There are 12 stored owner reports matching the powertrain & transmission leading-label group for the 2009 Subaru Forester in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 12 of 12 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)WE HAS THE CAR FOR 10 YEARS. CAR HAS 114K MILES AND TRANSMISSION FAILED. WE SPENT 5 K ON THE CAR FOR LEAKING GASKETS AND SUCH. HAD CAR INSPECTED AND THEY REASSURED ME MY CAR IS GOOD TO GO AND WILL LAST FOR A LONG TIME. THATS NOT THE CASE.
WAS DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH ON A 2 LANE SECONDARY ROAD WHEN AN APPROACHING VEHICLE'S DRIVER GOT MY ATTENTION AND SAID MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. I FOUND A PLACE TO SAFELY PULL OFF THE ROAD AND DIRECTED MY SPOUSE TO QUICKLY GET OUT, MOVE AWAY FROM OUR CAR AND CALL 911. THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD SO I OPENED IT CAREFULLY AND SAW A WALL OF FLAME, JUST ABOVE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND APPROXIMATELY THE WIDTH OF THE RADIATOR AND ABOUT 6 INCHES IN HEIGHT. I HAD A BOTTLE OF WATER WITH ME WHICH I USED TO DOUSE THE FLAMES BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE OUR MECHANIC FOUND A BURST TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLING LINE WHICH HAD SPRAYED FLUID INTO THE LOWER ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND ONTO THE HOT CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHICH IGNITED THE FLUID. JUST BEFORE I PULLED OFF THE ROAD THE TRANSMISSION STOPPED OPERATING EFFECTIVELY AS I NOW KNOW THE FLUID WOULD HAVE BEEN LOW. AT A HIGHER SPEED THE VEHICLE OPERATION WOULD HAVE BEEN DRAMATICALLY HAMPERED AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A MORE EXPLOSIVE SITUATION WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF THE FLAMES HAD BEEN FORCED FURTHER UNDER THE VEHICLE.
TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING. TRANSMISSION COOLING LINES HAVE LEAKS ALONG WELD SEAMS. WELD SEAMS HAVE SEVERE CORROSION.
MY SUBARU FORESTER WAS RECENTLY IN THE SHOP FOR NORMAL SERVICE. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED I NEEDED A NEW DRIVESHAFT CENTER SUPPORT BEARING. UPON CHECKING FOR THE PART(A $20 PART) HE WAS ADVISED SUBARU WILL NOT SELL THE PART WITHOUT REPLACING THE ENTIRE DRIVE SHAFT(@$700). THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE DRIVE SHAFT. EVERY DEALER AND AUTO PARTS STORE GIVES THE SAME RESPONSE HEN I ASK FOR THE BEARING. IS THIS SOME SORT OF SCAM BY THE MANUFACTURER????
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, A VIBRATION HARMONIC BUZZ WAS HEARD FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE HEAT SHIELD NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER A SECOND TIME FOR THE SAME FAILURE AND SAME REPAIRS WERE DONE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000...UPDATED 01/14/13 *BF UPDATED 1/15/2013 *JS
FAILS TO FUNCTION IN DRIVE WHEN PARKED OVERNITE AND THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 40 DEGREES. AFTER A WARM UP PERIOD THE DRIVE GEAR ENGAGES AND THE CAR IS DRIVABLE EXCEPT FOR A CLUNKING AND SLIPPAGE OF THE TRANSMISSION, ALSO REVERSE APPEARS OK UNTIL YOU PLACE THE CAR IN DRIVE AND YOU A RATTLING CLUNK. THE TRANSMISSION RPM GOES INTO THE RED ZONE AT TIMES WHILE DRIVING THE CAR . *TR
DRIVER WAS BACKING UP VEHICLE, WHEN IT ACCELERATED RAPIDLY, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND TRAFFIC CRASH WHERE A PEDESTRIAN WAS BACKED OVER, PINNED AND KILLED. DRIVE HAD NO EXPLANATION OF WHY THIS HAPPENED. PASSENGER IN VEHICLE CLAIMS THERE HAD TO HAVE BEEN MECHANICAL DEFECT. *TR
DRIVING EAST ON ARDSLEY RD. IN SCARSDALE NY, MY VEHICLE ACCELERATED BY ITSELF. AT THE TIME I WAS STARTING TO GO DOWNHILL, CURVING RIGHT WITH A "JERSEY BARRIER" IN THE CENTER OF THE ROADWAY. I TRIED TO GO AROUND THE VEHICLE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME BUT MY RIGHT REAR SIDESWIPED HIS LEFT REAR. IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AROUND A RIGHT CURVE (DOWNHILL). I COULD NOT STOP. I STRUCK AN S.U.V. JUST STARTING TO MOVE WITH TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE I SIDESWIPED SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE. BOTH THE VEHICLE I STRUCK AND MY VEHICLE WERE HEAVILY DAMAGED (MY AUTO IS $4500). BOTH VEHICLES TOWED FROM THE SCENE. GREENBURGH (NY) POLICE RESPONDED. NO INJURIES AS OF THIS TIME. I REPORTED THIS TO THE 800 NUMBER OF SUBARU. THEY TOOK ALL THE INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE. I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THEM. I TOLD THEM I WAS REPORTING THIS BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FRIGHT. THE TIME WAS 4:50PM. *TR
CAR ENGINE RACES SOMETIMES WHEN SLOWING DOWN . *TR
UNEXPLAINED ENGINE ACCELERATION. STARTED VEHICLE IN A PARKED POSITION, WAS PREPARING TO PULL OUT, ENGINE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO TOP RPM AND WAS SURGING. STILL IN NEUTRAL, WHEELS TURNED SLIGHTLY TO LEFT. COULD FIND NOTHING THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THIS, PLACED FOOT ON BRAKE UPON HEARING THE ENGINE ACCELERATION, FLOOR MATS WERE IN PROPER POSITION, ETC. SHUT ENGINE OFF, RESTARTED AND THINGS RETURNED TO NORMAL. STILL CONSIDER IT A DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION BY SUBARU. *TR
BOUGHT THE 2009 FORESTER IN DECEMBER 08. DROVE FINE FOR THE FIRST TWO MONTHS. THEN IT STARTED TO LAG IN ITS SHIFTING. IF I WAS ABOUT TO STOP AT A LIGHT AND THE LIGHT CHANGED, I PUT MY FOOT BACK ON THE GAS AND CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE SO I GIVE IT MORE GAS AND THEN IT KICKS IN HARD ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT TO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. SO I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ME. UNTIL I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 16 MILES FROM HOME GOT OFF THE EXIT AND IT DID IT AGAIN. I HAVE HAD THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES THIS YEAR FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME TECH RESET THE COMPUTER AND IT DROVE FINE FOR 3 DAYS THEN STARTED AGAIN. IT HAPPENS IN ALL TYPES OF SITUATIONS WHEN IT WANTS TO. MY OTHER MECHANIC FELT THE SAME THING HAD ME TAKE IT BACK TO DEALER. I AM FRUSTRATED WITH DRIVING IT. I AM ALSO NOW HAVING THE VEHICLE MAKING LOUD NOISES AND ROUGH IDLING, MYSTERIOUS ACCELERATION THAT WILL ADJUST AFTER CAR IN TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN AND A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE ENGINE AFTER BEING DRIVEN. I DRIVE LOCALLY A COUPLE OF DAYS A WEEK. SUBARU DEALER WANTS TO TAKE MY VEHICLE HOME TO EVALUATE TRANSMISSION. I WAS TOLD IT WAS BECAUSE IT IS A LEARNING TRANSMISSION, SO WHY HASN'T IT LEARNED HOW I DRIVE AND I'M THE ONLY ONE DRIVING CAR. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SUBARU FORESTER. WHEN ENGAGING THE CLUTCH, THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION REVVED UP TO APPROXIMATELY 4000 RPM'S AND SEEMED AS IF IT WOULD SURGE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED 85% OF THE TIME. THE DEALER ALSO DUPLICATED THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE DEALER THAT THEY WOULD WRITE A COMPUTER PROGRAM TO REMEDY THE ISSUE; HOWEVER, THE DEALER HAS NOT FOLLOWED UP WITH THE CONTACT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2200 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100. UPDATED 09/24/08. *LJ UPDATED 09/30/08.*JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.