2002 Subaru Forester Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Forester years
- Fewer complaints than other years 21st of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 88 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Subaru Forester. That ranks 21st out of 29 Forester model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is vehicle speed control (23 complaints, 26%), typically at around 62,500 miles. Complaints mention 21 crashes, 1 fire, 8 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 88owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 21complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Subaru Forester problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 23 | 26% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 16 | 18% | 29,650 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 14 | 16% | 78,304 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 10 | 11% | 30,356 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 10% | 38,482 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 10% | 162,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 7% | 67,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 6% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 6% | 198,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 3% | 86,656 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 1% | 160,823 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 172,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 1% | 170,701 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Subaru Forester recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Certain sport utility and passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions were produced with an improperly manufactured transmission parking rod. When the transmission selector lever is placed in the "p" (park) position, the transmission park mechanism, that is intended to hold your vehicle, may not engage.
Risk: The vehicle could then move/roll without prior warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the automatic transmission parking rod assembly. Owner notification january 8, 2003. An interim owner notification will be sent during november 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving i was making a right hand turn from one road to another and i hit a slight bump and then the whole thing starts swaying only to find out that my rear subframe completely rotted out and detached itself from the car due to the rust and the breaking of the subframe in the rear
The subframe completely fell off my car. This is my second subaru is has happened to i had to scrap the first one. I didn't notice it till i came home, i checked it because it was driving funny.
Was luckily only traveling at about 30 mph when failure occurred. Got out of the car to discover the driver side wheel correctly pointed straight and passenger side front wheel pointed inward. Upon inspection, the control had without warning snapped in half taking the cv axle and stabilizer linkage…
I was driving on the highway 1 mile from my home when the control arm suddenly failed sending my car veering across the road almost hitting oncoming traffic.
Fuel lines in engine leak in cold weather. This is a serious hazard that i and multiple other subaru owners that i know have had occurring and recurring. I called subaru and they were uninterested in issuing a safety recall despite the extreme hazard leaking gasoline in the engine poses. This has…
Other Subaru Forester years
← 2001 Forester · 2003 Forester →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Forester | 28 | 3 |
| 2025 Forester | 97 | 3 |
| 2024 Forester | 30 | 2 |
| 2023 Forester | 74 | 1 |
| 2022 Forester | 98 | 1 |
| 2021 Forester | 210 | 0 |
| 2020 Forester | 603 | 0 |
| 2019 Forester | 834 | 3 |
| 2018 Forester | 498 | 3 |
| 2017 Forester | 590 | 1 |
| 2016 Forester | 415 | 3 |
| 2015 Forester | 615 | 3 |
| 2014 Forester | 403 | 2 |
| 2013 Forester | 78 | 12 |
| 2012 Forester | 105 | 15 |
| 2011 Forester | 147 | 16 |
| 2010 Forester | 262 | 17 |
| 2009 Forester | 178 | 17 |
| 2008 Forester | 50 | 1 |
| 2007 Forester | 74 | 1 |
| 2006 Forester | 88 | 2 |
| 2005 Forester | 93 | 1 |
| 2004 Forester | 219 | 2 |
| 2003 Forester | 189 | 3 |
| 2002 | 88 | 1 |
| 2001 Forester | 139 | 0 |
| 2000 Forester | 75 | 0 |
| 1999 Forester | 131 | 1 |
| 1998 Forester | 101 | 1 |
See all Subaru Forester problems by year, every Subaru model, or the Subaru VIN decoder.
Similar Subaru models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Subaru Forester?
Owners most often report vehicle speed control, power train, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, vehicle speed control, accounts for 23 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Subaru Forester?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Subaru Forester a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Forester model years, the 2002 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.