Model overview

The Subaru Forester is a compact crossover SUV that's been produced as 1997 by Subaru. Possible to buy in Japan of 1997, the Forester shares its platform with the Impreza. It has been granted the Motor Trend's 2009 and the 2014 SUV of the Year.

The Forester was presented at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1995 as the Streega concept and got ready for sale in 1997 in Japan, and to the US market in 1997. The Forester was one of the premier rising crossover SUVs. It was developed in the style of a vehicle but had a higher stance, taller h-point seating, and an all-wheel-drive.

The Forester comes with five trim levels: base, Premium, Sport, Limited, and Touring. All models come by default with all-wheel drive, and the only powertrain is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder (182 horsepower, 176 lb-ft of torque) paired to a CVT automatic.

Subaru Forester known problems

Some of the common problems or complaints owners have about the Subaru Forester are:

Head Gaskets Leak

Shuddering And Jerking

Broken Coil Springs

Recalled Subaru Cars with Takata Airbag Inflators

Brake Light Switch Fault

Uncertain Reliability in Subaru's Lineartronic CVTs

Rodents issues related to the soy-derived wire coatings used in multiple Subaru cars

Excessive Oil Consumption

Corrosion issues on cold-weather

Subaru Forester PDF owner manual

Below you can find the owners manuals for the Forester model sorted by year. The manuals are free to download and are available in PDF format. Is is recommended to check the owners manual corresponding to the correct year of your Subaru Forester to solve the problems or to get insights about the car.