2004 Subaru Forester Problems, Recalls & Reliability
270 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Subaru Forester, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 26/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Fuel system leads the reports, typically around 107,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2004 sits among all Forester years
What owners report
“Leaking fuel line under manifold, fuel smell very strong and leaks into engine bay.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Forester
“Fuel leak in lines above engine but below intake during colder weather. Fuel fumes pulled into vehicle by heating system.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Forester
“My vehicle had a recall on the lower control arms that would rust and and break. That is exactly what happened while I was driving with my family. Control arm broke causing other parts to get destroyed. The fender breaks and other parts. The recall was performed before hand but it obviously wasn’t…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Forester
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 223 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 97,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 61,500 and 130,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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,…
Fix: 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…
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE COVER BOLTS FOR THE ENGINE OIL CONTROL VALVE MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED, ALLOWING OIL TO LEAK FROM AROUND THE COVER GASKET.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND RETIGHTEN THE OIL-FLOW CONTROL VALVE COVER BOLTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 8, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 11V464000.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2004 Subaru Forester reliable?
The 2004 Subaru Forester drew 270 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 26/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2004 Subaru Forester problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Subaru Forester are fuel system (125 complaints), engine (40), and suspension (25).
At what mileage do 2004 Subaru Forester problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Subaru Forester problems around 97,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 61,500 and 130,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Subaru Forester have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 Subaru Forester. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.