2002 Subaru Forester

Typical pattern

15.8% of complaints about the 2002 Subaru Forester came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2002 vehicle — around the middle of the 230 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 4.4 yr in service. The most-reported system is speed control (19 complaints), typically at 3.3 yr or about 93,000 miles.

Complaints: 95
Median age at failure: 4.4 yr
Median mileage: 93,000 n=60
Crash / fire / tow: 32.6% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

02V282000 2002-10-30

Power train:automatic transmission

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY AND PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS WERE PRODUCED WITH AN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION PARKING ROD. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER IS PLACED IN THE "P" (PARK) POSITION, THE TRANSMISSION PARK MECHANISM, THAT IS INTENDED TO HOLD YOUR VEHICLE, MAY NOT ENGAGE.

THE VEHICLE COULD THEN MOVE/ROLL WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Speed control mileage not reported 8 mo in service crash / fire / tow

WHEN PARKING AND BRAKES APPLIED VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES. ON 27 JUNE 2002 WHILE PARKING VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD, BRAKES WERE APPLIED, AND VEHICLE HIT A POST, CONSUMER SUFFERED MINOR INJURY. VEHICLE AT DEALER AT THIS TIME.*AK

Speed control mileage not reported 2 mo in service

THE ENGINE INTERMITTENTLY STALLS DURING ACCELERATION OFTEN IN FAST MOVING CROSS TRAFFIC CAUSING OUR HEARTS TO STOP AS WE FEAR OF GETTING HIT BROADSIDE. THE ENGINE INTERMITTENTLY ACCELERATES AT HIGH SPEEDS CAUSING THE DRIVER TO BRAKE. I HAD ONE INCIDENT. *AK

Speed control 12,000 mi 1.4 yr in service

WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP, IT ACCELERATED FORWARD AND THE ONLY WAY TO SLOW IT DOWN WAS TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL. *JB SCC

Other Forester model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2002 Subaru Forester

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Forester model years

How to read this