2004 Subaru Forester Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Forester years
- More complaints than other years 9th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 219 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Subaru Forester. That ranks 9th out of 29 Forester model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is fuel/propulsion system (63 complaints, 29%), typically at around 121,500 miles. Complaints mention 13 crashes, 4 fires, 8 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 219owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 13complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 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/propulsion System problems | 63 | 29% | 121,500 | “cold weather” (24%) | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 61 | 28% | 94,900 | “cold weather” (31%) | $770 |
| Suspension | 25 | 11% | 133,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 23 | 11% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 21 | 10% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 | 7% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 12 | 5% | 93,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 5% | 50,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 9 | 4% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 2% | 48,750 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 2% | 45,102 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 1% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 87,800 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 11,962 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 25,300 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 0% | 244,123 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | 85,175 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Subaru Forester recalls (2)
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.
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, the cover bolts for the engine oil control valve may not be sufficiently tightened, allowing oil to leak from around the cover gasket.
Risk: If leaking oil contacts components operating at high temperatures, a fire could result in the engine compartment.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and retighten the oil-flow control valve cover bolts. The recall began on october 8, 2004. Owners 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.
leaking fuel lines under turbo in engine compartment when in cold weather
The contact owns a 2004 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and extended to the floor, causing the braking distance to be extended. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who discovered that the brake hoses had failed due to…
My vehicle had a recall on the lower control arms that would rust and and break. That is exactly what happened while I was driving with my family. Control arm broke causing other parts to get destroyed. The fender breaks and other parts. The recall was performed before hand but it obviously…
Bracket to the sway bar bushing fell off
The contact owns a 2004 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while having a routine safety check performed on the vehicle, she learned that the lower control was completely rusted. The contact learned that the repair was covered under a special coverage. The contact stated that because the…
Other Subaru Forester years
← 2003 Forester · 2005 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 | 602 | 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 | 219 | 2 |
| 2003 Forester | 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 2004 Subaru Forester?
Owners most often report fuel/propulsion system, fuel system, gasoline, suspension problems. The top one, fuel/propulsion system, accounts for 63 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Subaru Forester?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 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 2004 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.