2009 Subaru Forester problems and complaints
Owners have filed 178 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Subaru Forester. The most-reported areas: Air Bags (40), Engine (27), Electrical System (22).
Key takeaways
- 178 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 19 involve a crash, 7 a fire, 5 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 40 | 22% |
| Engine | 27 | 15% |
| Electrical System | 22 | 12% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 19 | 11% |
| Power Train | 17 | 10% |
| Service Brakes | 16 | 9% |
| Seats | 16 | 9% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 12 | 7% |
| Unknown Or Other | 11 | 6% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 7 | 4% |
| Visibility | 7 | 4% |
| Suspension | 6 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Subaru Forester 4-DR. w/SAB | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Air Bags - filed 2025-03-12
Airbag lights have been going on and off ever since I took it into to get my airbags recalled and Subaru will not take a look at it with out me signing a form saying I am liable to pay 200 dollars if it happens to be anything else unrelated to the recall warranty.
Tires - filed 2024-05-10
- I bought a set of 4 Cooper Adventurer P225 55 R17 tires from Pep Boys in La Habra , CA on [XXX]. - On [XXX], I had to replace one due to a flat, and they noticed that I had a serious bulge in another. I replaced those two tires, putting the new ones in the front. - On around [XXX], friends helping me with adjustin...
Air Bags - filed 2024-04-30
No local dealer to complete recall NHTSA Recall Number 20V002000. Vehicle is too old, too high miles to be trusted to take on an extended road trip to a dealer. Contacting Subaru wasn’t any help.
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More for the 2009 Subaru Forester
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.