Most common 2009 Subaru Forester problems
Share of the 178 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Subaru Forester complaints by model year
Best Forester years: 2013, 2024. Years to avoid: 2019, 2020, 2017, 2015, 2018. Compare all years →
2009 Subaru Forester recalls (17)
Seat belts
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles. The front seat belt assembly force-limiter may not operate correctly in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 9, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020.
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2010 Tribeca, Impreza, Forester, WRX, Legacy, and Outback vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North…
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783.
Show 11 more recalls
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Legacy, Forester, Tribeca, WRX and Outback vehicles, and 2009-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the…
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009 Tribeca, Impreza, Forester, WRX, Legacy, and Outback vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South…
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began on February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Baja, 2009 Forester, Legacy and Outback and 2006-2009 Impreza (including WRX and STI models) and Tribeca vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger front air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Subaru Baja, 2006-2011 Impreza (including WRX and STI models), 2006-2012 Tribeca, 2009-2012 Forester, Legacy, Outback, and 2012 WRX vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783.
Electrical system
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2009-2011 Legacy, Outback, Forester, 2006-2011 Impreza, Tribeca, 2003-2006 Baja, and 2006 Saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 26, 2016.
Service brakes, hydraulic
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Impreza, 2008-2014 WRX and STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will apply an anti-corrosion wax to the four-way joint connector area of the brake line system, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2015.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008-2011 Impreza and 2008-2014 Impreza WRX/STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New…
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks.
Exterior lighting
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 Legacy and Outback vehicles, certain model year 2006 through 2012 Tribeca vehicles sold before January 2012, and certain model year 2009 through 2012 Forester vehicles sold before January 2012.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional fused-harness, free of charge. The recall began February 19, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783 for more information.
Seat belts › Rear/other
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 forester vehicles manufactured from November 26, 2007, through March 13, 2012. The automatic locking retractor in the seat belt assemblies located in the rear center seating of the affected vehicles do not meet lockability requirements and fail to comply with federal motor…
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear center seat belt assembly with a newly modified automatic locking retractor, free of charge. An interim letter was mailed on March 26, 2012.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Subaru is recalling 16,715 my 2007-2008 legacy sedans and wagons, my 2008 impreza sedans and wagons, and my 2009 forester vehicles. Some vehicles May have the cylinder head-side oil supply pipe and turbocharger-side pipe improperly assembled.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect for cracking or an oil leak at the oil supply pipe at the cylinder head-side. An additional bracket will be installed to increase rigidity of the pipe and the pipe assembly will be replaced with a…
What 2009 Subaru Forester owners say
Air bags all 40 →
Airbag lights have been going on and off ever since I took it into to get my airbags recalled and Subaru will not take a look at it with out me signing a form saying I am liable to pay 200 dollars if it happens to be anything else unrelated to the recall warranty.
Tl* the contact owned a 2009 Subaru Forester. While driving 40 MPH, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V358000 (air bags). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 108,000.
Engine & cooling all 39 →
Our son bought a 2009 Subaru Forester on 7/13/18 from the dan perkins Subaru dealership in milford, ct. He was driving it home at noon on 8/16/18 when his check engine light came on. Within seconds the car filled with smoke, and went up in flames. The entire car was lost.
Engine and vehichle caught on fire. Driving highway for about 3.5 hours. Had just refilled with fuel about 15 minutes prior to check engine light coming on. Proceeded to next exit. Check oil light came on and car was on fire. Vehicle destroyed.
Electrical system all 22 →
The past month or so I noticed that the driver side seat heater didn't seem to feel right on my butt. The seat seemed to almost burn me in one spot. I thought it was odd, but didn't look into it further. Just this past week I noticed that only the back heater was working. While cleaning the car out today I noticed a very small burn hole in the cloth seat. I decided to remove the seat and investigate the issue since the vehicle is no longer under warranty. During my investigation I noticed that it was definitely a burn mark and there was melted/black areas under the cloth. I did not dig too deep into the seat since I didn't want to have an issue putting it all back together. I have two pictures. One of the hole and one under the cloth. I did the best I could photographing under the cloth. I removed the power to the seat heater.
While vehicle was parked outside, noticed side lights were on, car was not on. After entering the vehicle noticed a smell of burned plastic. Tried multiple ways to shut off the side lights, couldn't do it. Finally traced the smell of the burning plastic to the rear of the vehicle, by the lift gate, by the spare tire. The electrical cable that connects the vehicle to the trailer hitch wiring harness was burning and smoking. Disconnected it and the power failure stopped, by then the wiring harness had melted and wires burnt. Took photos of the wiring to show it, problem seems to be with the condensation in the area and moisture caused a short in the harness. Without intervening car could have caught fire and burnt down.
2009 Subaru Forester engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 26 / 22 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl turbo | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 19 / 24 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Subaru Forester a good car?
Based on 178 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Forester rates use caution: 1.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Forester at the same age. It is one of the Forester years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Subaru Forester?
The air bags — 40 complaints, 22% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the engine & cooling (39) and electrical system (22).
How many recalls does the 2009 Subaru Forester have?
There are 17 recalls for the 2009 Subaru Forester, the most recent from November 10, 2022 (seat belts). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Subaru Forester?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2013 and 2024. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2019, 2020, 2017, 2015 and 2018. See the full Subaru Forester years comparison.
At what mileage do 2009 Subaru Forester problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 57,000 miles; 40% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.