2009 Subaru Forester power train problems
17 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 2009 Subaru Forester — 10% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“We has the car for 10 years. Car has 114k miles and transmission failed. We spent 5 k on the car for leaking gaskets and such. Had car inspected and they reassured me my car is good to go and will last for a long time. Thats not the case.”
filed May 7, 2019
“Was driving about 20 mph on a 2 lane secondary road when an approaching vehicle's driver got my attention and said my car was on fire. I found a place to safely pull off the road and directed my spouse to quickly get out, move away from our car and call 911. There was smoke coming from under the…”
filed Dec 19, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
This announcement provides information on the remanufactured CVT transmission program.
SubaruNet Announcement (R · Other · issued May 4, 2026This bulletin announces the service manual correction regarding clutch master cylinder reservoir service procedures.
03-97-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2026
Power Train problems in other Forester years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Forester | 4 | 5% |
| 2023 Forester | 4 | 5% |
| 2022 Forester | 4 | 4% |
| 2021 Forester | 14 | 7% |
| 2020 Forester | 30 | 5% |
| 2019 Forester | 38 | 5% |
| 2018 Forester | 23 | 5% |
| 2017 Forester | 44 | 8% |
| 2016 Forester | 49 | 12% |
| 2015 Forester | 95 | 15% |
| 2014 Forester | 41 | 10% |
| 2013 Forester | 6 | 8% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2009 Subaru Forester
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.