2013 Subaru Forester: Excessive oil consumption
Common wear/failure (not a recall)
Symptoms
Owners of the 2013 Forester report: excessive oil consumption. CarComplaints.com lists 3 owner complaints, average mileage 34,000 miles.
NHTSA has 27 owner complaints for the 2013 Forester in this area. Examples:
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11770534 (filed 10/12/2026): “I was driving my 2013 subaru forester on 10.11.2026 and the engine caught fire driving at 35-40mph. i immediately stopped, and turned off the car. fire dept and police responded and put out the fire. the fire was an oil fire is my best guess (blown head gas…”
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11640728 (filed 02/04/2025): “The contact owns a 2013 subaru forester. while the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. in addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. the vehicle…”
Likely causes
Sources do not establish a single root cause; diagnosis is needed. Owner-reported fixes are listed below.
Fix, in plain English
Most common owner-reported solutions on CarComplaints.com: none clearly reported. Check for open recalls and extended warranty coverage with a dealer before paying out of pocket.
DIY difficulty: Pro
Internal engine work (lifters, oil consumption, fuel dilution diagnosis) requires engine teardown or dealer software/tests. (Our assessment.)
Cost
No sourced cost range: get a written quote after diagnosis.
Typical parts (search links, no affiliate codes)
AutoZone · O'Reilly · Advance · RockAuto
Sources
Page last updated .