"How reliable is the 2007 Subaru Forester?"

"Based on 89 NHTSA complaints, the 2007 Subaru Forester has a median complaint mileage of 59187 miles. The most common issue is Suspension."

"What are common problems with the 2007 Subaru Forester?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2007 Subaru Forester is Suspension, accounting for a significant portion of the 89 total complaints filed."

2007 Subaru Forester: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 89 complaints

Total Complaints

59,187mi

Median Mileage

Suspension

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

35,875 25th Percentile

59,187 Median Mileage

99,500 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Suspension

Engine

Vehicle Speed Control

Fuel System, Gasoline

Fuel/Propulsion System

Power Train

Electrical System

Engine And Engine Cooling

Air Bags

Steering

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"2007 SUBARU FORRESTER WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE ENGINE SURGES WHEN DRIVING DOWN HILL (NOT UNDER LOAD) AND YOU ARE GIVING JUST ENOUGH THROTTLE TO KEEP UP SPEED. IT CAUSES THE CAR TO HAVE A JERKING BACK AND FORTH MOTION. SINCE PEOPLE PURCHASE THE CARS TO DRIVE IN SNOW I BELIEVE THIS IS A DANGER..."

"I PURCHASED A USED 2003 SUBARU FORESTER IN 2006. IN MARCH OF 2007 A SMALL PARKING LIGHT WENT OUT. I WENT OUT AND PURCHASED A NEW BULB FOR ABOUT $1.25 AND TRIED TO REPLACE IT. I QUICKLY FOUND OUT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE A VERY SKILLED MECHANIC TO CHANGE ANY BULB ON THIS VEHICLE. IN ORDER TO CHANGE ..."

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU FORESTER. WHEN THE CONTACT'S WIFE, WHO IS OF NORMAL HEIGHT AND WEIGHT, SITS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, THE AIR BAG LIGHT DIMS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIGHT SHOULD BE ILLUMINATED AT ALL TIMES AND HIS WIFE MUST JUMP AROUND IN THE SEAT FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN BA..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Suspension 10 complaints

Median: 126,000 mi

Engine 9 complaints

25th: 65,763 mi Median: 102,500 mi 75th: 115,289 mi

Vehicle Speed Control 7 complaints

25th: 67,000 mi Median: 67,893 mi 75th: 108,000 mi

Fuel System, Gasoline 6 complaints

25th: 39,377 mi Median: 42,557 mi 75th: 50,003 mi

Fuel/Propulsion System 6 complaints

25th: 48,000 mi Median: 67,893 mi 75th: 101,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

WA: 9 CA: 8 NY: 7 CO: 6 PA: 5 MA: 5 FL: 4 TX: 4 VA: 4 IN: 4

Who Files Complaints?

16.9%

Original Owners

83.1%

Second+ Owners

Subaru Forester — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1998	138	98,000	Vehicle Speed Control	9
1999	156	72,000	Automatic Transmission	6
2000	95	80,000	Wheel Bearing	7
2001	169	60,000	Vehicle Speed Control	39
2002	109	93,000	Vehicle Speed Control	29
2003	238	85,000	Fuel System, Gasoline	28
2004	268	96,000	Fuel/Propulsion System	19
2005	105	80,000	Suspension	23
2006	121	51,000	Vehicle Speed Control	20
2008	67	87,950	Suspension	8
2009	228	60,000	Air Bags	25
2010	305	60,000	Seats	28
2011	195	54,000	Engine	41
2012	139	42,513	Engine	22
2013	94	47,000	Engine	17
2014	575	50,000	Suspension	84
2015	883	42,206	Engine	89
2016	601	39,000	Air Bags	77
2017	773	30,000	Air Bags	63
2018	660	14,635	Visibility/Wiper	53
2019	1081	8,743	Visibility/Wiper	63
2020	791	6,000	Visibility/Wiper	44
2021	267	8,250	Visibility/Wiper	28
2022	132	2,900	Visibility/Wiper	11
2023	94	9,000	Unknown Or Other	10
2024	34	-	Unknown Or Other	4
2025	82	2,750	Visibility/Wiper	13

Active Recalls (1)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Lower Arm

Campaign 11V464000 | 06/09/2011

A BROKEN CONTROL ARM CAN RESULT IN THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

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. OWNE

Extend Your Suspension Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Avoid potholes and speed bumps at high speed
Replace shocks/struts every 50,000-75,000 miles even if they seem fine
Get alignment checked if the car pulls or tires wear unevenly
Don't overload the vehicle beyond its rated capacity
Address clunking or bouncing immediately — worn suspension damages other components

Vehicle Rankings

Most complained Worst transmissions Worst engines Worst brakes Most crashes Compare vehicles

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28