IllustrationIN LEFT REAR WHEEL THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN BEARINGS. CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE BEARINGS THREE TIMES IN PAST FOUR YEARS. CONTACTED DEALER. *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
What owners actually said
101 reportsAIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER REPLACED CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY.*AK
LEFT 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
WHEN VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED BACKWARDS VERY FAST, CRASHING INTO TWO VEHICLES. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. *AK WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND CONSUMER HAD FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND TURNED ON IGNITION THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED VERY FAST IN REVERSE AND CAUSED …
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WHEN VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED BACKWARDS VERY FAST, CRASHING INTO TWO VEHICLES. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. *AK WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND CONSUMER HAD FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND TURNED ON IGNITION THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED VERY FAST IN REVERSE AND CAUSED ACCIDENT, CONSUMER IS ALSO HAVING VARIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE, SUCH AS THE BATTERY DRAINING, SECURITY SYSTEM GOES OFF WHILE PARKED, AND THE DOORS LOCK BY THEMSELVES. *YD
LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE AXLE SHAFTS LEAKED, DEALER REPLACED, REAR SWAY BAR LINKS DISASSEMBLED AND DEALER LUBED LINKS. *SLC
WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, CONSUMER DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH PEDAL AND IT STAYED ON THE FLOOR, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT A BOLT IN THE TRANSMISSIONS CLUTCH PIVOT BALL THAT BROKE AT THE POINT THAT ENTERS THE TRANSFER CASE.*JB
CONSUMER STATES THE REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILED, AND FOUR MONTHS LATER THE RIGHT WHEEL BEARING THEN FAILED.*JB
DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE AIR BAG LIGHT ON DASH BOARD LIT UP, AND HORN NO LONGER WAS FUNCTIONAL. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND INFORMED CONSUMER IS WOULD COST $1,000.00 TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
IN JUNE OF 1999 RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF A LOUD NOISE BEING MADE DURING OPERATION OF VEHICLE. THEN, ON 27-JUL7-2001, LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WAS CAUSING ANOTHER LOUD NOISE, AND WAS BEING REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT A GROOVE HAS BEEN FOUND IN THE FRONT AXLE OF THE VE…
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IN JUNE OF 1999 RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF A LOUD NOISE BEING MADE DURING OPERATION OF VEHICLE. THEN, ON 27-JUL7-2001, LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WAS CAUSING ANOTHER LOUD NOISE, AND WAS BEING REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT A GROOVE HAS BEEN FOUND IN THE FRONT AXLE OF THE VEHICLE WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED THE PROBLEM WITH THE 2ND WHEEL BEARING REPLACEMENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
YESTERDAY AFT. MY CAR DROVE ITSELF INTO A STORE WINDOW WITH ME AT THE WHEEL. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A REAL DISASTER. I WAS ALREADY PARKED THERE, PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND IT TOOK OFF WITHOUT MY TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. IN FACT, MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE THE WHOLE TIME (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). MY BRA…
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YESTERDAY AFT. MY CAR DROVE ITSELF INTO A STORE WINDOW WITH ME AT THE WHEEL. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A REAL DISASTER. I WAS ALREADY PARKED THERE, PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND IT TOOK OFF WITHOUT MY TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. IN FACT, MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE THE WHOLE TIME (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). MY BRAKING WOULDN'T STOP IT, SO I MANAGED TO GET IT INTO A FORWARD GEAR. HAD I NOT, THE CAR MIGHT WELL HAVE DRIVEN FURTHER INTO THE STORE AND HURT THE SEVERAL SHOPPERS. ONCE IN A FORWARD GEAR, THE CAR THEN IT TOOK OFF FORWARD ON A WILD RIDE; AGAIN, I WAS MERELY THE PASSENGER. I MANAGED TO STEER THE CAR FOR A SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE IT DECELERATED, MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE ALL THIS TIME, WHILE I CLEARED A LIGHT POST AND TWO CARS ON EITHER SIDE, AS WELL AS TRAFFIC IN THE ROAD. *AK
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.