Hydraulic Power Assist Steering System Problems of Subaru Forester

Subaru Forester owners have reported 3 problems related to hydraulic power assist steering system (under the steering category). The most recently reported issues are listed below. Also please check out the statistics and reliability analysis of Subaru Forester based on all problems reported for the Forester.

1 Hydraulic Power Assist Steering System problem of the 1999 Subaru Forester

Failure Date: 07/02/1999

New vehicle became uncontrollable, veering from side to side, then going off the road, within first 7 miles of driving at 60 mph. *** 7 purchased a new Subaru Forester l on June 24, 1999, and drove 200 miles in city and suburban traffic, maximum speed 55 mph. *** 7 left rochester for family vacation on July 2, 1999, travelling east on I-90. The car contained two adults and two children. Driver and passengers were wearing seatbelts and all luggage was in the luggage compartment. The weather was hot and the roads were dry. *** 7 near milepost 343, between 10:30 and 10:45 a. M. , while driving at 60 mph, a normal steering correction led to a sharp veer by the vehicle, followed by 4 or 5 uncontrollable side-to-side oscillations, each increasing in magnitude. The driver had the sense that the wheels were not responding to her conscious attempts to bring the steering under control. She had her foot off the accelerator and was not braking. This occurred within 7 miles of the first time the vehicle was traveling more than 55 mph. *** 7 the car went off the road to the right, down a bank into a ditch containing mud, water, and vegetation. It hit the ditch at an angle, bounced, and came to a stop in the grass on the other side. *** 7 during these events there was no sound from the anti-lock brake system and the car was not skidding, but tire tracks were visible on both the paved and gravel shoulders where the car left the road. *** 7 we had no phone and the car was operable, so we drove it slowly through mowed grass until we passed the ditch and were able to pull onto the shoulder of I-90. We left I-90 at exit 43 (3 miles) and slowly drove several miles along route 96 to van bortel Subaru where we had purchased the car. *** 7 we called the state police and insurance company to report the accident. *** the child in the seat behind the driver was treated in hospital emergency room for elbow injury.

See all problems of the 1999 Subaru Forester 🔎.

2 Hydraulic Power Assist Steering System problem of the 1998 Subaru Forester

Failure Date: 07/27/1997

While driving, vehicle lost control and started sliding sideways on dry pavement. Turned at 180 degree slide and went through 10 feet of shoulder gravel, 10 more feet of grass before flipping over twice and landing on its wheels in a marshy area. There were no injuries. However vehicle was totaled.

See all problems of the 1998 Subaru Forester 🔎.

3 Hydraulic Power Assist Steering System problem of the 1999 Subaru Forester

At 60 to 70 mph the car can suddenly loses handling control. It starts to bob and rock and I thought it was going to tip over. This occurred 2 times with 2 different drivers. Eventually the car did straighten out and fortunately there were no cars around so no accident occurred.




Safety Ratings of Forester Cars
Fuel Economy of Forester Vehicles
Forester Service Bulletins
Forester Safety Recalls
Forester Defect Investigations