1998 Subaru Forester Suspension Problems

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.

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 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 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.

THE REAR WHEEL BEARING SHOWED SIGNS OF EXCESSIVE WEAR EVERY 30000 TO 40000 MILES. THE DEALER/INDEPENDENT SHOP REPLACED THE PART. *AK *SCC *JB

PROBLEMS WITH WHEEL BEARINGS ON 1998 SUBARU FORESTER. *MR THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS ON THE RIGHT SIDE WERE REPLACED TWICE. *SCC *JB

DEALER HAS HAD TO REPLACE FRONT AND REAR WHEEL BEARINGS THREE TIMES. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED AT THIS TIME.*AK

IN LEFT REAR WHEEL THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN BEARINGS. CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE BEARINGS THREE TIMES IN PAST FOUR YEARS. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

LEFT SIDE AXLE SHAFT ASSEMBLY LEAKED, DEALER REPLACED RIGHT SIDE FRONT AXLE, SWAY BAR LINKS MADE NOISE, DEALER LUBED LINKS, THERE WAS A NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE ALL TIRES, NO SPECIFIC TIRE INFORMATION WAS GIVEN. *SLC

LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE AXLE SHAFTS LEAKED, DEALER REPLACED, REAR SWAY BAR LINKS DISASSEMBLED AND DEALER LUBED LINKS. *SLC

CONSUMER STATES THE REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILED, AND FOUR MONTHS LATER THE RIGHT WHEEL BEARING THEN FAILED.*JB

CONSUMER STATES THE REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILED, AND FOUR MONTHS LATER THE RIGHT WHEEL BEARING THEN FAILED.*JB

IN JUNE OF 1999 RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF A LOUD NOISE BEING MADE DURING OPERATION OF VEHICLE. THEN, ON 27-JUL7-2001, LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WAS CAUSING ANOTHER LOUD NOISE, AND WAS BEING REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT A GROOVE HAS BEEN FOUND IN THE FRONT AXLE OF THE VEHICLE WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED THE PROBLEM WITH THE 2ND WHEEL BEARING REPLACEMENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. *SLC

REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILURE, WHEEL CAN LOCK UP. *CJ

THE SUBARU FORESTER CITED IN THIS COMPLAINT WAS PURCHASED NEW AT WOODBRIDGE JEEP SUBARU IN WOODBRIDGE VA. ON AUGUST 29, 1998. UNKNOWN TO US AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE, THE 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS MISALIGNED. ON AUGUST 25, 2000, MY WIFE WAS ON AN EXTENDED TRIP WHEN THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON FOR NO READILY APPARENT REASON. THIS PROMPTED HER TO RETURN HOME AND US TO TRY TO CONTACT WOODBRIDGE JEEP SUBARU WHICH WE SOON LEARNED HAD QUIT SELLING SUBARUS. WE THEN CONTACTED THE NEXT CLOSEST SUBARU DEALER WHICH WAS REYNOLDS CADILLAC SUBARU IN ORANGE VA., A DISTANCE OF 36 MILES ONE WAY FROM MY RESIDENCE. ON AUGUST 30, 2000 , WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE SAID DEALERSHIP IN ORANGE. THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED THE CAR AND COULD NOT DETERMINE WHY THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALERSHIP DID, HOWEVER, INFORM US THAT THE REAR TIRES HAD WORN EXCESSIVELY TOWARDS THE OUTSIDE TREAD TO THE EXTENT THAT IT WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE THE TIRE HAD WORN DOWN TO THE BELTS ON OUTER PART OF TIRE. THE EXCESSIVE WEAR, I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER REPRESENTATIVE, WAS DUE TO A MISALIGNMENT OF THE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM. I WAS TOLD TO MAKE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT TO GET THE CAR ALIGNED AND TO GET NEW TIRES PUT ON THE CAR. IN THE INTERIM THE SAID DEALERSHIP WAS TO CONTACT SUBARU TO SEE WHAT SUBARU WOULD DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM SINCE THE TIRES HAD OBVIOUSLY WORN PREMATURELY. ON SEPTEMBER 6. 2000, AFTER DRIVING BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, WE WERE INFORMED THAT SUBARU HAD AGREED TO PAY FOR THE ALIGNMENT AND 65% OF THE COST TO REPLACE THE TIRES DUE TO THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE ALIGNMENT BEING WRONG AT THE FACTORY. WE INQUIRED WHY THERE WASN'T A RECALL ON THE 1998 SUBARU FORESTER AND WERE INFORMED THAT THERE "JUST WASN'T" THAT SUBARU HAD SINCE CHANGED THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THEIR FORESTERS. *AK