IllustrationTHE 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.
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 reportsOIL LEAKS FROM DRIVE AXLES. DRIPS ONTO CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. TWO ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR HAVE FAILED. OWNERS CONCERNED OF POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. *AK
UNABLE TO FIT CHILD CAR SEAT IN TO BACK SEAT BECAUSE OF SEAT BELT POSITIONING/DESIGN. YH
THE BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ONCE HAD NO BRAKING ABILITY AT ALL WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. DEALER NEVER REPLACED ANY PARTS, JUST REMOVED A PEBBLE FROM THE BRAKE PADS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.
CONSUMER PROCEEDED TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE THEN THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY AND STARTED TO ACCELERATE. *AK
REAR MAIN SEAL LEAKED ON TWO OCCASIONS.
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 …
Read full complaint
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.
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN PUT IN REVERSE, DRIVER LOSE CONTROL RESULTING IN DRIVER HITTING A MAN.
VEHICLE DRIPPING OIL/GREASE ONTO THE CATALYTIC COVERTER, CAUSING A BURNING SMELL. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
BRAKES MALFUNCTION.
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.