IllustrationFUEL FILLER PIPE AND ASSOCIATED MOUNTING AND EMISSIONS HARDWARE ARE RUSTED OUT. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND CODE RETRIEVED IS 0440. DANGER OF LEAKING FUEL DURING FILL UP. *TR
2000 Subaru Forester
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2000 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
50–25K
825–50K
650–75K
1175–100K
8100–150K
1150K+
39 reports with mileage · 36 unknown
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 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 12 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 reports0 fire reports3 injury reports
Fuel System, Gasoline complaints
5 reports2000 SUBARU FORESTER WITH FUEL PROBLEMS. CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE DEALER SAID THE RUST WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER ALSO TOLD HIM THAT RUST IS A COMMON PROBLEM. HE WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED AND BELIEVES SUBARU NEEDS TO PUT OUT A RECALL. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE LIGHT FIRST ACTIVATED DUE TO A VACUUM/PRESSU…
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2000 SUBARU FORESTER WITH FUEL PROBLEMS. CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE DEALER SAID THE RUST WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER ALSO TOLD HIM THAT RUST IS A COMMON PROBLEM. HE WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED AND BELIEVES SUBARU NEEDS TO PUT OUT A RECALL. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE LIGHT FIRST ACTIVATED DUE TO A VACUUM/PRESSURE PROBLEM WITHIN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE GAS CAP WAS REPLACED; HOWEVER THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. A FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE GAS FILLER PIPE HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. IN ADDITION, THE FUEL LINES HAD ALSO BEEN SUBJECTED TO SEVERE CORROSION CAUSING THE RUBBER TUBING TO PULL AWAY FROM THE GAS FILLER PIPE. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE UPPER PORTION OF THE PIPE ASSEMBLY HAD A LARGE DEPOSIT OF SAND AND SALT COVERING THE RUST. THE AREA WAS COVERED BY A PLASTIC SHROUD. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED A MORE CORROSION RESISTANT MATERIAL SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED, POSSIBLY MADE OF STAINLESS STEEL. *JB
FAILURE OF OXYGEN SENSOR THAT WAS REPLACED DUE TO RECALL CAUSED GASOLINE TO BE DUMPED INTO CATALYTIC CONVERTER. OUR MECHANIC SAID THAT THE CONVERTER BECAME RED HOT AND IT WAS AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SITUATION. PARTS WERE REPLACED AND ARE NOT NOW AVAILABLE. *NM
THE FUEL FILLER DESIGN IS SUCH THAT IT IS TO COMPLICATED FOR GAS STATION ATTENDANTS TO CORRECTLY PUT ON. IT WILL CROSSTHREAD EASIER THAN IT WILL GO ON CORRECTLY. WITH OUT PROPER PRESSURE IN THE FUEL SYSTEM, LIKE MANY CARS IT WILL STALL ABRUPTLY WITHOUT WARNING. IN NEW JERSEY IT IS ILLEGAL TO PUMP YOUR OWN GAS, OR EVEN GET OUT OF…
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THE FUEL FILLER DESIGN IS SUCH THAT IT IS TO COMPLICATED FOR GAS STATION ATTENDANTS TO CORRECTLY PUT ON. IT WILL CROSSTHREAD EASIER THAN IT WILL GO ON CORRECTLY. WITH OUT PROPER PRESSURE IN THE FUEL SYSTEM, LIKE MANY CARS IT WILL STALL ABRUPTLY WITHOUT WARNING. IN NEW JERSEY IT IS ILLEGAL TO PUMP YOUR OWN GAS, OR EVEN GET OUT OF YOUR CAR TO CHECK THAT THE CAP IS PROPERLY INSTALLED. SUBARU REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE DEALER WARRANTY CLAIMS FOR IMPROPERLY INSTALLED FUEL FILL CAPS, OR THAT THERE IS A DESIGN PROBLEM. THE DEALER WILL JUST RESET THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT AND CONSIDER IT A LOSS. *AK
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON ONCE STARTED AND WOULD STAY ON UNTIL VEHICLE IS SHUT DOWN. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP.*AK LIGHT IS COMING ON DUE TO GAS CAP NOT BEING TIGHT ENOUGH, CONSUMER STATES THE CAP WILL NOT CLICK WHEN TURNED. *SLC
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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.