2006 Subaru Forester: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 121 complaints
121
Total Complaints
51,000mi
Median Mileage
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Top Issue
20
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

17,200 25th Percentile
51,000 Median Mileage
95,100 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
20
SUSPENSION
11
ENGINE
11
STEERING
9
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
8
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
7
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
5
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
4
STRUCTURE:BODY
4

Severity Assessment

20
Crashes
10
Fires
11
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"FRONT HOOD OPENED TWICE IN MY WIFE CAR WHEN SHE WAS DRIVING. *NM"
"DT: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE IS HESITATED AND SURGED. THIS HAPPENED MORE OFTEN WHEN TRAVELING DOWN A MOUNTAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO A CERTIFIED DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS, AND THE PROBLEM WAS DUPLICATED. HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER CONCLUDED THERE WAS ACTUALLY NO PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE...."
"VEHICLE- 2006 SUBARU FORESTER WITH 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. ON COLD STARTS, THE ENGINE RACES UNCONTROLLABLY UP TO 3500 RPM AFTER THE CLUTCH IS RELEASED. THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO ACCELERATE BRISKLY TO 15-20 MPH. THIS HAS OCCURED REPEATEDLY SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW IN LATE SEPTEMBER. *NM"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28