD GASKET AT RELATIVELY LOW MILES 70K AND NOW IN 2019 AT 104K MILES I HAVE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. IS COMMON IN THE SUBARUS? THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
BLOWN HEAD GASKET. 2007 SUBARU FORESTER 2.5XT. 54K MILES. PROBLEM PRESENTED ITSELF VIOLENTLY AS I WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY. SUDDENLY ENGINE TEMP-GAUGE FLUCTUATES AND STARTS TO RISE. PULL OVER, COOLANT IS FORCEFULLY EXITING OVERFLOW TANK. SHUT CAR DOWN, TEMP GAUGE DROPS QUICKLY. NO EXTERNAL SIGNS OF LEAKING COOLANT WITH SUBSEQUENT REFILL AND TESTING. AFTER COOLANT WARMS UP (3 MINUTES IDLE) COOLANT BEGINS TO VIOLENTLY EXIT RADIATOR CAP (WHEN OFF) OR OVERFLOW TANK. EXHAUST VERY SOOTY. SHAKES MY CONFIDENCE IN SUBARU AND THEIR ENGINEERING TO HAVE A HEAD GASKET BLOW THIS EARLY. SUBARU COOLANT CONDITIONER IS A RE-BRANDED STOP-LEAK. WAS LOOKING AT THE NEW BRZ, NOW I WILL NOT BE BUYING AND DO NOT RECOMMEND SUBARU UNLESS MANUFACTURER ACKNOWLEDGES AND MAKES AN EFFORT TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. *TR
ENGINE FAILED ON HIGHWAY WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND THERE WAS NO DIGNOSTIC CODE FOR THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS FOUND BY SUBARU DEALERSHIP.
THE FAULT INDICATORS CAME ON AND THE ERROR CODE P2441 WAS PRESENT BOTH AT THE FIRST OCCURRENCE AND AT THE SECOND OCCURRENCE AT 105,000 MILES. AT THE SECOND OCCURRENCE THE PRICE FOR FIXING THE PROBLEM WAS SET AT $2123. AT THIS PRICE AND GUESSING AT THE PRICE OF OTHER PARTS THE CAR'S REPLACEMENT VALUE SHOULD COME TO AROUND $200,000. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM PERVASIVE TO ALL SUBARUS, NOT JUST FORESTERS, FEATURING A TURBO CHARGED ENGINE. *TR
HEAD GASKETS ON ENGINE STARTED TO LEAK. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE ON THE 2007 FORESTERS. WHY WAS THERE NO RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE? *TR
BOTH CYLINDER HEAD GASKETS LEAK OIL AND COOLANT. ALL HOSES ARE BRITTLE. THE DEALER ESTIMATES $3000 DOLLARS FOR REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAS 60000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS OFFERED $500 ASSISTANCE WHICH IS TOO LOW. *TR DO OTHER SUBARU FORESTER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR ISSUES? *TR
HEAD GASKETS HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR
I WAS ADVISED BY AN EMPLOYEE AT MIDAS WHO HAPPENS TO OWN 3 SUBARUS THAT THE HEAT SHIELD ALWAYS COMES LOOSE ON SUBARUS WHICH IS ALARMING. ALTHOUGH IT ONLY COST ME $40 TO REPLACE, I FEEL A LITTLE UNEASY AS I'VE ONLY OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 1 1/2 YEARS. WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE VEHICLE (USED), I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO A SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING. EACH TIME I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD FIND AND I SHOULDN'T WORRY. AT ALMOST TWO YEARS, I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM ALTHOUGH NOTHING MAJOR HAS HAPPENED AND I'M HOPING AND PRAYING IT DOESN'T AS I AM THE MOTHER OF A 3 YEAR OLD CHILD AND WOULD HATE FOR MY CAR TO EITHER CATCH ON FIRE OR FOR ME TO GET IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO SUBARUS NEGLECT TO CORRECTLY INVESTIGATE THE REAL PROBLEM. *TR
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT WAS FLASHING UPON STARTING THE ENGINE. NO OTHER ENGINE SYMPTOMS PRESENTED THEMSELVES. TOOK VEHICLE TO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THE FRONT CONVERTER IS DAMAGED IN ADDITION TO THE FRONT SENSOR BEING BAD. ENDED UP HAVING THEM ALL REPLACED AT SUBSTANTIAL COST OF APPROX. $2,000.00. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH DONE IN A SUBARU FORESTERS OWNERS FORUM SHOWS THAT MANY OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING COSTLY AND UNNECESSARY REPAIRS DUE TO FAULTY O2 SENSORS, NOT BAD CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. ANY EXPENSES CURRENT OWNERS HAVE HAD TO INCUR SHOULD BE REIMBURSED BY SUBARU TO THOSE OWNERS, AND A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED TO OTHER OWNERS TO PREVENT UNNECESSARY AND COSTLY REPAIRS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED UPON STARTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.
SECONDARY AIR PUMP AND VALVE FAILURE. SUBARU ADMITS THESE ARE NOT PART OF POWER TRAIN, BUT DENIES THESE ARE COVERED BY EMISSIONS SYSTEM WARRANTY THOUGH PURPOSE OF PUMP AND VALVES IS TO INCREASE AIRFLOW AND THEREBY DILUTE EMISSIONS AT TAILPIPE. TOTAL REPAIRS APPROX. $2000. *TR
2007 SUBARU FORESTER. CONSUMER WRITES TO EXPRESS A RECENT EXPERIENCE WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA INC. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HIS VEHICLE WAS A PART OF THE EMISSION CONTROL VALVE RECALL WHICH COULD LEAD TO CATALYTIC CONVERTER DAMAGE. THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER BEING TOLD THE VEHICLE WAS IN GOOD CONDITION AND THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETE, SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, ANOTHER EMISSION CONTROL VALVE INSIDE THE GAS TANK FAILED. SUBARU DENIED THE CONSUMER'S REIMBURSEMENT CLAIM STATING THE TWO INCIDENTS WERE UNRELATED. *JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN TWICE WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURES OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, AND IN LOCAL TRAFFIC WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,330. UPDATED 3/19/09 *CN UPDATED 03/26/09. *JB
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .