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#BS-2013-SUBFOR-326B2013 Subaru Forester
Based on reports from 94 owners and 12 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Think Twice
Based on 94 complaints, 17 crashes, 3 fires, and 12 recalls.
Top reported problems
excessive oil consumption
3 complaints • Severity 6.7/10
complete engine failure
1 complaints • Severity 10/10
transmission failure
1 complaints • Severity 6/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
26 owners reported engine issues — failures commonly reported around 47K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (30 reports) • Median: 47K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Engine (26 reports).
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
Where the complaints fall
2013 Subaru Forester: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 28% of all reports filed for the 2013 Subaru Forester, with 26 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 47,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 47K-mile mark.
Airbags Issues
Airbags complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 2013 Subaru Forester, with 13 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Brakes Issues
Brakes complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2013 Subaru Forester, with 9 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Speed Control Issues
Speed Control complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2013 Subaru Forester, with 6 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-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 2013 Subaru Forester. Recent trend: decreasing.
Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (12 recalls)
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 Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines. Note that affected vehicles not currently, or formerly registered, in the salt belt states identified above are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.
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, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia that were remedied under recall 14V-311 prior to December 23, 2014. The brake lines may experience brake line corrosion due to salt water splashing on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector.
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. The relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump to continuously operate and overheat.
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 Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Forester, 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, Legacy, and 2010-2011 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 Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
+ 7 more recalls in the full report
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
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.
2013 Subaru Forester vs. Class Average (Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD)
This vehicle
94
Class avg
213
Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical small sport utility 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. 94 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 12 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Subaru Forester Model Years
2013 Subaru Forester: Frequently Asked Questions
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Get the Full 2013 Subaru Forester Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 94 owner reports. Know before you buy.