2013 Subaru Forester Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2013 Forester most often describe excessive engine oil consumption, in some cases followed by knocking, low oil with no warning light, or engine replacement. Complaints also cover head gasket and fluid cross-contamination, rear-view mirror detachment, brake problems including rusted or sticking rear brakes, and airbags that owners say did not deploy. Reports span low mileage to well past 100,000 miles, with several engine and brake reports at higher mileage.

1. 1
   Engine

   Excessive engine oil consumption

   • 20 complaints (26%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle using a quart or more of oil between changes and, in some cases, finding the dipstick dry despite regular maintenance. Several complaints note no low-oil warning light before knocking or stalling, and dealers reportedly performed oil consumption tests and replaced piston rings or the short block in some cases. Some owners were told the usage was within normal range or offered partial assistance toward a new vehicle. Appears from roughly 20,000 to 80,000 miles in the sample, with several reports around 50,000 to 78,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check the oil level before and after a test drive and ask for service records showing oil consumption tests or ring/short block work. Ask whether the vehicle has had oil added between scheduled changes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I just received a call from mechanic after taking it in for oil change. There was no oil in the pan, dipstick clean! I do not have a leak as I park in garage and would see it. No indicator lights came on dash, which is a huge concern! Looking back Subaru has had issues with oil burning up quickly. This needs to be fixed!”

   NHTSA complaint #11128423, filed 2018-09, 78,000 miles

   “My car has been consuming excessive amounts of oil since I have been made aware of the problem in april of 2014 by independent mechanics. At that oil change I had about a quart of synthetic left after only 4500 miles. I took it in early because the car was riding rough and that was when they discovered the low oil level. I have come to find out there is a class action suit against Subaru america over this costly problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10632442, filed 2014-09, 28,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Engine failure, knocking and fluid mixing

   • 15 complaints (19%)
   • median 86,000 mi at 6.0 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2026

   Complaints describe loud knocking, sudden stalling, smoke, and in some cases fire from the engine area, with dealers diagnosing failed rod bearings, metal in the oil, or a needed short block or engine replacement. Other owners report oil mixing with coolant or coolant in the oil, traced to head gasket failure, with repair estimates running into thousands of dollars. Mostly reported between about 66,000 and 140,000 miles, often while driving at highway or moderate speeds.

   Recall 16V7380001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Look for coolant or oil discoloration in the expansion tank and dipstick, and ask whether head gaskets or the short block have been replaced. Have a pre-purchase inspection check for knocking, leaks and combustion-gas test results.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle is currently sitting at a local dealership with a bad motor that needs to be replaced. The engine failure correlates with the issues that Subaru has with this year model. I have tried unsuccessfully to come to terms with Subaru, I am moving forward with a lawsuit and all options afforded to me to ensure that Subaru is held responsible for their product.”

   NHTSA complaint #11150674, filed 2018-11, 130,000 miles

   “I took my car to the mechanic to have a busted radiator hose repaired. They found oil in the coolant tank, water in the oil tank, aka fluid cross-contamination and told me that I'd need a new engine. Then I got a second mechanic to concur. Then, I took to a Subaru dealer who said the short block of the engine is ok but the head gaskets would need replacing. The car has 107k miles on it! Subaru needs to be held accountable for this defect! As a note, no relevant dashboard lights ever illuminated. (2013 Forester, 1 owner)”

   NHTSA complaint #11280230, filed 2019-11, 107,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbags not deploying in crashes

   • 13 complaints (17%)
   • median 63,349 mi at 7.5 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2025

   Several owners describe frontal or side impacts and rollovers in which airbags did not deploy, including cases where seat belts did not hold occupants in place. Some complaints also raise questions about whether their vehicle was covered by the passenger-side inflator recalls; dealers and the manufacturer told some owners their VIN was not included. Reported across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles to over 60,000 miles.

   Recall 20V001000Recall 20V003000Recall 20V002000Recall 19V008000Recall 19V007000Recall 19V009000Recall 18V012000

   What to check: Ask a dealer to run the VIN against open recalls, especially the passenger-side inflator campaigns, and confirm any recall work was completed before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I had a side impact on the driver's side that crushed the driver and passenger doors and blew out the driver's window. The impact nearly caused the vehicle to roll over and again the side air bag did not deploy. I was slightly injured but there were serious injuries in the other vehicles involved. I am concerned this may be a defect in the sensor system. The driver's door was crushed all the way in to the seat.”

   NHTSA complaint #10538185, filed 2013-08, 3,200 miles

   “I had a family member driving an 2013 Subaru Forester all-wheel drive with a manual transition. The car had crash and rolled. The car at the most rolled twice and none of the air bags never deployed. I have photos of the accident and of the vehicle at the towed yard and its clear as day that the air bags are still rolled up.”

   NHTSA complaint #11707393, filed 2025-12
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brake drag, rust and reduced stopping

   • 5 complaints (6%)
   • median 21,603 mi at 1.2 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2022

   Owners report rear pads and rotors rusting or seizing, pads sticking in the brackets, grinding noise, and cases where the pedal went to the floor with fluid loss at a wheel. Some complaints describe brakes not stopping the vehicle in time in traffic despite recent service, and dealers in some cases cleaned and re-lubed the slides or replaced rotors. Mostly reported between about 14,000 and 26,000 miles, with some higher-mileage reports.

   Recall 14V830000Recall 14V3110001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Inspect rotors and pads for uneven wear or rust, check brake fluid level and look for wet spots near the rear wheels, and ask whether the brake line corrosion recalls or related bulletins were performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On dec 28,2014 I am going to meriland,ma from philadelphia. I was driving my said vehicle at regal speed 65. Just after rest area marilend hose, traffic suddenly slow down, I applied my brake but its wont stop in time, I switch driving line and avoid accident, but my family and me all scared. After this incident I went to my Subaru dealer for service I complained service manager too. He drove with me and said its work fine, next time its happen , you applied emergency break too. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10680794, filed 2015-02, 21,603 miles

   “My vehicle was inspected in april and approved, but by october of the same year my braking system was completely rusted and stuck. My mechanic said he had never seen anything like it. The rear pads were into steel, rotors deeply grooved, front brake pads stuck in brackets causing brake pressure to go to rear brakes causing quick wear. The rear brake pads and rotors had to be replaced, the front brake pads were also replaced, the brake rotors had to be resurfaced at a cost of $791. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10659442, filed 2014-11, 24,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection focus on oil consumption and head gasket condition, and confirm open recall work, especially the passenger-side airbag inflator campaigns and the brake line recalls, is complete. Service records showing oil level checks between changes are more informative than mileage alone on this model year.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.