Your vehicle report
2003 Subaru Forester
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 189
- Received Jun 2002 to Aug 2025
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline49 complaints · 26% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Frame rusts and corrodes through25 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbag warning light stays on11 complaints · 5.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #11V464000Subaru is recalling certain model year 2002-2007 impreza, model year 2003-2008 forester, and model year 2005-2006 saab 9-2X vehicles manufactured from september 5, 2000 through november 26, 2007 originally sold, or currently registered in, massachusetts, maryland, michigan, new hampshire, new york, pennsylvania, vermont, wisconsin, connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, maine, minnesota, missouri, new jersey, ohio, rhode island, west virginia and the district of columbia. The front lower control arms may break at the hanger brackets due to corrosion if the hanger bracket is exposed to salty and humid environments such as roads containing snow melting agent.
- Recall #03V047000Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies." the left and right front seat belt buckle/latch assemblies were improperly manufactured.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 17 crashes, 0 fires, 9 people injured, 2 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 13 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 3 |
| 2003 | 18 |
| 2004 | 10 |
| 2005 | 6 |
| 2006 | 8 |
| 2007 | 11 |
| 2008 | 8 |
| 2009 | 7 |
| 2010 | 8 |
| 2011 | 6 |
| 2012 | 9 |
| 2013 | 16 |
| 2014 | 33 |
| 2015 | 16 |
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 189 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 49 | 26% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 25 | 13% | – | NHTSA recall #11V464000 |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 11 | 5.8% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 11 | 5.8% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 9 | 4.8% | – | |
| Exhaust smell enters cabin during acceleration | 5 | 2.6% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 4 | 2.1% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 1.6% | – | NHTSA recall #03V047000 |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 3 | 1.6% | – | |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 3 | 1.6% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 1.6% | – | |
| Wheel bearings fail prematurely | 3 | 1.6% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 3 | 1.6% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #11V464000September 6, 2011318,215 vehicles affected
suspension: front: control arm: lower arm
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2002-2007 impreza, model year 2003-2008 Forester, and model year 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles manufactured from september 5, 2000 through november 26, 2007 originally sold, or currently registered in, massachusetts, maryland, michigan, new hampshire, new york, pennsylvania, vermont, wisconsin, connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, maine, minnesota, missouri, new jersey, ohio, rhode island, west virginia and the district of columbia. The front lower control arms may break at the hanger brackets due to corrosion if the hanger bracket is exposed to salty and humid environments such as roads containing snow melting agent.
A broken control arm Can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Subaru will handle their vehicles and Saab will handle theirs. Dealers will inspect the degree of corrosion of the front lower control arms, and will either rustproof or replace them. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during december 2011. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Owners may contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.
NHTSA recall #03V047000February 20, 2003326 vehicles affected
seat belts: front: buckle assembly
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies." the left and right front seat belt buckle/latch assemblies were improperly manufactured.
In the event of a crash, the front seat belts could unlatch, which could result in personal injury to the seat occupant.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the left and right front seat belt buckle/latch assemblies. Owner notification began february 19, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
NHTSA recall #02V282000October 30, 2002172,564 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission
Certain sport utility and passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions were produced with an improperly manufactured transmission parking rod. When the transmission selector lever is placed in the "p" (park) position, the transmission park mechanism, that is intended to hold your vehicle, may not engage.
The vehicle could then move/roll without prior warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the automatic transmission parking rod assembly. Owner notification january 8, 2003. An interim owner notification will be sent during november 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2003 Subaru Forester.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN