IllustrationSECURITY SYSTEM GOES OFF WHEN HAZARD LIGHTS ARE ENGAGED/ABS BRAKES SQUEAK. IN ADDITION, WHILE PULLING OUT OF PARKING SPOT, VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY, AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON.
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
What owners actually said
101 reportsTHOUSANDS OF TINY CRACKS ARE VISIBLE AROUND ALL TIRES SIDEWALLS. YOKOHAMA AVID TOURING 205R6516.
BRAKES ARE SO WEAK THE ABS CAN BE ACTIVATED ON DRY PAVEMENT.
GREASE AND OIL DRIPPING ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER STARTS SMELLING. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, BUT IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AKTHEY DOUBLED THE VISCOSITY OF THE DRIVELINE GREASE. FROM 90 TO 150 WEIGHT. TTHERE ONLY ONE PROBLEM WITH THIS.THE FUMES COMING OFF THE EXHAUST WERE MAKING ME SICK.THE LAEKAGE WAS BAD ENOUGH T…
Read full complaint
GREASE AND OIL DRIPPING ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER STARTS SMELLING. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, BUT IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AKTHEY DOUBLED THE VISCOSITY OF THE DRIVELINE GREASE. FROM 90 TO 150 WEIGHT. TTHERE ONLY ONE PROBLEM WITH THIS.THE FUMES COMING OFF THE EXHAUST WERE MAKING ME SICK.THE LAEKAGE WAS BAD ENOUGH THAT I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS STARTING ON FIRE- FIRE HAZARD. *ADJ
WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND STARTED SLIDING SIDEWAYS ON DRY PAVEMENT. TURNED AT 180 DEGREE SLIDE AND WENT THROUGH 10 FEET OF SHOULDER GRAVEL, 10 MORE FEET OF GRASS BEFORE FLIPPING OVER TWICE AND LANDING ON ITS WHEELS IN A MARSHY AREA. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. HOWEVER VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.
DRIVING 40 MPH ANOTHER DRIVER POINTED OUT PROBLEM. PULLED OVER & NOTICED SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. FLAMES STARTED SHOOTING OUT. FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED & PUT OUT FLAMES. FIRE CHIEF SAID FIRE ORIGNATED FROM FUEL LINES. FLAMES HAD ENGULFED VEHICLE IN MINUTES. VEHICLE TOTALED. *AK
WHILE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP WITH FOOT ON BRAKE THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. DEALER SAID THERE IS NO PROBLEM. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES ON WET OR DRY PAVEMENT THE PEDAL TRAVELS TO THE FLOORBOARD, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM, BUT REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES ON DRY PAVEMENT THE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE WHICH RESULTED IN A COLLISION. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
VEHICLE SURGED WHEN BRAKING AT SLOW SPEEDS AND CRASHED INTO VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT.
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.