# Leaking struts on Subaru 2015 Forester

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** forester, subaru\
**Created:** [February 23, 2022, 9:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654 "2022-02-23T21:47:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 17\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sassaidi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@sassaidi](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sassaidi)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2022, 9:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/1 "2022-02-23T21:47:15Z")

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There was a recall on the subaru forester 2015 suspensions. Few weeks after being repaired, some thumping noise would come (time to time) from the back. Eventually it became very frequent. Took it to the dealer, they said it is leaking struts and they need to be changed. Has 29,000 Kms on it and the quote was CA$788.00 plus 13% tax. My question is, is it dangerous to drive it or it needs to be fixed asap? Just as a side note, this car is truly a shitbox. Nothing but problems since day 1. Owned a Honda Accord 2000, 2009 Santa fe limited (which I still have), 2015 Elentra, 2015 MDX, 2017 MDX. Thank God it is not my car but my mother-in-law’s. I told her to buy it after seeing all the reviews (big mistake). It is by far, I really mean this, by FAR the worse car. You wont believe how many issues this car had.

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**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2022, 9:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/2 "2022-02-23T21:51:22Z")

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Since this isn’t under warranty, check with an independent mechanic, get a diagnosis and a price. Both rear ones would need to be replaced, if that’s the problem. Odd coincidence that the noise happened after the recall…do you know what the recall was for, specifically?

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2022, 9:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/3 "2022-02-23T21:52:41Z")

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Did you type that correctly… this car has 29,000 km? In 7 years? Was the recall for rear struts or fronts?

If the struts are.leaking a little, a dribble of oil or wetness at the top, you can drive a long time before the car starts to feel sloppy… meaning too much oil has leaked out and the struts are no longer working. If they are leaking so badly that one is leaving a small puddle under the car, they need to be replaced now. They should be replaced in pairs.

If the car really only has 29K km, the seals likely dried out from lack of use.

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**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 3:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/5 "2022-02-24T03:34:13Z")

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First post has a link to a parts selling site . Me thinks a Spammer.

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**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 3:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/6 "2022-02-24T03:35:29Z")

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Something is wrong, get a second opinion.

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**Author:** ![Renegade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Renegade](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Renegade)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 3:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/7 "2022-02-24T03:39:57Z")

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> [@VOLVO-V70](#):
>
> Me thinks a Spammer.

You beat me to it.

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**Author:** ![ken2116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f19dbf/32.png) [@ken2116](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken2116)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 6:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/10 "2022-02-24T06:52:35Z")

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The quote doesn’t seem unreasonable but my two cents is to take it to a reputable independent shop and see about getting higher quality struts. While you’re at it, check the half-shaft boots, front and rear.

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**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 12:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/11 "2022-02-24T12:58:23Z")

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It’s your mother in laws. Leave it as is.

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**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 1:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/12 "2022-02-24T13:26:59Z")

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> [@d.antonette\_179707](#):
>
> Hi! Perhaps if you continue driving with worn-out struts. It will make your ride continually unstable and seriously dangerous.
> 
> It doesn’t take long for your tires to start wearing out unevenly or having a harder time keeping contact with the road. I suggest consulting with a mechanic or have a look with some replacements. I’m currently driving Forester 2010, here’s my go-to site for parts https://www.-----------.com/ whenever there’s a problem.

D.antonette:  
Welcome to the site.  
I didn’t view your post as others did. Although your link to your favorite Subaru parts site seemed sincere in wanting to help, there is a policy on the site against promoting businesses.

It’s a gray area though. If you search this site for “online parts”, you’ll find many discussions of buying parts online, and those discussions include plenty of links to favorite online sites.

Your, now hidden post, isn’t really different than many of those existing posts.

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**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/13 "2022-02-24T20:33:16Z")

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Recall is for rusted/broken rear springs; not struts.

There are 3 possibilities is the way I see it.  
Someone made an error in the spring change during disassembly.  
Age has done in a rubber strut mount.  
The unloading of the strut while changing the spring has caused it to fail. This would not be their fault.

Subaru struts hold up very well. Any leak worth worrying about should be very noticeable. You might ask someone else to point these strut leaks out.

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**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2022, 3:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/14 "2022-02-25T15:07:04Z")

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> [@JoeMario](#):
>
> I didn’t view your post as others did. Although your link to your favorite Subaru parts site seemed sincere

Since the post is gone then the Moderators must have thought it was Spam also.

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**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2022, 3:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/15 "2022-02-25T15:39:15Z")

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> [@VOLVO-V70](#):
>
> Since the post is gone then the Moderators must have thought it was Spam also.

All the site guidelines state is if enough user driven flags accrue, either action will be taken automatically or by moderator intervention.

If you’re saying that post was against the site rules, then please go flag all the older posts where users shared their favorite places to buy parts online, or where they referenced online parts sites.

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**Author:** ![vipergg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/50afbb/32.png) [@vipergg](https://community.cartalk.com/u/vipergg)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2022, 10:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/17 "2022-02-26T22:27:32Z")

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Seeing you can buy KYB struts for the back for a little over $100 a piece they are charging you over $500 in labor . Take it somewhere else to have it done , it is out of warranty at this point anyway .

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**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 12:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/18 "2022-02-27T00:09:41Z")

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> [@JoeMario](#):
>
> > [@VOLVO-V70](#):
> >
> > Since the post is gone then the Moderators must have thought it was Spam also.
> 
> All the site guidelines state is if enough user driven flags accrue, either action will be taken automatically or by moderator intervention.
> 
> If you’re saying that post was against the site rules, then please go flag all the older posts where users shared their favorite places to buy parts online, or where they referenced online parts sites.

The difference is that this was the first post for this person.

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**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 12:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/19 "2022-02-27T00:41:17Z")

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I don’t think Joe understands how the internet paid Spammers operate . Usually the giveaway is a post to a thread with a link to a selling site . Also many times just the word usage is a clue because so many of the posters are in foreign countries . I also don’t think that a post will disappear after so many flags like a previous version did. I still miss watching the Korean dating posts vanish if you were flagger number 5 .

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**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 1:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/20 "2022-02-27T01:59:59Z")

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> [@vipergg](#):
>
> Seeing you can buy KYB struts for the back for a little over $100 a piece they are charging you over $500 in labor

Well, no. If a shop buys a strut for $100, they will sell it to the customer for $200. So parts alone could be $400 of the original estimate.

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**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 6:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-struts-on-subaru-2015-forester/182654/21 "2022-02-27T18:55:28Z")

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> [@NYBo](#):
>
> The difference is that this was the first post for this person.

Is there something in the rules that says all the previous posts where contributors shared their favorite sites were acceptable because it wasn’t their first post?

We will never know if d.antonette was spamming or not. I felt the tone of his reply was that he likely was not spamming. Others felt it was. That isn’t the point.

I was just looking for fairness in something that this site has allowed numerous times in the past, which was the sharing of online sites that a person uses.
