Suspension Problems of Subaru Forester - part 1

I would like to bring your attention to an issue I recently had experienced concerning my 2018 Subaru Forester that I had purchased new in June of 2018, and to date has only 48,518 miles. A steering rattle sound/vibration had developed while driving at normal speeds on paved roadways. I made an appointment with my local Subaru dealer to have the condition checked out. After a test drive and inspection by the technician, it was determined that both front transverse bushings needed to be replaced, and a wheel alignment performed following the repair. I have done some research and discovered that Subaru had changed the inferior material of the cushion portion of the front transverse bushing due to premature failure of the component (reference: Subaru TSB 05-63-18r). It is negligent for Subaru not to inform the consumers knowing that a potential safety issue existed in the steering system of the vehicle. I believe the Subaru corporation should have initiated a recall of the effected vehicles and replace the defective components, at no cost to the consumer, in order to restore the safety and drivability of the vehicle.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Front suspension lower control arm bushings left and right side failed.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Forester 🔎.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact was informed by his wife that while driving over bumps in the roadway at various speeds, there was a rattling sound coming from the vehicle, and the driver brief lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who discovered that the rear stabilizer bracket bolts had detached from the suspension and needed to be replaced. The contact discovered that prior to owning the vehicle, the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 21v263000 (suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the recall was no longer applicable to the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired by the dealer. The failure mileage was 102,911.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Forester 🔎.

I purchased a brand new 2025 Subaru Forester wilderness and immediately noticed a persistent vibration in the steering wheel, seat, and footwell area. The vibration is present at all times — while driving at various speeds and even while idling. It is very distracting and uncomfortable. This ongoing vibration creates a constant sensation of movement that affects my comfort and ability to stay fully focused on the road. I have arthritis in both hands, and the steering wheel vibration causes physical discomfort, pain, and fatigue, especially on longer drives. I previously owned a 2024 Subaru [same model], which did not have this issue. I have also spoken with other owners of the 2025 model who are not experiencing this problem, so I do not believe this is typical for the vehicle. Subaru of America sent an engineer to inspect the vehicle, but the evaluation was limited to measuring vibration levels. He did not place the vehicle on a lift or inspect any physical components, such as the suspension, wheels, or drivetrain. Despite this limited assessment, he concluded the vibration was “normal. ” I respectfully disagree with this conclusion, as the vibration significantly affects the drivability, comfort, and confidence I feel while operating the vehicle. I am reporting this issue because I believe it may indicate a defect that deserves further investigation.

First was a control arm bushing and than a rear wheel hub assembly. At around 40000 miles. Both failures created unsafe control of the vehicle. Subaru has a TSB with updated parts, so they know the original are poor quality. It has been confirmed with dealer and independent shops. No warning lamps.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Forester 🔎.

While driving at 50 miles an hour or greater on the freeway the right front wheel began to shake violently and it felt like the wheel was going to come off. I checked online and found similar complaints that referenced a Subaru service bulletin # 05-63-18r dated 6/20/2018 revised 7/10/2018. It effects 2014 -- 2018 Foresters. As it turned out my mechanic said I need to replace front two lower control arms. The issue was the suspension. My car has 72,000 miles. The cost was $1200. 00.

After a recent regular tire rotation and balance, my vehicle steering felt shakier than normal. Had rotation and balance checked again, but problem continued. Thought an alignment might rectify the problem but was informed this was not needed. Went to my regular mechanic and did notice the steering vibration. Found that it had to do with the forward bushings, and provided me a copy of a service bulletin issued by Subaru dated 6/20/18, #05-63-18r addressing this item, and also provided me with a video and picture of the problem to provide to Subaru repair. Since the Subaru dealer that I went to was not interested in repairing with the information provided, went back to my mechanic and had the work done. No more vibrating steering wheel.

The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving at approximately 5 mph, the transmission control valve detached. No warning light was illuminated. The contact did research and was made aware of NHTSA campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to get a diagnosis however, the diagnosis was pending. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

See all problems of the 2008 Subaru Forester 🔎.

The lower right control arm bushings failed on the vehicle and the transmission is leaking. The vehicle has been owned by only two individuals, and was purchased by me in 2021 as a certified pre-owned vehicle from a local dealer. In three years we have put about 12,000 miles total on the vehicle (average of 4000 miles each year for three years), and the vehicle is solely driven locally on surface streets. This appears to be a known issue as noted by Subaru owners expressing frustration in public forum about premature failure of the control arm bushings.

When the car accelerates to around 70 mph, the right front side starts to shake and vibrate, giving the impression of driving on a bumpy road. The issue becomes noticeably worse when changing lanes to the right. Both wheel alignment and tire balancing have been checked and found to be fine. After researching online, many Subaru owners have reported similar issues caused by problems with the lower control arm or wheel bearing, leading to shaking at high speeds. However, when contacting Subaru of America about this, they declined responsibility, citing an expired warranty.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Forester 🔎.

The control arms on my 2017 Subaru Forester started malfunctioning at a relatively low mileage (~48k miles) and need to be replaced. . Read more...

The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds a clanking and knocking noise was present coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was examined by an independent mechanic who discovered severe subframe rust and corrosion was present. The vehicle was not repaired. Later while backing out of the driveway the front drivers side control arm fractured rendering the vehicle undrivable. The contact stated that the failure was caused by corrosion of the front lower control arm. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The contact informed that the vehicle was previously serviced under the NHTSA campaign number: 11v464000(suspension) which was to prevent the failure from occurring but the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 116,000.

- steering and suspension were affected. The car is available for inspection upon request. - my safety and the safety of others were affected by the fact that the car was shaking rather intensely while driving at highway speeds. I was worried a steering failure could occur. - my licensed mechanic diagnosed the problem as a right front lower control arm assembly problem with torn bushing. (please see attached. ) he replaced the assembly. Shortly thereafter, the steering wheel would feel occasionally loose and move on its own. The mechanic then did an alignment which did not help. The steering issue that came about after the control arm assembly was replaced is the subject of a complaint I filed with you yesterday: 11683647 - the problem being reported here has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representative or others. - there were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. - interestingly, the failure of the control arm assembly occurred at 51012 miles, right after the warranty ran out. My wife and I are seniors and we drive with care. Under the circumstances, this component of the car should have lasted much longer than it did. Now we worry the left side assembly may fail, especially since we have a loose steering problem that I reported yesterday.

The right rear coil spring broke causing the vehicle to sag approx three inches. I drove the vehicle to my local mechanic and he replaced both coil springs on the rear axle.

My wife's Subaru Forester (2017, VIN [xxx] ) at 70,131 miles started to have a loud droning sound from the rear of the vehicle on [xxx]. I took the SUV to a local mechanic, and they diagnosed the problem as two faulty rear wheel bearings. They removed the old bearings on September 4, 2024 (I have the faulty parts if needed) and placed new bearings. The mechanic warned me that the faulty wheel bearings can seize and cause an accident if they are not replaced. The repair resulted in the disappearance of the droning sound from the rear of the car, so it was clearly a correct diagnosis. In looking online, I have learned that many 2017 Subaru Foresters have a problem with rear wheel bearing failures. The company has expressed no interest in my concern about this incident. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I checked on kbb. Com and my car came up as having a recall for the drive shaft. The NHTSA campaign id - 23v754000 and when I called my dealership about it, I am being told that there is no recall. This is a serious issue and I am seriously concerned. ,.

See all problems of the 2023 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Basically, as I was driving on the freeway with my son and his brother, I got 5 lights flashing on dashboard. Abs at temp check engine cruise control hill assist vss etc. . The code were for cut but before I could check them everything shut down. Car went dark, no brakes and burning smell as well as burns oil. Front end damage on car with passenger side damage. Car started back up next day called Subaru and because it’s 2014 Forester, may not qualify but it only has 126k on the dash. Well maintained and had no issues besides the oil consumption.

See all problems of the 2014 Subaru Forester 🔎.

I have had multiple issues with my car for the past month. First, my rear right wheel has been making a fan-like sound when going above 35mph and it gets louder until 70mph. It is most likely the wheel bearings going out but, I only have around 50,000 miles on the car. This seems to be a common issue with Foresters. Secondly, my rear harman kardon speakers have stopped working. This also appears to be a recurring issue with Forester's, with both their standard and premium sound systems. Lastly, my engine check light turned on and shut off my adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, emergency braking, and rear automatic braking. I'm surprised that these issues are still happening to Subaru since they have been complained about by consumers for years.

The contact owns a 2007 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for routine maintenance, the contact was notified of NHTSA campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

See all problems of the 2007 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Lower control arm bushing initial stages of premature failure. Issue is a known common defect. No safety incident yet, but potential for steering and control issues while driving. Bushing crack was discovered during brake inspection at 45k miles.

Lca lower control arm front bushing on right and left front for 2018 Subaru Forester is a known issue with every Forester. Mine had only 55k miles when the right front started shaking and now the left is doing so and I am only at 60k miles!!.

I was driving my car in upstate NY toward a border crossing wicket and the vehicle began to vibrate violently. I thought that it was a blown tire. I stopped to check and the tires looked fine. I continued for a few yards and it began again. I pulled over and called a tow truck. When the car was loaded onto the tow bed, the front wheel was pitched out at an angle rather than at 90 degrees. Very scary to think what could have happened if I had been driving at 60 mph on the interstate. The car was towed to the nearest garage. The mechanic believed it to be a faulty lower control arm on the front driver's side. Related to recall #wvx34.

Both front control arm outer bushings failed. At 21,000 miles, both bushings were found to be almost completely torn. They were torn around both the inner and outer portions of their respective sleeves. Rubber was found to be heavily worn and appear to be possibly dry rotted as well, with many surface cracks. The rubber was found to be no longer fully adhered to the outer portion of the sleeve. The control arms had a lot of play, both up and down, and left and right, causing the vehicle to drive erratically, especially on wet or uneven roadways. Vehicle also exhibited a lot of body roll. Further, vehicle would slide/skid around the roadway while making turns. The manufacturer, Subaru of America, has failed to respond to several emails. Phone calls have yet to be returned. Original Subaru dealership, world Subaru tinton falls, NJ, refused to acknowledge the issue and claimed they were in perfect working order. Customer tried to obtain another service appointment as was denied. Subaru's commonly have bushing failures that both the dealerships and manufacture refuse to acknowledge. Customer was able to finally find a dealership who has confirmed the issue and is currently replacing them.

Front drivers side control arm broke at bracket point and lost control of vehicle steering. And car was damaged hitting a post. Vehicle per recall for control arm had already been “fixed” contacted Subaru if control arms were replaced under recall or the “rust proofing” applied.

See all problems of the 2006 Subaru Forester 🔎.

During driving on the highway control arm failure causing wheel bearing failure and loss of control of the vehicle putting my safety and others at risk of collision at high speeds. Thankfully no major issue occurred and the vehicle was taken to be confirmed and fixed immediately. I paid for all service repairs out of pocket the vehicle was inspected and issue confirmed by independent service center. There was no warning prior to the issue.

Every right hand turn, I hear a light metallic ‘tap’ on the rear, inside fender well…. I’ve been told by an independent auto mechanic, that it’s the ‘rear coil springs’ that are making the noise. There is no recall for this issue or rear struts. I was told by a Subaru service manager…. . No recall for either. . Has your organization heard anything, on the contrary? thank you… (*just an annoying noise!).

See all problems of the 2015 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Started getting a vibration I thought was a tire problem. It would only show up after 30 minutes or so of driving. It happened several times while trying to have the tire store figure it out. On Friday 15 Sep 2023 we drove at highway speeds to dayton and back. Noticed it occur twice. The next morning we were a few miles from home checking out a dog boarding place. We went to leave and heard a loud pop. The lower right control arm broke. If it had happed the previous day it could have been fatal! this vehicle has been almost exclusively service by busam Subaru at all recommended short intervals, 3,750miles. The recall for this was performed by busam on1/31/2012. They always state they have performed a complete inspection and what needs attention. I am now having service done locally since all of their latest services have been dismal at best. I have counted on them to keep me, my family, and my Forester safe. Very disappointing considering how this could have turned out.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? lower control arm bushings are worn out. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the vehicle starts to wobble and vibrate violently when driving above 70 mph, creating potential safety hazard at such a velocity. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes, the problem is confirmed by the technician at the Subaru dealership. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? inspected by the technician at the dealership. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? they first started to appear a week prior to repair when driving on the highway.

Control arms failed within 55,000 miles, shaking and dangerous conditions for a vehicle less than 5 years of age. Leaking air condition and numerous electrical issues started ironically just after the standard 35,000 bumper to bumper warranty extended. Now my car smells like coolant and worried it’s going to overheat. All my tire sensor pressure gages burn out before 50,00 0 miles and needed replacing. Violent shaking of suspension at highway speeds and not one safety alarm goes off.

Car started to excessively shake at 60,000 miles. The control arm bushings wore out. After doing some research, there was a technical service bulletin issued by Subaru on this issue which changed the design of the bushings. However, they did not notify owners.

I purchased on March 18, 2023 at hgreg west palm beach dealership. The salesperson did not disclosure the previous car incident information, I found it later that car has 2 car incidents. After purchasing a car on April 30, after I parked my car, its started unprovoked alarms. I have no control over my car for about 15 min. I knew that my car has an anti theft device so I contacted magnishield and road vantage- the companies affiliated with hgreg dealership where I purchased my car. I spoke with the magnishiled representative- edter but they refuse to explain what is the service installed in this car and refuse to cancel this service by my request. During this time, I have been contacting dealership almost every week trying to get any clear explanation but they refused to give me any information or cancel the warranty contract. The fact that the car had several severe safety issues. On April 3, 2023 I was driving my kids from school and my car started to burn on the road. Heavy smog and explosions started coming from under the hood - inside the car. I had to do an emergency stop on the side of the road, quickly grab my two boys and run away from the car. I called 911. The police came and they called the fire station. Police officer made a police report, I have a case number. Same day my car was taken to the midas. Midas specialist explained to me that this car was under the risk of fire to drive and can start burning at any time. The air conditioner exploded because it was under very high pressure. The mechanic found another safety issue - suspension was not attached properly and it was very loose. It might have caused a loss of control over the car, while driving, ultimately resulting in a severe accident also, less than a week before, on March 28, 2023 I had to do another major service at midas for the same car. This was just 10 days after the purchase. I changed oil, all filters and did wheel alignment, because they were heavily misaligned.

March 9, 2023 at 7 am, I was driving in philadelphia and traffic had slowed slightly and I was going 5 mph, coming to a stop in traffic when my car completely "froze", and all the lights on the dashboard came on and it said "auto start disabled" and my car would not move. I tried to hit "start/stop" button but nothing worked and I tried to hit my blinkers so I could warn the cars behind me, but nothing worked in the car and it was stalled. This was the situation for 4 full minutes. I am lucky the cars behind me were paying attention and did not hit my car when it abruptly stopped like that with no warning at all. I am really concerned about this car's safety. This issue occurred to the same car in 2021 and I made an incident report then as well. The dealership said it was due to a faulty hood sensor which they replaced but the same exact thing happened a few times in 2021. I think there is some problem in the car's wiring or electrical system that is not being addressed. This is unsafe and a safety hazard for me and other cars on the road. Subaru needs to address this.

I was driving up hill making a curve, suddenly the car went out of control slide all the way to the left. The car ended it up hitting some rocks, I was lucky that nobody got hurt, just my car was damage. I towed my car to a collision center, and I learned that the rear stabilizer bracket was damage which was a recall wrd-21. This issue was address and suppostly was fixed by Subaru dealers but over time may loosen and increase risk of a crash. Probably I will never find out if the rear stabilizer bracket was malfuntion and couse the accident. But I wanted to report it. Hopefully NHTSA looks into this issue.

- on 3/6/2023 upon exiting my garage I noticed the rear right spring had broken off and was on the ground. - on 3/7/2023 I took my vehicle to pops exhaust (CT licensed repairer r6579) located at 53 slater street, manchester, CT 06042, which repaired my vehicle, which consisted of replacement of the rear struts, for $200 labor and $480 parts and $43. 18 CT sales tax - total $723. 18. Vehicle was broken and pop's exhaust notifed me that it woudl be dangerouse to drive with a broken spring and vehcile needed repair. - I learned of the recall on October 26, 2023 (wut-05). I promptly mailed my receipt to Subaru, as stated in the subauru recall and service campaign program letter. . Read more...

The vehicle is a 2015 Subaru Forester. At that time, the car had 47800 miles on it. I started to sense a shaking or vibration on the steering wheel, especially at highway speeds. I took it to a local Subaru dealer and the dealer technician found the lower control arm bushings to be work/torn. I have been driving for over 40 years and have never had to have the bushings replaced in any of my (Toyota) cars, especially at 47800 miles. I bought the car new. I live in the city and do not do any off road driving. I bought the car because of the eyesight safety system. I didn't realize Subaru's quality was not at the same level as Toyota. According to j. D. Power, "the bushings prevent metal-to-metal contact (friction) hence safeguarding the metal joints. " and "driving around with worn-out bushings can pose a threat to the driver and other road users. Worn-out bushings may also cause damage to the vehicle when its components snap. . Read more...