--- title: "Subaru Forester Parts and Specs" description: "Oil type and capacity, battery group size, tire fitment, wiper sizes, service intervals, and known problems for every Subaru Forester from 2012 to 2026. Sourced and confidence-labelled." url: "https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester" updated: "2026-08-21" --- # Subaru Forester Parts, Specs and Maintenance Guide Every maintenance specification for the 2012-2026 Subaru Forester, organised by generation. 2012 through 2026, 4 generations covered. ## Quick facts: 2025-2026 Forester | Quick fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Engine oil | 0W-16, 4.6 qt (base engine) | | Battery | Group 35 | | Tire size | 225/65R17 (base trim) | | Wiper blades | 26" / 17" / 14" rear | | Key fob battery | CR2032 (push-button-start smart key) | ## Subaru Forester maintenance guides ### Oil & filter Viscosity, capacity, filter part numbers, change interval [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/oil). ### Battery BCI group size, cold cranking amps, AGM or flooded [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/battery). ### Tires & wheels Factory sizes by trim, pressures, bolt pattern, lug torque [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/tires). ### Wiper blades Driver, passenger and rear blade lengths [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/wipers). ### Air & cabin filters Cabin and engine air filter part numbers, locations, intervals [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/filters). ### Bulbs Headlight, fog and marker bulb types [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/bulbs). ### Brakes Rotor diameters, pad references, service notes [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/brakes). ### Fluids Transmission fluid, coolant, brake fluid and capacities [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/fluids). ### Service schedule What's actually due at every mileage interval [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/service-schedule). ### Problems & reliability Documented failures, recalls, and which years to avoid [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/common-problems). ### Oil light reset Step-by-step maintenance light reset, no tools [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/oil-reset). ### Key fob battery Which coin cell the remote takes [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/key-fob-battery). ### Specs Towing, weight, fuel tank, fuel economy [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/specs). ## Which Subaru Forester generation do you have? Specifications change at generation boundaries, not every model year. Two cars four years apart often take the identical oil, filter, and battery. | Generation | Model years | Body style | Engines | Oil | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | SL (6th generation) | [2025-2026](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2025-2026) | Compact crossover SUV (Subaru Global Platform, redesigned) | 2 | 0W-16 | | SK (5th generation) | [2019-2024](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2019-2024) | Compact crossover SUV (Subaru Global Platform) | 1 | 0W-20 | | SJ (4th generation) | [2014-2018](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2014-2018) | Compact crossover SUV | 2 | 0W-20, 5W-30 | | SH (3rd generation) | [2012-2013](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2012-2013) | Compact crossover SUV | 2 | 0W-20, 5W-30 | ## About the Subaru Forester The Subaru Forester is a compact, boxy crossover that has built its reputation on tall greenhouse visibility, class-leading ground clearance, and standard symmetrical AWD rather than outright power or luxury, which is why "Forester years to avoid" is one of the most-searched Subaru questions online. 5XT turbo held onto the EJ25 turbo (224 hp) paired to a conventional 4-speed automatic, not a CVT. 0XT trim only, now CVT-equipped) and is remembered for turbo oil-starvation from a clogged banjo-bolt oil-feed filter, a 2015-2018 passenger-airbag sensor recall, and the tail end of an FB25 oil-consumption class-action settlement. The SK generation (2019-2024) rode on the Subaru Global Platform with a direct-injected FB25D (182 hp, no turbo offered in the US) and introduced the Wilderness off-road trim in 2022; it's dogged by a well-documented Thermo Control Valve (TCV) failure that Subaru extended warranty coverage on to 15 years/150,000 miles, plus windshield-cracking and parasitic-battery-drain class actions shared across the Subaru lineup. The redesigned SL generation (2025+) keeps the FB25D (180 hp) and adds Subaru's first factory Forester Hybrid (194 hp combined, e-CVT), with EyeSight driver assist standard fleet-wide. Across every generation, maintenance follows Subaru's familiar pattern: 6,000-mile/6-month synthetic oil changes, an 11-year/137,500-mile first coolant service, a Group 35 battery, 89 ft-lb lug torque, and a CVT on nearly every trim whose long-term health is the single biggest driver of Forester resale value. ## Subaru Forester by model year - [2026](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2026) - [2025](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2025) - [2024](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2024) - [2023](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2023) - [2022](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2022) - [2021](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2021) - [2020](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2020) - [2019](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2019) - [2018](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2018) - [2017](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2017) - [2016](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2016) - [2015](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2015) - [2014](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2014) - [2013](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2013) - [2012](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/forester/2012) ## Sources - [Wikipedia, Subaru Forester generations (SL)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_Forester) - [Subaru Media, Subaru debuts all-new 2025 Forester SUV (press release)](https://media.subaru.com/pressrelease/2123/1/subaru-debuts-all-new-2025-forester-suv-new) - [Car and Driver, Tested: 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid (specs, mpg, curb weight, tire size)](https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a64352235/2025-subaru-forester-hybrid-drive/) - [AMSOIL lookup, 2025 Forester 2.5L FB25D oil spec/capacity (0W-16, 4.6 qt)](https://www.amsoil.com/lookup/auto-and-light-truck/2025/subaru/forester/2-5l-4-cyl-engine-code-fb25d-1/) - [sportsubarusouth.com, Subaru Forester oil type by model year (2025, incl. S:HEV hybrid)](https://www.sportsubarusouth.com/subaru-research/subaru-forester-oil-type/) - [KBB, 2025 Subaru Forester specs (180 hp across trims)](https://www.kbb.com/subaru/forester/2025/specs/) - [Subaru.com, 2025 Forester Hybrid Edition (194 combined hp, e-CVT)](https://www.subaru.com/vehicles/forester/hybrid/2025.html) - [classaction.org, Subaru lawsuit: 2019-2025 vehicles, parasitic battery drain (Taylor v. Subaru)](https://www.classaction.org/news/subaru-lawsuit-says-2019-2025-vehicles-plagued-by-electrical-system-defect-causing-parasitic-battery-drain) - [Conley Subaru, Forester lug nut torque by model year](https://www.conleysubaru.com/subaru-research/subaru-forester-lug-nut-torque/) Specifications vary with engine option, production date, and market.