NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
88 reports38,482 miles · Oct 25, 2004
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
2002 SUBARU FORESTER S - DEALER CLAIMS THAT NORTHEAST CLIMATE (SALT & WET ROADS) WILL CORRODE DISC BRAKES, CAUSING PADS TO FAIL TO RETRACT COMPLETELY AND THEREFOR CONTINUOUSLY RUB ON THE ROTORS, HEATING THEM AND CAUSING WARPING. DEALER CLAIMS BRAKES SHOULD BE INSPECTED AND CLEANED EVERY 15,000 MILES. MANUFACTURER'S MAINTENANCE S…
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2002 SUBARU FORESTER S - DEALER CLAIMS THAT NORTHEAST CLIMATE (SALT & WET ROADS) WILL CORRODE DISC BRAKES, CAUSING PADS TO FAIL TO RETRACT COMPLETELY AND THEREFOR CONTINUOUSLY RUB ON THE ROTORS, HEATING THEM AND CAUSING WARPING. DEALER CLAIMS BRAKES SHOULD BE INSPECTED AND CLEANED EVERY 15,000 MILES. MANUFACTURER'S MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE MAKES NO MENTION OF THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM. REPAIRS COST $600.00. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10096386
Mileage unknown · Sep 15, 2004
Service Brakes, HydraulicVehicle Speed Control
I ALMOST HAD A BAD ACCIDENT, AND I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW IN OUR SUBARU FORESTER. I CAME TO A RED LIGHT, BEGAN TO SLOW USING THE BRAKE, AND FOUND THE CAR TRYING TO SURGE AHEAD INTO THE PASSING TRAFFIC: MY FOOT HAD CONTACTED THE ACCELERATOR AS WELL AS THE BRAKE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT MY FOOT OF…
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I ALMOST HAD A BAD ACCIDENT, AND I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW IN OUR SUBARU FORESTER. I CAME TO A RED LIGHT, BEGAN TO SLOW USING THE BRAKE, AND FOUND THE CAR TRYING TO SURGE AHEAD INTO THE PASSING TRAFFIC: MY FOOT HAD CONTACTED THE ACCELERATOR AS WELL AS THE BRAKE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR, BUT IT WAS A SCARY MOMENT.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10091082
Mileage unknown · Apr 21, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling
ON MARCH 4, 2004, WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 SUBARU FORRESTER, I SMELLED AN AWFUL SMELL AND THE EMISSION LIGHT CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME. CAR WAS TOWED TO PALM SUBARU, GAINESVILLE FLORIDA, @ 4:30 PM. PALM HAS PERFOMED ALL PRIOR SERVICES ON THIS CAR INCLUDING OIL CHANGES. PALM COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM THAT DAY AND DIRECTED ME TO…
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ON MARCH 4, 2004, WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 SUBARU FORRESTER, I SMELLED AN AWFUL SMELL AND THE EMISSION LIGHT CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME. CAR WAS TOWED TO PALM SUBARU, GAINESVILLE FLORIDA, @ 4:30 PM. PALM HAS PERFOMED ALL PRIOR SERVICES ON THIS CAR INCLUDING OIL CHANGES. PALM COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM THAT DAY AND DIRECTED ME TO GATRO LEASING, WITHIN THEIR BUILDING, FOR A RENTAL. I DID NOT PROVIDE A CREDIT CARD FOR THE RENTAL WHICH I HAD FOR ABOUT 16 HOURS AND DROVE ABOUT 20 MILES. ON MARCH 5, I WAS TOLD THAT THE OIL FILTER WAS FAULTY I HAD NOT TIGHTENED THE GAS CAP AND THAT IS WHY THE EMISSION LIGHT WAS ON. NOW I AM BEING ASKED TO PAY THE $22.00 FOR THE RENTAL. I DON'T THINK THIS IS FAR SINCE PALM INSTALLED THE FAULTY OIL FILTER.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10067567
Mileage unknown · Apr 20, 2004
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THERE WAS A DELAY BEFORE THE VEHICLE STOPPED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND TECHNICIAN INDICATED VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED BY THE MANUFACTURER. INDEPENDENT SHOP REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER, AND IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY.*AK THE PROBLEM THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED WAS SIMILAR TO A REC…
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WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THERE WAS A DELAY BEFORE THE VEHICLE STOPPED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND TECHNICIAN INDICATED VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED BY THE MANUFACTURER. INDEPENDENT SHOP REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER, AND IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY.*AK THE PROBLEM THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED WAS SIMILAR TO A RECALL ISSUED FOR 1998 AND 1999 MODELS. AFTER THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED THE PROBLEM SUBSIDED. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10063272
Mileage unknown · Feb 19, 2004
Service Brakes, HydraulicVehicle Speed Control
CONSUMER STATED BRAKE PEDAL AND GAS PEDAL ARE TOO CLOSE. SOMETIMES WHEN BRAKING THE DRIVER PRESSES THE GAS PEDAL INSTEAD OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, ALMOST RESULTING IN CRASHES. *AK *MR
NHTSA ODI #10053684
29,650 miles · Jan 30, 2004
Power Train
CAR HESITATES THEN LURCHES FORWARD AFTER PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. VEHICLE THEN HESTIATES AS IF LOSING POWER. HAD THE SAME PROBELEM IN AUGUST OF 2003 AND DEALER RESET THE VEHICLE'S COMPUTER AND SAID NO PROBLEM. DEALER TRIED TO HAVE ME PAY FOR A FUEL INJECTOR CLEANING SERVICE THIS TIME. CAR HAS 29,000 MILES. I SPOKE A ANOTHER CUSTO…
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CAR HESITATES THEN LURCHES FORWARD AFTER PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. VEHICLE THEN HESTIATES AS IF LOSING POWER. HAD THE SAME PROBELEM IN AUGUST OF 2003 AND DEALER RESET THE VEHICLE'S COMPUTER AND SAID NO PROBLEM. DEALER TRIED TO HAVE ME PAY FOR A FUEL INJECTOR CLEANING SERVICE THIS TIME. CAR HAS 29,000 MILES. I SPOKE A ANOTHER CUSTOMER AT THE DEALERSHIP WHO WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND NOTICED THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB SITE. SHOULDN'T THIS MATTER BE LOOKED AT FOR A POSSIBLE RECALL?
NHTSA ODI #10056208
15,345 miles · Jan 22, 2004
Power TrainCrash
ON THE GREEN TRAFFIC SIGNAL I ACCELERATED AND THE CAR SURGED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I JAMMED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THREW THE SHIFT INTO PARK WHEN THE CAR STOPPED, THEN WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND SHIFT IN PARK, THE CAR SURGED IN REVERSE HITTING THE CAR BEHIND ME. I PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED SURGING TWICE BEFORE THIS.…
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ON THE GREEN TRAFFIC SIGNAL I ACCELERATED AND THE CAR SURGED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I JAMMED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THREW THE SHIFT INTO PARK WHEN THE CAR STOPPED, THEN WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND SHIFT IN PARK, THE CAR SURGED IN REVERSE HITTING THE CAR BEHIND ME. I PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED SURGING TWICE BEFORE THIS. MY 2002 SUBARU FORRESTER WAS RECALLED FOR THE PARKING ROD REPLACEDMENT IN APRIL 2003.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10054693
8,700 miles · Nov 3, 2003
Air Bags
AIRBAG LIGHT WILL COME ON WHEN STARTING THE CAR AND WILL STAY ON DURING THE TIME THE IGNITION IS ON. IT WILL DO THIS FOR DAYS AND THEN IT WILL WORK CORRECTLY FOR A FEW DAYS BEFORE REPEATING THE ABOVE BEHAVIOR. *LA
NHTSA ODI #10045331
Mileage unknown · Oct 15, 2003
Power Train
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY THERE WAS A HUMMING WINDING SOUND COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. DRIVER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR ANALYSIS, AND MECHANIC TOLD THE DRIVER THAT FRONT DIFFERENTIAL CAME APART, AND PIECE OF METAL WAS INSIDE OF TRANSMISSION, CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10044013
21,700 miles · Aug 21, 2003
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control
TRANSMISSION HESITATES FROM A DEAD STOP. YOU DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR AND NOTHING HAPPENS FOR 2 SECONDS OR SO, THEN THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10033238
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