2010 Subaru Forester Engine Problems
- 26
- 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 26 stored complaint records:
- 2 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 1 indicate fire
What owners report
- engine light · 7 records
- catalytic converter · 5 records
- head gaskets · 5 records
- light came · 5 records
- sudden acceleration · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 11 |
| 30–60k mi | 4 |
| 150–400k mi | 4 |
| 100–150k mi | 3 |
| 1–30k mi | 2 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Engine
Hesitates when driving off or slowing down ,goes dead when pulling into traffic.sometimes the engine jerks and shakes. Plugs have 30,000 on them after tuning up.yellow lights will not come on and nothing shows up on diagnostic check. Extremely dangerous.
ODI 11292122
Engine · Fuel/Propulsion System
While driving, "check engine" light, cruise light & traction light began flashing. Dealer said catalytic converter had to be replaced. Repair done & dealer said, "if it doesn't 'take,' we'll know soon." three weeks later, same thing happened. This repair is on top of a major gasket replacement done just a few months earlier because the gaskets were leaking. Car has about 115,000 miles & has been serviced regularly.
ODI 11206422
Engine
LEAKY HEADGASKETS...
ODI 11230004
Engine
Left side head gasket leaking oil onto the exhaust manifold. Subaru faulty head gaskets. Something needs to be done about the faulty head gaskets. Only 85000 miles on the engine.
ODI 11176119
Engine · Fuel/Propulsion System
On routine oil visit change, dealership informed me the head gaskets were leaking slightly but didn't need immediate repair. I had noticed no symptoms. On next visit for an unrelated problem, was told they needed immediate repair at a cost of more than $2,000. A quick online search confirmed that this is a common complaint among forester owners. I let the dealer make the repair but complained to subaru corporate,…
ODI 11196457
Engine · Fuel/Propulsion System
When driving the car starts to jerk and hesitate alot when accelerating happens quite frequently which causes the check engine light to come on so then you take it get it plugged in on little machine tells you something so you fix that issue thinking it's all better but nope still continues to happen might be good for a few weeks to a month but always continues to happen and makes it impossible to go up hills or…
ODI 11151932
Engine
Dear subaru, i own a subaru 2.0 diesel ee20. I bought this car from germany. The car engine broke in romania after 10000 k. Not even resist until the revision. I was to subaru romania ( subarumotors bucharest ) to mr daniel simion before engine break. He told me that the car will break because of crankshaft failure. The car broke after 1 mounth. ( 2000 km). I spoked with daniel simion to take my car and apply…
ODI 11152124
Engine · Service Brakes
I had pulled into my company parking lot and was backing into my parking space. I pulled forward, applied the brake to shift into reverse. As soon as i took my foot off the brake pedal, the car zoomed backward. I jumped a curb, went through very thick bushes and landed on top of a small audi parked in the lot behind ours. I had to turn off the car to stop the engine. I was too in shock to take photos but others did…
Crash reported
ODI 11047177
Engine
Problem of sudden acceleration while stopped in traffic with vehicle in gear. This happened twice. Both on city roads. Once at a traffic light. And again while waiting for traffic ahead of me. Feared i would collide with cars ahead of me, but extremely firm pressure on brake pedal avoided this. Also have cel on. Code indicates misfire on cylinder 4. That was determined at the service center of burdick's drivers…
ODI 11014812
Engine
Leaking oil at 55,000 miles, have read online that there are problems with head gaskets in this model
ODI 10979016
Engine
I respectfully request that the subaru forester 2010 be investigated for defective head gaskets as they appear to blow suddenly and unexpectedly, rendering the vehicle unsafe for driving. My vehicle has approximately 74000 miles on it and has been serviced regularly and nearly exclusively by the dealer. While driving the car, i noticed the coolant light came on and immediately pulled into an oil change service…
ODI 10979833
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 subaru forester. The contact stated that he had to change the oil every 5,000 miles and noticed that the oil level was low. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where an oil consumption test was performed. The vehicle failed and it was determined that the short block needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made…
ODI 10980525
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 subaru forester. While driving approximately 65 mph and down shifting from fifth to fourth gear, the engine revved very high without warning. The contact stated that the gear was shifted into neutral and the engine made a knocking sound. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. The contact checked the oil, but it was depleted. The dealer diagnosed that the engine failed and…
ODI 10949472
Engine · Fuel/Propulsion System · Vehicle Speed Control
Hello- i am experiencing continued issues after recall: 16v-738. I began attempting to resolve this issue in september of 2016. The issue impacts the secondary air system and my vehicle would not pass ca smog. I have to have a passing smog to renew my ca registration. I failed smog and sent the vehicle to my mechanic. My mechanic performed diagnosis and determined stored p2441 and p2443 codes (secondary air valves…
ODI 10939754
Engine
I was heading to work on rt 80 w in nj when my car's engine began to make a knocking sound. It would not accelerate, and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn. As soon as possible i got into the right-hand lane and exited rt 80 via exit 34b, rt 15n towards sparta nj. I knew there was a gas station at the exit and was just barely able to pull in when the car died. At that point the steering wheel…
ODI 10897232
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 subaru forester. The contact stated that when the vehicle was taken for a routine inspection, the technician informed that the engine was leaking oil and the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.
ODI 10913902
Engine
The subaru forester 2010 failed the oil consumption test performed by subaru. The cause from a subaru bulletin states that the #1 and/or #4 intake valve guide insertion hole was improperly machined, permitting oil to enter the combustion chamber. This occurred on the subaru forester 2010 models as well as 2011 legacy/outback, and 2011 impreza. This is a safety issue because more than 1.5 quarts of oil is consumed…
ODI 10873998
Body · Electrical System · Engine
After work, i got in my car and started it up. Check engine light came on, followed by traction control and tire pressure lights. This was odd because these lights had never been on before. I started to drive home--it was too late to bring the car to have it checked out. I live a minute and a half from work. The cruise control light then came on and flickered in no particular pattern. Then, about 45 seconds into my…
Fire reported
ODI 10780056
Electronic Stability Control · Engine
Dashboard warning lights (traction control, cruise control and engine light) are lit because of a problem with the catalytic converter. It is very costly to fix the catalytic converter. Because we cannot afford to fix the catalytic converter, we are left with no traction control or cruise control. Also, if something horrible happens to the car, we will not be warned about it since the engine light is on for the…
ODI 11042160
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 subaru forester. While driving at various speeds with the accelerator engaged, the engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of this failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
ODI 10715901
Engine
The vehicle has been maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's manual. Recently the "service engine" light came on. Immediately the vehicle pulled into a lot and checked under the hood. The oil was low, so oil was added. It was about 90 miles home, so it was started back up and entered a toll road. After about 10 minutes a slight burning oil smell was noticed so the vehicle was immediately stopped on the…
ODI 10692546
Engine
Excessive oil consumption issue on 2010 subaru forester. Last oil change @ 72,328 miles. Vehicle ran out of oil at 74,979 miles. [documentation available on consistent regular maintenance.] *tr
ODI 10664421
Engine
While cruising at 40 mph up a slight incline, the engine suddenly jerked a few times, then stopped. I was able to pull to the side of the road. The car was towed to my mechanic's garage where he diagnosed the problem as a failure of the air conditioning unit to open the valve which allows cool air to enter the cabin. The air conditioning unit literally froze, resulting in the belt which engages the engine stopping…
ODI 10629583
Engine · Vehicle Speed Control
While in my driveway, i started the engine, stepped on the brake, put the vehicle in drive and it accelerated. I swerved to miss a trailer parked in front of me, pushed harder on the brake, the vehicle stopped, the engine raced for a few seconds and then idled normally. I got out, looked at the floor mat and it wasn't touching the accelerator. It hasn't happened since, but the car doesn't get driven much. *tr
ODI 10609402
Engine · Service Brakes · Vehicle Speed Control
Sudden acceleration from full stop. The vehicle had exhibited sudden acceleration 3 weeks prior but the dealer did not find any problem. From a full stop, the vehicle was placed into reverse at which time the engine revved to full throttle, overriding the brakes, resulting in the vehicle backing uncontrollably and stopping on top of a boulder with the back wheels off the ground approximately 4 feet. The incident was…
Crash reported
ODI 10555497