2001 Subaru Forester problems & reliability
139 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Subaru Forester. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
20 complaints report injuries (24 injured, 3 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2001 Subaru Forester vehicles were involved in 25 fatal crashes with 23 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 29 | 21% |
| Power Train | 23 | 17% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 | 12% |
| Suspension | 15 | 11% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 13 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 12 | 9% |
| Wheels | 7 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 4% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 4% |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 57,023 miles (middle 50% between 37,800 and 90,000 miles), based on 72 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While pulling out of a curbside parking place on a city street the engine started racing and I could not control it by stomping on the brakes or applying the emergency brake. As I was wrestling to keep the surging car under control another car came driving by and was sideswiped. On two prior occasions I had taken this…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Mar 12, 2016
“When the temperature gets cold and I turn on the defrost to warm up the car while parked I can smell gas in the vehicle. It goes away once I start driving. This is a problem many subaru owners have because a hose loosens and allows gas to leak out. Once the car warms up the hose tightens and the problem goes away…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jan 2, 2016
“In december, less than 3 months after buying the car used, while driving I heard what sounded like a flat tire. I was only a few hundred feet from a service station so drove to it, but driving that short distance ruined the tire. I had just put air in the tires, but didn't know about the problem with aluminum rims…”
Wheels · filed Dec 21, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
111 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Subaru Forester. The 10 most recent:
Subaru service article locator.
Subaru Tech Tips (Article · Other · issued Nov 20, 2025
Subaru service article locator.
Subaru Tech Tips (Article · Other · issued Nov 20, 2025
This bulletin provides information on the load carrying capacity reduced label when a port-installed or retailer-installed accessory exeeds 1.5 percent of the GVWR or 100 pounds, which ever is lower.
15-130-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 29, 2025
This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or…
15-308-23R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 28, 2025
Subaru tech tips newsletter article locator.
Subaru Tech Tips (Article · Other · issued Oct 28, 2025
Subaru tech tips newsletter article locator.
Subaru Tech Tips (Article · Other · issued Oct 28, 2025
This Bulletin outlines a comprehensive update to the dark current/parasitic draw diagnosis & testing procedures.
07-236-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 23, 2025
This Bulletin provides details on a new formal testing, charging, and tracking procedure for all 12-volt batteries in new vehicle inventory.
07-233-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 23, 2025
This bulletin addresses cases when attempting to complete the STARLINK Telematics subscription process, an Error Code 202 and / or 204 may occur preventing the process from completing successfully.
15-219-18R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 30, 2025
This bulletin announces the new procedure and Warranty Fail Code for FirstTime air conditioning (A/C) performance concerns possibly resulting from an undetected A/C refrigerant leak.
10-105-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 5, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2001 Subaru Forester in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2001 Subaru Forester?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 57,023 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.