Parts for your 2012 Subaru Forester-Oil seals

2012 Subaru Forester oil-seals – what they do and when to replace them

Oil-seals are absolutely used on the 2012 Subaru Forester. Technical sources that catalogue and describe them include the Subaru Factory Service Manual for the SH-series Forester (via Subaru Technical Information System), Subaru’s FAST genuine parts catalogue, and the drivetrain sections covering engine, transmission and differential assemblies. These sources list front and rear crankshaft oil-seals, differential side oil-seals, transmission/transfer output seals and, depending on engine variant, various cover and carrier sealing interfaces that keep the lubricants where they belong.

On this model, oil-seals do a simple but vital job: they keep engine, gearbox and diff oils inside pressurised or splashed areas, and keep dust, water and road grit out. That protects bearings and chains/gears, maintains oil pressure, reduces mess under the bonnet, and helps the Forester meet emissions and reliability targets. Subaru typically uses high-temp elastomers (like nitrile and fluorocarbon) sized for the crankshaft, cam/timing cover interfaces, and axle stubs.

For non-turbo 2012 Foresters running the FB25 engine, there’s a front crankshaft seal and rear main seal, along with timing-cover, cam-carrier and valve cover sealing interfaces. On turbo or belt-driven EJ variants, there are also traditional front camshaft seals. All models use axle/diff side seals at the front transaxle and in the rear differential, plus output shaft seals in the transfer section where fitted.

• Common replacements: front and rear crankshaft seals, front diff/gearbox side seals, rear diff side seals, and (EJ engines) camshaft seals.
• Tell-tales: oil mist at the crank pulley area, drips on the undertray, oil on the bellhousing, gear oil weeping at axle stubs, or a hot oil smell after a drive.

Service advice is straightforward. Use the correct spec oil and don’t overfill