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#BS-1998-SUBFOR-326B

1998 Subaru Forester

Based on reports from 138 owners and 1 recall for this exact model.

Complaints

138

Crashes

Fires

Recalls

TSBs

🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 138 complaints, 9 crashes, 5 fires, and 1 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Speed ControlHIGH

13 owners reported speed control issues — failures commonly reported around 98K miles.

!Inspect the Wheels & TiresMED

Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure

+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

0–30K

30–60K

60–90K

90–120K

120–150K

150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (8 reports) • Median: 98K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Speed Control (13 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Speed Control13 (9%)

Wheels & Tires8 (6%)

Visibility:windshield6 (4%)

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor5 (4%)

Suspension:rear5 (4%)

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine5 (4%)

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components4 (3%)

Power Train:axle Assembly4 (3%)

1998 Subaru Forester: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Speed Control Issues

Speed Control complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 1998 Subaru Forester, with 13 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 98,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 98K-mile mark.

Wheels & Tires Issues

Wheels & Tires complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1998 Subaru Forester, with 8 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to wheels & tires-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Visibility:windshield Issues

Visibility:windshield complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1998 Subaru Forester, with 6 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to visibility:windshield-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1998 Subaru Forester, with 5 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 Subaru Forester. Recent trend: increasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (1 recall)

99V040000Jun 1999

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS). (THE 1999 2.2 LITER LEGACY VEHICLES ARE EXCLUDED). IN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER, THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE STOPPING DISTANCE IS INCREASED.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Subaru Forester is the 2014 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

1998 Subaru Forester vs. Class Average (Special Purpose Vehicle 4WD)

This vehicle

138

Class avg

229

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical special purpose vehicle 4wd vehicles. A good sign.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 138 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 1 recall found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Subaru Forester Model Years

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998

View all Subaru Forester years →

1998 Subaru Forester: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Subaru Forester?

The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Subaru Forester is related to the speed control, with 13 complaints filed with NHTSA.

Is the 1998 Subaru Forester reliable?

The 1998 Subaru Forester has 138 complaints, 9 crash reports, and 5 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.

How much does it cost to fix 1998 Subaru Forester problems?

Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.

Does the 1998 Subaru Forester have any recalls?

Yes, the 1998 Subaru Forester has 1 recall on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

What mileage do Subaru Forester problems start?

Based on 23 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 98,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.

What’s in the full report?

10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.

How is this different from free NHTSA data?

NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.

How is this different from Carfax?

Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.

What if the report isn’t useful?

100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.