SUVs & crossovers · Buyer's guide

Used Subaru Forester:
what to buy and what to skip

The Forester is the Outback's more upright sibling and, for a lot of buyers, the better vehicle: the greenhouse is enormous, visibility is the best in the class by a wide margin, and it fits in spaces a crossover this useful has no right to fit in. It shares Subaru's engines and therefore Subaru's engine history, so the buying checklist is nearly identical to the Outback's — with one addition for anyone considering a turbocharged XT.

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Best years to buy

Generations where the known problems were already fixed and the price hasn't caught up yet.

2015–2018

Fourth-generation cars past the oil consumption years. Excellent visibility, proven FB25 engine, available EyeSight. The value pick.

2019–2022

Fifth generation on the Global Platform. Quieter, safer, better to drive, and EyeSight standard across the range.

Years to avoid

Not "these are bad cars" — these are specific years with a specific, documented failure that costs real money.

2011–2014

The FB25 oil consumption years, plus early CVT complaints. Cheap, but check carefully.

2004–2008

EJ25 head gasket era. XT turbo models of this vintage also frequently have modification and neglect history that's hard to see.

Common Subaru Forester problems

The failures that actually show up, and roughly what each one costs to put right.

01 Excessive oil consumption (2011–2014 FB25)

Same defect as the Outback of these years — piston ring design. Subaru's settlement coverage has expired. A quart per 1,000–1,200 miles is the typical complaint.

02 Head gasket failure (pre-2011 EJ25)

The classic Subaru issue. $1,500–2,500 to repair properly, and worth doing with an upgraded gasket rather than the original part.

03 Turbo failure and oil starvation (2004–2013 XT models)

Turbocharged Foresters are sensitive to oil quality and change intervals, and the banjo filter feeding the turbo clogs. A neglected XT can destroy its turbo and then its engine. Buy an XT only with documented, frequent oil changes.

04 CVT judder on early cars (2011–2014)

Shudder under light throttle. Fluid service sometimes helps; replacement is $4,000–6,000.

What a used Subaru Forester costs in 2026

Private-party asking prices for average-mileage, clean-title cars. Dealer retail runs roughly 15–25% higher.

Years	Typical price	What you're getting
2009–2013	$6,000–11,000	Check oil consumption. Manual-transmission cars sidestep the CVT question.
2014–2018	$11,000–20,000	The value window. A 2016–2018 with EyeSight is a lot of safety equipment for the money.
2019–2023	$20,000–33,000	Sport and Touring trims at the top. Wilderness models command a premium beyond their actual capability difference.

What to check before you buy

Model-specific. Bring this list to the test drive.

Inspect the block-to-head seams front and rear for dried coolant residue.
Check the dipstick cold on 2011–2014 cars and ask about oil top-ups between services.
On any XT, ask for oil change records — spacing beyond 5,000 miles on a turbo car is a red flag.
Feel for CVT shudder between 20 and 45 mph under light throttle.
Check that EyeSight (if fitted) has no fault lights and that the windscreen hasn't been replaced without recalibration — an uncalibrated system is a $1,000+ problem.

Subaru Forester questions

What are the best years for a used Subaru Forester?

2015–2018 for value and 2019–2022 for the newer platform. Avoid 2011–2014 for oil consumption and pre-2011 cars for head gaskets unless the work has already been done and documented.

Are Subaru Foresters expensive to maintain?

Routine maintenance is normal-car money, but the boxer engine layout makes some jobs — head gaskets, spark plugs on some models, timing components — more labour-intensive than on an inline engine. Budget more for repairs than you would for a RAV4, and less than for a European crossover.

Should I buy a turbocharged Forester XT?

Only with a documented oil change history. The XT is genuinely quick and the drivetrain is strong, but the turbo's oil feed is easily compromised by extended intervals or cheap oil, and a failed turbo often takes the engine with it. Cars that have been modified need even more scrutiny.

Is Subaru's EyeSight worth looking for?

Yes. It's one of the better driver assistance systems of its era and it was included on many mid-trim cars, so it costs little to prioritise. Just confirm the windscreen hasn't been replaced without a recalibration — an uncalibrated EyeSight system is both unsafe and expensive to put right.