2004 Subaru Forester Fuel/propulsion System Problems
Owners have filed 63 complaints with NHTSA about fuel/propulsion system problems on the 2004 Subaru Forester, 29% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 121,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “cold weather” (24% of reports).
- 63fuel/propulsion system complaints
- 121,500median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Cold weather: mentioned in 15 of 63 complaints (24%)
- Fuel smell: mentioned in 12 of 63 complaints (19%)
- Engine compartment: mentioned in 11 of 63 complaints (17%)
- Below degrees: mentioned in 8 of 63 complaints (13%)
At what mileage do fuel/propulsion system problems happen?
Based on 56 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 63 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Subaru Forester fuel/propulsion system complaints by model year
| Model year | Fuel/propulsion System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Forester | 2 | 7% | — |
| 2025 Forester | 13 | 13% | — |
| 2023 Forester | 2 | 3% | — |
| 2022 Forester | 7 | 7% | — |
| 2021 Forester | 7 | 3% | — |
| 2020 Forester | 13 | 2% | 24,000 |
| 2019 Forester | 22 | 3% | 3,500 |
| 2018 Forester | 19 | 4% | 6,000 |
| 2017 Forester | 11 | 2% | 25,150 |
| 2016 Forester | 24 | 6% | 43,767 |
| 2015 Forester | 56 | 9% | 50,000 |
| 2014 Forester | 15 | 4% | 21,000 |
| 2013 Forester | 2 | 3% | 46,500 |
| 2012 Forester | 6 | 6% | 34,283 |
| 2011 Forester | 4 | 3% | 87,500 |
| 2010 Forester | 10 | 4% | 87,000 |
| 2009 Forester | 7 | 4% | 105,000 |
| 2007 Forester | 6 | 8% | 67,893 |
| 2006 Forester | 8 | 9% | 70,000 |
| 2005 Forester | 14 | 15% | 145,500 |
| 2004 Forester | 63 | 29% | 121,500 |
| 2003 Forester | 26 | 14% | 134,300 |
| 2002 Forester | 5 | 6% | 150,000 |
| 2001 Forester | 6 | 4% | 95,000 |
| 1998 Forester | 2 | 2% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists fuel/propulsion system for the 2004 Subaru Forester. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
leaking fuel lines under turbo in engine compartment when in cold weather
There is a fuel leak on the low and high pressure fuel rubber hoses, and they cause fuel odor to enter the cb via climate control. It is a very strong odor, that requires me to either drive with the windows down or wait for the car to clear out the fuel odor out of the cabin. Mostly occurs during…
Neopreen hose to the right side fuel rail started leaking. This hose is near the top of the engine and the leak caused fuel to run all over engine, which was then drawn into the cabin via the climate control system. This occurred while driving, and raw fuel was dripping from the high pressure hose…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2004 Subaru Foresters have fuel/propulsion system problems?
No. NHTSA has 63 owner complaints about fuel/propulsion system for the 2004 Subaru Forester (29% of the 219 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Subaru Forester fuel/propulsion system?
No recall currently lists fuel/propulsion system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do fuel/propulsion system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 121,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about fuel/propulsion system problems on the 2004 Subaru Forester?
The most frequent phrase is “cold weather”, in 15 of 63 complaints, followed by “fuel smell” (12).
Other 2004 Subaru Forester problems
See all 2004 Subaru Forester problems or fuel/propulsion system problems across all Forester years.