2006 Subaru Forester problems & reliability
88 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Subaru Forester, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 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 components.
4 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 Subaru Forester vehicles were involved in 21 fatal crashes with 15 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 → | 20 | 23% |
| Suspension → | 12 | 14% |
| Engine → | 11 | 13% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 11 | 13% |
| Steering | 9 | 10% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 8% |
| Structure | 7 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 7% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 21 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 66 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 54,306 miles (middle 50% between 21,350 and 99,550 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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.”
Suspension · filed Nov 27, 2023
“The contact owns a 2006 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that upon purchase of the vehicle, he discovered that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V464000 (Suspension). The contact then took the vehicle a dealer where he was informed that the recall was serviced. Less than two months later, the…”
Suspension · filed Nov 23, 2022
“Front control arm failed on car. Which snapped the front axle and sway bar link on right side. Found out it was a known issue that was taken care of by dealer. Waiting to see if they will cover repairs.”
Suspension · filed Nov 22, 2022
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Front suspension control arm failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE11011 · opened Apr 7, 2011 · closed Sep 23, 2011 · led to recall 11V464000
Technical service bulletins
137 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 Subaru Forester. The 10 most recent:
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 Aug 20, 2026
This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
15-304-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 13, 2026
Techtips newsletter locator index.
Article Locator · Other · issued Aug 5, 2026
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin
15-333-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2026
This announcement is requesting retailer staff to retain the EyeSight protective hood covers from Generation 4 EyeSight cameras.
SubaruNet Annoucement (E · Other · issued Jun 12, 2026
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 18, 2026
This announcement provides information on the remanufactured CVT transmission program.
SubaruNet Announcement (R · Other · issued May 4, 2026
This Service Information Bulletin was developed to provide interim guidance for vehicles exhibiting DTC B2A20.
07-240-26R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2026
This bulletin announces the service manual correction regarding clutch master cylinder reservoir service procedures.
03-97-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2026
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2026
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
The 2006 Subaru Forester has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 2006 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 54,306 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.