1998 Subaru Forester — Known Issues & Recalls

While driving, you heard a loud noise from the engine, pulled over to check the vehicle, and found it was on fire. You had replaced the knock sensor about a month before this happened.

Your engine failed completely at 72,000 miles due to a crack in the cylinder wall. The crack occurred where the cylinder was bored to accommodate engine bolts, and similar boring was done on all four cylinders to varying degrees. You followed Subaru's recommended maintenance schedule and had no warning signs before the failure, which could have been dangerous if it happened on the highway.

Your engine is overheating and you smell burning antifreeze coming from the exhaust, which indicates a failing head gasket. This allows coolant to leak into the combustion chamber, causing overheating and the burning smell you're experiencing. The head gasket will need to be replaced, which is a major engine repair involving removing the cylinder head.

Your engine is leaking oil from the front seals, and the oil is dripping onto your hot exhaust system. This creates a burning smell and potential fire hazard. The front engine seals will need to be replaced to stop the leak.

Your engine's head gaskets failed, which are seals that prevent fluid leaks between the engine block and cylinder heads. The cylinder heads were able to be saved, but the top half of your engine had to be rebuilt to fix the problem. This repair likely involved disassembling the upper engine, replacing the gaskets, and reassembling the components.

Your engine has been overheating periodically, and the head gasket failed, causing the coolant to boil over and white steam to pour from under the hood. The temperature gauge spiked dangerously during this failure. Your dealer repaired the head gasket for $1,800, though Subaru of America denied acknowledging any widespread problem with this engine despite similar reports. Fixing this issue involves replacing the head gasket, which requires removing the cylinder head and reassembling the engine.

Your 1998 Subaru Forester suddenly accelerated on its own, causing significant damage to the vehicle. The sudden acceleration occurred without the driver intentionally pressing the accelerator. This issue may require inspection of the throttle control system and fuel delivery components.

When you started your vehicle with your foot on the brake, it suddenly shifted into gear without warning and accelerated about 40 feet before hitting another car. Both vehicles were damaged in the incident. This could indicate a problem with the transmission, shift interlock system, or throttle control.

Your speedometer stopped working because the plastic gears inside the speedometer cable broke down. This caused multiple warning lights to come on (oil temperature and check engine lights), your engine to idle erratically, your cruise control to stop working, and your engine to stall unexpectedly. The repair involved replacing the damaged speedometer cable gears.

You're hearing an increasing grinding noise coming from the rear of your car. Your dealer found that the right rear wheel bearing is failing, and discovered a failed seal on the axle. The repair involved replacing the control arm, axle, and wheel bearing to fix the issue.

Your rear wheel bearings are failing again. You may notice noise, vibration, or pulling to one side when driving. This is a known issue with your model year, and the bearings may need to be replaced.

Your left rear wheel bearing failed at 65,000 miles, which is unusually early for this component. A worn or failed wheel bearing can cause noise, vibration, or in severe cases, affect steering control. The repair will involve replacing the wheel bearing assembly.

Your car's tire blew out while driving, which caused your vehicle to leave the roadway and hit a construction cone, delineator post, and ditch. The impact damaged your left rear quarter panel, taillight, and bumper. While there were no injuries in this case, a tire blowout is a serious safety issue that can cause loss of vehicle control. The fix will likely involve replacing the damaged tire and inspecting the other tires for wear or defects.

Your car accelerated on its own while parked, causing it to break through a fence and hit some brush. You noticed smoke coming from the engine and had smelled something burning two weeks earlier. Your heater also wasn't working properly. The dealership replaced the thermostat, but the underlying cause of the unintended acceleration may require further diagnosis of the engine control system and fuel delivery components.

Your wheel bearings have needed replacement multiple times since about 4 years after purchase, costing $450-$500 each time. Additionally, you've experienced a fuel line leak, which is a serious safety concern that has appeared repeatedly on Subaru forums and costs $1,600 or more to repair if the fuel tank is also affected. Both issues appear to be design problems rather than maintenance-related. Repairs will involve replacing the wheel bearings and inspecting or replacing the fuel line and potentially the fuel tank.

When you try to fill up your gas tank at the pump, the nozzle keeps shutting off within seconds, making it very difficult to get gas into your car. This suggests a problem with your fuel tank's filler neck or vapor recovery system that's preventing normal fuel flow. The issue will likely require inspection and possibly replacement of the fuel filler neck or charcoal canister vent valve.

Your right rear wheel bearing has failed multiple times and continues to make noise even after three replacements by a chain shop. A Subaru dealer discovered this is a known issue on your model and has had better luck using Legacy bearings as a replacement. Additionally, your rear differential vent is leaking fluid onto the differential housing, which could eventually cause the differential to run dry and seize up. Fixing both issues requires replacing the bearing and having the mechanic modify the metal guard inside the differential.

Your engine's oil pump is leaking, causing oil to drip onto the plastic splash pan under your engine. The oil then gets blown back onto the hot exhaust pipes and catalytic converter, creating a burning oil smell and potential fire hazard. Subaru has a repair kit available, but this is a serious issue since the oil pump shouldn't fail at only 54,400 miles. The fix will involve replacing the oil pump seals or the pump itself, along with new gaskets and seals to stop the leak.

Your car hesitates and doesn't accelerate smoothly when driving at low engine speeds (below 3000 RPM), but runs normally once you reach higher speeds. According to Subaru's technical bulletin, the engine control module is misinterpreting normal engine vibrations as misfires and incorrectly adjusting fuel delivery. This hesitation can be unsafe because your car may suddenly refuse to accelerate or accelerate unexpectedly without warning. The fix requires replacing the engine control module with an upgraded version.

Your check engine light came on and your engine started revving up and down on its own. You have to accelerate the vehicle to get the revving to stop. A mechanic suspects the problem could be either a faulty oxygen sensor or a failing catalytic converter. The fix will likely involve diagnosing which component is causing the issue and replacing the faulty part.