Model year record

2008 Subaru Forester

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 71 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 11V464000

Suspension: front: control arm: lower arm

Component: Suspension: front: control arm: lower arm
Manufacturer: SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.
Vehicles affected: 318,215
Reported to NHTSA: 2011-09-06
Owners notified: 2011-12-31

Defect description

SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002-2007 IMPREZA, MODEL YEAR 2003-2008 FORESTER, AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 SAAB 9-2X VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 5, 2000 THROUGH NOVEMBER 26, 2007 ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN, MASSACHUSETTS, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MAINE, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW JERSEY, OHIO, RHODE ISLAND, WEST VIRGINIA AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS MAY BREAK AT THE HANGER BRACKETS DUE TO CORROSION IF THE HANGER BRACKET IS EXPOSED TO SALTY AND HUMID ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS ROADS CONTAINING SNOW MELTING AGENT.

Safety risk

A BROKEN CONTROL ARM CAN RESULT IN THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Manufacturer remedy

SUBARU WILL HANDLE THEIR VEHICLES AND SAAB WILL HANDLE THEIRS. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DEGREE OF CORROSION OF THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS, AND WILL EITHER RUSTPROOF OR REPLACE THEM. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING DECEMBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SAAB AT 1-800-955-9007.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

Component	Complaints	Median mileage
Suspension	12	136,000 mi
Engine	8	113,000 mi
Air bags	6	107,000 mi
Electrical system	6	90,000 mi
Unknown or other	6	111,642 mi
Vehicle speed control	6	16,228 mi
Steering	4	32,000 mi
Fuel system, gasoline	3	67,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling	2	47,600 mi
Power train	2	111,642 mi
Seats	2	56,000 mi
Air bags: frontal	1	13,000 mi
Child seat	1	—
Equipment	1	2,000 mi
Exterior lighting	1	50,000 mi
Latches/locks/linkages	1	—
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch	1	—
Latches/locks/linkages: hatchback/liftgate: lock	1	—
Service brakes, electric	1	608 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip	1	608 mi
Structure: body	1	56,000 mi
Tires	1	—
Traction control system	1	47,600 mi
Visibility/wiper	1	50,000 mi
Wheels	1	70,000 mi

The 2007 model has about half as many complaints as this one. The 2009 model has about a third as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.