2009 Subaru Forester engine problems
27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2009 Subaru Forester — 15% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Traveling on an interstate at 70mph, car check engine light came on and car lost all power. Was able to limp off the road and wait 3 hours for a tow to dealership. Diagnosis; stage 4 blown head gasket. There was no prior warning or symptoms and could have been a greater danger if heavier traffic…”
filed Mar 22, 2021
“Turbo failure caused by design flaws in lubrication delivery system identified by multiple tsb wvf-16, tsb#02-103-07, tsb # 02-97-05. Manufacture refuses to acknowledge tsb and class action law suit about 2.5 liter turbo car. Leading $3500.00 repair being forced on consumers in spite of this…”
filed Sep 14, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- Engine and Engine CoolingCampaign 08V460000 · Sep 11, 2008
Engine problems in other Forester years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Forester | 3 | 3% |
| 2024 Forester | 1 | 4% |
| 2023 Forester | 5 | 7% |
| 2022 Forester | 10 | 11% |
| 2021 Forester | 32 | 15% |
| 2020 Forester | 74 | 12% |
| 2019 Forester | 106 | 13% |
| 2018 Forester | 31 | 6% |
| 2017 Forester | 46 | 8% |
| 2016 Forester | 60 | 15% |
| 2015 Forester | 131 | 21% |
| 2014 Forester | 69 | 17% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2009 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.