IllustrationENGINE STARTED TO RACE WHILE DRIVING,TRANSMISSION WON'T ENGAGE WITHOUT GRINDING. NEEDS NEW CLUTCH. NOT SURE WHY A CLUTCH SHOULD GO IN 2 YEARS OF HAVING THE CAR.
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 reportsERRATIC PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM: DEALER TURNED ROTORS FOR THE SECOND TIME, INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE.; SEEKING NHTSA HELP OR PROVIDE ADDITIONALINFORMATION.*AK
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…
Read full complaint
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.
A FIRE STARTED WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO A FAULTY POWER STEERING HOSE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD MADE A STOP AT THE STORE, SMELLED BURNING. LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD. CONTACTED DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WAS LEAKING FROM THE FRONT AXLE ON TO THE EXHAUST. VEHICLE IS IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS. *AK
ENGINE WARNING LIGHT NO LONGER WORKS.
BRAKES FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND COLLISION WITH ROCKS, BUSHES AND TREES. MJS
BAD SEAL ON O RING OF OIL DIP STICK CAUSED OIL TO OVERFILL TRANSMISSION FLUID, CAR WOULD STALL DUE TO LACK OF OIL PRESSURE. DEALER FIXED AFTER THIRD VISIT.
WINDSHIELD CHIPPED WHEN SMALL STONE HIT WINDSHIELD. *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.