The 2005 Subaru Forester has 93 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 1 recall on record. The most-reported areas are suspension and vehicle speed control. Owners most often flag cvt transmission longevity concerns: concerns about long-term reliability beyond 100,000 miles, with strong owner consensus recommending proactive fluid changes every 30,000-60,000 miles despite some manufacturer guidance. frequency: very frequent.
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2005 Subaru Forester vehicles (US, public record).
Across the 12 Forester model years we track, complaint volume runs from 56 (2024) to 487 (2018). With 93 complaints, the 2005 Forester sits belowthe model's median of 112.
These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.
suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Campaign 11V464000SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002-2007 IMPREZA, MODEL YEAR 2003-2008 FORESTER, AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 SAAB 9-2X VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 5, 2000 THROUGH NOVEMBER 26, 2007 ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR CURRE…
Overwhelmingly positive sentiment across multiple generations, with the Forester consistently praised for its practicality, safety, all-weather capability, and long-term reliability when properly maintained.
Owner insights cover all generations of the Forester. See the full Forester owner picture and every model year.
Used Forester listings typically run $14,131–$28,173 across 2012 to 2026 model years.
Compare every Forester year side by side to see how 2005 ranks against the rest.