Subaru Forester Fuse Box: Location & Guide
TL;DR
The Forester has an under-hood fuse/relay box near the battery and a cabin fuse box on the driver's side dash or kick panel; always check the lid diagram or owner's manual for exact positions rather than a generic chart.
Where the fuse boxes are on the Subaru Forester
Across every generation sold in North America, the Forester uses a two-box layout. The engine compartment fuse and relay box sits at the front of the engine bay, close to the battery (driver's side on most years), under a plastic cover held by clips or a couple of quarter-turn latches - lift the tabs or twist the latches and the lid pops off. The interior fuse box is on the driver's side: on many years it is tucked behind a small hinged or snap-in cover at the left edge of the instrument panel (open the driver door and look toward the end of the dash), and on others it sits low under the dash near the driver's left knee, protected by a kick-panel trim piece that unclips or unscrews. In both cases the cover itself has the fuse legend printed on its inside face, and the owner's manual has a matching diagram in its electrical/fuses chapter with a full description of what each circuit powers.
Fuse box locations and access by generation
| Generation / years | Fuse box | Location | How to access |
|---|---|---|---|
| SG (2003-2008) | Engine bay box | Front of engine bay, near battery | Unclip or unlatch plastic lid |
| SG (2003-2008) | Interior box | Driver's side, end of dash / under dash | Open small dash-end cover or kick panel |
| SH (2009-2013) | Engine bay box | Front of engine bay, near battery | Unclip or twist quarter-turn latches |
| SH (2009-2013) | Interior box | Driver's footwell area, under dash | Remove kick-panel cover |
| SJ (2014-2018) | Engine bay box | Front of engine bay, near battery | Unclip plastic cover |
| SJ (2014-2018) | Interior box | Driver's side dash end, near door | Pull cover panel off by hand |
| SK (2019-present) | Engine bay box | Front of engine bay, near battery | Unclip plastic cover |
| SK (2019-present) | Interior box | Driver's side dash end, near door | Pull cover panel off by hand |
Fuses that most commonly blow, by function
Owners most often report trouble with a handful of circuits, and the symptom usually points straight to the fuse: a dead cigarette lighter / 12V accessory outlet means a phone charger or dash-cam plug has shorted; a radio or infotainment screen that won't power on points to that circuit's fuse; interior dome and map lights going dark together usually share one fuse; a blower motor that stops moving air (heat or A/C) but the rest of the climate controls still light up is a classic fuse symptom; and a car that cranks but won't start can be a blown fuel pump relay/fuse rather than the pump itself. Because these circuits are grouped by function rather than by fuse number across years, use the lid diagram to find the exact one for your car.
How to check and replace a fuse
Pull the suspect fuse straight out with the plastic fuse-puller tool clipped inside the box (or fine-nose pliers), and look at the thin metal element inside: if it is visibly separated or the fuse looks scorched, it is blown. For a fuse that looks fine but you're unsure about, a simple test light or multimeter across the two prongs with the circuit powered will confirm it. Always replace a blown fuse with one of the same amp rating - printed on the fuse top and color-coded - never a higher rating, since the fuse is sized to protect the wiring, not just the component.
When a fuse keeps blowing
If a fresh fuse of the correct rating blows again within seconds or minutes, that circuit almost certainly has a short (chafed wiring, a failed component, water intrusion) rather than a one-off overload, and simply stepping up the amp rating to make it stop is unsafe. At that point, having a scan tool pull any stored diagnostic trouble codes - which the powertrain, body, or ABS control modules often set when a fed circuit loses power - gives a real starting point for tracing the fault instead of guessing and swapping fuses repeatedly.
Summary
| Engine bay fuse/relay box location | Front of engine bay, near the battery, under a clipped plastic cover |
|---|---|
| Interior fuse box location | Driver's side - dash end cover or kick panel, depending on generation |
| Trunk fuse box | Not used on the Forester - only two boxes total |
| Where the fuse legend is printed | Underside of each box's cover, plus the owner's manual electrical chapter |
| Most commonly blown fuses (by function) | 12V outlet/cigarette lighter, radio/infotainment, interior lights, blower motor, fuel pump relay |
| Replacement rule | Match the exact amp rating printed on the fuse - never install a higher rating |
| Repeat-blow fuse means | Likely short circuit - check for stored diagnostic trouble codes before replacing again |
Full diagnostics
For the complete step-by-step diagnostic and repair guide, see Subaru Forester: Common Problems, Fault Codes & Repairs.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the main fuse box on a Subaru Forester?
The Subaru Forester has two fuse boxes on every generation sold in North America: an engine-bay fuse and relay box near the battery under the hood, and a cabin fuse box on the driver's side - either behind a small cover at the end of the dashboard or low under the dash behind a kick panel. The engine bay box carries the higher-amperage circuits like the fuel pump and cooling fan; the interior box covers lights, radio, and accessory circuits.
How do I open the Forester's interior fuse box cover?
On most Forester generations the interior fuse box cover is either a small hinged or snap-fit panel at the driver's-side end of the dashboard (visible when you open the driver's door) or a kick-panel trim piece low under the dash near your left knee that unclips or is held by one or two screws. There is no single universal method across every year, so check the panel edges for clip tabs before pulling, and consult the owner's manual if it does not release easily.
Why did my Forester's cigarette lighter or 12V outlet stop working?
A dead 12V accessory outlet or cigarette lighter socket on a Forester is almost always a blown fuse on that circuit, commonly caused by a phone charger, dash cam, or other accessory plug shorting or drawing too much current. Check the fuse for that circuit using the diagram on the fuse box lid, and replace it with one of the exact same amp rating; if the replacement blows again quickly, the accessory or the wiring itself likely has a short that needs to be found before you keep replacing fuses.
Why does a fuse in my Forester keep blowing right after I replace it?
A fuse that blows again almost immediately after being replaced with the correct amperage is a sign of an actual short circuit or a failing component on that circuit, not a coincidence, and putting in a higher-rated fuse to make it stop is unsafe because it removes the wiring's protection. In this situation it is worth having the vehicle scanned for stored diagnostic trouble codes, since a control module often logs a fault when a circuit it monitors loses power, and that code gives a much faster path to the actual short than repeated fuse swaps.