Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Subaru Forester owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Manual transmission suburu Forester purchased May 12, 2001 in chicago, illinois. In May of 2004 car began to have slow start up in lst. And 2nd. Gears. Dealer said he did not find a problem. However, problem worsened and progressed into 3rd, 4th. And 5th. Gears. Until one day in July while on highway clutch exploded. Dealership suggested car had been driven as though by a race car driver which caused the problem. Dealer suggested in my June 04 phone call that car might need a tune up which is why I did not hesitate to drive it with my children in it at highway speeds. After looking at attorney internet complaint site I found numerous similar if not exact complaints as I have made to dealership. At present dealer has my vehicle in another state and tells me I must pay for the 'clutch disc" at l39. And the cost of my rental car at 30. Day , repair could take 4-7 days. …
Bought my 2001 Forester used with approximately 64,000 miles on it. After owning it for about 6 months noticed hesitancy when trying to pull out. Slowly started getting worse. Car would sit for about 10 to 15 seconds after being put into drive before engaging and if foot is not on brake, has a harsh engagement (whiplash type thing where it throws you forward). So, after much research and finding out that there are probably 1000s of other Forester owners with the exact same problem, I contacted Subaru of America who of course told me to take it to my local dealer and if they found anything wrong, Subaru might give me some goodwill assistance. Well as they found that the transmission filter was not a Subaru brand and nor was the fluid, they wanted to change it and then run a diagnostic test, saying that maybe that other filter caused the problem. …
"clutch shudder" occurs shortly upon startup, first application of 1st gear OK stop once and apply 1st gear again and the shudder is severe, shaking and complete loss of acceleration; this will continue for next 2-3 miles warming the car does not remove the problem. This is an extreme safety hazard - there is no forward acceleration. Temp it frequently occurs 56 62 degrees, however once it begins it can re-occur at higher temps later in the day. Occurrence is intermittent. I reported problem to Subaru in san jose, they said "no problem found" after I left the car in service for 3 days - they said they could not repeat the problem. The clutch shudder happens to me frequently during the temps recorded above - I live in california we have those temps often in the morning spring/fall. The # of 600 failures is an estimate - I could not enter "estimate" in this form. …
Began as intermittent clutch slipping (judder) when cold or damp. It is now occurring more frequently and I took it back to the dealer this morning. They experienced the problem, knew all about it and the TSB that Subaru had issued and advised they would call me when the parts came in. When I came home from work, I had a message that the vehicle was no longer under basic warranty (36000 miles) and since mine was 48,000, I would have to pay for the repair. It would seem to me since soa is aware of this problem and I was told by the svc mgr, has remedied it on new models, this is a defect. I live on a state road with heavy traffic around a curve. When I accelerate out of my driveway, I expect that the car would safely and quickly move me into traffic. This is just an accident waiting to happen and should be recalled and repaired by soa. …
Driving on highway at 75 MPH with cruise control set. Tried to cancel cruise control with stalk, it did not disengage. Tried repeatedly, it did not disengage. Hit the brakes to cancel cruise control, it did not disengage (brakes only slowed car down). Stepped on the clutch to cancel cruise control, it did not disengage. When I stepped on the clutch and shifted into neutral, the engine revved all the way to redline and remained there (meaning the cruise control was still engaged). Coasted to side of road with clutch in, engine continued to rev at redline... Continued hitting cancel on the stalk, eventually revs settled down to idle. Manual transmission was non-operational after this incident.
Around 100K miles my 2001 Subaru Forester (manual transmission) experienced severe hesitation and missing (bucking) in all gears, resulting in a loss of power. The timing belt was replaced and mechanic assured me everything with the timing belt and clutch was OK. Within a few days the car experienced the same severe jolting as before. In lower gears car accelerates extremely slowly, and often stalls after the severe shaking. This is a potentially very dangerous problem; while taking a left out of my neighborhood, my car began to shake violently and stalled, and I was almost struck by oncoming traffic.
2001 Subaru Forester (manual transmission) experiences terrible "clutch shudder" (also called clutch chatter and clutch judder) starting from a stop in 1st gear, and occasionally in 2nd gear, most often when car is cold (morning). The shudder is extremely severe, shaking the whole car and results in loss of power. Since this happens starting from a stop, the problem creates a hazard with intersections; there is enough power to get the car into an intersection, then the clutch shudder requires complete reapplication of the clutch, causing the car to remain in the intersection for an inordinate amount of time.
My 2001 Subaru Forester has had a clutch shudder when starting the car cold shortly after I leased the vehicle. It is an intermittent problem which I brought to the attention of my Subaru technician in jan of 2001. They said they checked out the clutch and everything "looks fine". It still has the same problem, but if I can't reproduce it for them they can't fix it. I have read other complaints from other Forester owners about this and Subaru has issued a TSB # 03-51-02r. Why does the consumer have to tell these people how to fix the vehicles they service?
I own a 2001 Subaru Forester l. My husband and I purchased the vehicle new and it now has 41000 miles. It has experienced repeated failures of the rear wheel bearings, at (right rear) 16000, (left rear) 25000. The vehicle now has symptoms of a third failure at 41000 mi. The vehicle was serviced by a dealer for each complaint. I have estimated date of first failure as I do not exactly remember..
1) grinding noise when accelerating especially going up hill. 2) 4wd differential failure 3) differential can only be replaced as part of the whole transmission. 4) vehicle only has 86300 miles, seems like a transmission/differential should last longer than that. Cost for replacement over $3,700.
Transmission complaints in other Forester years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2001 Subaru Forester?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2001 Subaru Forester, 17% of the model year's 139 complaints. The component named most often is clutch assembly (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Subaru Forester transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2001 Subaru Forester. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Subaru Forester transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 46,000 miles, and 27% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.