MajorCommonBody & Rust

Subaru Forester: SH rear wheel arch rust perforation

SH rear wheel arch rust perforation is a common body & rust fault on the Subaru Forester on the 2007–2012 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $800 to $3,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 50 documented faults on the Subaru Forester.

Vehicle: Subaru Forester
Years: 2007–2012
Fuel: petrol
System: Body & Rust

This page covers the Subaru Forester as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Subaru Forester faults50 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Body corrosion yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

SH Foresters suffer premature rust perforation at the rear wheel arch lip and inner arch seam, driven by New Zealand's coastal salt air and high annual rainfall. Road debris chips the factory paint at the arch lip, and trapped moisture in the folded seam between the outer panel and inner arch liner initiates hidden corrosion that perforates outward. By 80,000-100,000 km or 10 years of NZ use, full perforation is common. Structural integrity of the rear quarter panel is compromised in advanced cases. Repair requires panel cutting, patch welding, and repainting; cosmetic rust converters applied over the surface do not address the seam cavity. Vehicles from Northland, Auckland coast, and Wellington harbour-side urban use are most severely affected.

What you would notice

Bubbling or blistering paint at rear wheel arch lip
Visible rust perforation holes at inner or outer arch seam
Orange staining on tyre sidewall from arch corrosion runoff
Flaking paint revealing brown rust scale at arch fold

How to check it

Where to look. Rear quarter panel wheel arch lip and inner arch seam, both sides

Crouch and inspect both rear wheel arches at the lip fold — press firmly along the seam to check for softness or flexing indicating perforation behind the paint. Look for previous filler or overspray indicating past cosmetic repair. Check the floor of the rear cargo area for rust-through from above the wheel arch. A magnet can help identify filler over rust patches on the outer panel. If a workshop inspection is possible: Remove the rear plastic arch liner if accessible and inspect the inner seam.

Parts involved: Body corrosion.

What it costs to put right

$800 to $3,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Has the vehicle always been in New Zealand, and was it near the coast?”
“Have the rear arches had any rust repair or respray?”
“Has the arch liner ever been removed for inspection?”

Now check the Subaru Forester you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

Subaru Forester buyer questions

Is sh rear wheel arch rust perforation serious on a Subaru Forester?

We rate it major and common on the Subaru Forester. SH Foresters suffer premature rust perforation at the rear wheel arch lip and inner arch seam, driven by New Zealand's coastal salt air and high annual rainfall. Road debris chips the factory paint at the arch lip, and trapped moisture in the folded seam between the outer panel and inner arch liner initiates hidden corrosion that perforates outward. By 80,000-100,000 km or 10 years of NZ use, full perforation is common. Structural integrity of the rear quarter panel is compromised in advanced cases. Repair requires panel cutting, patch welding, and repainting; cosmetic rust converters applied over the surface do not address the seam cavity. Vehicles from Northland, Auckland coast, and Wellington harbour-side urban use are most severely affected.

How much does it cost to fix on a Subaru Forester?

$800 to $3,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Subaru Forester years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2007–2012 Subaru Forester. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.