2003 Subaru Forester Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Forester years
- More complaints than other years 11th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 189 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Subaru Forester. That ranks 11th out of 29 Forester model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is fuel system, gasoline (31 complaints, 16%), typically at around 91,000 miles. Complaints mention 17 crashes, 9 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 189owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 17complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 31 | 16% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 26 | 14% | 134,300 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 25 | 13% | 59,287 | — | — |
| Suspension | 22 | 12% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 19 | 10% | 62,026 | — | — |
| Structure | 19 | 10% | 131,679 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 15 | 8% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 12 | 6% | 133,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 10 | 5% | 16,523 | — | — |
| Power Train | 9 | 5% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 4% | 16,900 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 3% | 6,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 3% | 118,410 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 2% | 64,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 2% | 27,800 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 2% | 157,622 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 2% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 2% | 90,038 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 1% | 90,750 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Subaru Forester recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Problem: Subaru is recalling certain model year 2002-2007 impreza, model year 2003-2008 forester, and model year 2005-2006 saab 9-2x vehicles manufactured from september 5, 2000 through november 26, 2007 originally sold, or currently registered in, massachusetts, maryland, michigan, new hampshire, new york, pennsylvania, vermont, wisconsin, connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, maine, minnesota, missouri, new jersey, ohio, rhode island, west virginia and the district of columbia. The front lower control arms may break at the hanger brackets due to corrosion if the hanger bracket is exposed to salty and humid environments such as roads containing snow melting agent.
Risk: A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will handle their vehicles and saab will handle theirs. Dealers will inspect the degree of corrosion of the front lower control arms, and will either rustproof or replace them. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during december 2011. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Seat belts:front:buckle assembly
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies." the left and right front seat belt buckle/latch assemblies were improperly manufactured.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the front seat belts could unlatch, which could result in personal injury to the seat occupant.
Fix: Dealers will replace the left and right front seat belt buckle/latch assemblies. Owner notification began february 19, 2003. 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.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Front suspension control arm failure (PE11011) — opened Apr 7, 2011, closed Sep 23, 2011, led to recall 11V464000.
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 bought a used vehicle and looked at it and they erased the codes I saw then erased it then I confronted them and was told nothing is wrong with the vehicle after telling them there is a recall on the suspension. Went to go get a alignment and was told it's severely unsafe to drive and the…
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2003 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while investigating the vehicle mileage at [XXX] , it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 21,084; however, the…
The contact owns a 2003 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the front of the vehicle and the contact became aware that the power steering was not functioning properly. After a visual inspection of the exterior of the…
The contact owns a 2003 Subaru Forester. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V464000 (Suspension). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer where an inspection was performed but nothing was replaced. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speed, the lower…
The 2003 Subaru Forester Sub Frame is rusted. I live in Illinois.
Other Subaru Forester years
← 2002 Forester · 2004 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 | 189 | 3 |
| 2002 Forester | 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 2003 Subaru Forester?
Owners most often report fuel system, gasoline, fuel/propulsion system, air bags problems. The top one, fuel system, gasoline, accounts for 31 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Subaru Forester?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 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 2003 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.