Subaru Forester heater core price snapshot
- Low
- $65
- Average
- $198
- High
- $460
Vehicle-specific price guide
How much is a used Subaru Forester heater core?
Asking prices from 69 salvage yards in 23 states, broken down by model year, condition grade, and fitment variant.
SKWritten bySaurabh Kumar · Co-Founder & CTO
SK
Saurabh Kumar
Co-Founder & CTO, Part Price Guide
Built the pricing pipeline that collects and normalizes used OEM part listings from salvage yards and online marketplaces across the US.
ASReviewed byAmbika Sharma · Co-Founder & COO
Last updatedSep 22, 2026AS
Ambika Sharma
Co-Founder & COO, Part Price Guide
12 years of project management and technical operations experience. Reviews price guides for sample size, fitment accuracy, and data freshness.
Part overview
About the Subaru Forester heater core
What the heater core does, common failure signs, and prices across all vehicles: used heater core price guide →
Price summary
A used Subaru Forester heater core costs $65 to $460, with a median asking price of $116. Based on 702 priced salvage yard listings across the US, compatible across 2008–2025 (18 model years), updated Sep 22, 2026. Prices exclude shipping, core charges, and installation.
Grade A (excellent)$116
Grade B (good)$266
USD
Condition comparison
Price by part grade
Grade AClean / low wear$65–$460615 listings
Grade BStandard used$65–$44585 listings
Grade XUngraded$65–$1552 listings
| Grade | Price range | Relative range | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade AClean / low wear | $65–$460 | 615 | |
| Grade BStandard used | $65–$445 | 85 | |
| Grade XUngraded | $65–$155 | 2 |
Median by grade
Grade price comparison
Grade A$116
Grade B$266
Ungraded$155
Median asking price by seller-reported condition grade · $65–$460 overall range
Regional supply
Where the Subaru Forester heater core is listed
We found priced Subaru Forester heater core listings at 69 salvage yards across 23 states. Florida supplies the most, with 105 listings (15% of the total) from 5 yards. Location matters: yards in Florida ask a median $116, while Georgia yards ask $370, 219% more for the same part. Shipping usually costs less than that gap for smaller parts, so it can pay to buy out of state.
| State | Listings | Yards | Median ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 105 | 5 | $116 |
| Arizona | 84 | 3 | $266+129% |
| Texas | 78 | 6 | $116 |
| Wisconsin | 74 | 3 | $266+129% |
| Georgia | 67 | 9 | $370+219% |
| North Carolina | 47 | 7 | $320+176% |
| South Carolina | 44 | 4 | $358+209% |
| California | 38 | 5 | $116 |
States with at least 10 priced listings. % is versus the $116 national median.
Replacement cost
What is the Subaru Forester heater core replacement cost?
- Used part
- $116
- Subaru Forester median asking price
- Labor
- $475–$1,500
- 5–10 hours at $95–$150/hr
- Estimated total
- $590–$1,615
- median used part + labor
Labor is a typical independent-shop range for heater core replacement, not a quote for your vehicle; it does not include coolant refill, and dashboard reassembly on vehicles requiring full dash removal. The part price is the live median from the salvage-yard listings on this page. Full heater core replacement cost breakdown
Sources
- Labor time estimates: Part Price Guide labor database
Model-year comparison
What does a Subaru Forester heater core cost by year?
2025257 listingsFits 7 years$116$116 – $448202450 listingsFits 5 years$116$75 – $460202350 listingsFits 5 years$116$75 – $460202250 listingsFits 6 years$116$75 – $460202150 listingsFits 7 years$116$65 – $401202050 listingsFits 6 years$116$100 – $116201950 listingsFits 6 years$116$116 – $445201850 listingsFits 7 years$280$91 – $460201750 listingsFits 6 years$266$75 – $300201650 listingsFits 12 years$274$155 – $274201550 listingsFits 11 years$266$266 – $266
Market analysis
How much does a used Subaru Forester heater core cost?
Asking prices for a used Subaru Forester heater core are unusually spread out: the top listing asks about 7 times what the cheapest does, so which unit you pick matters more than the median.
Model year matters too: 2019 units carry the lowest median at $116, while 2018 tops the table at $280. Parts from 2019–2024 are interchangeable, so if the 2019 fits your vehicle, it offers the best value across 6 compatible years.
Against comparable vehicles, the Subaru Forester sits 27% above the Ford F250 ($91), level with the Nissan Sentra ($116), and 56% below the Honda HR-V ($266) for the same part. The “similar vehicles” cards below open each comparison guide.
Buying a used heater core: what to check
- Perform low-pressure leak test: Submerge the core under water with low air pressure applied to detect pinhole leaks in aluminum tubes and tanks.
- Inspect aluminum inlet and outlet tubes: Check that connection tube ends are perfectly round and free of crushed walls or corrosion from old coolant.
- Flush internal passages with water: Run fresh water through the core to confirm no internal calcification or stop-leak additives block coolant flow.
- Confirm HVAC casing flange alignment: Verify inlet pipe bend angles and casing foam seal tracks match your vehicle's specific heater box housing.
- Replace pass-through foam seals on install: Install fresh foam sealing strips around firewall pass-through holes to prevent cold air bypass and dash squeaks.
Keep browsing this vehicle
What other Subaru Forester parts are priced?
01wide ±158%
Side Mirror
$186median
$40$626
02wide ±195%
Wheels
$137median
$35$570
03wide ±113%
Tail Light
$217median
$40$530
04wide ±120%
Headlight Assembly
$625median
$105$1,600
05wide ±111%
Axle Shaft
$136median
$40$343
06wide ±149%
Grille
$191median
$50$621
07wide ±108%
Fender
$290median
$90$718
08wide ±160%
Engine
$1,643median
$430$5,699
09wide ±149%
Strut
$115median
$30$372
10wide ±132%
Rear Bumper
$220median
$64$645
11wide ±163%
Transmission
$1,275median
$250$4,394
12wide ±148%
Starter
$100median
$25$321
Price comparisons
Compare Subaru Forester heater core prices
Heater Corecompare
FordF250vsSubaruForester
F250$91
Forester$116
$25 diff2,076 listings
Heater CorecompareHondaHR-VvsSubaruForester
HR-V$266
Forester$116
$150 diff1,802 listings
Heater CorecompareDodgeGrandCaravanvsSubaruForester
Caravan$51
Forester$116
$65 diff1,784 listings
Heater CorecompareCadillacEscaladevsSubaruForester
Escalade$116
Forester$116
$0 diff1,774 listings
Heater CorecompareMercedesSClassvsSubaruForester
Class$116
Forester$116
$0 diff1,771 listings
Heater CorecompareFordTransitvsSubaruForester
Transit$116
Forester$116
$0 diff1,735 listings
Compare fitments
What do similar vehicles charge for this part?
Acuraspread ±38%
Acura ILX
$91median
$65$135
Acurawide ±188%
Acura MDX
$61median
$61$290
Acuratight ±11%
Acura RDX
$116median
$100$125
Acuratight ±10%
Acura TLX
$101median
$95$116
Audiwide ±60%
Audi A4
$156median
$66$252
Auditight ±4%
Audi A6
$166median
$153$166
Audispread ±33%
Audi Q3
$93median
$65$127
Subaruwide ±170%
Subaru Ascent
$116median
$116$510
Subaruwide ±190%
Subaru Crosstrek
$116median
$45$485
Subaruwide ±249%
Subaru Impreza
$91median
$45$499
Subaruspread ±48%
Subaru Outback
$91median
$68$155
Subaru
Subaru WRX
$266median
$266$266
Common questions
Subaru Forester heater core FAQ
How much is a used heater core for a Subaru Forester?
The median asking price is $116 across 702 priced listings from 69 yards. Grade-A units, the cleanest stock, have a median of $116. 2025 is the cheapest model year we track, with a median of $116.
How much does it cost to replace a Subaru Forester heater core?
Using a used part, a Subaru Forester heater core replacement typically runs $590–$1,615 all-in: the median used heater core for this model lists at $116, and independent-shop labor for heater core replacement typically takes 5–10 hours at $95–$150/hr ($475–$1,500). The labor figure does not include coolant refill, and dashboard reassembly on vehicles requiring full dash removal. Labor is a national part-level estimate, not a quote for your vehicle.
Which Subaru Forester model years does this price guide cover?
This guide currently has year-level pricing for 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015. Other model years contribute to the overall range where sellers listed them without a year breakdown.
Which Subaru Forester heater core years are interchangeable?
Salvage-yard interchange data links Subaru Forester heater core fitments across 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. Searching all 18 years widens the pool of units; confirm the part number against your VIN, since trim or drivetrain can split an interchange group.