Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Subaru Forester owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle failed to respond to the steering wheel turning. The contact stated that upon depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle decelerated but the front passenger's side of the vehicle was sliding. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the front passenger's side control arm had fractured, and the axle was damaged. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V464000 (Suspension), which he related to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could assist because of the age of the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop at approximately 25 MPH, the front passenger's side subframe emitted an abnormally loud sound, and the front passenger's side tire detached from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road where he noticed that the front passenger's side lower control arm was fractured. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer where it remained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 210,000.
I was driving down the highway when my front drivers side control arm broke causing me to completely lose control of my vehicle. I was thrown down an embankment and into a cornfield where my vehicle came to a stop. I narrowly missed a telephone pole and culvert. I am extremely fortunate that my car went into a field rather than into oncoming traffic as this happened during rush hour traffic on a Thursday night around 5-530pm. I'm glad that I was able to walk away from this and wasn't killed. I had no warning lights, no laxity in steering, no warning at all-absolutely NOTHING that would've allowed me time to avoid this. The part failure has been recalled previously, and when I called Subaru I was told that the recall had been "taken care of" which concerns me that this part was "fixed" and still put my life in danger. Police were called to the scene and a report was written. …
After a scratchy, metallic noise that appeared suddenly in the lower front, while vehicle was in motion,steering was ceased. The steering wheel was locked and the vehicle could not be controlled. This resulted in a crash. The vehicle hit a tree. Substantial damage was done to the vehicle and it was declared as a total loss.
September 6, 2011, Subaru recall 11V464000 or wyx-34, fron lower control arms May break due rust and corrosion from road salt. Corrective action was to punch test, and rustproof if OK; replace at no cost if test failed. My dealer on dec 19, 2011 performed punch test, and reported to Subaru it passed and was rustproofed, according to Subaru records. Mileage was97,158. On March 27, 2017, my Forester failed safety inspection because of rusted through front control arms. Mileage was 128,056. Subaru refused any support, saying they did what was necessary in recall by rustproofing. Rustproofing obviously did not work. The Forester failed on the lift inspection, fortunately, not by killing the driver, passengers, or other innocents on the road.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that he took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the lower control arm was damaged. The air conditioner unit produced condensation that caused the lower control arm to rust through along with road salt during the winter months. The damage was on both left and right side control arm. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 11V464000 (suspension) in 2012 as a one-time free repair. The contact requested to speak with an upper level manager which was still pending. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 66,709.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Subaru Forester. While driving at an unknown highway speed, a burning rubber odor emitted into the interior of the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence and parked. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the bucket suspension plate under the shock absorber failed, which impacted the suspension assembly on the rear passenger side and caused the strut to fracture on the tire. The dealer replaced the struts, shock assemblies, and both rear tires. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000. Updated 02/03/17 updated 7/11/18
My car was at my mechanics getting looked at. He noticed the lower front control arm brackets were corroded (the passenger side is severely corroded), told me about it and stressed that I needed to take it to a dealership asap to have it replaced. When I contacted the dealership, they confirmed the recall for my car, mentioned the service had already been performed (by the previous owner) and scheduled an appointment. The dealer ended up taking pictures of the lower front control arms and sending them to Subaru of America for approval to repair/replace the affected parts. The recall service was performed, however, the problem came back.
Lower control arm separated at weld due to rust through and caused car to loose control and crash. Both front airbags deployed. Minor injuries were sustained. The control arms were inspected by dealer approximately six months before the accident due to the recall for this component. They were deemed to be safe after a "punch test" and rustproofing applied. The recall also provided for replacement, however my car was not determined to need replacement as a result of the punch test. It appears that the testing procedure for this recall May be too subjective and/or ineffective and that continued failures will be forthcoming.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Subaru Forester. The vehicle was taken to galley west side imports to get the NHTSA campaign number: 11V464000 (suspension) completed and the technician put anti-corrosive adhesive on the vehicle. The contact stated five years later while the vehicle was operated at 60 MPH, they felt an abnormal vibration. The vehicle was taken to the white wheel independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lower control arm on the front passenger side of the vehicle had experienced severe rust. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.
Related recalls
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower arm
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,…
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA investigations
Front suspension control arm failure
On September 6, 2011, Fuji Heavy Industries USA, Inc, on behalf of Subaru of America, Inc notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) it would be conducting a safety recall of certain model year (MY) 2002 through 2007 Subaru Impreza, MY 2003 through 2008 Subaru Forester, and MY 2005 through 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold or currently registered in one the salt belt states including the District of…
Suspension complaints in other Forester years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2005 Subaru Forester?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the suspension of the 2005 Subaru Forester, 23% of the model year's 93 complaints. The component named most often is front (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Subaru Forester suspension problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 11V-464 (lower arm, Sep 6, 2011). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2005 Subaru Forester suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 128,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.