Subaru Forester 2003–2008
2nd generation (SG)
NHTSA data through 13 August 2026890 complaints, 716 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 716
- Median of reported failures
- 82,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Fuel and propulsion system (13.1%)
- Recalls
- 1
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 45,653 and 126,000 miles.
Figure 1 · Subaru Forester 2003–2008 · 716 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 58 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 17 complaints (2.4%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 13,611
- 25%
- 45,653
- Median
- 81,550
- 75%
- 126,000
- 90%
- 159,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 50 | 7.0% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 41 | 5.7% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 28 | 3.9% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 29 | 4.1% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 48 | 6.7% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 58 | 8.1% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 47 | 6.6% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 44 | 6.1% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 42 | 5.9% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 42 | 5.9% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 47 | 6.6% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 38 | 5.3% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 40 | 5.6% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 46 | 6.4% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 20 | 2.8% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 27 | 3.8% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 20 | 2.8% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 15 | 2.1% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 10 | 1.4% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 7 | 1.0% |
| 200,000+ | 17 | 2.4% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 890 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003–2008 Subaru Forester, and 716 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 45,653 and 126,000 miles. The median is 81,550 miles.
The most-reported areas are the fuel and propulsion system (13.1% of complaints, typically around 120,000 miles), the fuel system (13.0% of complaints, typically around 85,000 miles), the suspension (11.5% of complaints, typically around 126,000 miles).
1 recall campaign cover this generation.
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 2003–2008 Subaru Forester last?
Half of the failure reports on the 2003–2008 Subaru Forester were filed by 82,000 miles and 90% by 159,000 miles — figures drawn from 716 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
17 reports (2.4%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Forester reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 2003–2008 Forester: the 3-minute check
Generated from 716 mileage-tagged complaints, 1 recall campaign, 4 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 1 campaign cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check head gaskets (ej253 sohc) on 2003–2008 cars. External head gasket coolant seepage on the naturally aspirated SOHC engine, same mechanism as the late first generation - slow coolant loss, weeping at the head-to-block joint.
- Check turbocharger (ej255, xt only) on 2004–2008 XT cars. Turbocharger failure from oil starvation, commonly traced to the banjo bolt filter screen in the turbo oil feed line clogging with sludge or debris. Subaru later deleted the screen. Failing turbos frequently send debris…
- Check engine (ej255 pistons) on 2004–2008 XT cars. Ringland failure on the turbocharged EJ255 - the piston ring land fractures under detonation, producing loss of compression and blow-by. Heavily concentrated on tuned or hard-driven cars.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 46,000 and 126,000 miles, with a median of 82,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the fuel and propulsion system and the fuel system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The fuel system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 85,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Subaru Forester 2003–2008
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Throttle and speed control77 reports51,00016,000–82,000Throttle and speed control: 77 reports, median 51,000 miles, middle half 16,000 to 82,000 miles.
- Airbag system72 reports59,00034,000–90,000Airbag system: 72 reports, median 59,000 miles, middle half 34,000 to 90,000 miles.
- Engine and its cooling system62 reports60,00026,000–95,000Engine and its cooling system: 62 reports, median 60,000 miles, middle half 26,000 to 95,000 miles.
- Fuel system116 reports85,00055,000–114,000Fuel system: 116 reports, median 85,000 miles, middle half 55,000 to 114,000 miles.
- Engine65 reports108,00076,000–133,000Engine: 65 reports, median 108,000 miles, middle half 76,000 to 133,000 miles.
- Fuel and propulsion system117 reports120,00083,000–150,000Fuel and propulsion system: 117 reports, median 120,000 miles, middle half 83,000 to 150,000 miles.
- Suspension102 reports126,00089,000–158,000Suspension: 102 reports, median 126,000 miles, middle half 89,000 to 158,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel and propulsion system | 117 | 13.1% | 120,000 | 83,000–150,000 |
| Fuel system | 116 | 13.0% | 85,000 | 55,000–114,000 |
| Suspension | 102 | 11.5% | 126,000 | 89,000–158,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 77 | 8.7% | 51,000 | 16,000–82,000 |
| Airbag system | 72 | 8.1% | 59,000 | 34,000–90,000 |
| Engine | 65 | 7.3% | 108,000 | 76,000–133,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 62 | 7.0% | 60,000 | 26,000–95,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 45 | 5.1% | 40,000 | 13,000–104,000 |
| Body structure | 37 | 4.2% | 92,000 | 42,000–137,000 |
| Electrical system | 29 | 3.3% | 68,000 | 30,000–95,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Subaru Forester 2003–2008 · 716 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 35% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 54% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 72% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 98%: the remaining 2.4% of reports (17) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
35% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Fuel system — middle half 55,000–114,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 16,000–82,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 34,000–90,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 26,000–95,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Fuel and propulsion system — middle half 83,000–150,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 89,000–158,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 76,000–133,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
54% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Throttle and speed control — median 51,000 mi
- Airbag system — median 59,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Fuel and propulsion system — middle half 83,000–150,000 mi
- Fuel system — middle half 55,000–114,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 89,000–158,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 76,000–133,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 26,000–95,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
72% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Fuel system — median 85,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — median 51,000 mi
- Airbag system — median 59,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — median 60,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Fuel and propulsion system — middle half 83,000–150,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 89,000–158,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 76,000–133,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 81,550 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The fuel and propulsion system accounts for 13.1% of complaints (117 reports, 99 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 120,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 83,000 and 150,000 miles.
The fuel system accounts for 13.0% of complaints (116 reports, 109 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 85,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 55,000 and 114,000 miles.
The suspension accounts for 11.5% of complaints (102 reports, 81 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 126,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 89,000 and 158,000 miles.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 8.7% of complaints (77 reports, 64 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 51,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 16,000 and 82,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 8.1% of complaints (72 reports, 53 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 59,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 34,000 and 90,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 7.3% of complaints (65 reports, 57 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 108,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 76,000 and 133,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2004 model year drew the most — 270 complaints — while 2008 drew the fewest at 67. The median year sits at 113.
That makes 2004 an outlier: roughly 2.4 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 1 recall campaign covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 890 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 114 (12.8%)
- Fires
- 22
- Injury reports
- 57
- Fatality reports
- 4
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Head Gaskets (ej253 Sohc) 2003–2008
External head gasket coolant seepage on the naturally aspirated SOHC engine, same mechanism as the late first generation - slow coolant loss, weeping at the head-to-block joint.
Turbocharger (ej255, Xt Only) 2004–2008 XT
Turbocharger failure from oil starvation, commonly traced to the banjo bolt filter screen in the turbo oil feed line clogging with sludge or debris. Subaru later deleted the screen. Failing turbos frequently send debris into the engine, escalating cost.
Engine (ej255 Pistons) 2004–2008 XT
Ringland failure on the turbocharged EJ255 - the piston ring land fractures under detonation, producing loss of compression and blow-by. Heavily concentrated on tuned or hard-driven cars.
Wheel Bearings 2003–2008
Continued front and rear wheel bearing failure across the generation.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 238 | 190 |
| 2004 | 270 | 224 |
| 2005 | 105 | 89 |
| 2006 | 121 | 91 |
| 2007 | 89 | 70 |
| 2008 | 67 | 52 |
Recalls (1) — is your car included?
Dec 2011 · 2003–2008 · SuspensionA broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The defect. 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
What can happen. A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free 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.
What owners reported
2003 Forester 2.5Xs in alberta, canada (owned since dec 2004). Same issue at 221,000 kilometers: we have been noticing very strong fuel smell for several months now (when it's cold outside). The car is currently at the dealership for repairs. As a lot of owners noted here and on other numerous web sites, the problem…
2003 · 221 miles · Fuel and propulsion system
Manual clutch chatters. Mainly 1st and 2nd gear, only after sitting for long periods of time (6-12 hrs). Started early, around 7,000 miles. First time i complained about it, Subaru said that i wasn't driving it properly. 3Rd time i reported it (at 15,000 mi), Subaru acknowledged the problem and they are now going to…
2003 · 7,000 miles · Transmission and driveline
While backing out of a parking space the vehicle accelerated. No impact reported. *Ak the problem had not been completely corrected. The consumer almost hit a pedestrian in a parking lot due to this problem. When backing out, the vehicle started out slow but would then surge in reverse. The brakes felt spongy. The…
2003 · 11,000 miles · Hydraulic brake circuit
- the contact owns a 2003 Subaru Forester. The vehicle's failure occurred on four occasions. The mechanic stated that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The contact called a Subaru dealer and north american Subaru. The contact stated that when the vehicle's mileage exceeded 100,000 it required a new head gasket.…
2003 · 12,000 miles · Engine and its cooling system
Built from 716 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page