2007 Subaru Forester
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Suspension is the leading concern among 74 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 23rd highest complaint count among 26 Forester model years with reports.
Of the 2007 reports, 13 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 7 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Suspension, front, control arm, lower armSep 6, 2011
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.
A BROKEN CONTROL ARM CAN RESULT IN THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
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.
Campaign 11V464000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: air bags
6 reports, newest first. Show all
Air bags, Vehicle speed control, Oct 28, 2016, crash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2007 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE EXITING A CAR WASH FACILITY, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED, SPED ACROSS THE STREET, AND STRUCK A CURB. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A CEMENT DIVIDER. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. UPDATED 01/25/2017*CT UPDATED 7/2/18*JB
Air bags, Vehicle speed control, Mar 1, 2016, crash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU FORESTER. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,000.
Air bags, Dec 28, 2014, crash
OUR SUBARU FORESTER 2007 WAS IN A FRONT END CRASH AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER WAS ALONE IN CAR, THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS. DAMAGE TO CAR WAS CONSIDERED "TOTAL LOSS" BY INSURANCE COMPANY (ASSESSED DAMAGE WAS AT LEAST $7500 WITH JUST A VISUAL INSPECTION). FRONT OF CAR HAD SEVERE DAMAGE, AND WAS PUSHED IN. SUBARU WAS TRAVELING WEST AND HIT SIDE OF A LARGE TOYOTA MINIVAN THAT WAS TRAVELING NORTH AT ABOUT 40MPH (AND HAD GONE THROUGH A RED LIGHT IN INTERSECTION). FORCE OF SUBARU HIT TO TOYOTA WAS ENOUGH TO CAUSE TOYOTA TO SWING AROUND AND HIT ANOTHER CAR SITTING AT STOPLIGHT. CONSIDERING SEVERITY OF CRASH AND DAMAGE TO VEHICLES IT SEEMS AIR BAGS IN SUBARU SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. AIRBAGS IN OTHER CAR (TOYOTA) DID DEPLOY. LUCKILY, DRIVER OF SUBARU WALKED AWAY WITH MINOR CUTS AND PAIN. DRIVER OF SUBARU SAW CRASH COMING AND WAS ABLE TO BRACE SELF A BIT FOR CRASH, AND WAS BRAKING AT TIME OF IMPACT. HAVE PICTURES IF NEEDED FOR ANALYSIS. *TR
Air bags, Feb 5, 2013, crash
APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHICH WAS TURNING YELLOW AT A T-JUNCTION, I TRIED TO STEP ON THE BRAKES. PERHAPS I HIT THE ACCELERATOR WITH THE FORCE I INTENDED TO USE ON THE BRAKES, BUT WHEN I THOUGHT I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, I LURCHED FORWARD RAPIDLY. I COULD NOT CORRECT IN TIME AND HIT 2 POLES AND A WALL. I DON'T KNOW MY MPH. THE 25 MPH LISTED ABOVE IS A GUESS, BUT THE FRONT END COLLISION WAS SO SUBSTANTIAL THE CAR WAS TOTALED. THE AIR BAGS, HOWEVER, DID NOT DEPLOY. THE POLICE, TOW TRUCK DRIVER AND WITNESSES COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE AIR BAGS HAD NOT GONE OFF. I WAS LUCKY; AT THE HOSPITAL MY INJURIES WERE DETERMINED TO BE MUSCULAR RATHER BONE RELATED, BUT I HAD A SORE NECK, CHEST & LOWER BACK. SUBARU RESPONDED TO NOTIFICATION OF THIS EVENT : "IT IS DIFFICULT TO DISCERN WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WITHOUT KNOWING THE EXTENT OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE FORESTER OWNER'S MANUAL, THE AIRBAGS ARE DESIGNED TO DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING A MODERATE TO SEVERE FRONTAL COLLISION. IT IS BASICALLY NOT DESIGNED TO DEPLOY IN LESSER FRONTAL IMPACTS BECAUSE THE NECESSARY PROTECTION CAN BE ACHIEVED BY THE SEATBELT ALONE. ALSO, THEY ARE BASICALLY NOT DESIGNED TO DEPLOY IN SIDE OR REAR IMPACTS OR IN ROLL-OVER ACCIDENTS BECAUSE DEPLOYMENT OF ONLY THE DRIVER'S SRS FRONTAL AIRBAG OR BOTH DRIVER'S AND FRONT PASSENGER'S SRS FRONTAL AIRBAGS WOULD NOT HELP THE OCCUPANT IN THOSE SITUATIONS. SRS AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT DEPENDS ON THE LEVEL OF FORCE EXPERIENCED IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT DURING A COLLISION. THAT LEVEL DIFFERS FROM ONE TYPE OF COLLISION TO ANOTHER, AND IT MAY HAVE NO BEARING ON THE VISIBLE DAMAGE DONE TO THE VEHICLE ITSELF... IF THE VEHICLE STRIKES AN OBJECT SUCH AS A TELEPHONE POLE OR SIGN POLE, OR IF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINS AN OBLIQUE OFFSET FRONTAL IMPACT. THE AIRBAGS ALSO WILL NOT DEPLOY IF THE VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN A LOW-SPEED FRONTAL COLLISION." *TR
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Power train, Air bags, Dec 28, 2007, crash
PROBLEM 1: DATE IN: 5/22/07DATE OUT: 5/23/07 PROBLEM: BRAKES OR TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP; I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. PROBLEM 2: DATE IN: 6/22/07DATE OUT: 6/22/07 PROBLEM:BRAKES OR TRANSMISSION LOCKING UP. THE WAY THAT THE DEALERSHIP HANDLED THIS ISSUE IS BY DISENGAGING THE HILL HOLDER FUNCTION. ADDITIONALLY, THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONTAL AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY DURING A FRONT-END COLLISION; YET THE IMPACT OF THE COLLISION WAS SERIOUS ENOUGH TO CAUSE $9,200 WORTH OF DAMAGES. FURTHERMORE, ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DETECTION LIGHT WAS NOT INDICATING INITIATION WHEN THERE WAS A PASSENGER, USING THE SEATBELT, IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. WE HAD PLANNED ON TAKING THE CAR IN TO HAVE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM ASSESSED. I SENT A REQUEST TO THE FLATIRON IMPORTS ON 12/5/07, REQUESTING THAT THE ENTIRE AIRBAG SYSTEM BE ASSESSED FOR PROPER FUNCTIONING WHILE IT IS BEING SERVICED FOR THE MECHANICAL DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE ACCIDENT; HOWEVER, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A CONFIRMATION OF THIS REQUEST AS OF 12/12/07. *TR
Air bags, Sep 4, 2007
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU FORESTER. WHEN THE CONTACT'S WIFE, WHO IS OF NORMAL HEIGHT AND WEIGHT, SITS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, THE AIR BAG LIGHT DIMS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIGHT SHOULD BE ILLUMINATED AT ALL TIMES AND HIS WIFE MUST JUMP AROUND IN THE SEAT FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN BACK ON. THE FAILURE OCCURS EVERY TIME HE AND HIS WIFE ARE IN THE VEHICLE. SPEED IS NOT A FACTOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT HAS ONLY DEPLOYED ONCE WHILE HE WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000. UPDATED 01/07/08. *LJ UPDATED 12/12/07