There are 8 owner-reported tires & wheels complaints for the 2017 Subaru Foresterin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
REAR WHELLS BEARINGS DAMAGED AT ABOUT 59 000 MILES DRIVEN ON FLAT SERFACES. CAR PARKED IN GARAGE. DEALER STATED THAT BEARINGS HAVE TO BE REPLACED.
Wheel lug nuts are frozen and cannot be removed without breaking the stud in many cases. TSB 05-79-20 mentions that Subaru was aware but offers no warranty for this issue.
My wife's Subaru Forester (2017, VIN [XXX] ) at 70,131 miles started to have a loud droning sound from the rear of the vehicle on [XXX]. I took the SUV to a local mechanic, and they diagnosed the problem as two faulty rear wheel bearings. They removed the old bearings on September 4, 2024 (I have the faulty parts if needed) and placed new bearings. The mechanic warned me that the faulty wheel bearings can seize and cause an accident if they are not replaced. The repair resulted in the disappearance of the droning sound from the rear of the car, so it was clearly a correct diagnosis. In looking online, I have learned that many 2017 Subaru Foresters have a problem with rear wheel bearing failures. The company has expressed no interest in my concern about this incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Subaru is well aware of the rear wheel bearing prematurely due to the faulty backing plate design. They have even sent a service bulletin mentioning the problem. so the rear wheel hub and backing plate should be replaced by Subaru. They are charging $1000 for repairing this. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I believe this is my 3rd or 4th lug stud that's sheared off when removing. I believe it happened at the dealer once and the tire shop I have the tires rotated at two or three times in the last couple of years. This worries me that they may be weak and could potentially break, while driving, before removal breaks them. The boken stud is typically sheared and stuck inside the lug nut. Google searches would make this seem like it's not an uncommon issue. Subaru may have a TSB for rusted nuts already that may relate to this issue. TSB 05-79-20 is what I found through Google searches, if related.
Loud roaring noise came from rear of vehicle while driving. Sound increased with increasing speed. At first I thought it might have been the tires but they were properly inflated and in excellent condition. The vehicle was brought to the dealer who determined that the rear wheel bearings were defective and needed to be replaced. The noise and condition began at roughly 50,000 miles but the car was 6 years old and out of warranty. I contacted Subaru and they offered to cover half the cost of the repair. Had the situation not been corrected the rear wheels could have frozen causing loss of control of the vehicle. The only warning was the noise itself. I believe that this issue, especially at such a low mileage, is a significant safety concern.
VEHICLE SHAKING ON FRONT TIRES DUE TO LOWER CONTROL ARMS NEEDING REPLACEMENT.
THREE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE STUDS SHEARED, PROPERLY HAND TORQUED PRIOR, TWO LUG NUTS WITH STUDS RETRIEVED IN DRIVEWAY, 20 DEG F. PULLING OUT OF GARAGE LH TURN, 3 MPH. FAILED AND REMAINING TWO STUDS RETAINED WHEN REPLACED. POSSIBLE NIL DUCTILITY TEMP. GOOGLE REVEALED OTHER RECENT. FAILURES
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.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026