2006 Subaru Forester Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Forester years
- Fewer complaints than other years 21st of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 88 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Subaru Forester. That ranks 21st out of 29 Forester model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is vehicle speed control (20 complaints, 23%), typically at around 36,340 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 7 fires, 5 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 88owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 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 | 20 | 23% | 36,340 | — | — |
| Suspension | 12 | 14% | 123,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 11 | 13% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 11 | 13% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 9 | 10% | 118,814 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 9% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 7 | 8% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 8% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 6 | 7% | 52,711 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 6% | 41,372 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 5% | 16,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 5% | 52,090 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 5% | 12,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 3% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 2% | 200,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 2% | 106,200 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 1,450 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | 17,200 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 1% | 25,400 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 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.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: On certain vehicles, the wiring harness for the air bag occupant detection system in the front passenger seat may have been pinched during production. Pinching of the wiring harness between the floor crossmember and the seat mounting bracket could result in a short circuit.
Risk: The passenger's front air bag could become disabled and may not deploy in the event of a crash increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant. Also an electrical short circuit could cause a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect to see if the wiring had been incorrectly routed under the seat bracket. If so, the dealer will repair any damaged wiring, reroute and secure the wiring harness in the correct location, and re-calibrate the occupant detection system as necessary. The recall began on march 9, 2007. Owners may 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.
Front drivers side control arm broke at bracket point and lost control of vehicle steering. And car was damaged hitting a post. Vehicle per recall for control arm had already been âfixedâ contacted Subaru if control arms were replaced under recall or the ârust proofingâ applied.
The contact owns a 2006 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that upon purchase of the vehicle, he discovered that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V464000 (Suspension). The contact then took the vehicle a dealer where he was informed that the recall was serviced. Less than two…
Front control arm failed on car. Which snapped the front axle and sway bar link on right side. Found out it was a known issue that was taken care of by dealer. Waiting to see if they will cover repairs.
It just the airbags light turn on
I was made a turn at roughly 15mph and the front passenger side control arm sheared in half causing me to lose control of the vehicle and then abruptly come to an immediate stop. My family was in the car and at a higher speed this could have been fatal. Had there been any vehicles behind me that…
Other Subaru Forester years
← 2005 Forester · 2007 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 | 88 | 2 |
| 2005 Forester | 93 | 1 |
| 2004 Forester | 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 2006 Subaru Forester?
Owners most often report vehicle speed control, suspension, engine problems. The top one, vehicle speed control, accounts for 20 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Subaru Forester?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 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 2006 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.