Suspension complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2023 | 3 | 4% | — |
| 2022 | 3 | 3% | — |
| 2021 | 4 | 2% | 26,000 miles |
| 2019 | 6 | 1% | 103,000 miles |
| 2018 | 15 | 3% | 18,000 miles |
| 2017 | 13 | 2% | 70,000 miles |
| 2016 | 14 | 3% | 38,000 miles |
| 2015 | 66 | 11% | 52,000 miles |
| 2014 | 94 | 23% | 56,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 1% | 86,000 miles |
| 2010 | 2 | 1% | 55,000 miles |
| 2009 | 6 | 3% | 170,000 miles |
| 2008 | 11 | 22% | 136,000 miles |
| 2007 | 12 | 16% | 126,000 miles |
| 2006 | 12 | 14% | 123,000 miles |
| 2005 | 21 | 23% | 128,000 miles |
| 2004 | 25 | 11% | 133,000 miles |
| 2003 | 22 | 12% | 122,000 miles |
| 2002 | 9 | 10% | 163,000 miles |
| 2001 | 15 | 11% | 45,000 miles |
| 2000 | 19 | 25% | 67,000 miles |
| 1999 | 25 | 19% | 43,000 miles |
| 1998 | 17 | 17% | 84,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Both front control arm outer bushings failed. At 21,000 miles, both bushings were found to be almost completely torn. They were torn around both the inner and outer portions of their respective sleeves. Rubber was found to be heavily worn and appear to be possibly dry rotted as well, with many surface cracks. The rubber was found to be no longer fully adhered to the outer portion of the sleeve. The control arms had a lot of play, both up and down, and left and right, causing the vehicle to drive erratically, especially on wet or uneven roadways. Vehicle also exhibited a lot of body roll. Further, vehicle would slide/skid around the roadway while making turns. The manufacturer, Subaru of America, has failed to respond to several emails. Phone calls have yet to be returned. …
I checked on KBB.com and my car came up as having a recall for the drive shaft. The NHTSA Campaign ID - 23V754000 and when I called my dealership about it, I am being told that there is no recall. This is a serious issue and I am seriously concerned.,
I am filing this complaint regarding repeated premature strut failure on my 2022 Subaru Forester. The original set of struts failed at approximately 36,000 miles. The issue was not covered under warranty and required replacement. At approximately 60,000 miles, the replacement struts are again failing. This means two full sets of struts have failed before 100,000 miles, which is highly abnormal for a vehicle of this age and mileage. Premature strut failure affects vehicle stability, ride control, and braking performance. This raises safety concerns, particularly at highway speeds and during emergency maneuvers. Suspension components such as struts should not require replacement this frequently under normal driving conditions. Given the repeated nature of this issue, I believe this may represent a broader defect rather than normal wear and tear. …
My 2022 Subaru Forester Sport, <24,640 miles, suffers from persistent, life-threatening safety failures. Thick white exhaust is present in every temperature, and a heavy burning smell fills the cabin during acceleration regardless of outside temperature. I have been dealing with these failures since March/April of 2023. My car was in a rear-end collision in May 2023 and was repaired at an authorized Subaru body shop. Despite these authorized repairs, the mechanical and electronic failures have continued to deteriorate. My car has required 4 emergency tows and was out of service for around 90 days in 2025 alone. It has been to several independent mechanics and they tell me that since everything happens intermittently, I must take it back to Subaru as it should be covered under warranty due to the low mileage. …
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that on two separate occasions while driving below 35 MPH, the sway bar fractured and detached from the subframe of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the bolt was replaced; however, the contact then stated that while driving at a slow speed, the rear sway bar failed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear sway bar had fractured and separated from the subframe and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.
Issue started with hearing a clunking noise from the front of the car, had the dealer inspect at 37,000 miles. They said they the clunking was caused by ECU issue and reprogrammed the ECU to correct it. Obviously, a software update did not correct the noise. Had an independent repair shop inspect the vehicle and found both front control arm bushings were cracked and torn allowing the control arm to move around causing the noise. Since the control arms are an integral component of steering the failure of these bushings could've caused loss of control, or an accident. They were replaced by the independent shop and now the noise is gone.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact was informed by his wife that while driving over bumps in the roadway at various speeds, there was a rattling sound coming from the vehicle, and the driver brief lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who discovered that the rear stabilizer bracket bolts had detached from the suspension and needed to be replaced. The contact discovered that prior to owning the vehicle, the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V263000 (Suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the recall was no longer applicable to the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired by the dealer. The failure mileage was 102,911.
I was driving up hill making a curve, suddenly the car went out of control slide all the way to the left. the car ended it up hitting some rocks, I was lucky that nobody got hurt, just my car was damage. I towed my car to a collision center, and I learned that THE REAR STABILIZER BRACKET WAS DAMAGE which was a recall WRD-21. this issue was address and suppostly was fixed by Subaru dealers but OVER TIME MAY LOOSEN AND INCREASE RISK OF A CRASH. Probably I will never find out if THE REAR STABILIZER BRACKET WAS MALFUNTION AND COUSE THE ACCIDENT. But I wanted to report it. Hopefully NHTSA looks into this issue.
Related recalls (3)
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek and Forester vehicles. The castle nut on the left-front lower control arm ball joint may be improperly fastened, which can lead to the ball joint separating from the lower control arm.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and replace the left-front lower control arm ball joint assembly, as necessary, free of charge.
Suspension › Rear
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid, and 2019 Forester vehicles. The rear stabilizer bracket bolts may loosen and detach.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will retorque and replace any missing bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614.
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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Subaru Forester years have suspension problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2014 (94), 2015 (66), 1999 (25), 2004 (25) and 2003 (22) model years. Suspension complaints make up 23% of all complaints for the 2014.
Is there a recall for Subaru Forester suspension problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 26V-685 (lower ball joint, Oct 19, 2026); 21V-263 (rear, Apr 15, 2021); 11V-464 (lower arm, Sep 6, 2011). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Subaru Forester suspension problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles; 31% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the rear (34 mentions), followed by the front › wheel bearing (32).
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.