IllustrationTHE CLUTCH DOES NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD AND FOR EXTENDED PERIODS IN COLD WEATHER. CLUTCH "CHATTERS" MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO START UP FROM REST WITHOUT HESITATION AND/OR STALLING. POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC. CLUTCH SEEMS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE TORQUE OF THE ENGINE. *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 reportsKAZOO NOISE IN FRONT SINCE 31K, BECAME RATCHET NOISE AT 52K. RACK AND PINION ADJUSTMENT STOPPED NOISE BUT STEERING IS SLOPPY AND PULLS TO RIGHT SOMETIMES.
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *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
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…
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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
AXLE SHAFT LEAKED GREASE (POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD). CORRECTION OF FAILURE OUTLINED IN MANUFACTURER CAMPAIGN WXN71 DATED 5/5/1999. AS OWNER, I DID NOT RECEIVE CAMPAIGN NOTIFICATION FROM SUBARU OF AMERICA. IN RESPONSE TO INQUIRY, DLR ADVISED THAT RECALL ON MY VEHICLE IS CLOSED; WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY.*AK
SNOW AND ICE BUILD UP IN MODEST SNOW CAUSED THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM TO FAIL. IT WAS THE OPINON OF THE MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED THE CAR THAT THE FRONT GRILL OF THE WAS OF POOR DESIGN THAT CAUSED THE ICE AND SNOW TO BUILD. THERE WAS ONLY 4-6 INCHES OF SNOW THE DAY BEFORE. A MODEST AMOUNT TO CAUSE SUCH A SEVER PROBLEM. THE DESIGN O…
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SNOW AND ICE BUILD UP IN MODEST SNOW CAUSED THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM TO FAIL. IT WAS THE OPINON OF THE MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED THE CAR THAT THE FRONT GRILL OF THE WAS OF POOR DESIGN THAT CAUSED THE ICE AND SNOW TO BUILD. THERE WAS ONLY 4-6 INCHES OF SNOW THE DAY BEFORE. A MODEST AMOUNT TO CAUSE SUCH A SEVER PROBLEM. THE DESIGN OF THE FRONT GRILL TRAPPED THE SNOW. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO OTHER CARS IN THIS SNOW CONDITION. *AK OPINI
TRANSMISSION SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL WHILE ACCELERATING ON TO THE INTERSTATE, TRANSMISSION WAS REBUIT BY SUBARU AT 30,767 MILES. *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
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.