IllustrationLEFT SIDE AXLE SHAFT ASSEMBLY LEAKED, DEALER REPLACED RIGHT SIDE FRONT AXLE, SWAY BAR LINKS MADE NOISE, DEALER LUBED LINKS, THERE WAS A NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE ALL TIRES, NO SPECIFIC TIRE INFORMATION WAS GIVEN. *SLC
1998 Subaru Forester
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Subaru Forester do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 131.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →101Owner complaints
Model-year median: 131
1Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
1998 Subaru Forester
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 101 owner complaints · 1 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Power Train: 23 reports
- Suspension: 17 reports
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 15 reports
- Engine And Engine Cooling: 14 reports
- Vehicle Speed Control: 14 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Forester years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 18 of 101 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports5 fire reports2 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
15 reportsLEFT AND RIGHT SIDE AXLE SHAFTS LEAKED, DEALER REPLACED, REAR SWAY BAR LINKS DISASSEMBLED AND DEALER LUBED LINKS. *SLC
CONSUMER HAS HAD TO HAVE ROTORS TURNED ON A 'VERY' FREQUENT BASIS. DEALERSHIP/MECHANIC WERE SAYING THAT DRUMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK
WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT AND WHEN DRIVER ACCELERATES ENGINE WILL REV. CONSUMER HAS ALSO CHANGED ROTORS, AND IT'S TIME TO CHANGE THEM AGAIN AFTER 3000 MILES.*AK
GRADUAL BRAKE PULSATION EXPERIENCED TWICE. DEALER RESURFACED FRONT ROTORS (9/13/99 @ 21,156 MILES & 4/4/2000 @ 29,928 MILES), WHICH TEMPORARILY CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. *AK
VEHICLE ACCIDENT DUE TO POSSIBLE RECALL COMPONENT FAILURE (MASTER CYLINDER) PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE. MJS
NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS DURING VEHICLE COLLISION. YH
ERRATIC PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM: DEALER TURNED ROTORS FOR THE SECOND TIME, INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE.; SEEKING NHTSA HELP OR PROVIDE ADDITIONALINFORMATION.*AK
BRAKES FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND COLLISION WITH ROCKS, BUSHES AND TREES. MJS
THE BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ONCE HAD NO BRAKING ABILITY AT ALL WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. DEALER NEVER REPLACED ANY PARTS, JUST REMOVED A PEBBLE FROM THE BRAKE PADS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.
Recall campaigns
199V040000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder
Mar 3, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS). (THE 1999 2.2 LITER LEGACY VEHICLES ARE EXCLUDED). IN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER, THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE STOPPING DISTANCE IS INCREASED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAUSES THE VEHICLE STOPPING DISTANCE TO BE INCREASED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.