2007 Subaru Forester: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2007 Subaru Forester
On the 2007 Subaru Forester, the failure owners report most often is other engine problem, and the reports cluster around 100,000 miles. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 60,000 miles. Overall it scores 66 out of 100, high risk for a 2007.
High risk for a 2007 — 245th riskiest of the 365 2007 vehicles we can rate. 89 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 26 named failure modes on the 2007 Subaru Forester, and the three most-reported carry 27% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other engine problem leads with 9 reports, about 0.4 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 59k to 110,000 miles.
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure follows with 8 reports, median 125,000 miles.
Other powertrain problem follows with 7 reports, median 35,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into fuel (14), engine (13) and suspension (11).
When these failures get reported
70 of the reports on the 2007 Subaru Forester came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 60,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 37% by 50,000 miles, 74% by 100,000 miles and 99% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 50,000 and 60,000 miles, which alone holds 14% of the dated reports.
26% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 26. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 14 mention a crash, 1 a fire and 5 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 5.39, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other engine problem at $300–$4,000, control arm, ball joint or bushing failure at $400–$2,200, other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500 and other fuel system problem at $300–$2,200. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
27% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other engine problem | engine | 9 | 9 | 59k | 101k | 108k | 0.4 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 8 | 4 | — | 126k | — | 0.4 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 7 | 5 | — | 35k | — | 0.3 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 7 | 6 | — | 45k | — | 0.3 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 6 | 5 | — | 68k | — | 0.3 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 5 | 2 | — | 95k | — | 0.2 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 5 | 4 | — | 47k | — | 0.2 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Head gasket failure | engine | 4 | 3 | — | 104k | — | 0.2 | $1,400–$4,000 | Critical |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 4 | 3 | — | 137k | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 4 | 4 | — | 3k | — | 0.2 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Fuel leak or fuel odor | fuel | 3 | 3 | — | 52k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 3 | 2 | — | 71k | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 3 | 1 | — | 125k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 3 | 3 | — | 5k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| CV axle or driveshaft failure | drivetrain | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $450–$2,200 | High |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 2 | 2 | — | 56k | — | 0.1 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 2 | 2 | — | 83k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Radiator or coolant leak | cooling | 1 | 1 | — | 16k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,900 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 1 | 1 | — | 57k | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 1k | — | 0.0 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 64k | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 10 | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 1 | 1 | — | 34k | — | 0.0 | $200–$900 | High |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 1 | 1 | — | 90k | — | 0.0 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| Windshield cracking | glass | 1 | 1 | — | 19k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 86k | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 3 | 3 | — | 67k | — | 0.1 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2007 Subaru Forester draws about 3.9 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 79th percentile of complaint rates among 2007 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 22,729 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2007 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other engine problem
Tl*the contact owns a 2007 subaru forester. The contact stated that the vehicle shut down twice without warning. The failures occurred while driving 60 MPH on the interstate, and in local traffic while driving 5 MPH. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 17,000 and current mileage was 17,330. Updated 3/19/09 *cn updated 03/26/09. *jb
Secondary air pump and valve failure. Subaru admits these are not part of power train, but denies these are covered by emissions system warranty though purpose of pump and valves is to increase airflow and thereby dilute emissions at tailpipe. Total repairs approx. $2000. *tr
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure
I purchased this car used from nj, and recently relocated to wa. Approx. 126k miles, the lower front control arm on the driver side rusted through, dropping the car onto the wheel, and pulling the driveaxle from the transmission. It appears that the control arm rusted from the top side, which would likely be difficult to identify during a routine inspection if you didn't know to look for it. This happened when first backing up from the driveway in the morning, less than 1 foot of travel before I stopped to see what was going on. I spoke with subaru of america, who told me that the recall on the control arm was "closed" and that the repair costs would be my responsibility. I am a mechanical engineer, and would never accept that catastrophic corrosion in a fundamental part of the suspension could be an acceptable defect for which the end user should assume responsibility. If the car was indeed "treated" for this condition by the owner at the time of the recall, then clearly the treatment is unsatisfactory and should not be taken as an acceptable response to a very significant safety hazard. My only blessing in this situation is that…
I purchased this car used from nj, and recently relocated to wa. Approx. 126k miles, the lower front control arm on the driver side rusted through, dropping the car onto the wheel, and pulling the driveaxle from the transmission. It appears that the control arm rusted from the top side, which would likely be difficult to identify during a routine inspection if you didn't know to look for it. This happened when first backing up from the driveway in the morning, less than 1 foot of travel before I stopped to see what was going on. I spoke with subaru of america, who told me that the recall on the control arm was "closed" and that the repair costs would be my responsibility. I am a mechanical engineer, and would never accept that catastrophic corrosion in a fundamental part of the suspension could be an acceptable defect for which the end user should assume responsibility. If the car was indeed "treated" for this condition by the owner at the time of the recall, then clearly the treatment is unsatisfactory and should not be taken as an acceptable response to a very significant safety hazard. My only blessing in this situation is that…
Other powertrain problem
Tl*the contact owns a 2007 subaru forester. While changing gears between the speeds of 10 and 20 MPH, the vehicle surged forward. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they advised him to coast, change gears, or accelerate in order to correct the failure. The current and failure mileages were 1,365. Updated 09/26/07 *tr
Tl*the contact owns 2007 subaru forester. She purchased the vehicle brand new in july 2007 and in august of 2009 she smelled fumes in the vehicle. The dealer replaced the fuel cut roll valve since it was cracked, and the dealer replaced the failed part with the same defected part; therefore she could experience the failure again. She contacted the manufacturer who stated that there were no recalls related to the failure; however, they offered her $2,500 as a down payment towards a new vehicle. She declined the offer and wants the dealer to buy the vehicle back. When the vehicle had 1300 miles on it she had the front axles replaced. She no longer feels safe driving the vehicle. The current mileage was 15,000. Updated 3/12/10 *cn updated 09/28/10
Recalls on the 2007 model year
NHTSA has issued 1 recall campaign covering the 2007 Subaru Forester, affecting an estimated 22,729 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover suspension:front:control arm:lower arm. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
318,215 vehicles 2011-09-06- Defect
- 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, wisconsin, connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, maine, minnesota, missouri, new jersey, ohio, rhode island, west virginia and the district of columbia. The front lower control arms may break at the hanger brackets due to corrosion if the hanger…
- Consequence
- A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- 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. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during december 2011. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2007 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Better and worse years of the same car
High risk for a 2007 — 245th riskiest of the 365 2007 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
Across the 29 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2000 comes out best at 61 and 2024 worst at 83, with 2007 itself at 66.
If the model year is negotiable, 2000 scores lower than 2007 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2005–2010 generation specifically, 2005 is the strongest year at 64 and 2010 the weakest at 73.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2005-2010 generation, 2005 Subaru Forester scores best at 64 and 2010 Subaru Forester worst at 73.
What to look at before buying one
The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other engine problem from about 59k.
On a 2007 Subaru Forester with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other engine problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.
None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.
What this page cannot tell you
89 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 89 reports, 70 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 79% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2007 Subaru Forester?
The most-reported failures are other engine problem (9 reports, median 100,000 miles), control arm, ball joint or bushing failure (8 reports, median 125,000 miles) and other powertrain problem (7 reports, median 35,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
At what mileage do 2007 Subaru Forester problems start?
Other engine problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 100,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 60,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 60,000 miles.
Is the 2007 Subaru Forester reliable?
It scores 66 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 245th riskiest of the 365 2007 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2007 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Subaru Forester is best?
Within the 2005–2010 generation, 2005 scores best at 64 out of 100 and 2010 worst at 73. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed