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1998 Subaru Forester

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1998 Subaru Forester do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 131.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 18 of 101 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Power Train. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports5 fire reports2 injury reports

Tires complaints

8 reports
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Mileage unknown · Aug 22, 2006
TiresCrash

1998 SUBARU FORESTER'S TIRE BLEW OUT. *TS WHEN THE TIRE BLEWOUT IT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO GO OFF THE ROADWAY AND STRIKE A CONSTRUCTION CONE, DELINEATOR POST AND SOUTH DITCH. THE VEHICLE LEFT REAR QUARTER PANEL, TAILLIGHT AND BUMPER WERE DAMAGED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10166914

Mileage unknown · Jan 8, 2001
Tires

WHILE DRIVING, TIRES WOBBLE CAUSING THE FRONT END TO WOBBLE, WHEN ACCELERATOR PRESSURE IS RELEASED THE WOBBLE GOES AWAY UNTIL TIRES GET WARMED UP, THEN THE WOBBLE DOES NOT GO AWAY, TIRES WERE REPLACED BEFORE DUE TO THE SAME REASON, DEALER STATES THIS IS ATIRE PROBLEM AND NOT AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM, TIRES ARE FIRESTONE TIRES, SIZE …

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WHILE DRIVING, TIRES WOBBLE CAUSING THE FRONT END TO WOBBLE, WHEN ACCELERATOR PRESSURE IS RELEASED THE WOBBLE GOES AWAY UNTIL TIRES GET WARMED UP, THEN THE WOBBLE DOES NOT GO AWAY, TIRES WERE REPLACED BEFORE DUE TO THE SAME REASON, DEALER STATES THIS IS ATIRE PROBLEM AND NOT AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM, TIRES ARE FIRESTONE TIRES, SIZE P285/75R15, DOT # HXLR1800. *SLC

NHTSA ODI #877668

Mileage unknown · Dec 16, 2000
Tires

THE SUBARU FORRESTER WAS PURCHASED ON 8/25/2000. THE ABOVE TIRE (AND 3 OTHER TIRES) WERE BRAND NEW ON THE VEHICLE WHICH SHOWED 24,900 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THESE TIRES HAVE HAD EXCELLENT CARE AND WE HAVE BEEN ESPECIALLY CAREFUL TO MAINTAIN THE CORRECT AIR PRESSURE. THE TIRE FAILED SUDDENLY, THAT IS WENT ENTIRLEY FLAT IN ABOUT…

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THE SUBARU FORRESTER WAS PURCHASED ON 8/25/2000. THE ABOVE TIRE (AND 3 OTHER TIRES) WERE BRAND NEW ON THE VEHICLE WHICH SHOWED 24,900 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THESE TIRES HAVE HAD EXCELLENT CARE AND WE HAVE BEEN ESPECIALLY CAREFUL TO MAINTAIN THE CORRECT AIR PRESSURE. THE TIRE FAILED SUDDENLY, THAT IS WENT ENTIRLEY FLAT IN ABOUT 5 SECONDS AT 55 MPH. AS FAR AS WE KNOW, THE TIRE WAS NOT PUNCTURED JUST PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. BOTH POQUET AUTO AND THE LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER PROMPTLY WORKED WITH US TO REPLACE THE TIRE AND REBALANCE THE NEW UNIT AT NO COST TO US. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THEIR QUICK SERVICE AND COOPERATION. WHILE WE HAVE HAD EXCELLENT SERVICE FROM PAST SETS OF FIRESTONE TIRES ON PREVIOUSLY OWNED AUTOMOBILES, WE ARE SOMEWHAT CONCERNED ABOUT THE ROAD WORTHINESS OF THESE TIRES CONSIDERING THE RECENT PUBLICITY REGARDING FIRESTONE TIRES OF THIS MODEL IN THE R15 SERIES. WE DO NOT EXPECT ANY ACTION ON THE PART OF THE NHTSA, FIRESTONE, OR POQUET BUT THOUGHT IT BEST TO REPORT THIS UNEXPECTED TIRE FAILURE. (DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRESIZE: P225/60R16)

NHTSA ODI #737885

Mileage unknown · Dec 13, 2000
Tires

I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT, AT MY 26,000 MILE CHECK UP 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS TOLD ME MY TIRES WERE WORN OUT. I WAS HIGHLY CONCERNED THAT ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT SHOULD WEAR OUT AT 26,000 MILES. THEY REFUSED TO COVER THEM IN THE 30,000 MILE REPLACEMENT CLAUSE. SOON AFTER FIRESTONE STARTED HAVING RECALLS, I BELIEVE MY TIRES ARE DEFECT…

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I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT, AT MY 26,000 MILE CHECK UP 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS TOLD ME MY TIRES WERE WORN OUT. I WAS HIGHLY CONCERNED THAT ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT SHOULD WEAR OUT AT 26,000 MILES. THEY REFUSED TO COVER THEM IN THE 30,000 MILE REPLACEMENT CLAUSE. SOON AFTER FIRESTONE STARTED HAVING RECALLS, I BELIEVE MY TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE NOT WORN OUT. *AK (TIRESIZE: RX15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: RX15 )

NHTSA ODI #737753

Mileage unknown · Oct 20, 2000
Tires

ROAD SALT GETS IN BETWEEN TIRES AND RIMS ,CAUSING A SLOW LEAK TO OCCUR IN THE TIRES. DEALER BEADED THE TIRES, AND SLOW LEAK REOCCURRED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #873457

Mileage unknown · Oct 17, 2000
Tires

THE 15" WILDERNESS THAT CAME STOCK WITH THIS FORESTER HAD TO BE REPLACED AT APPROXIMATELY 29,800 MILES. I TOOK IT IN FOR A TIRE ROTATION AND LES SCHWAB INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT ROTATE THE TIRES AS THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXTREME WEAR. THOSE 15" TIRES SHOULD HAVE LASTED AT LEAST ANOTHER 30,000 MILES. I THINK THAT AL…

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THE 15" WILDERNESS THAT CAME STOCK WITH THIS FORESTER HAD TO BE REPLACED AT APPROXIMATELY 29,800 MILES. I TOOK IT IN FOR A TIRE ROTATION AND LES SCHWAB INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT ROTATE THE TIRES AS THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXTREME WEAR. THOSE 15" TIRES SHOULD HAVE LASTED AT LEAST ANOTHER 30,000 MILES. I THINK THAT ALL WILDERNESS TIRES REGARDLESS OF SIZE SHOULD BE RECALLED AS THEY ARE DEFINITELY A DEFECTIVE TIRE.*AK( DOT NUMBER: )

NHTSA ODI #734531

Mileage unknown · Aug 27, 2000
Tires

ON MARCH 9, 2000 I TOOK MY CAR IN TO LES SCHWAB TO HAVE MY TIRES ROTATED. THE SERVICEMAN CAME OUT TO MY CAR TO WRITE UP THE PAPERWORK AND AS HE WAS CHECKING MY TIRES OUT HE SAID THAT HE WOULDN'T ROTATE MY TIRES DUE TO EXTREME WEAR ON ALL TIRES. HE APOLOGIZED BUT HE SAID THERE WAS NO POSSIBLE WAY THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACE…

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ON MARCH 9, 2000 I TOOK MY CAR IN TO LES SCHWAB TO HAVE MY TIRES ROTATED. THE SERVICEMAN CAME OUT TO MY CAR TO WRITE UP THE PAPERWORK AND AS HE WAS CHECKING MY TIRES OUT HE SAID THAT HE WOULDN'T ROTATE MY TIRES DUE TO EXTREME WEAR ON ALL TIRES. HE APOLOGIZED BUT HE SAID THERE WAS NO POSSIBLE WAY THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SO RELUCTANTLY I HAD TO REPLACE MY TIRES AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO BE SAFE RATHER THAN SORRY AS I WAS GOING ON A ROAD TRIP IN A MONTH. THESE TIRES HAD EXTREMELY LOW MILEAGE TO BE REPLACING THEM AT 29,860 MILES AS THEY SHOULD HAVE LASTED ANOTHER 30,000 MILES IF NOT MORE.( DOT NUMBER: ? TIRE SIZE: P205/75R15 )

NHTSA ODI #729252

Mileage unknown · Aug 16, 1998
Tires

THOUSANDS OF TINY CRACKS ARE VISIBLE AROUND ALL TIRES SIDEWALLS. YOKOHAMA AVID TOURING 205R6516.

NHTSA ODI #539927

Official recalls

1

99V040000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder

Mar 3, 1999

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAUSES THE VEHICLE STOPPING DISTANCE TO BE INCREASED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

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