Having to access the spare tire in your Subaru Forester likely means that you have a flat. A flat tire can be stressful, particularly if you have trouble locating and removing the spare. Sometimes spares are mounted underneath vehicles, which means you need to get on the ground to remove it. In the Forester, the spare tire is stowed beneath the rear-cargo floor cover.
Turn off your Forester's engine and set the emergency brake. Walk to the rear of the vehicle. Open the rear hatch.
Grasp the rear edge of the floor cover. Lift up the cover to expose the spare tire and tool cavity.
Lift the tool bucket out of the spare-tire recess. Set the tool bucket aside. Look inside the spare-tire recess to find the hand crank.
Turn the hand crank counterclockwise to unscrew it. Set the crank aside.
Lift the spare tire out of the recess. Once the crank is removed, the tire comes right out. Have someone help you if you have trouble lifting the tire.
