2020 Subaru Forester maintenance schedule

Written in plain English and reviewed by the eli5cars editorial team · Last reviewed June 2026

2.5L horizontally-opposed 4-cylinder (182 hp) — naturally aspiratedBasePremiumSportMSRP $25,195

Jump to a mileage milestone:

30k miles 60k miles 90k miles 120k miles

Full service timeline

Mileage	Service items	Details
6k mi	Engine oil and filter change — 0W-20 full synthetic (Subaru recommends synthetic for 2020; every 6,000 miles or 6 months) Inspect tire pressure and condition
12k mi	Engine oil and filter change — 0W-20 full synthetic Tire rotation Inspect brake pads, rotors, and brake lines Inspect all fluid levels Inspect cabin air filter condition
30k mi	Engine oil and filter change — 0W-20 full synthetic Tire rotation Replace cabin air filter Replace engine air filter Inspect spark plugs (iridium — do not replace yet; inspect at 30k) Inspect drive belts (accessory/serpentine) Inspect cooling system hoses and reservoir Inspect brake pads, rotors, and calipers Inspect fuel system and fuel cap seal Inspect front and rear differential fluid (AWD)	View →
60k mi	Engine oil and filter change — 0W-20 full synthetic Tire rotation Replace cabin air filter Replace engine air filter Replace spark plugs — iridium (Subaru 2.5L FB engine factory interval: 60k) Replace CVT fluid — Subaru DCVT Fluid (Lineartronic CVT; use Subaru-approved fluid only) Inspect coolant condition (Subaru Super Coolant — blue) Inspect front and rear differential fluid Inspect drive belt condition and tension Inspect brake fluid (replace if discolored or over 3 years old)	View →
90k mi	Engine oil and filter change — 0W-20 full synthetic Tire rotation Replace front and rear differential fluid (Subaru GL-5 gear oil — critical for AWD system health) Replace brake fluid — DOT 3 Inspect serpentine belt for wear, cracking, glazing Inspect coolant hoses and thermostat Inspect wheel bearings and CV axle boots Inspect all suspension components — lateral links, crossmember bushings (Forester-specific wear point)	View →
120k mi	Engine oil and filter change — 0W-20 full synthetic Tire rotation Replace engine coolant — Subaru Super Coolant (first change at 137k km / ~85k miles, then every 2 years — check owner's manual) Replace CVT fluid again (Subaru DCVT fluid — every 60k under normal service) Replace serpentine drive belt Replace spark plugs if not done at 60k Full brake fluid flush Inspect and replace front and rear differential fluid Inspect wheel bearings front and rear Inspect all suspension bushing condition (FB Forester lateral links commonly develop wear by 120k)	View →

Upgrading your Forester's wheels?

See verified wheel fitments for the 2020 Subaru Forester — bolt pattern, hub bore, and offset all checked.

Verified Forester fitments at AlloyHaus →

AlloyHaus is our sister site — built by the same maker as eli5cars.

Common symptoms for this vehicle

Check engine light on? Get a free code scan

If your check engine light is on, most auto-parts stores (AutoZone, O'Reilly, Advance) will read the code for FREE — no purchase required, just walk in. Bring the code back here and look it up at eli5cars.com/obd2 for the plain-English explanation.

Note: a scan only helps when there's an active fault code. For purely mechanical symptoms (noises, vibrations, leaks), a scan may show nothing — the suspects listed above are your starting point.