1998 Subaru Forester Equipment Problems
- Complaints
- 2about this part
- Share
- 2%of 101 total for the year
- Median mileage
- —not reported
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 2 complaints about the equipment of the 1998 Subaru Forester, 2% of the 101 complaints for this model year. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“My spouse had a minor accident with our 1998 Subaru Forester. The frontal impact caused both air bags to deploy. The passenger side air bag when it deployed broke the front right side (passenger side) door window and the rear view mirror. No one was seating in the front passenger seat. I believe this is a defect that may be a result of the air bag improperly installed or aligned.”
NHTSA complaint #10010563, filed 2003-03Related service bulletins
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Equipment: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 1% |
| 2019 | 2 | 0% |
| 2015 | 2 | 0% |
| 2014 | 4 | 1% |
| 2013 | 1 | 1% |
| 2008 | 1 | 2% |
| 2007 | 2 | 3% |
| 2004 | 1 | 0% |
| 2003 | 5 | 3% |
| 2001 | 1 | 1% |
| 2000 | 4 | 5% |
| 1999 | 3 | 2% |
| 1998 | 2 | 2% |
Other parts of the 1998 Subaru Forester
23 complaintsSuspension
17 complaintsBrakes
15 complaintsEngine cooling
14 complaintsVehicle speed control
14 complaintsTires
8 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
7 complaintsAir bags
6 complaintsElectrical system
6 complaintsFuel system
5 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsSteering
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Subaru Forester
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology