2009 Subaru Forester engine problems
38 complaints about engine have been filed for the 2009 Subaru Forester, which is 17% of all its NHTSA complaints. It is the 2nd most reported problem area for this model year.
At a glance
- Complaints
- 38 17% of this year's complaints
- Typical mileage
- 80,000 miles 30 complaints with mileage
- Crashes and fires
- 2 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 1 and 0
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
When engine problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 4 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 5 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 4 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 2 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 6 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 3 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 2 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 30 engine complaints that report mileage, the median is about 80,000 miles, and 43% were reported before 60,000 miles.
These complaints mention 2 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injury.
What owners wrote
Our son bought a 2009 subaru forester on 7/13/18 from the dan perkins subaru dealership in milford, ct. He was driving it home at noon on 8/16/18 when his check engine light came on. Within seconds the car filled with smoke, and went up in flames. The entire car was lost.
Head gaskets fail around 125,000 miles. Seems to be a common problem with this vehicle. Did not cause an accident in my case.
Other problems reported for the 2009 Subaru Forester
- Air bags 40 complaints
- Electrical system 22 complaints
- Cruise control 19 complaints
- Brakes 16 complaints
- Seats 16 complaints