2007 Subaru Forester Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 15%of 74 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 37,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2007 Subaru Forester, 15% of the 74 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 37,500 miles. 2 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.
“On february 13, 2019 my transmission fluid light started flashing, when I was driving home. I stopped to by the fluid but couldn't find out where to fill it up at and the dipstick was stuck. I was driving around 40 MPH.. I took it to my mechanic and asked him to check it out. He said it wasn't the fluid that was the problem it was the transmission. Previous to this the light never flashed and when my check engine light goes on I do get I checked to see it its serious or not. …”
NHTSA complaint #11180683, filed 2019-02, 104,000 miles“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #11092313, filed 2018-05, 126,000 miles“The vehicle hesitates and bucks at low speeds, turning corners, accelerating/decelerating, changing lanes, going up a grade or hill and does not shift smoothly. Shifting gears seems to take longer than expected and the tach registers high and then erratically jumps down (or up) to a much lower level on the tach, causing the vehicle to shift erratically or to seemingly get stuck in a gear. Also, the vehicle may try to shift while not accelerating, sometimes when traveling at a higher speed. …”
NHTSA complaint #10480933, filed 2012-10, 40,000 miles“Rear axle hanger bearing gave out. Had to replace rear axle. Tires always maintained meticulously. Concerning because symmetrical awd failure in winter driving is safety issue.”
NHTSA complaint #10502197, filed 2013-03, 70,103 miles“Problem 1: date in: 5/22/07date out: 5/23/07 problem: brakes or transmission locked up; I had to have the vehicle towed to the dealership. Problem 2: date in: 6/22/07date out: 6/22/07 problem:brakes or transmission locking up. The way that the dealership handled this issue is by disengaging the hill holder function. Additionally, the driver's side frontal airbag did not deploy during a front-end collision; yet the impact of the collision was serious enough to cause $9,200 worth of damages. …”
NHTSA complaint #10213024, filed 2007-12, 2,740 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11033056May 4, 2026This announcement provides information on the remanufactured CVT transmission program.
- 11032040Apr 24, 2026This bulletin announces the service manual correction regarding clutch master cylinder reservoir service procedures.
- 11022305Aug 11, 2025Subaru Service Technical Support Newsletter special edition.
- 11005624Jul 24, 2024This annoucement provides parts personnel information about remanufactured transmissions that will no longer be available.
- 10186364Jan 12, 2021This bulletin announces a design change to the clutch release bearing.
- 10150949Oct 26, 2018This Service Information bulletin announces a design change to the clutch release bearing used on the models as listed above. During assembly of the bearing, a different type of…
- 10150924Oct 26, 2018This Service Information bulletin announces a design change to the clutch release bearing used on the models as listed above. During assembly of the bearing, a different type of…
- 10089957Jan 15, 2014Repair procedure for high-pitched sound from extension housing area using latest generation production parts - this bulletin provides production change, repair procedure and…
- 10234828May 22, 2013This Bulletin provides production change, repair procedure and parts information to address a customer concern of a high-pitched sound coming from the transmission extension…
- 10234261Dec 12, 2012Remanufactured Automatic Transaxle Program
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 6% |
| 2025 | 4 | 4% |
| 2023 | 5 | 7% |
| 2022 | 4 | 4% |
| 2021 | 15 | 7% |
| 2020 | 32 | 5% |
| 2019 | 38 | 5% |
| 2018 | 23 | 5% |
| 2017 | 46 | 8% |
| 2016 | 51 | 12% |
| 2015 | 95 | 15% |
| 2014 | 41 | 10% |
| 2013 | 6 | 8% |
| 2012 | 5 | 5% |
| 2011 | 8 | 5% |
| 2010 | 7 | 3% |
| 2009 | 17 | 10% |
| 2008 | 2 | 4% |
| 2007 | 11 | 15% |
| 2006 | 4 | 5% |
| 2005 | 5 | 5% |
| 2004 | 12 | 5% |
| 2003 | 9 | 5% |
| 2002 | 16 | 18% |
| 2001 | 23 | 17% |
| 2000 | 21 | 28% |
| 1999 | 32 | 24% |
| 1998 | 23 | 23% |
Other parts of the 2007 Subaru Forester
12 complaintsSuspension
12 complaintsEngine
9 complaintsVehicle speed control
8 complaintsAir bags
6 complaintsEngine cooling
6 complaintsElectrical system
5 complaintsBrakes
4 complaintsTires
4 complaintsExterior lighting
3 complaintsSteering
3 complaintsEquipment
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2007 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