2015 Subaru Forester Problems & Owner Complaints

Engine 131 10 crash 3 fire 7 injury

“I WAS TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY GOING 65MPH, WHEN WITH NO WARNING MY CAR'S ENGINE STOP. I TOUGH IT WAS OUT OF GAS, BUT THE COMPUTER WAS TELLING ME I HAD 30 MORE MILES OF FUEL. AT THE TIME OF THIS ACCIDENT THERE WAS NO SHOULDER TO PARK BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION ON THE FREEWAY. THIS UNFORTUNATE EVENT CAUSE 3 OTHER CARS TO BE INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT. SOME HOW MY CAR WAS OK, I DROVE THE CAR BACK TO MY HOUSE PRAYING THAT IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. MY HUSBAND DROVE IT FOR A LITTLE TO SEE IF IT WILL BE OK TO DRIVE. SAME THING HAPPEN TO HEM, BUT THIS WAS IN A MUCH CONTROLLED WAY.”
NHTSA complaint #11413873, 2021 · crash · 4 injury(ies)

“WHILE BACKING UP A WINDING HILL ON A HARD PACKED GRAVEL DRIVEWAY I BACKED INTO A SEVEN INCH DIAMETER TREE ON THE EDGE OF THE ROAD. DID NOT HIT IT HARD ENOUGH TO DAMAGE THE BACK BUMPER. I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND IN AN INSTANT THE MOTOR WENT WIDE OPEN. I HIT THE BRAKES, BUT NO NOTICABLE EFFECT. I NARROWLY MISSED THE CORNER OF THE GARAGE. THE CAR DUG FOUR DEPRESSIONS IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN IT TOOK OFF. AND THREW GRAVEL ALL THE WAY DOWN THE HILL AND ON THE FLAT UNTIL IT HIT A LARGE TREE, THE MOTOR STILL RACING. THE RUNAWAY HAPPENED IN SECONDS. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. MY WIFE SUFFERED A BADLY BROKEN RI…”
NHTSA complaint #11051387, 2017 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“MY 2015 SUBARU FORESTER XT WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED SUBARU DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS VISITS TO THE FOR AN ISSUE IN WHICH THE CARS ENGINE LIGHTS AND WARNINGS WOULD DISPLAY, VIOLENTLY SHAKE, SHUDDER AND LOSE POWER WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. AM AUTHORIZED SUBARU MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE, THEY DID AN ECM COMPUTER UPDATE...UNFORTUNATELY, THE PROBLEMS DID NOT GO AWAY AFTER THE UPDATE. I RE-VISITED THE DEALERSHIP EXPLAINING THAT THE PROBLEMS PERSISTED, AT WHICH POINT THEY DECIDED TO TRY TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. AFTER A WEEK, THE SUBARU DEALER SENT ME HOME IN THE CAR, SAYING THEY COULD N…”
NHTSA complaint #10936319, 2016 · fire · 1 injury(ies)

Air Bags 101 17 crash 12 injury

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A TRUCK RAN A RED LIGHT AND THE CONTACT T-BONED THE TRUCK AT 30 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRUCK FLIPPED AS THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COLLIDED WITH THE TRUCK. THE CONTACT AND HER PASSENGER WERE INJURED AND HAD TO BE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE CONTACT'S WRIST AND ARM WERE SORE AND SHE REQUIRED PHYSICAL THERAPY. THE PASSENGER WAS IN A BACK BRACE WITH TWO COMPRESSION FRACTURES IN THE BACK, A FEW BROKEN RIBS, SHE HAD A CONCUSSION, AND A SWOLLEN FOOT AND ANKLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED…”
NHTSA complaint #11317314, 2019 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“OUR 2015 SUBARU FORESTER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT. WE WERE TURNING LEFT AT AN INTERSECTION. THE SUV WAS HIT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND FRONT FENDER BY ANOTHER SUV. NO SIDE OR CURTAIN AIRBAG WAS DEPLOYED.”
NHTSA complaint #11276933, 2019 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while his wife was driving at approximately 25 MPH, and moving into an intersection following a traffic sign stop, the contact's vehicle was crashed into by another vehicle that ran a stop sign. The other vehicle crashed the contact's vehicle on the passenger side front door. The contact stated that all the air bags had deployed. The contact stated that his wife had broken her right thigh and right ankle. The contact stated he suffered severe whiplash and concussion. The contact stated that he and his wife were transported to the eme…”
NHTSA complaint #11551551, 2016 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

Power Train 95 6 crash 1 injury

“The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, in a residential parking lot, the contact stated while he was parking, the vehicle independently accelerated and crashed into a nearby tree. The contact stated before crashing into the nearby tree the vehicle also hit a nearby pole. The contact stated that the acceleration continued to get faster and faster. The contact also stated that none of the air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The contact's wife was transferred by ambulance to a hospital for medical attention. The contact's wife suffere…”
NHTSA complaint #11558358, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I was backing out of a parking spot, and there was a telephone poll behind me in my path. I needed to pull forward to navigate around this poll. After backing up some, I put the car into drive to pull slightly forward, and the car lurched aggressively, so much so that I got out to see if it'd caught on something. It did not -- there was absolutely nothing there. So I got back in and tried to continue forward, and the accelerator went full force. I floored the brake pedal, but the car behaved as though I was flooring the accelerator. The car drove itself over a cement block, through a staircase…”
NHTSA complaint #11507009, 2023 · crash

“PULLING INTO PARKING SPOT, VEHICLE STARTED TO STALL, GAVE A LITTLE MORE GAS AND VEHICLE LAUNCHED FORWARD AND HIT CEMENT POLE. NO DAMAGE TO POLE CAR DAMAGE AROUND 8K.AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC ALSO”
NHTSA complaint #11413243, 2021 · crash

Electrical System 82 1 crash 3 fire

“The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the fan switch failed to operate at high speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fan switch had burned and melted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000. The dealer stated they had seen these issues before on other customer's vehicles. It's a strong possibility of fire in the cockpit.”
NHTSA complaint #11454800, 2022 · fire

“I BOUGHT THE CAR AND LESS THAN A MONTH LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP THAT I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP IF THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. IT NEVER CAME BACK ON. FOUR DAYS LATER I WAS DRIVING AND THE GAS PEDAL QUIT WORKING. I LOOKED DOWN TO SEE IF ANY LIGHTS WERE ON AND THEY WEREN'T. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY TO TURN THE CAR OFF. BEFORE I COULD TURN THE CAR OFF I SAW FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE HOOD NEAR THE LIGHTS. THEN ALL OF THE WARMING LIGHTS CAME ON. I QUICKLY TURNED OFF THE VEHI…”
NHTSA complaint #11056548, 2017 · fire

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS BECAME ILLUMINATED WITH ALARMS AND SEVERAL BEEPING SOUNDS. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME WHERE THE VEHICLE STALLED ONCE AND THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. THE CONTACT LIFTED THE HOOD AND BECAME AWARE OF AN ABNORMAL BURNING ELECTRICAL ODOR COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. ADDITIONALLY, THE BATTERY LOST ITS CHARGE AND WAS REPLACED. FLEMINGTON SUBARU LOCATED AT 167 NJ-31, FLEMINGTON, NJ 08822, (908) 824-2334, WAS CONTACTED AND AN ARRANGEMENT WAS MADE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE PICKED UP…”
NHTSA complaint #11207462, 2014 · fire

Unknown Or Other 73 6 crash 2 fire 2 injury

“MY 2015 SUBARU FORESTER XT WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED SUBARU DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS VISITS TO THE FOR AN ISSUE IN WHICH THE CARS ENGINE LIGHTS AND WARNINGS WOULD DISPLAY, VIOLENTLY SHAKE, SHUDDER AND LOSE POWER WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. AM AUTHORIZED SUBARU MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE, THEY DID AN ECM COMPUTER UPDATE...UNFORTUNATELY, THE PROBLEMS DID NOT GO AWAY AFTER THE UPDATE. I RE-VISITED THE DEALERSHIP EXPLAINING THAT THE PROBLEMS PERSISTED, AT WHICH POINT THEY DECIDED TO TRY TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. AFTER A WEEK, THE SUBARU DEALER SENT ME HOME IN THE CAR, SAYING THEY COULD N…”
NHTSA complaint #10936319, 2016 · fire · 1 injury(ies)

“SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION: I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROX 10 MPH THROUGH A CAMPGROUND. I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN TO TURN RIGHT INTO MY PARKING SPOT. MY RIGHT FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL MORE FIRMLY BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO GAIN SPEED. I TRAVELED ABOUT 100 FEET UP A STEEP HILL ON THE SIDE OF THE CAMPSITE AND KNOCKED DOWN A SMALL TREE AND STRUCK SEVERAL BUSHES BEFORE HITTING A LARGE TREE THAT FINALLY STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MAJOR FRONT END DAMAGE IN ADDITION TO DEEP SCRAPE MARKS TO ITS SID…”
NHTSA complaint #11099502, 2018 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“Vehicle was in a front end collision, vehicle was able to safely pull over to the shoulder and be shut down. Impact did not result in airbag deployment and damage to vehicle appeared to be moderate. Within minutes of the accident while waiting for police to arrive on the scene, smoke became visible followed by vehicle becoming engulfed in flames leading to a complete vehicle fire and total loss of vehicle.”
NHTSA complaint #11451926, 2022 · crash · fire

Vehicle Speed Control 70 26 crash 10 injury

“AUTO ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY AFTER LEAVING CAR WASH BAY. AUTO SPED THROUGH PARKING LOT INTO STREET AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER AUTO TRAVELING ON A ROAD.”
NHTSA complaint #11415816, 2021 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 1 MPH into a parking space, the contact attempted to shift the transmission into park (P) while depressing the brake pedal when the vehicle inadvertently lunged forward and crashed into a building. No warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The impact caused soreness in her chest and stomach. The contact received medical attention on the scene from Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the tow yard. The vehicle was not yet deemed totaled by the…”
NHTSA complaint #11547939, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while at a carwash moving forward, the vehicle accelerated up to approximately 35 MPH and crashed into the rear of a Ford Explorer. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver sustained injuries to his chest due to striking the steering wheel. Medical attention was provided. The contact was able to drive away from the crash site. A police report was filed. There was no air bag deployment. The vehicle was taken to a Collision Center. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufa…”
NHTSA complaint #11503188, 2022 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Suspension 66

“Every right hand turn, I hear a light metallic ‘tap’ on the rear, inside fender well…. I’ve been told by an independent auto mechanic, that it’s the ‘rear coil springs’ that are making the noise. There is No Recall for this issue or Rear Struts. I was told by a Subaru Service Manager….. No recall for either.. Has your Organization heard anything, on the contrary? Thank you… (*Just an annoying noise!)”
NHTSA complaint #11592257, 2023

“The vehicle is a 2015 Subaru Forester. At that time, the car had 47800 miles on it. I started to sense a shaking or vibration on the steering wheel, especially at highway speeds. I took it to a local Subaru dealer and the dealer technician found the lower control arm bushings to be work/torn. I have been driving for over 40 years and have never had to have the bushings replaced in any of my (Toyota) cars, especially at 47800 miles. I bought the car new. I live in the city and do not do any off road driving. I bought the car because of the Eyesight safety system. I didn't realize Subar…”
NHTSA complaint #11586320, 2023

“Rear suspension is garbage, is rusted and broken and seized to the vehicle. The spring has fallen off the strut. Did not know what the weird noise was, but apparently it is the rear suspension. Cannot use the vehicle until repaired, was not notified of the brake sensor recall, and this part should be recalled as well. I want a reimbursement for my expenses to repair this faulty suspension”
NHTSA complaint #11473626, 2022

Fuel/Propulsion System 55 3 crash 1 fire 5 injury

“I WAS TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY GOING 65MPH, WHEN WITH NO WARNING MY CAR'S ENGINE STOP. I TOUGH IT WAS OUT OF GAS, BUT THE COMPUTER WAS TELLING ME I HAD 30 MORE MILES OF FUEL. AT THE TIME OF THIS ACCIDENT THERE WAS NO SHOULDER TO PARK BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION ON THE FREEWAY. THIS UNFORTUNATE EVENT CAUSE 3 OTHER CARS TO BE INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT. SOME HOW MY CAR WAS OK, I DROVE THE CAR BACK TO MY HOUSE PRAYING THAT IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. MY HUSBAND DROVE IT FOR A LITTLE TO SEE IF IT WILL BE OK TO DRIVE. SAME THING HAPPEN TO HEM, BUT THIS WAS IN A MUCH CONTROLLED WAY.”
NHTSA complaint #11413873, 2021 · crash · 4 injury(ies)

“CAR WAS DRIVEN OUT OF NEW CAR DEALER WITHOUT INCIDENT BY DRIVER WITH 50 PLUS YEARS EXPERIENCE. APPROXIMATELY THREE TO FOUR MILES INTO TRIP CAR EXPERIENCED SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AFTER GOING THROUGH A TRAFFIC LIGHT. CAR PROCEEDED INTO WOODED AREA AND HIT TREE CAUSING LOWER LEG INJURIES TO DRIVER AND MODERATE TO SEVERE DAMAGE TO CAR. DRIVER WAS NOT ENTRAPPED UPON EMT ARRIVAL. ENGINE RETURNED TO NORMAL IDLE SPEED. DRIVER IS CONFIDENT CAR HAS PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL AND /OR ENGINE COMPUTER. CAR TRAVELED AT OVER 40 MPH DURING INCIDENT AND COULD NOT BE STOPPED THROUGH NORMAL BRAK…”
NHTSA complaint #10781256, 2015 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I BOUGHT THE CAR AND LESS THAN A MONTH LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP THAT I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP IF THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. IT NEVER CAME BACK ON. FOUR DAYS LATER I WAS DRIVING AND THE GAS PEDAL QUIT WORKING. I LOOKED DOWN TO SEE IF ANY LIGHTS WERE ON AND THEY WEREN'T. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY TO TURN THE CAR OFF. BEFORE I COULD TURN THE CAR OFF I SAW FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE HOOD NEAR THE LIGHTS. THEN ALL OF THE WARMING LIGHTS CAME ON. I QUICKLY TURNED OFF THE VEHI…”
NHTSA complaint #11056548, 2017 · fire

Service Brakes 36 4 crash 2 injury

“WHILE BACKING UP A WINDING HILL ON A HARD PACKED GRAVEL DRIVEWAY I BACKED INTO A SEVEN INCH DIAMETER TREE ON THE EDGE OF THE ROAD. DID NOT HIT IT HARD ENOUGH TO DAMAGE THE BACK BUMPER. I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND IN AN INSTANT THE MOTOR WENT WIDE OPEN. I HIT THE BRAKES, BUT NO NOTICABLE EFFECT. I NARROWLY MISSED THE CORNER OF THE GARAGE. THE CAR DUG FOUR DEPRESSIONS IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN IT TOOK OFF. AND THREW GRAVEL ALL THE WAY DOWN THE HILL AND ON THE FLAT UNTIL IT HIT A LARGE TREE, THE MOTOR STILL RACING. THE RUNAWAY HAPPENED IN SECONDS. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. MY WIFE SUFFERED A BADLY BROKEN RI…”
NHTSA complaint #11051387, 2017 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“Vehicle accelerated from a stop sign at high speed and brakes were pushed down all the way with no respond the steering wheels was stiff and the Vehicle continued at high speed on its own crashing curbs side walk vegetation along the way until final crash at a tree. not warning lamps messages and air bag did not deploy. Car engine remained on at time of crash until manually turned off. safety of driver & passenger and others near by were at very high risk. Head on collision with other vehicles and homes could have happened. Insurance adjuster inspected and determined it is a "Total Lose" bu…”
NHTSA complaint #11533735, 2023 · crash

“On Wednesday November 10 I was arriving at Chase Bank 4229 Woodruff Ave Lakewood Ca. I was turning right into a parking stall heading due east, parking between a pickup truck to the right and a passenger car to the left. I was braking with my right foot only traveling 5 miles per hour and suddenly the car accelerated over a parking stop and into the bank building. It was so sudden I couldn't react and pull up the parking brake. The collision caused major front end damage to my 2015 Subaru Forrester XT. It also caused damage to the Chase Bank building. I was lucky to be a couple of parking spac…”
NHTSA complaint #11440210, 2021 · crash

Visibility/Wiper 23

“A small crack appeared mysteriously on the front windshield and has spread - over the past month - where it now covers 1/2 of the windshield. Nothing hit my car, to create the crack or make it spread. The right air bag light keeps going on and keeps beeping when there is no one sitting in the seat. The only way i can get it to stop is to engage the seat belt - again, even though there is no one in the seat.”
NHTSA complaint #11554436, 2023

“I have a crack running across the bottom of my windshield. I took the car to SafeLite for replacement. They do a pre-service check of the EyeSsight camera system which provides forward collision avoidance and lane departure warning. The scan revealed History Code P00FF and a Current Code B280AA8. The SafeLite technician advised they could not replace the windshield until the codes were removed. Then they could replace the windshield and calibrate the EyeSight system. They also stated I had to go to a dealer code removal. I contacted Brunswick Subaru (dealer where I purchased the vehicle) and t…”
NHTSA complaint #11451323, 2022

“Noticed that there was a crack in the windshield when starting up car. Not sure why windshield should crack when parked. I can understand if this happened when driving on highway or next to construction vehicles.”
NHTSA complaint #11437208, 2021

Seats 22 1 crash 1 fire 2 injury

“I PURCHASED A CERTIFIED PREOWNED 2015 FORESTER IN NOVEMBER FROM NORTHTOWN SUBARU IN AMHERST, NY IN NOVEMBER 2017. I WAS SOLD A BASIC MODEL AND ASSURED THAT THE REMOTE CAR STARTER AND HEATED SEAT THAT THEY COULD INSTALL AT THE DEALERSHIP WERE AS GOOD AS THE ONES INCLUDED IN MORE EXPENSIVE FORESTER MODELS. SAFETY ISSUE: ON WEDNESDAY 3/28/18 I WAS DRIVING IN THE CITY OF BUFFALO WITH MY HEATED SEAT TURNED ON. THE BACK OF MY LEG, RIGHT BELOW MY KNEE BECAME INTOLERABLY HOT. I TURNED THE HEATED SEAT OFF IMMEDIATELY AND REACHED DOWN. THE SEAT INSTANTLY BURNT TWO OF MY FINGER TIPS. I SHOUTED…”
NHTSA complaint #11082160, 2018 · fire · 1 injury(ies)

“DRIVER WAS REAR ENDED ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN AT A DEAD STOP BY A VEHICLE GOING AROUND 60-70 MPH. THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT JERKED FORWARD AND IMPACTED DRIVER LEG CAUSING CONTUSIONS AND THE BACK SUPPORT AND HEAD REST PORTION FLEW BACKWARDS, CAUSING DRIVER GLASSES AND HAT TO COME OFF AND LAND TOWARD THE BACK HATCH OF THE VEHICLE. SPARE TIRE WAS DISLODGED FROM TRUNK AREA AND IMPACTED DRIVER'S HEAD DUE TO THE SEAT BACK BEING IN THE RECLINING POSITION. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT ANY LEVEL AS WELL.”
NHTSA complaint #11377910, 2020 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF EVEN IF THERE IS NO ONE SITTING IN THE SEAT”
NHTSA complaint #11690820, 2025

Structure 20 8 crash 2 fire 5 injury

“MY 2015 SUBARU FORESTER XT WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED SUBARU DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS VISITS TO THE FOR AN ISSUE IN WHICH THE CARS ENGINE LIGHTS AND WARNINGS WOULD DISPLAY, VIOLENTLY SHAKE, SHUDDER AND LOSE POWER WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. AM AUTHORIZED SUBARU MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE, THEY DID AN ECM COMPUTER UPDATE...UNFORTUNATELY, THE PROBLEMS DID NOT GO AWAY AFTER THE UPDATE. I RE-VISITED THE DEALERSHIP EXPLAINING THAT THE PROBLEMS PERSISTED, AT WHICH POINT THEY DECIDED TO TRY TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. AFTER A WEEK, THE SUBARU DEALER SENT ME HOME IN THE CAR, SAYING THEY COULD N…”
NHTSA complaint #10936319, 2016 · fire · 1 injury(ies)

“VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED WHILE DRIVER WAS PARKING WHILE APPLYING BRAKES. VEHICLE HIT HOUSE AND PORCH, SHEARING OFF THE GAS METER WHERE IT MEETS THE UNDERGROUND LINE. EYESIGHT OBJECT DETECTION SYSTEM DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE.”
NHTSA complaint #10860015, 2015 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“CAR WAS DRIVEN OUT OF NEW CAR DEALER WITHOUT INCIDENT BY DRIVER WITH 50 PLUS YEARS EXPERIENCE. APPROXIMATELY THREE TO FOUR MILES INTO TRIP CAR EXPERIENCED SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AFTER GOING THROUGH A TRAFFIC LIGHT. CAR PROCEEDED INTO WOODED AREA AND HIT TREE CAUSING LOWER LEG INJURIES TO DRIVER AND MODERATE TO SEVERE DAMAGE TO CAR. DRIVER WAS NOT ENTRAPPED UPON EMT ARRIVAL. ENGINE RETURNED TO NORMAL IDLE SPEED. DRIVER IS CONFIDENT CAR HAS PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL AND /OR ENGINE COMPUTER. CAR TRAVELED AT OVER 40 MPH DURING INCIDENT AND COULD NOT BE STOPPED THROUGH NORMAL BRAK…”
NHTSA complaint #10781256, 2015 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Wheels 20

“2 REAR WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED ON LOW MILAGE VEHICLE.ALTHOUGH CAR IS 10 YEARS OLD IT IS WELL MAINTAINED AND HAS 57K MILES ON OD.nEVER DRIVEN OFF ROAD OR IN WATER. PERHAPS WORSE THREE STUDS AND LUGS HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SNAPPING OFF. APPARENTLY THIS IS COMMON AS THE SAME STORY WAS TOLD TO OTHERS WAITING AT DEALERSHIP”
NHTSA complaint #11745979, 2026

“The wheel hub bolt stud and nut freeze/lock up. They break apart when the technician attempts to remove to perform tire rotation. It is a common problem with the Subaru Forester. I have had to replace 2, so far. Dealer charges $200+ for replacing it. Subaru has not stepped up to take responsibility for the defect.”
NHTSA complaint #11662791, 2025

“The Vehicle was sold to me by a local dealership not SUBARU Manufacturer themselves with the conditions marked above and more, the wheels when purchased as i turned any corners it would sound like the underside of the vehicle would explode even when driving straight it was just less frequent and caused the ABS system to activate and would pull one way or another. the Transmission has never been inspected by the dealership that sold it to me and the manufacturer seal was broken so it had leaked and caused major lack of power resulting in many close calls due to lose of forward propulsion it is…”
NHTSA complaint #11638241, 2024

Steering 19 4 crash 2 injury

“VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED WHILE DRIVER WAS PARKING WHILE APPLYING BRAKES. VEHICLE HIT HOUSE AND PORCH, SHEARING OFF THE GAS METER WHERE IT MEETS THE UNDERGROUND LINE. EYESIGHT OBJECT DETECTION SYSTEM DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE.”
NHTSA complaint #10860015, 2015 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“7 MONTHS OLD, 20,000 MILES. DRIVING 65.6 MPH, IN LIGHT RAIN WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON. 1ST TIME DRIVING IN BAD WEATHER, NOTICED WIND OR FLAT TIRES CAUSING SOMETIMES SIDE SHAKING. STOPPED TO CHECK TIRES. NOTICED NO WIND NOR LOW TIRES PRESSURE. CONTINUED ON. HAD USED CRUISE CONTROL ON AND OFF, AND TURNING ON AND OFF THE TRACTION SWITCH TO FIND A PATTERN FOR THE IRADIC DRIVING. COULD NOT ID A CAUSE. CONTINUED DRIVING. CAR TOOK A SUDDEN JERK TO THE LEFT, KNEW WE WERE GOING TO CRASH AND COULD NOT TURN STEERING WHEEL. 'CRASH' . WE SLID 40 FEET DOWN THE CENTER DIVIDE. THE FRONT WHEELS WERE S…”
NHTSA complaint #10839979, 2015 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The Vehicle Dynamics Control safety system malfunctioned and forced me to drive straight on a curved banked overpass into the concrete barrier”
NHTSA complaint #11638240, 2025 · crash

Exterior Lighting 15 1 crash

“THIS COMPLAINT IS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO NHTSA RECALL ID NUMBER :19V149 WHILE WE HAVE NOT NOTICED BREAK LIGHTS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REAR ENDED TWICE, IN 2017 AND IN 2018, POSSIBLY INDICATING THAT BREAK SWITCH WAS INTERMITTENTLY FAULTY.”
NHTSA complaint #11184256, 2018 · crash

“I bought a used 2015 subaru forester with 117,000 miles from an auto shop/used car dealer in March of 2024. In September of 2025, 11,000 miles of driving later, a bunch of lights came on my dash. Check engine, traction control, ABS, at oil temp, and incline assist. I took it to Autozone to get the codes read and the part it suggested was the transmission oil pressure sensor. I then took it to a trusted mechanic who said they weren’t able to get the lights to turn back on and told me to come back when the lights reappeared. In December of 2025, the lights came on and they were on long enough t…”
NHTSA complaint #11713143, 2026

“I had a problem. arming the remote control. with forester subaru 2014 -2015 model car w/n arm. with key or electronically. I had changed battery you can arm manually sometimes , alarm will go off if you use the key to open door and shut it off with key. in ignition. had a diagnostic test done. with CODE B1500. tpms lights stays on also. tires are good. pressure good. extra remote key is good batteries changed. any info concerning this. Thank you. this happen week and half ago nov 11,2024. have an appt will subaru dealer on dec 5 to toubleshoot. is there any recalls for this matter”
NHTSA complaint #11626881, 2024

Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 14 2 crash 3 injury

“WHILE BACKING UP A WINDING HILL ON A HARD PACKED GRAVEL DRIVEWAY I BACKED INTO A SEVEN INCH DIAMETER TREE ON THE EDGE OF THE ROAD. DID NOT HIT IT HARD ENOUGH TO DAMAGE THE BACK BUMPER. I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND IN AN INSTANT THE MOTOR WENT WIDE OPEN. I HIT THE BRAKES, BUT NO NOTICABLE EFFECT. I NARROWLY MISSED THE CORNER OF THE GARAGE. THE CAR DUG FOUR DEPRESSIONS IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN IT TOOK OFF. AND THREW GRAVEL ALL THE WAY DOWN THE HILL AND ON THE FLAT UNTIL IT HIT A LARGE TREE, THE MOTOR STILL RACING. THE RUNAWAY HAPPENED IN SECONDS. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. MY WIFE SUFFERED A BADLY BROKEN RI…”
NHTSA complaint #11051387, 2017 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“7 MONTHS OLD, 20,000 MILES. DRIVING 65.6 MPH, IN LIGHT RAIN WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON. 1ST TIME DRIVING IN BAD WEATHER, NOTICED WIND OR FLAT TIRES CAUSING SOMETIMES SIDE SHAKING. STOPPED TO CHECK TIRES. NOTICED NO WIND NOR LOW TIRES PRESSURE. CONTINUED ON. HAD USED CRUISE CONTROL ON AND OFF, AND TURNING ON AND OFF THE TRACTION SWITCH TO FIND A PATTERN FOR THE IRADIC DRIVING. COULD NOT ID A CAUSE. CONTINUED DRIVING. CAR TOOK A SUDDEN JERK TO THE LEFT, KNEW WE WERE GOING TO CRASH AND COULD NOT TURN STEERING WHEEL. 'CRASH' . WE SLID 40 FEET DOWN THE CENTER DIVIDE. THE FRONT WHEELS WERE S…”
NHTSA complaint #10839979, 2015 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD APPROX 65 AND THE EYE SIGHT DISABLED, ABS DISABLED, TRACTION CONTROL AND HILL ASSIST STOPPED, CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED AT TRANSMISSION OIL STARTED FLASHING AND THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALL CAME ON WE WERE DRIVING DOWN HWY 61 IN AZ. POWER TO THE VEHICLE SLOWED AND WE COULD NOT GO FASTER THAN 40MPH. THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS ON RECALL AND REPLACED 10/2019 AND THE 3XACR SAME THING HAPPENED EXCEPT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DIDNT COME ON.”
NHTSA complaint #11318167, 2020

Seat Belts 9

“Airbag/seatbelt system failure August, 2024. Passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) failure. Detection system fails to correctly detect passenger in the seat. Sometimes it thinks there is no passenger, when there is one (will fail to deploy airbag in a crash); sometimes it thinks there is a passenger when there is none (requires seat belt to be buckled with no one in the seat). Recall (19V-701 -- ODS harness replacement) repairs were done to this vehicle Feb. 2020. New solution is different than for the 19V-701 recall. For this issue, dealer recommends replacement of seat fr…”
NHTSA complaint #11641507, 2024

“This year, an error message indicated that the SRS system has ceased functioning on the passenger seat. According to the Subaru Service Center, a sensor within the seat has malfunctioned. This issue appears to be common, based on online research. The failed sensor poses a risk to the front passenger, as it may disable the SRS system and potentially the airbag. Despite this, the dealer has informed us that the repair will not be covered under warranty due to the vehicle's 2015 model year. The dealer has recommended replacing the entire seat, which seems to be an unusually premature failure for…”
NHTSA complaint #11610626, 2024

“The error message for air bag/seat belt warning comes on and off. It turns the passenger side air bag to off. It seems to be activated by weight on the seat.”
NHTSA complaint #11557937, 2023

Forward Collision Avoidance 8 2 crash

“The Vehicle Dynamics Control safety system malfunctioned and forced me to drive straight on a curved banked overpass into the concrete barrier”
NHTSA complaint #11638240, 2025 · crash

“On Wednesday November 10 I was arriving at Chase Bank 4229 Woodruff Ave Lakewood Ca. I was turning right into a parking stall heading due east, parking between a pickup truck to the right and a passenger car to the left. I was braking with my right foot only traveling 5 miles per hour and suddenly the car accelerated over a parking stop and into the bank building. It was so sudden I couldn't react and pull up the parking brake. The collision caused major front end damage to my 2015 Subaru Forrester XT. It also caused damage to the Chase Bank building. I was lucky to be a couple of parking spac…”
NHTSA complaint #11440210, 2021 · crash

“It has happened 3 times. I was approaching a traffic light about 200 yards away, and it was changing to yellow. I was in the left lane of a 3-lane small highway, there was a left turn lane, then my lane and the right lane. Someone started standing on their brakes in front of me, I looked into my rear-view and saw that someone was approaching me quickly, so I looked to my right and saw that I could accelerate and avoid getting rear-ended by pulling forward and in front of a car coming up in the right lane. This evasive maneuver is one that I've done many times to avoid being rear-ended. I…”
NHTSA complaint #11473269, 2022

Engine And Engine Cooling 5

“The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle was shifted into drive however, the steering wheel failed to turn as intended. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the ECU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,739.”
NHTSA complaint #11552030, 2023

“2015 SUBARU FORESTER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE HESITATION/ACCELERATION ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD BUCK SLIGHTLY AS SHE/HE ACCELERATED. IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE WOULD LURCH FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY, OR WHEN SHE REMOVED HIS/HER FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO SLOW DOWN ABRUPTLY. WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, THE VEHICLE WOULD OFTEN HESITATE BEFORE REVVING UP. SUBARU INFORMED THE CONSUMER THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THERE WAS A FIX. HOWEVER, WITHIN THREE TO FOUR WEEKS OF THE FIX, THE PROBLEM…”
NHTSA complaint #10918194, 2015

“I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH MY 2015 FORRESTER.2.5I. INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER OF 4 SECONDS DURATION. DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATES IS NORMAL AND NOTHING IS NOTED ON THE DIAGNOSTIC HISTORY IN THE CAR. FELT DRIVING THIS WAS UNSAFE AND TOOK A LOSS AND TRADED IT IN FOR A 2015 CRV HONDA. I FEEL THE PUBLIC SHOULD KNOW THIS, YOU NEED TO CHECK INTO THIS OR /AND DO A RECALL OR WHATEVER IS NECESSARY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS WEBSITE. *TR”
NHTSA complaint #10758786, 2015

Tires 5

“Purchased 4 tires for my AWD Subaru from Costco. The driver side rear tire kept losing air a few days after installing them. Pumped air in it a few times at home. Took the car back to Costco. They found a leak that they repaired. Brand new tires leaking was my problem with Michelin 225/55R18 Primacy tour A/S.”
NHTSA complaint #11505728, 2022

“2015 SUBARU FORESTER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO DEFECTIVE FIRESTONE TIRES. THE CONSUMER STATE THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.”
NHTSA complaint #11473368, 2022

“Tire developed a bubble in the sidewall about 1.5" in diameter and 3/4" high. Tire removed from service and replaced as a safety issue. I have the tire in my storage. Car is a Subaru Forester used light duty and on paved roads. Approximately 75% to 80% of tread remaining. TPMS operational, so tire was not run low on air. When tire pressure removed (to replace tire), bubble disappeared. Vehicle has 70,000 miles. Vendor declined to reimburse.”
NHTSA complaint #11441208, 2020

Visibility 5

“The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked outside during a snowstorm; while removing snow from the windshield, she noticed that the windshield was severely cracked. Additionally, the contact stated that the crack originated from the driver's side of the windshield to the passenger's side. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,855.”
NHTSA complaint #11460201, 2022

“I PURCHASED A NEW 2015 SUBARU FORESTER JANUARY 31, 2015. ANYTIME THE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW APPROXIMATELY 10F, THE INTERIOR WINDOWS ICE OVER. HAVE TO CONTINUALLY SWITCH FROM 100% DEFROST TO 100% SIDE WINDOWS TO BE ABLE TO SEE OUT ONE OR THE OTHER. IF ANYONE IS RIDING IN THE BACK SEAT, THE REAR SIDE WINDOWS ARE NEVER CLEAR. THIS POOR VISIBILITY IS A SAFETY HAZARD. IN ADDITION, THE CAR IS EXTREMELY COLD INSIDE, ESPECIALLY IN THE FOOT WELL. MY FEET ARE NUMB FROM THE COLD AS THE HEATER IS BLOWING COLD AIR ON YOUR FEET AND LEGS. EVEN WHEN NO AIR IS DIRECTED TO THE FOOT WELL, THERE IS A CONTIN…”
NHTSA complaint #10690478, 2015

“VEHICLE DOES NOT WARM UP WELL IN COLD CLIMATES. I LIVE IN ALASKA AND DURING THE WINTER THE VEHICLE WOULD STAY COOL EVEN WITH THE HEATER MAXED OUT DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. NORMALLY THIS WOULD NOT BE A BIG DEAL, BUT HAVING A NEWBORN IN THE CAR, THE HEAT WOULD BE NICE. *TR”
NHTSA complaint #10706436, 2014

Equipment 2

“[XXX] SUBARU FORESTER HILL START ASSIST BRAKING COMES ON WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY, PREVENTING ACCELERATION & MAKING AN ACCIDENT VERY PROBABLE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR”
NHTSA complaint #10940310, 2017

“THE BLUETOOTH DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. MOST OF THE TIME IT DOESN'T WORK AT ALL. WHEN IT DOES IT KEEPS ON REPEATING ITSELF AND FREEZES THE SCREEN. THE ONLY WAY I CAN UN FREEZE THE SCREEN IS PULL THE CAR OVER AND RESTART THE ENGINE. THE DEALER SAYS THEY HAVE DONE EVERYTHING THEY CAN AND " I'LL JUST HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT ". *TR”
NHTSA complaint #10689717, 2014

Lane Departure 2

“Unknown origin. Airbag issues started in September October 2022. 2015 Subaru Forester. Vehicle with Heated Seats similar to open recall. Warning notice display as to Airbag dysfunction. Airbag determined to not function by Dealer. But informed not within the specific airbag recall affecting other same era (2015) Foresters now under recall altho symptomatically the same issues as other Vehicles subject to recall. Quoted up to $2000 to fix the Vehicle. Subsequently, the driver side warning assistance sensors have stopped working on the Vehicle. Because the VIN # does not fit with…”
NHTSA complaint #11515986, 2022

“I have a crack running across the bottom of my windshield. I took the car to SafeLite for replacement. They do a pre-service check of the EyeSsight camera system which provides forward collision avoidance and lane departure warning. The scan revealed History Code P00FF and a Current Code B280AA8. The SafeLite technician advised they could not replace the windshield until the codes were removed. Then they could replace the windshield and calibrate the EyeSight system. They also stated I had to go to a dealer code removal. I contacted Brunswick Subaru (dealer where I purchased the vehicle) and t…”
NHTSA complaint #11451323, 2022

Back Over Prevention 1

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REARVIEW MIRROR CAMERA FAILED TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (GRAND PRIX SUBARU LOCATED AT 500 S BROADWAY, HICKSVILLE, NY 11801; (855) 675-5585) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE MIRROR COULD BE REPLACED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,400. UPDATED 08/09/2017*JS”
NHTSA complaint #11000208, 2015

Equipment Adaptive/Mobility 1

“WHILE TRAVELING DOWN I81 AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH A SMALL PEBBLE TAPPED THE WINDSHIELD ON THE PASSANGER SIDE AND IT CRACKED. WITHIN 24 HRS IT HAS GROWN HALF WAY ACROSS THE WINDOW. PLANNING ON HAVING IT REPLACED WITHIN FIVE DAYS. GOING DOWN HIGHWAY 31 AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH THREE DAYS AFTER THE FIRST CRACK ANOTHER ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. ( WINDSHIELD HAD NOT YET BEEN REPLACED) AS WELL AS ONE MONTH OF PURCHASING THE CAR A SMALL ROCK HIT THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AREA AND ONLY MADE A SMALL DING IN IT. I BELIEVE THESE WI…”
NHTSA complaint #10748642, 2015

Fuel System 1

“The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving 70-75 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The engine revved and made an abnormally loud sound. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact engaged the hazard lights and veered to the side of the road. The vehicle then lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated; however, the dealer advised that the failure could be cause…”
NHTSA complaint #11530710, 2021

Latches/Locks/Linkages 1

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DOOR LATCH FAILED TO OPEN FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS WORKING UP TO SPECIFICATIONS AND WAS UNABLE TO ALTER THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 0.”
NHTSA complaint #10722246, 2014

Traction Control System 1

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING IN SNOWY CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE SKIDDED AND THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10845802, 2016