2017 Subaru Forester: ball joint or control arm failure

Filed Sep 22, 2026 · Suspension · NY

Within 30k miles, Front passinger control arm bushings required replacement due to bushing failure resulting in uneven tire ware. By 35k miles, the front driver lower control arm also had the same issue effecting steering and uneven tire ware.

Filed Jun 17, 2026 · Suspension · CA

The front lower control arm bushing were breaking apart at 53,156 miles. Shop reported significant play in the wheel while on the stand. Sounds like a safety hazards.

Filed Sep 15, 2025 · Steering, Suspension · IN

My [XXX] mother in law was told by Subaru White Plains NY her both her front control arms and both front sway bar links had to be replaced due to rust as they were not safe and would not pass the NY vehicle inspection. So I did a Google search and saw 2017 Subaru Foresters had rust issues in this area and had a recall. However it doesn't show up for this VIN. [XXX] ) Her car was built before 7/2016 when she bought it new. Could it have fallen between the cracks, does the federal safety agency need to have these added as they also obviously have the same issue as they have age to that point of danger. This obviously puts not just 2017 owners at danger, but the public around them. I will try to attach the bills which show what was replaced as unsafe and unable to pass NY vehicle inspection. As I under stand the bill this was a video inspection, so they may have video that you can review. I live in Indiana 800 miles from my mother in law so I was not able to see any of the above in person. I am going on what I was told by her and what I have seen on the bill. I am not asking you to address the bill. I will do that if at some point the federal safety agency has Subaru add her car and others to a recall. Thank You for looking into this, (Son In Law) [XXX] [XXX] cell [XXX] [XXX] The owner is [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Apr 16, 2025 · Suspension, Wheels · NJ

First was a control arm bushing and than a rear wheel hub assembly. At around 40000 miles. Both failures created unsafe control of the vehicle. Subaru has a tsb with updated parts, so they know the original are poor quality. It has been confirmed with dealer and independent shops. No warning lamps.

Filed Feb 24, 2025 · Suspension · CA

While driving at 50 miles an hour or greater on the freeway the right front wheel began to shake violently and it felt like the wheel was going to come off. I checked online and found similar complaints that referenced a Subaru Service bulletin # 05-63-18R dated 6/20/2018 revised 7/10/2018. It effects 2014 -- 2018 Foresters. As it turned out my mechanic said I need to replace front two lower control Arms. The issue was the suspension. My car has 72,000 miles. The cost was $1200.00

Filed Jan 20, 2025 · Body · CT

When closing the liftgate during the normal course of use, the liftgate support cylinder on the driver's (left) side failed (metal ball joint snapped where it connects to the liftgate), causing the support cylinder to fall between the liftgate and the rear tail light. Without this support cylinder in place, the liftgate did not receive enough support from the right side support cylinder and rapidly fell down, smashing the left support cylinder into the left tail light, cracking the tail light assembly. Additionally, there was no way to secure the liftgate with the broken support cylinder still attached to the body of the vehicle. Fortunately, we were in the parking lot of a hardware store where I was able to purchase a ratchet kit to remove the two bolts connecting the support cylinder to the body of the vehicle. Had this occurred somewhere else, I would have had to drive the vehicle somewhere else with the liftgate unsecured. This was an extremely dangerous situation as the liftgate could have seriously injured someone who may have been underneath when the support cylinder failed. Additionally, the way the support cylinder is installed, when it fails, it WILL break the rear tail light assembly. The support cylinder has nowhere to go but across the tail light. The problem was not reproduced by a dealer, but the same thing happened to the support cylinder on the other side (passenger, right side) of the car not even 6 months later. We have only had the car 8 years. There is no reason this component should fail in 8 years when using the liftgate under normal operating conditions. There are no warning signs that this will happen. It simply just fails and the liftgate comes crashing down. I did not have a mechanic look at the issue as it simply requires a new support cylinder (OEM part at Subaru costs $138). I was able to replace the cylinder when the part arrived, but my tail light is still cracked. I will have to replace that as well ($289 at Subaru).

Filed Jan 20, 2025 · Body · CT

When closing the liftgate during the normal course of use, the liftgate support cylinder on the passengers (right) side failed (metal ball joint snapped where it connects to the liftgate), causing the support cylinder to fall between the liftgate and the rear tail light. Without this support cylinder in place, the liftgate did not receive enough support from the left side support cylinder and rapidly fell, smashing the right support cylinder into the right tail light, shattering the tail light assembly. Additionally, there was no way to secure the liftgate with the broken support cylinder still attached to the body of the vehicle. Fortunately, my wife had a ratchet set in the vehicle from the last time this happened and was able to remove the two bolts connecting the support cylinder to the body of the vehicle. Had she not had the ratchet set in the car, she would have had to drive the vehicle somewhere else with the liftgate unsecured. This was an extremely dangerous situation as the liftgate could have seriously injured someone who may have been underneath when the support cylinder failed. Additionally, the way the support cylinder is installed, when it fails, it WILL break the rear tail light assembly. The support cylinder has nowhere to go but across the tail light. The problem was not reproduced by a dealer, but the same thing happened to the support cylinder on the other side (driver, left side) of the car only 5 months earlier. We have only had the car 8 years. There is no reason this component should fail in 8 years when using the liftgate under normal operating conditions. There are no warning signs that this will happen. It simply just fails and the liftgate comes crashing down. I did not have a mechanic look at the issue as it simply requires a new support cylinder (OEM part at Subaru costs $138). I was able to replace the cylinder when the part arrived, but my tail light is still shattered. I will have to replace that as well ($289 at Subaru).

Filed Nov 22, 2024 · Suspension · CA

The control arms on my 2017 Subaru Forester started malfunctioning at a relatively low mileage (~48K miles) and need to be replaced. This seems to be a common issue with Subaru Forester and Outback models manufactured between 2014 and 2019: - [XXX] - [XXX] - [XXX] - [XXX] There are many similar complaints and discussions online. My family has used our car in the San Francisco Bay Area exclusively for commuting. The roads here are in decent condition, and the climate is far from severe. The fact that these parts wore out so quickly suggests a possible manufacturing defect. I wonder why there hasn’t been a recall on these parts, given the potentially fatal implications. The car begins shaking on highways at speeds of 55–65 mph, making it feel as though the wheels might fall off. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Nov 11, 2023 · Steering · FL

The bushings on both sides of the lower control arm were confirmed broken at Subaru dealership and replaced. This made the steering wobble over 55 mph. It was very dangerous because I could have lost steering control. There was no warning. My car only has 54,000 miles. I believe 2 weeks after the replacement of the entire lower control arm and both bushings the problem is starting again. Lots of other people have reported this problem and Subaru of America offers you money to help have it fixed if you call them.

Filed Oct 28, 2022 · Steering · NC

The steering began to shake and vibrate at interstate speeds upon changing lanes or making a "lazy" turn. It has VERY disconcerting. I slowed down, avoided changing lanes and very wary of the turns while I continued on my journey back home. Over time the problem became progressively worse. I had the tires rebalanced but the problem continued to worsened even at slower speeds. I took the car to another shop but they could not find a problem. I was finally took onto a shop where the mechanic instantly knew what the problem was. He stated he had seen many 2017 Subarus with the same problem over the past few months. Both steering control arms had to bee replaced and the tires aligned at a cost of $816.57. When the problem started the vehicle only had 56,000 and has never been driven off road and only driven on gravel roads at slow speeds about 6 miles a year. I have been driving for over 50 years and have had numerous vehicle during my life and I have NEVER had this happen to a 5year old vehicle with only 56,000 miles.

Filed Jun 18, 2022 · Suspension, Wheels · AZ

46,000 miles and the lower control arm is broken. Causing the vehicle to shake and almost be undrivable.

Filed Feb 4, 2022 · Suspension, Transmission · 70,000 miles · OR

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving over 60 MPH, the vehicle would shudder and produce a loud noise coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the lower control arm bushing and transmission pan needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.