2006 Subaru Forester Engine Problems
- 9
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 9 stored complaint records:
- 2 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 2 indicate fire
What owners report
- cold weather · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 30–60k mi | 3 |
| 60–100k mi | 3 |
| 100–150k mi | 2 |
| 1–30k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Engine
Sitting in the car, engine running; had pulled over for a couple minutes to let passenger out. Noticed smoke started to seep out from engine. Checked temp gauge and saw it was cool. Turned off engine and moved away from the car immediately. After a minute or two, saw flames coming out from engine compartment. Called the fire department, they arrived within a few minutes and extinguished the engine fire. Engine,…
Fire reported
ODI 11220664
Engine
On july 30, 2017, while driving on a southeastern michigan freeway (m-14), our 2006 subaru forester's engine suddenly and without warning caught fire. Emergency personnel responded and vehicle is a total loss. Even older vehicles should not spontaneously catch fire without a reason. This was a very traumatic event for occupants of vehicle and one had to take anti-anxiety medication. Updated 10/23/2017*js
Fire reported
ODI 11023020
Engine · Fuel/Propulsion System
Upon start up in cold weather there is a very strong smell of fuel inside the cabin of the car. It made myself and my daughter feel very ill. Had to exit my 2006 subaru forester xt. Inspected engine under the hood to find leaking fuel lines. Googled the problem to discover it is reacurrent with this make/model/year as evident by similar complaints in subaru forums, google search, and fb pages. This is a danger to…
ODI 10936146
Engine
Vehicle has 44,000 miles on may 20th while in traffic, car suddenly surged forward striking vehicle in front, car then bounced off and hit the other vehicle again. On may 25th while driving to work the car suddenly accelerated; i had to hit the guardrail to get it to stop. Both times the brake pedal went to the floor. Both times the subaru service could find no cause. Neither did a rep from the manufacturer.
Crash reported
ODI 10884150
Engine · Fuel/Propulsion System · Vehicle Speed Control
Purchased in ak in 2006. Approximately 13,000 miles on engine. Paperwork listed entry-point: hawaii. Current 2016 mileage: less than 60,000. Well-maintained vehicle.----- upon acceleration, the engine sometimes lurches and revs too high too fast, and then settles into how it is supposed to feel and sound. Other times, it suddenly loses power instead, lurching down like we've taken our foot off the gas (but we…
ODI 10863825
Engine
I took my car in based on a recall sent by my dealership for my 2006 subaru forester ll bean model original owner. They completed to service recalls on my vehicle none of which are listed on this website.wvl22 and wvu31. The wvu31 was to reprogram my ecm. As i was driving home afterwards the check engine light immediately came on and my cruise light began to flash. I called the dealer immediately who advised it was…
ODI 10660712
Engine · Fuel/Propulsion System
Purchased in ak in 2006. Approximately 13,000 miles on engine. Paperwork listed entry-point: hawaii. Current 2016 mileage: less than 60,000. Well-maintained vehicle. --- in cold weather, despite being garaged, intermittent strong smell of fuel in garage and upon start-up. Sometimes the odor is present before startup. Other times odor not present until engine starts. Goes away when engine warms. Used to be in only…
ODI 10863822
Engine · Vehicle Speed Control
The bus had just dropped off my son. I turned on the car and proceeded to roll down the hill to the corner where i was going to make a right turn. (about 4 car lengths from my original parked spot) all of a sudden the car was not responding to my foot or stealing commands. I rolled onto the front lawn of the corner property. As soon as we cam to a stop i shut the engine and put the car in park. I opened the door,…
Crash reported
ODI 10547476
Engine
When i took my car in for it's 90000 mile service, i was shown that there was oil leaking for the drivers side head gasket. I was informed that this is a common problem for subaru foresters from the late 1990s thru 2009. Appears to be a faulty design, which subaru has not owned up to. My online search located a large number of complaints by subaru forester owners on this design flaw. *tt
ODI 10462745