2010 Subaru Forester Engine Problems

The engine in my 2010 Subaru Forester (VIN: [XXX] ) suffered a sudden and complete mechanical failure on November 15, 2025. While driving, the vehicle abruptly lost power without any warning lights or messages. I was able to pull off the roadway, but the loss of power posed a significant safety risk. Had this occurred in traffic or at highway speeds, it could have caused a collision. The vehicle was inspected the next business day by Wiygul Automotive. Their technicians found no measurable oil on the dipstick and added three quarts just to restart the engine. They confirmed no external oil leaks, and diagnosed the failure as a catastrophic internal oil consumption defect that had been occurring over time. This defect resulted in oil starvation and severe internal engine damage. The engine is fully available for inspection upon request. Wiygul provided a written diagnostic report confirming the cause of failure. The dealership has been notified but has not yet performed an inspection. ​No manufacturer, insurance, or law enforcement inspections have occurred to date. Importantly, the vehicle had a documented pre-purchase inspection on August 7, 2025, which noted the engine oil was significantly overfilled by approximately one quart and that all diagnostic codes had recently been cleared. These findings are consistent with an existing engine issue that would not be detectable by an ordinary consumer. On August 28, 2025, a full synthetic oil service was performed and again documented no external leaks. There were no symptoms, warnings, or drivability indications prior to the sudden loss of power. The failure occurred without warning, and the underlying defect was only discovered after the breakdown. This internal oil consumption defect rendered the vehicle unsafe and unfit for use, and the sudden engine shutdown created a clear risk to my safety and the safety of others on the road. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2010 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving, the check engine warning light had illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who advised him that the fuel tank was rusted and needed to be repaired as well as fuel lines. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that he contacted the manufacturer who gave him a goodwill help credit to help contribute to the repair of the vehicle. The failure mileage was 99,552.

I bought a 2010 Subaru Forester vehicle on 05/22/2021 from AutoFair Subaru dealer at 503 Broadway, Haverhill, MA 01832. The car engine was making noises from the day 1 of this purchase. I reported this to the dealership but they denied the facts. Rather they said that I did not know how to drive and was making jokes at me. In month 3 (07/17/21), there was a warning sign on the dashboard. I took the car to them. There was a leak in the tire. It got fixed. I returned with the engine noise still in the car. In month 4 (08/21/21), again there was a safety sign on the dashboard. There was a oil leak in the engine. They charged me a huge amount of bill to repair this. Last Saturday on 10/30/2021, I was going to Walmart. I was on highway I-495 just a could of miles away from the exit, the car engine light was flashing. The engine sound gets louder. As soon as I pulled the car to the roadside, the engine stopped and the whole car was full of smoke. My life was on danger last Saturday. I called the dealer on Monday (11/01/2021). Again, they denied the facts. I demand a full refund of this purchase to avoid any life threatening car accidents in the future.

At 90,000 miles the head gaskets need replacing (a $2600 repair) on a 2010 car that has been taken care of, all oil changes, all maintenance has been done to. Seems like a failed part. Noticed others have complained about the same issue. Just curious how long head gaskets should last under normal use?

Head gasket suddenly failed on the highway. This is a known problem Subaru has yet to address and has been present on all their models up to 2010. This is something that Subaru should have addressed years ago but are allowing people to put the safety at risk due to negligence

HESITATES WHEN DRIVING OFF OR SLOWING DOWN ,GOES DEAD WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC.SOMETIMES THE ENGINE JERKS AND SHAKES. PLUGS HAVE 30,000 ON THEM AFTER TUNING UP.YELLOW LIGHTS WILL NOT COME ON AND NOTHING SHOWS UP ON DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

WHILE DRIVING, "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT, CRUISE LIGHT & TRACTION LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. DEALER SAID CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. REPAIR DONE & DEALER SAID, "IF IT DOESN'T 'TAKE,' WE'LL KNOW SOON." THREE WEEKS LATER, SAME THING HAPPENED. THIS REPAIR IS ON TOP OF A MAJOR GASKET REPLACEMENT DONE JUST A FEW MONTHS EARLIER BECAUSE THE GASKETS WERE LEAKING. CAR HAS ABOUT 115,000 MILES & HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY.

LEAKY HEADGASKETS...

LEFT SIDE HEAD GASKET LEAKING OIL ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. SUBARU FAULTY HEAD GASKETS. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THE FAULTY HEAD GASKETS. ONLY 85000 MILES ON THE ENGINE.

ON ROUTINE OIL VISIT CHANGE, DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THE HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING SLIGHTLY BUT DIDN'T NEED IMMEDIATE REPAIR. I HAD NOTICED NO SYMPTOMS. ON NEXT VISIT FOR AN UNRELATED PROBLEM, WAS TOLD THEY NEEDED IMMEDIATE REPAIR AT A COST OF MORE THAN $2,000. A QUICK ONLINE SEARCH CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT AMONG FORESTER OWNERS. I LET THE DEALER MAKE THE REPAIR BUT COMPLAINED TO SUBARU CORPORATE, WHICH WROTE OFF SOME OF THE COST BUT STILL COST ME HUNDREDS TO FIX.

WHEN DRIVING THE CAR STARTS TO JERK AND HESITATE ALOT WHEN ACCELERATING HAPPENS QUITE FREQUENTLY WHICH CAUSES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON SO THEN YOU TAKE IT GET IT PLUGGED IN ON LITTLE MACHINE TELLS YOU SOMETHING SO YOU FIX THAT ISSUE THINKING IT'S ALL BETTER BUT NOPE STILL CONTINUES TO HAPPEN MIGHT BE GOOD FOR A FEW WEEKS TO A MONTH BUT ALWAYS CONTINUES TO HAPPEN AND MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GO UP HILLS OR ANYTHING BECAUSE THERE IS BARELY ANY ACCELERATION.

DEAR SUBARU, I OWN A SUBARU 2.0 DIESEL EE20. I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM GERMANY. THE CAR ENGINE BROKE IN ROMANIA AFTER 10000 K. NOT EVEN RESIST UNTIL THE REVISION. I WAS TO SUBARU ROMANIA ( SUBARUMOTORS BUCHAREST ) TO MR DANIEL SIMION BEFORE ENGINE BREAK. HE TOLD ME THAT THE CAR WILL BREAK BECAUSE OF CRANKSHAFT FAILURE. THE CAR BROKE AFTER 1 MOUNTH. ( 2000 KM). I SPOKED WITH DANIEL SIMION TO TAKE MY CAR AND APPLY GOODWILL SUBARU LAW'. HE TOLD ME TO GO TO GERMAN DEALER. I SPOKE WITH MR SUBARU DEUTSCHLAND GMBH MICHAEL CADA-VASQUEZ KUNDENDIENST EMIL-FREY-STRASSE 6 61169 FRIEDBERG E-MAIL: [XXX] [XXX] TOLD ME THAT SUBARU ROMANIA BUCHAREST CAN SOLVE THIS PROBLEM AND TOLD ME THAT IF MY CAR IT IS REGISTER IN ROMANIA THEY CAN APPLY GOODWILL. I SPOKE AGAIN TO [XXX] CONSILIER SERVICE SUBARU MOTORS TRADING SRL THEODOR PALLADY NR. 47, SECTOR 3 BUCURESTI, ROMANIA TEL.: +040 21 345.55.35 FAX: +040 21 345.55.40 MOBIL: 0752.28.77.83 E-MAIL : [XXX] BUT MR SIMION TOLD ME THAT IS DIFFICULT TO APPLY GOODWILL ..AND THAT HE WILL COME BACK WITH A RESPONSE. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT IS RESPONSABILITY OF THE ORIGINAL DEALER TO APPLY GOODWILL. MY CAR HAVE ALL SERVICE BOOK IN GERMANY. AND LAST REVISION WAS AT SUBARU AUTHORISED SERVICE. AUTO KEMPINGER SUBARU.DE TRACK NB FOR THIS CAR IS : [XXX] CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME? IT IS A SAD SITUATION AND I DON T KNOW WHO CAN HELP ME. WITH RESPECT, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

PROBLEM OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC WITH VEHICLE IN GEAR. THIS HAPPENED TWICE. BOTH ON CITY ROADS. ONCE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. AND AGAIN WHILE WAITING FOR TRAFFIC AHEAD OF ME. FEARED I WOULD COLLIDE WITH CARS AHEAD OF ME, BUT EXTREMELY FIRM PRESSURE ON BRAKE PEDAL AVOIDED THIS. ALSO HAVE CEL ON. CODE INDICATES MISFIRE ON CYLINDER 4. THAT WAS DETERMINED AT THE SERVICE CENTER OF BURDICK'S DRIVERS VILLAGE IN CICERO, WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR USED ALMOST 2 YEARS AGO. THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT DRIVERS VILLAGE TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING FURTHER THEY COULD DO. HE RECOMMENDED I TAKE IT TO ROMANO SUBARU, WHICH I DID. THE SERVICE CENTER AT ROMANO SUBARU REPLACED AN IGNITION COIL, BUT THE PROBLEM REMAINS. ROMANO WANTED TO DROP THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND INSPECT THE ENGINE, BUT I DECLINED. SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES WERE ALSO REPLACED BY MY MECHANIC. I HAVE ALSO SWITCHED TO TOP TIER FUEL, WHICH HASN'T HAD AN EFFECT. I LIKE MY FORESTER, BUT THE ISSUES WITH THE CEL AND SUDDEN ACCELERATION MAKE ME PONDER A TRADE. THE CAR IS A 2010, WITH 96,300 MILES.

LEAKING OIL AT 55,000 MILES, HAVE READ ONLINE THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH HEAD GASKETS IN THIS MODEL

I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE SUBARU FORESTER 2010 BE INVESTIGATED FOR DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKETS AS THEY APPEAR TO BLOW SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY, RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE FOR DRIVING. MY VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 74000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY AND NEARLY EXCLUSIVELY BY THE DEALER. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, I NOTICED THE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AND IMMEDIATELY PULLED INTO AN OIL CHANGE SERVICE STATION TO HAVE THEM CHECK ON AND REPLACE THE COOLANT AND CHANGE THE OIL. AFTERWARD, I DROVE THE CAR HOME BUT NOTICED THAT WHEN I WAS NEARLY HOME THE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND I COULD HEAR A LOW WHISTLING NOISE. IT WAS TOO LATE THAT EVENING TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THE NEXT MORNING, ON MY WAY TO GET THE CAR CHECKED/SERVICED, THE LIGHTS FOR COOLANT, CHECK ENGINE, TRACTION CONTROL AND CRUISE CONTROL BEGAN FLASHING INTERMITTENTLY. WAS ADVISED OF BLOWN HEAD GASKET(S) AND THAT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. DEALER DID REPAIRS, INCLUDING REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE BLOCK, WHICH TOOK APPROX 6 WEEKS. THIS ISSUE HAPPENED SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, IN A CAR THAT HAS BEEN WELL CARED FOR AND HAS RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE FOR ITS AGE. THIS ISSUE RENDERED THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT THE TIME IT OCCURRED. I AM UNSURE IF THE ISSUES HAVE BEEN FULLY RESOLVED YET AS I GOT THE CAR BACK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON 2 DAYS LATER. IT IS CURRENTLY BACK AT THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS. HOWEVER, I WANTED TO REPORT THIS BECAUSE I AM HOPING OTHER CAR OWNERS MIGHT BE PROTECTED FROM ANY POTENTIAL ACCIDENTS/SAFETY INCIDENTS DUE TO FAULTY HEAD GASKETS. THANK YOU AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME WITH ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD TO CHANGE THE OIL EVERY 5,000 MILES AND NOTICED THAT THE OIL LEVEL WAS LOW. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST WAS PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE FAILED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SHORT BLOCK NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND DOWN SHIFTING FROM FIFTH TO FOURTH GEAR, THE ENGINE REVVED VERY HIGH WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE MADE A KNOCKING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT CHECKED THE OIL, BUT IT WAS DEPLETED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED AND RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE DEALER WOULD BE CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,662.

I WAS HEADING TO WORK ON RT 80 W IN NJ WHEN MY CAR'S ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE A KNOCKING SOUND. IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE I GOT INTO THE RIGHT-HAND LANE AND EXITED RT 80 VIA EXIT 34B, RT 15N TOWARDS SPARTA NJ. I KNEW THERE WAS A GAS STATION AT THE EXIT AND WAS JUST BARELY ABLE TO PULL IN WHEN THE CAR DIED. AT THAT POINT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULDN'T TURN AT ALL AND THE CAR DIED. THE AAA DRIVER TOLD ME THE CAR HAD BURNED THROUGH ALL THE OIL (HE CHECKED THE OIL TANK; IT WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY.) I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MILFORD PA WHERE MY PLACE OF BUSINESS IS AS I HAD PERISHABLES I HAD JUST BOUGHT FOR MY CAFE WITH ME THAT NEEDED TO BE REFRIGERATED. MY MECHANIC SAID EXACTLY WHAT THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER HAD SAID. THE ENGINE BLEW DUE TO THE CAR BURNING UP ALL THE OIL. NO WARNING LIGHTS EVER CAME ON BEFORE THE ENGINE DIED. SINCE BUYING THIS CAR I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS TWICE, BOTH TIMES BEFORE THE CAR HAD REACHED 50,000 MILES. I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE IGNITION COIL REPLACED 3 TIMES IN UNDER 3 YEARS. THE CAR IS A LEMON, BUT NO SIGNS WERE EVIDENT UNTIL I HIT 34,000 MILES OR SO. IT IS A MIRACLE THAT I DIDN'T HIT OR HARM ANYONE ON RT 80 WHEN THE ENGINE DIED, OR THAT I WASN'T HARMED. SUBARU OF AMERICA IS VERY UNHELPFUL; THEY KEEP TELLING ME MY CAR NEEDS TO BE AT A SUBARU DEALER FOR THEM TO "OPEN A CASE", EVEN THOUGH I EXPLAINED I HAD PERISHABLES WITH ME AND HAD TO KEEP THEM COLD. I ASKED IF SUBARU WOULD TOW THE CAR FOR ME, BUT THEY SAID NO, AS IT HAS TOO MANY MILES ON IT. WHEN I ASKED THEM ABOUT WHY THE WARNING LIGHTS NEVER CAME ON, I WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE IS "NOT EQUIPPED" WITH THOSE LIGHTS, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW IT IS AS THEY CAME ON WHEN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS MELTED AND THE DRIVER'S MANUAL FOR MY CAR INSTRUCTS THE DRIVER AS TO WHAT TO DO IF THE LIGHTS COME ON.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR A ROUTINE INSPECTION, THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE WAS LEAKING OIL AND THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

THE SUBARU FORESTER 2010 FAILED THE OIL CONSUMPTION TEST PERFORMED BY SUBARU. THE CAUSE FROM A SUBARU BULLETIN STATES THAT THE #1 AND/OR #4 INTAKE VALVE GUIDE INSERTION HOLE WAS IMPROPERLY MACHINED, PERMITTING OIL TO ENTER THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. THIS OCCURRED ON THE SUBARU FORESTER 2010 MODELS AS WELL AS 2011 LEGACY/OUTBACK, AND 2011 IMPREZA. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE MORE THAN 1.5 QUARTS OF OIL IS CONSUMED AFTER ONLY 1100 MILES DRIVEN. IN ALASKA YOU COULD BE STUCK IN THE FROZEN INTERIOR IF THIS DEFECT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND MALFUNCTION WHILE TRAVELING. SUBARU WILL NOT FIX THE KNOWN DEFECT. SUBARU STATES IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE BULLETIN DOESN'T APPLY TO MY VIN NUMBER. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE AND SUBARU SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY WILL ONLY PROVIDE $500.00 FOR A $5,000 FIX.