2004 Subaru Forester power train problems
12 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 2004 Subaru Forester — 5% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Car was shifted from drive into neutral for operator to use a parking lot gate machine. The engine surged a little while in neutral but settled back down. When parking gate opened the operator shifted into drive and lightly pressed the gas pedal. The engine immediately surged to full throttle and…”
filed Mar 29, 2020
“Driving home from gym, I noticed the clutch pedal was not engaging the clutch making shifting difficult. Eventually returned home safely and upon inspection, I noticed a large firewall crack near the clutch master cylinder. The large firewall crack compromised the clutch pedal function. Also, fear…”
filed May 21, 2017
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
This announcement provides information on the remanufactured CVT transmission program.
SubaruNet Announcement (R · Other · issued May 4, 2026This bulletin announces the service manual correction regarding clutch master cylinder reservoir service procedures.
03-97-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2026
Power Train problems in other Forester years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Forester | 4 | 5% |
| 2023 Forester | 4 | 5% |
| 2022 Forester | 4 | 4% |
| 2021 Forester | 14 | 7% |
| 2020 Forester | 30 | 5% |
| 2019 Forester | 38 | 5% |
| 2018 Forester | 23 | 5% |
| 2017 Forester | 44 | 8% |
| 2016 Forester | 49 | 12% |
| 2015 Forester | 95 | 15% |
| 2014 Forester | 41 | 10% |
| 2013 Forester | 6 | 8% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2004 Subaru Forester
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.