Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Subaru Forester owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2010 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving, the check engine warning light had illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who advised him that the fuel tank was rusted and needed to be repaired as well as fuel lines. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that he contacted the manufacturer who gave him a goodwill help credit to help contribute to the repair of the vehicle. The failure mileage was 99,552.
I bought a 2010 Subaru Forester vehicle on 05/22/2021 from AutoFair Subaru dealer at 503 Broadway, Haverhill, MA 01832. The car engine was making noises from the day 1 of this purchase. I reported this to the dealership but they denied the facts. Rather they said that I did not know how to drive and was making jokes at me. In month 3 (07/17/21), there was a warning sign on the dashboard. I took the car to them. There was a leak in the tire. It got fixed. I returned with the engine noise still in the car. In month 4 (08/21/21), again there was a safety sign on the dashboard. There was a oil leak in the engine. They charged me a huge amount of bill to repair this. Last Saturday on 10/30/2021, I was going to Walmart. I was on highway I-495 just a could of miles away from the exit, the car engine light was flashing. The engine sound gets louder. …
I purchased this 2010 Subaru Forester from a private party in 2/2021. It had about 98500 miles, ran smoothly, had service records and was up to date in maintenance. It stalled out in traffic due to low fuel and oil issues. There was oil showing on the dipstick but also oil leaking under the engine when checked at a Subaru service dept. I now found that oil leaks and problems are common according to articles on line. It will cost thousands to either replace the seals or the engine!! For a vehicle of this caliber I expected years of services not immediate oil issues. This is a potential seizing of the engine issue. It consumes too much oil due to the leaks. Is there any pending lawsuits I can join to cover these repairs? Secondly the low tire light is on at all times. Air pressure has been triple checked to no avail.
At 90,000 miles the head gaskets need replacing (a $2600 repair) on a 2010 car that has been taken care of, all oil changes, all maintenance has been done to. Seems like a failed part. Noticed others have complained about the same issue. Just curious how long head gaskets should last under normal use?
Head gasket suddenly failed on the highway. This is a known problem Subaru has yet to address and has been present on all their models up to 2010. This is something that Subaru should have addressed years ago but are allowing people to put the safety at risk due to negligence
The engine in my 2010 Subaru Forester (VIN: [redacted] ) suffered a sudden and complete mechanical failure on November 15, 2025. While driving, the vehicle abruptly lost power without any warning lights or messages. I was able to pull off the roadway, but the loss of power posed a significant safety risk. Had this occurred in traffic or at highway speeds, it could have caused a collision. The vehicle was inspected the next business day by Wiygul Automotive. Their technicians found no measurable oil on the dipstick and added three quarts just to restart the engine. They confirmed no external oil leaks, and diagnosed the failure as a catastrophic internal oil consumption defect that had been occurring over time. This defect resulted in oil starvation and severe internal engine damage. The engine is fully available for inspection upon request. …
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 and I can add later, with the police report when it's completed, if that's possible. I have no idea how fast the car was going. Much too fast to be backing into a parking space. Auto body shop across the street helped to disengage the cars. No towing nec.
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 90 second drive, the temperature gauge light came on. The weather was about 50 degrees and rainy. When I got home the engine fan was spinning really fast. I popped the hood. No smoke or anything visibly wrong. At roughly 2:10 am there was no way I could bring it to get the issues looked into. So I left the hood open to let some heat out and when the fan slowed and then stopped, I closed the hood and went inside. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Subaru Forester. The contact shifted into reverse and the vehicle abnormally accelerated backward, crashing into a building. A police report was filed and a bystander was reported as injured. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was then taken to an independent repair shop where the body damage was repaired. Approximately one month later the failure recurred, again upon shifting the vehicle into reverse. The vehicle continued to accelerate backward until heavy pressure was applied to the brake pedal and the ignition was turned off. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed because the authorized dealer refused to examine the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact also stated that there were no floor mats present in the vehicle during either failure. …
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 village in cicero, where I purchased the car used almost 2 years ago. The service advisor at drivers village told me there was nothing further they could do. He recommended I take it to romano Subaru, which I did. The service center at romano Subaru replaced an ignition coil, but the problem remains. Romano wanted to drop the exhaust system and inspect the engine, but I declined. Spark plugs and wires were also replaced by my mechanic. …
Engine complaints in other Forester years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2010 Subaru Forester?
NHTSA has 40 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2010 Subaru Forester, 15% of the model year's 262 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Subaru Forester engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2010 Subaru Forester, though it has 17 recalls for other components. 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 2010 Subaru Forester engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 19% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 2 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling 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.