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2001 Subaru Forester

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2001 Subaru Forester do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 131.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →
139Owner complaints

Model-year median: 131

0Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

2001 Subaru Forester

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 139 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

  • Vehicle Speed Control: 29 reports
  • Power Train: 23 reports
  • Engine And Engine Cooling: 16 reports
  • Suspension: 15 reports
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 13 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

    No recall campaigns in this snapshot.

    Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

    Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

    How this year compares

    Owner complaints by model year

    Other model years Selected year
    101
    1998    131
    1999    75
    2000    139
    2001    88
    2002    189
    2003    219
    2004
    Compare all Forester years →

    Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.

    What owners reported most

    Vehicle Speed Control
    29    Power Train
    23    Engine And Engine Cooling
    16    Suspension
    15    Service Brakes, Hydraulic
    13
    All reported categories
    Air Bags
    12    Wheels
    7    Exterior Lighting
    6    Fuel/propulsion System
    6    Seat Belts
    5    Tires
    5    Fuel System, Gasoline
    4    Structure
    4    Visibility
    4    Service Brakes
    3    Electrical System
    2    Engine
    2    Steering
    2    Unknown Or Other
    2    Equipment
    1    Seats
    1

    Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

    When problems were reported

    Mileage at the reported incident

    73 reports with mileage · 66 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.

    • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Power Train. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

    NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

    31 crash reports0 fire reports20 injury reports

    Equipment complaints

    1 reports
    Clear category filter
    78,151 miles · Aug 18, 2007
    Engine And Engine CoolingEquipment

    AS SOON AS THE CAR AGED TO 75,000 MILES I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. THE CLOSEST SUBARU DEALER IS 51 MILES AWAY FROM MY CURRENT LOCATION. NOT EASY TO GET TO. MY IN TOWN MECHANIC HAS ONLY BEEN TRYING TO TREAT THE SYMPTOMS. I'VE HAD THERMOSTAT, HEATER CORE, VALVE COVERS, SPARK PLUG WIRES REPLACED, HOSES REPLACED, AND STILL HAS NOT…

    Read full complaint

    AS SOON AS THE CAR AGED TO 75,000 MILES I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. THE CLOSEST SUBARU DEALER IS 51 MILES AWAY FROM MY CURRENT LOCATION. NOT EASY TO GET TO. MY IN TOWN MECHANIC HAS ONLY BEEN TRYING TO TREAT THE SYMPTOMS. I'VE HAD THERMOSTAT, HEATER CORE, VALVE COVERS, SPARK PLUG WIRES REPLACED, HOSES REPLACED, AND STILL HAS NOT FIXED THE ISSUE. I TOOK IT TO A SUBARU DEALER THIS MORNING, STILL OVERHEATING, AND HE SAYS I HAVE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE VALVE COVERS, WIRES, OBVIOUSLY THE HEAD GASKET AND POSSIBLY A FEW OTHER PARTS. LABOR ALONE IS A 1000 DOLLARS. SUBARU SHOULD TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS AS I AM NOTICING THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL POSTS AND SEVERAL WEBSITES WITH OWNERS HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUES. I REALLY HAVE ENJOYED OWNING A SUBARU UP UNTIL NOW. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE. *JB

    NHTSA ODI #10200005

    Recall campaigns

    0

    No 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 ↗

    Defect investigations

    0

    No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

    An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.

    Go deeper into Subaru Forester problems

    Subaru Forester transmission problems →Subaru Forester electrical problems →