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2001 Subaru Forester Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 139 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Subaru Forester, most often about the speed control (21% of complaints, typically around 71,000 miles). It is 14th of 27 Forester model years by number of complaints.
Most common 2001 Subaru Forester problems
Speed control
29 complaints · 21%Half of these problems showed up before 71,000 miles. Parts named most often: accelerator pedal, linkages, cruise control.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Subaru Forester. While driving 5 MPH with the contact's foot off the accelerator pedal, the vehicle suddenly accelerated to 30 MPH. She depressed the brake pedal, however, the vehicle continued to accelerate and crashed into a tree. The vehicle was destroyed. The driver sustained bruises from…
The contact owns a 2001 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that when the vehicle stopped moving, it accelerated without the accelerator being depressed intermittently and without any warning. The contact also crashed into another vehicle fifteen feet away and almost hit a pedestrian when the failure occurred. There…
Transmission
23 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 46,000 miles. Parts named most often: clutch assembly, automatic transmission, driveline, manual transmission.
Began as intermittent clutch slipping (judder) when cold or damp. It is now occurring more frequently and I took it back to the dealer this morning. They experienced the problem, knew all about it and the tsb that Subaru had issued and advised they would call me when the parts came in. When I came home from work, I…
2001 Subaru Forester (manual transmission) experiences terrible "clutch shudder" (also called clutch chatter and clutch judder) starting from a stop in 1st gear, and occasionally in 2nd gear, most often when car is cold (morning). The shudder is extremely severe, shaking the whole car and results in loss of power.…
Engine
18 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 75,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system.
As soon as the car aged to 75,000 miles I started having problems. The closest Subaru dealer is 51 miles away from my current location. Not easy to get to. My in town mechanic has only been trying to treat the symptoms. I've had thermostat, heater core, valve covers, spark plug wires replaced, hoses replaced, and…
Driving n on i5 highway when car made noises, pulled over & would not start again. Towed in. Was told that engine was dead. Car had just been serviced by dealer. Had to buy new engine. Subaru would not take any responsibility. Car had very low mileage & was in good shape. When doing research, found that this was an…
Brakes
16 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 40,000 miles. Parts named most often: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, foundation components, pedals and linkages.
Anti lock brakes failed to stop vehicle in a timely manner when the two right tires were on ice ,and the two left tires were on dry pavement. When this occurred it almost caused an accident. The dealership indicated that this problem was due to a design flaw.
Wheel lugs bolts: at 40720 miles (4/9/03) car was in Subaru dealer for rear brakes. Two lug bolts from the right rear wheel were found to be snapped and fell off in the mechanics hand. That was a week ago. Today after about 900 miles two lug bolts on the same wheel had snapped off. Dealer towed the car in for repairs.
Suspension
15 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 45,000 miles. Parts named most often: rear, front.
Left rear wheel bearing has been replaced twice. Right rear wheel bearing needs to be replaced now. Dealer service personnel told me that the wheel was about to fall off of the vehicle the first time I had the bearing replaced.
Dt: this is the third time that the rear wheel bearings on the passenger side need to be replaced. There was a loud noise in the back while the vehicle was in motion. Got louder on turns, mostly to the right.
Air bags
12 complaints · 9%Parts named most often: frontal, side/window.
The driver's seat belt does not retract. Then it gets closed in the door because it hangs loose. In the back seat, the middle seat belt has the wrong part so it cannot be latched. Because of this, I cannot safely drive with more than 2 passengers in the back seat.
Wheels and tires
11 complaints · 8%Parts named most often: lugs/nuts/bolts/studs, rim.
Wheel lugs bolts: at 40720 miles (4/9/03) car was in Subaru dealer for rear brakes. Two lug bolts from the right rear wheel were found to be snapped and fell off in the mechanics hand. That was a week ago. Today after about 900 miles two lug bolts on the same wheel had snapped off. Dealer towed the car in for repairs.
When driving in cold temperatures tires loose air. Tires needed air every 10 miles. This could be caused by the aluminum rims being used. They corroded and lost their seal.
Fuel system
10 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 85,000 miles. Parts named most often: delivery.
There are two organic tubes that carry fuel, above the engine. In cold weather, they leak where clamped to metal tubes and fittings. The fuel leaks onto the engine. The indication is a smell of gasoline in the passenger compartment.
Whenever the outside temperature drops below 20 degrees fahrenheit, there is a strong odor of gasoline in and around the car. When taken to a mechanic, I was informed that all of the hose clamps on the fuel lines were loose. They were then tightened but every time the outside temperature drops, it happens again. It…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2001 Subaru Forester recalls
NHTSA lists no recalls for this model year.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
Questions about the 2001 Subaru Forester
- What are the most common problems with the 2001 Subaru Forester?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: speed control (29 complaints, typically around 71,000 miles); transmission (23 complaints, typically around 46,000 miles); engine (18 complaints, typically around 75,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2001 Subaru Forester have?
- NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2001 Subaru Forester. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls in case one is issued later.
- Is the 2001 a bad year for the Subaru Forester?
- It is 14th of 27 Forester model years by number of complaints, with 139 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.