I HAVE A HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP CAUSED BY MY VEHICLE'S DRIVE BY WIRE THROTTLE BODY. THIS HESITATION IS ONGOING DESPITE AN ECM REPROGRAMMING DONE BY THE DEALER ON 12/16/08. IT IS BAD ENOUGH THAT I'M AFRAID I'M GOING TO GET INTO A COLLISION SOMETIME. *TR

12/28/2008 · NHTSA ODI #10252993.0

2006 Forester · powertrain

THIS IS A REPEATABLE EVENT THAT COULD LEAD TO AN INJURY: PURCHASED A NEW 2006 SUBARU FORESTER 2.5X END OF OCTOBER 2005. AFTER APPROX. TWO WEEKS CAR BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE UNEXPECTED ENGINE RPM INCREASES IMMEDIATELY AFTER A "COLD START." WHEN CAR IS FIRST STARTED, ENGINE RPMS…

12/28/2005 · NHTSA ODI #10146199.0

2006 Forester · cruise control Crash

AS I WAS WAITING TO PULL INTO A SMALL PARKING LOT, AN AUTO WAS PULLING OUT. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WAITING FOR HIM TO EXIT. AS SOON AS I RELEASED THE BRAKE THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD FULL SPEED TOWARDS THE EXITING CAR AND I TURNED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID A COLLISION BUT…

12/27/2012 · NHTSA ODI #10490259.0

2006 Forester · engine

HEAD GASKET LEAK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE CYLINDER HEAD OF A 2006 SUBARU FORESTER X. MOM'S CAR (ALSO A 2006 SUBARU FORESTER X) HAS IDENTICAL HEAD GASKET LEAK BUT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE CYLINDER HEAD. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF OIL DRIPPING ON THE HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. MY CAR…

12/27/2008 · NHTSA ODI #10252931.0

Estimate your repair exposure

Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.

0 mi 200k mi

At 80,000 miles

Likely repair cost in next 24 months

Active recalls showing 1 of 1

severe NHTSA 07V043000 12/02/2007

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT MAY HAVE BEEN PINCHED DURING PRODUCTION

THE PASSENGER'S FRONT AIR BAG COULD BECOME DISABLED AND MAY NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT. ALSO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT COULD CAUSE A FIRE.

Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT TO SEE IF THE WIRING HAD BEEN INCORRECTLY ROUTED UNDER THE SEAT BRACKET. IF SO, THE DEALER WILL REPAIR ANY DAMAGED WIRING, REROUTE AND SECURE THE WIRING HARNESS IN THE CORRECT LOCATION, AND RE-CALIBRATE THE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM AS NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 9, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.

Common questions

Is the 2006 Subaru Forester reliable?

Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.6 out of 10 based on 88 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 Subaru Forester is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.

What's the most common problem on the 2006 Subaru Forester?

Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is engine, with 18 complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop.

What's the most expensive thing that goes wrong?

The engine is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.

How do I check if my Subaru Forester has open recalls?

Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.

Is an extended warranty worth it on a 2006 Subaru Forester?

Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 88 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $3,100, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans aren't always better value.

Related vehicles

Recall and complaint data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public records database, last synced 1 day ago. Editorial commentary written by ProblemsByVin contributors and reviewed by ASE-certified mechanics. We are not affiliated with Subaru. Some links on this page are affiliate links and we may earn a commission if you complete a quote or purchase.