2010 Subaru Forester: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2010 Subaru Forester
On the 2010 Subaru Forester, the failure owners report most often is other body or interior problem, and the reports cluster around 77,500 miles. The earliest to appear is loss of braking, reported by a median of 25,000 miles. Overall it scores 73 out of 100, high risk for a 2010.
High risk for a 2010 — 94th riskiest of the 275 2010 vehicles we can rate. 307 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 44 named failure modes on the 2010 Subaru Forester, and the three most-reported carry 39% of everything filed.
Other body or interior problem leads with 76 reports, about 0.9 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 50k to 90,000 miles.
Airbag inflator rupture follows with 26 reports, median 70,000 miles.
Other brake problem follows with 18 reports, usually reported between 31k to 80,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into body (86), brakes (38) and airbag (36).
When these failures get reported
236 of the reports on the 2010 Subaru Forester came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 60,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 42% by 50,000 miles, 82% by 100,000 miles and 96% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 3 filed above the top of the chart.
The busiest stretch is between 80,000 and 90,000 miles, which alone holds 12% of the dated reports.
30% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
In the order they tend to show up: loss of braking around 23k, other speed control problem around 40k, other brake problem around 63k and other engine problem around 69k.
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 44. 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 further 3 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. 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
Severity, and what it costs
Across the named modes, 26 mention a crash, 7 a fire and 11 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 4.73, 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 body or interior problem at $200–$2,000, airbag inflator rupture at $0–$0, other brake problem at $300–$1,800 and other engine problem at $300–$4,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
15% 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 body or interior problem | body | 76 | 68 | 50k | 79k | 91k | 0.9 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 26 | 6 | — | 70k | — | 0.3 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 18 | 16 | 31k | 63k | 78k | 0.2 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other engine problem | engine | 17 | 13 | 40k | 69k | 89k | 0.2 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 17 | 17 | 15k | 40k | 73k | 0.2 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 12 | 12 | 21k | 23k | 72k | 0.1 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 7 | 5 | — | 36k | — | 0.1 | $200–$900 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 7 | 6 | — | 36k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 7 | 5 | — | 29k | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 6 | 6 | — | 33k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Brake line, hose or caliper failure | brakes | 6 | 1 | — | 44k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,600 | Critical |
| Head gasket failure | engine | 5 | 4 | — | 80k | — | 0.1 | $1,400–$4,000 | Critical |
| Excessive oil consumption | engine | 5 | 4 | — | 87k | — | 0.1 | $900–$6,500 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 5 | 5 | — | 208k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 5 | 5 | — | 139k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 5 | 4 | — | 71k | — | 0.1 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 5 | 5 | — | 66k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other steering problem | steering | 5 | 5 | — | 13k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 4 | 4 | — | 9k | — | 0.0 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Rust or structural corrosion | body | 4 | 3 | — | 46k | — | 0.0 | $500–$6,000 | High |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 4 | 3 | — | 31k | — | 0.0 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Engine bay fire | engine | 3 | 3 | — | 85k | — | 0.0 | $4,000–$20,000 | Critical |
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 3 | 3 | — | 22k | — | 0.0 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 3 | 3 | — | 241 | — | 0.0 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Oil leak | engine | 2 | 1 | — | 55k | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Fuel leak or fuel odor | fuel | 2 | 2 | — | 67k | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 2 | 2 | — | 44k | — | 0.0 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Seat, track or recliner failure | body | 2 | 2 | — | 57k | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 2 | 2 | — | 115k | — | 0.0 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| Wiper or washer failure | glass | 2 | 2 | — | 42k | — | 0.0 | $120–$800 | Moderate |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 2 | 2 | — | 48k | — | 0.0 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Complete engine failure or seizure | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 152k | — | 0.0 | $4,500–$12,000 | Critical |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 95k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Radiator or coolant leak | cooling | 1 | 1 | — | 1k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,900 | High |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 59k | — | 0.0 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 31k | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 44k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 38k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Tire pressure monitor failure | wheels | 1 | 1 | — | 30k | — | 0.0 | $80–$600 | Low |
| Air conditioning failure | hvac | 1 | 1 | — | 45k | — | 0.0 | $400–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 21 | 8 | 39k | 68k | 104k | 0.3 | — | 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 2010 Subaru Forester draws about 3.8 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 87th percentile of complaint rates among 2010 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 81,503 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2010 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 body or interior problem
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 subaru forrester. The contact stated that bird droppings were eating a hole in the clear coating paint on the top and hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that they would perform a one time courtesy spray and re-coat the top and hood of the vehicle. The manufacturer was called and stated that bird droppings were not covered under warranty and offered no further other assistance. The failure mileage was 10,600.
When washing my car one day, I noticed a paint imperfection on the hood my 2010 subaru forester xt. When I took to dealership, they said it was due to bird droppings. They took pictures (with a cell phone camera) and submitted to subaru as part of a warranty claim. I have since noticed paint imperfections (looks like blades of grass underneath paint, bubbling up) on every single panel of the car, front to back. For insurance purposes, I took the car to 3 separate auto body shops, who all claim the issue is a paint defect and subaru's responsibility. Subaru recently denied my warranty claim. *tr
Airbag inflator rupture
Takata recall. I received a letter from my subaru dealer about the passenger front airbag recall. The letter instructed me to call the dealer as well as not allowing a front seat passenger. I called and was told that replacement parts are not available so they wouldn't make an appointment with me to have the airbag checked without having the replacement part. The service person did not know when the replacement part/recall resolution will happen. I am complaining because of the issue of not using my passenger front seat without a time limit on the resolution of this problem.
Takata recall -- repair delays -- how worried should I be? My 2010 subaru forester is subject to the takata airbag recall for its front passenger airbag. My subaru was purchased new in california in august 2010; it is registered in california; and I have driven it exclusively in the san francisco bay area, except for a week-long trip to southern california in july 2014. According to your "amended annex a", my vehicle appears to be in priority group 6 for the recall; I confess I don't know how long that means it may take before my car gets repaired. My local subaru dealer has told me I should contact them in the second half of january 2017 for further news as to when the replacement parts will be ready for my vehicle. They had previously told me they would have the parts in november, and for all I know, they may delay things further when I contact them in january. In the meantime, I have been advised via material from subaru that I should not allow anyone to sit in the front passenger seat until the recall work has been completed on my vehicle. This has been an embarrassing inconvenience for myself and my family, and although I'm…
Other brake problem
While driving a 2010 subaru forester around a corner up a steep driveway I encountered a vehicle coming down the driveway. The forester is manual and there was a shoulder in the driveway behind the corner I had rounded; I applied the clutch and brake when I saw the vehicle and released the brake while continuing to hold the clutch when I saw that I could roll back onto the shoulder directly behind me to get out of the way of the oncoming vehicle. The subaru did not move and I began to panic as the oncoming vehicle approached and my service brake had apparently ceased (the car would not move by gravity yet the service and hand brakes were both off). I put the car in reverse and revved the engine unusually hard while aggressively releasing the clutch to overcome the apparently frozen brake and avoid the head on collision, at which point the brake released and the car flew backwards toward a stone embankment behind the turn-off in the driveway. I stopped in time and avoided the vehicle exiting the driveway. I contacted the dealer and was told that this is some sort of safety feature on subarus whereby the service brake will not…
Rear brakes started scraping slightly on a saturday (so slightly that they couldn't be heard with the windows up). That following monday we took it to our mechanic who told us that the rear brakes pads were completely shot (metal on metal were his exact words). Front brakes needed new pads. It's realistic to replace front brake pads at 32000 as we do mostly city driving, however rear brakes should last twice as long as the front pads. We had no warning that such a severe rear brake issue existed and had we not gone to the mechanic at the first sign of any issue, we could have had a serious problem resulting in injury or death. We believe this is a design or manufacturing defect on subaru's part and needs to be looked into more closely. *tr
Recalls on the 2010 model year
NHTSA has issued 17 recall campaigns covering the 2010 Subaru Forester, affecting an estimated 215,089 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 seat belts and air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module. 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.
SEAT BELTS
16 vehicles 2022-11-10- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles. The front seat belt assembly force-limiter may not operate correctly in the event of a crash.
- Consequence
- The seat belt assembly may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 9, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRJ-22.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
258,813 vehicles 2020-01-02- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally 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 or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using…
- Consequence
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
127,547 vehicles 2020-01-02- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously…
- Consequence
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
111,562 vehicles 2020-01-02- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under…
- Consequence
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
511 vehicles 2019-04-11- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
- Consequence
- The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
43,394 vehicles 2019-01-09- Defect
- 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…
- Consequence
- An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-19.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
452,630 vehicles 2019-01-09- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or…
- Consequence
- An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-19.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
330,120 vehicles 2019-01-09- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, and Legacy vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as…
- Consequence
- An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-19.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
93,209 vehicles 2018-01-09- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2010 Tribeca, Impreza, Forester, WRX, Legacy, and Outback vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. 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…
- Consequence
- An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-18.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
64,179 vehicles 2018-01-09- Defect
- 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…
- Consequence
- An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-18.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
53,480 vehicles 2017-01-10- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Subaru Baja, 2006-2011 Impreza (including WRX and STI models), 2006-2012 Tribeca, 2009-2012 Forester, Legacy, Outback, and 2012 WRX vehicles originally 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, and…
- Consequence
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-17.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
100,127 vehicles 2016-10-13- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- If the air injection pump overheats, it may melt and increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTM-73.
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 2010 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 2010 — 94th riskiest of the 275 2010 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 2010 itself at 73.
If the model year is negotiable, 2000, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2008, 2007, 2001, 2026, 2004, 2002, 2003 and 2006 score lower than 2010 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.
Where to spend the inspection money
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 speed control problem from about 15k, loss of braking from about 21k, other brake problem from about 31k and other engine problem from about 40k.
On a 2010 Subaru Forester with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other speed control 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
307 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 307 reports, 236 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 77% 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 2010 Subaru Forester?
The most-reported failures are other body or interior problem (76 reports, median 77,500 miles), airbag inflator rupture (26 reports, median 70,000 miles) and other brake problem (18 reports, median 65,000 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 2010 Subaru Forester problems start?
Loss of braking is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 25,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 20,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 60,000 miles.
Is the 2010 Subaru Forester reliable?
It scores 73 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 94th riskiest of the 275 2010 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2010 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