IllustrationWHILE RIDING ON HIGHWAY PEBBLES HIT WINDSHIELD CAUSING IT TO BREAK. *AK
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Forester years →Counts vary with age, sales 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
Visibility complaints
7 reportsAFTER OWNING THE FORESTER JUST 3 MONTHS, THE WINDSHIELD HAD THREE CHIPS IN IT WHICH THEN SPREAD INTO A CRACK ACROSS THE DRIVER'S VIEWING AREA. AFTER ONLY 21,000 MILES THE CLUTCH DISC/PLATE HAD TO BE REPLACED AND WAS NOT A WARRANTY MATTER. AFTER 42,000 MILES A BEARING IN THE REAR AXLE HAS GONE BAD AND THE CLUTCH IS BEGINNING TO…
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AFTER OWNING THE FORESTER JUST 3 MONTHS, THE WINDSHIELD HAD THREE CHIPS IN IT WHICH THEN SPREAD INTO A CRACK ACROSS THE DRIVER'S VIEWING AREA. AFTER ONLY 21,000 MILES THE CLUTCH DISC/PLATE HAD TO BE REPLACED AND WAS NOT A WARRANTY MATTER. AFTER 42,000 MILES A BEARING IN THE REAR AXLE HAS GONE BAD AND THE CLUTCH IS BEGINNING TO MAKE THE SAME NOISE FOR WHICH IT HAD TO BE REPLACED EARLIER. I AM MOST DISAPPOINTED IN THIS VEHICLE.000 MILES,000 MILES THE
1. LEFT AIR/HEAT VENT NON-FUNCTIONAL. AIR/HEAT IS PUSHED OUT WITH ALMOST NO FORCE, UNLIKE RIGHT VENT, WHICH BLOWS WITH SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER FORCE. BROUGHT THIS COMPLAINT TO DEALER WHO SAID HE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HIS CAR. SAID IT WAS DESIGN FLAW, DID NOTHING TO ADDRESS PROBLEM. 2. A SPOT OF OIL OR GREASE-LIKE SUBSTANCE APP…
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1. LEFT AIR/HEAT VENT NON-FUNCTIONAL. AIR/HEAT IS PUSHED OUT WITH ALMOST NO FORCE, UNLIKE RIGHT VENT, WHICH BLOWS WITH SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER FORCE. BROUGHT THIS COMPLAINT TO DEALER WHO SAID HE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HIS CAR. SAID IT WAS DESIGN FLAW, DID NOTHING TO ADDRESS PROBLEM. 2. A SPOT OF OIL OR GREASE-LIKE SUBSTANCE APPEARED ON REAR LEFT SEAT BACK. AT FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS NOTHING, NOW STAIN HAS GROWN TO COVER ALMOST A THIRD OF THE ENTIRE SEAT BACK. THE LEAK IS OBVIOUS AND GROWING, THE SEAT BACK CONTINUOSLY GREASY AND WET. DEALER NOTIFIED, CLAIMED THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO ABOUT IT.
WINDSHIELD GLASS EASILY DAMAGED. HAS SANDBLASTED APPEARANCE FROM ROAD DIRT. IMPAIRS VISION. WINDSHIELD, REAR AND SIDE WINDOWS EASILY SCRATCHED BY ICE SCRAPER THAT DID NOT DAMAGE GLASS ON OTHER CARS.
WINDSHIELD CHIPPED WHEN SMALL STONE HIT WINDSHIELD. *AK
THE WINSHIELD GLASS CHIPS VERY EASILY FROM MINOR STONE HITS AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I ENCOUNTERED 3 CHIPS IN A PERIOD OF 3 MONTHS, DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT 65 MILES PER HOUR. I THINK THE GLASS IS TOO VULNERABLE TO BREAKAGE WHICH COMPROMISES THE SAFETY OF THE OCCUPANTS.
THIS IS THE 2ND TIME I HAD A CRACK APPEAR IN MY WINDSHIELD. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN LATE MAY 1998 WHEN I WAS WASHING THE CAR AND SPRAYED COLD WATER ON IT I HEARD A CRACK. I TOOK IT TO THE SUBARU DEALER IN RENO AND THEY SAID IT WAS REALLY CAUSED BY A SLIGHT PEBBLE THAT HIT THE WINDSHEILD. THEN ON 23 NOV 98 AFTER DRIVING THAT DAY I …
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THIS IS THE 2ND TIME I HAD A CRACK APPEAR IN MY WINDSHIELD. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN LATE MAY 1998 WHEN I WAS WASHING THE CAR AND SPRAYED COLD WATER ON IT I HEARD A CRACK. I TOOK IT TO THE SUBARU DEALER IN RENO AND THEY SAID IT WAS REALLY CAUSED BY A SLIGHT PEBBLE THAT HIT THE WINDSHEILD. THEN ON 23 NOV 98 AFTER DRIVING THAT DAY I NOTICED THE NEXT DAY THAT ANOTHER CRACK AGAIN IN THE LOWER LEFT HAND (FROM DRIVERS POSITION) PART OF THE WINDSHEILD ANOTHER (YET SMALLER THAN THE FIRST) CRACK. IT APPEARS THAT A PEBBLE MAY HAVE CAUSED IT. IF THIS IS ALL IT TAKES TO CRACK THESE WINDSHEILDS THEN SOMETHING IS WRONG. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MANY YEARS A LOT OF THEM OVERSEAS IN EUROPE WHERE THERE ARE MORE GRAVEL ROADS THAN IN THE US AND NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN. NOW TWICE IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS! SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG WITH THE DESIGN OR THE MATERIAL USED IN THE MANUFGACTURE OF THE WINDSHEILD.
Official recalls
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 ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.