2016 Subaru Forester Problems & Owner Complaints

Air Bags 96 9 crash 7 injury

“I backed out of a parking space, put my foot on the brake and shifted into Drive to finish maneuvering out of the space. Although I didn't remove my foot from the brake, my Forester immediately accelerated at extremely high speed, striking the two cars parked next to me, and seriously damaging both. Rather than slowing down after hitting the other two vehicles, my car continued to speed up, only coming to a stop when it hit, head-on, a cement barrier surrounding the lot. My car hit with such force that every airbag in it deployed, and its front end was totally destroyed. No one was in the othe…”
NHTSA complaint #11586376, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“My Subaru Forester is equipped with Airbags and Subaru's Eye Sight anti-collision braking system. On Aug 5th my wife met with an accident while trying to avoid a head-on collision side swiped a vehicle on the right lane which hit the car on the rear side and the impact further changed the direction of her car and she went and hit the steel fence stone pillar on the right side. The frontal collision with the stone pillar damaged the bumper and car engine is dislocated from its position as the frame is deformed and the front tires jammed. The car's famed anti-collision system did not prevent th…”
NHTSA complaint #11478865, 2022 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50-55 MPH, THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANED, STRUCK A WALL, AND WAS STRUCK BY THREE OTHER VEHICLES. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A BRUISED FACE AND MINOR CONTUSIONS, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A SALVAGE FACILITY. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11165089, 2019 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Electrical System 93 4 crash 1 fire

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE NEIGHBOR NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. MOMENTS LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE NEARBY MOTOR HOME AND HOUSE ALSO CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WERE DESTROYED ALONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN W…”
NHTSA complaint #11209233, 2018 · fire

“I had my foot on the brake, opened the garage door with my garage door opener, and before I took my foot off the brake the car surged, jumped, and smashed into the brick wall next to the garage. I did not put my foot on the gas.”
NHTSA complaint #11726168, 2026 · crash

“Vehicle self-accelerated abruptly while parked and crashed into another vehicle causing damage to both vehicles”
NHTSA complaint #11684309, 2025 · crash

Unknown Or Other 69 7 crash 1 fire 5 injury

“While stopped at a “STOP” sign, the Subaru Forester unintentionally accelerated into a tree although the brake pedals were repeatedly utilized; it was totaled.”
NHTSA complaint #11523588, 2023 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“The accident with my 2016 Subaru Forester happened on 07-07-2022. It happened in daylight on our farm. I was the only person in the car and was wearing my seatbelt. I had slowly pulled into a parking spot, had my foot on the brake and had essentially stopped at the 6x6 piece of lumber that was marking the spot. As I was stopping the car accelerated out of control and sped down a very narrow path on a hill diagonally to the right of the parking spot. I struggled to control the car as I sped down the hill toward the gravel driveway. I was able to avoid hitting a large spruce tree and avoid…”
NHTSA complaint #11479076, 2022 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“IN A CLOSED PARKING LOT, I WAS GETTING READY TO PARK IN A SPACE. WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, I CUT THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND THEN EASED MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE TO MANEUVER INTO THE PARKING SPOT. I PUSHED THE BRAKE AGAIN IN PREPARATION TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEELS AND FINISH PARKING, NO SPEED REGISTERING ON THE GAUGE. WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AND JUMPED. I LIFTED MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, AND SLAMMED IT BACK DOWN ON THE BRAKE ATTEMPTING TO HALT THE VEHICLE. INSTEAD, WITH MY FOOT STILL FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AGAIN, AND FASTER, RIGHT INTO A WALL. I HA…”
NHTSA complaint #10823231, 2016 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Engine 60 4 crash 2 fire 2 injury

“When parked on a slope, driver attempted to back SUV out of parking space. Before starting car, with key inserted, ignition on and foot on brake, driver attempted to remove gearshift from park. Car drifted backward rapidly and uncontrollably. The brakes completely failed even with foot on brake. The car was a hazard to anyone in its path and could not be stopped. The emergency brake was attempted but failed to stop the car. Power steering failed. Gearshift could not be put back into park. SUV crashed heavily into a sign protecting the gas pump, but auto suffered major damage: REAR W…”
NHTSA complaint #11618333, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I backed out of a parking space, put my foot on the brake and shifted into Drive to finish maneuvering out of the space. Although I didn't remove my foot from the brake, my Forester immediately accelerated at extremely high speed, striking the two cars parked next to me, and seriously damaging both. Rather than slowing down after hitting the other two vehicles, my car continued to speed up, only coming to a stop when it hit, head-on, a cement barrier surrounding the lot. My car hit with such force that every airbag in it deployed, and its front end was totally destroyed. No one was in the othe…”
NHTSA complaint #11586376, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The car caught on fire while in operation. A complete loss. It started in the engine”
NHTSA complaint #11538170, 2023 · fire

Power Train 49 5 crash 1 injury

“When parked on a slope, driver attempted to back SUV out of parking space. Before starting car, with key inserted, ignition on and foot on brake, driver attempted to remove gearshift from park. Car drifted backward rapidly and uncontrollably. The brakes completely failed even with foot on brake. The car was a hazard to anyone in its path and could not be stopped. The emergency brake was attempted but failed to stop the car. Power steering failed. Gearshift could not be put back into park. SUV crashed heavily into a sign protecting the gas pump, but auto suffered major damage: REAR W…”
NHTSA complaint #11618333, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“When accelerator is slightly pushed after the vehicle has come to stop it accelerates in a jack rabbit manner. The driver stopped at beginning of driveway parking area, and decided to move slightly forward. A slight push on accelerator pedal caused vehicle to lurch forward and do $8,700 damage to the closed 2 car garage door, and $1,000+ to vehicle. Date of accident 02/10/2023”
NHTSA complaint #11506839, 2023 · crash

“Pulled into parking space in shopping mall. The car accelerated over the curb and ran into a store front knocking out a wall. The car was still in Drive when it came to a stop. No one was hurt in the car, on the sidewalk or in the store. There is a class action law suit on this model of Subaru for uncontrolled/sudden acceleration while coming to a stop, but Subaru does not acknowledge any problem. This was the first indication of a sudden acceleration for this car. It just had its 30,000 inspection from the Subaru dealer.”
NHTSA complaint #11480037, 2022 · crash

Vehicle Speed Control 37 16 crash 7 injury

“While stopped at a “STOP” sign, the Subaru Forester unintentionally accelerated into a tree although the brake pedals were repeatedly utilized; it was totaled.”
NHTSA complaint #11523588, 2023 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. THE DRIVER STOPPED TO MAKE A U-TURN THEN SLOWLY STARTED TO TAKE HER FOOT OFF THE BRAKE WHILE MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO THE RIGHT (OPPOSITE DIRECTION). THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED ONLY AFTER COLLIDING INTO A STREET POLE.”
NHTSA complaint #10810175, 2015 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“The accident with my 2016 Subaru Forester happened on 07-07-2022. It happened in daylight on our farm. I was the only person in the car and was wearing my seatbelt. I had slowly pulled into a parking spot, had my foot on the brake and had essentially stopped at the 6x6 piece of lumber that was marking the spot. As I was stopping the car accelerated out of control and sped down a very narrow path on a hill diagonally to the right of the parking spot. I struggled to control the car as I sped down the hill toward the gravel driveway. I was able to avoid hitting a large spruce tree and avoid…”
NHTSA complaint #11479076, 2022 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Service Brakes 29 8 crash 3 injury

“When parked on a slope, driver attempted to back SUV out of parking space. Before starting car, with key inserted, ignition on and foot on brake, driver attempted to remove gearshift from park. Car drifted backward rapidly and uncontrollably. The brakes completely failed even with foot on brake. The car was a hazard to anyone in its path and could not be stopped. The emergency brake was attempted but failed to stop the car. Power steering failed. Gearshift could not be put back into park. SUV crashed heavily into a sign protecting the gas pump, but auto suffered major damage: REAR W…”
NHTSA complaint #11618333, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“"TAKATA RECALL" VEHICLE ACCELLERATED, BRAKES DID NOT STOP VEHICLE, ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE INJURING MY WIFE, PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY & PSYCHOLOGICALLY. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WIFE WAS TRYING TO PARK, WHEN VEHICLE SPED UP AND HER BRAKING HAD NO EFFECT AND SHE CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE.”
NHTSA complaint #10918643, 2016 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“IN A CLOSED PARKING LOT, I WAS GETTING READY TO PARK IN A SPACE. WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, I CUT THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND THEN EASED MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE TO MANEUVER INTO THE PARKING SPOT. I PUSHED THE BRAKE AGAIN IN PREPARATION TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEELS AND FINISH PARKING, NO SPEED REGISTERING ON THE GAUGE. WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AND JUMPED. I LIFTED MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, AND SLAMMED IT BACK DOWN ON THE BRAKE ATTEMPTING TO HALT THE VEHICLE. INSTEAD, WITH MY FOOT STILL FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AGAIN, AND FASTER, RIGHT INTO A WALL. I HA…”
NHTSA complaint #10823231, 2016 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Fuel/Propulsion System 24 5 crash 1 injury

“The accident with my 2016 Subaru Forester happened on 07-07-2022. It happened in daylight on our farm. I was the only person in the car and was wearing my seatbelt. I had slowly pulled into a parking spot, had my foot on the brake and had essentially stopped at the 6x6 piece of lumber that was marking the spot. As I was stopping the car accelerated out of control and sped down a very narrow path on a hill diagonally to the right of the parking spot. I struggled to control the car as I sped down the hill toward the gravel driveway. I was able to avoid hitting a large spruce tree and avoid…”
NHTSA complaint #11479076, 2022 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“Vehicle self-accelerated abruptly while parked and crashed into another vehicle causing damage to both vehicles”
NHTSA complaint #11684309, 2025 · crash

“October 31, 2023 at approximately 11:45 am was slowly pulling in to HEB Curbside parking spot #[XXX] at 651 N U.S. 183 in Leander, Texas and the car accelerated at a high speed without touching the gas pedal. I responded with braking but it did not stop the crash in to the concrete pylon. The pylon is fine but my front end on the 2016 Subaru Forester is not. It will need extensive repair. I got a ride for myself and my groceries, notified my insurance company but unfortunately, I am only covered by liability insurance. I am very fortunate that no-one was hurt including myself. The car remains…”
NHTSA complaint #11552884, 2023 · crash

Seats 22

“SRS airbag error warning appears randomly when driving. It turns off passenger side airbags with a passenger in the seat and makes it unsafe to drive. Narrowing it down to the wiring harness seems to be an issue with a loose connection in the airbag seat sensor. Unplugging and re-plugging plus restarting the car seems to fix it at least temporarily. Others have posted about this issue online as well. No liquid has been spilled on the seat (some dealerships have accused others of this and causing the issue themselves).”
NHTSA complaint #11752880, 2026

“A warning light will randomly light up indicating a problem with the airbag or airbag sensor in my front passenger seat. I have had it looked at by multiple Subaru dealerships and shops and have had various quotes in the thousands of dollars to repair it. The technicians have told me that the sensor likely has an issue because of potential spillage on the seat that would seep into the sensor and cause it a problem, however there have not been recent spills on the seat and the light has only been turning on in the past year or so. I recently heard from another Subaru Forester owner that a simil…”
NHTSA complaint #11686963, 2025

“No damage or water spill to the car whatsoever, but now the SRS passenger airbag light is on. This is a recurrent issue with Suabru, and there was even a recall for this part a few years ago, which was replaced in my vehicle during that period. Less than 5 years later, there is already an issue with it. This is not an oil change or a tire replacement; it is an AIRBAG SENSOR!! I cannot find any definite information indicating that my own driver's airbag will go off while the SRS light is on. To think that my airbag may not go off, from no fault of my own, due to an issue with the PASSENGER airb…”
NHTSA complaint #11680909, 2025

Visibility/Wiper 20

“The windshield cracked without incident while parked. The is the exact same issue for which there is a class action lawsuit against Subaru for year models 2017-2020. The crack has spread to the drivers side and is obstructing the view. The dealer has reviewed the issue and provided a price quote but will not cover under the extended covered ordered as result of the class action lawsuit. There was no warning of this issue prior to noticing the cracking.”
NHTSA complaint #11621940, 2024

“I have a 2016 Subaru Forester. One day I noticed the windshield of my 2016 Subaru Forester cracked in the garage. I do not recall any stone or point of impact while driving. It seems that the crack started from the right-side edge of the windshield extending to the midline. I have to repair this because the crack is getting worse. no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to this. I have seen this in 2015 or 2016 Subaru Outback or Legacy for which a recall was announced. However, I do not see this for the Forester yet. The dealer confirmed this, but I got the same answe…”
NHTSA complaint #11476897, 2022

“THE WINDSHIELD START DEVELOPING A CRACK AFTER THE WINTER STORM IN TEXAS AND SUDDENLY SPREAD TO THE TOP OF THE GLASS. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE AND IT MUST BE JUST THE COLD THAT TRIGGERED IT.”
NHTSA complaint #11397997, 2021

Steering 19 3 crash 3 injury

“THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. THE DRIVER STOPPED TO MAKE A U-TURN THEN SLOWLY STARTED TO TAKE HER FOOT OFF THE BRAKE WHILE MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO THE RIGHT (OPPOSITE DIRECTION). THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED ONLY AFTER COLLIDING INTO A STREET POLE.”
NHTSA complaint #10810175, 2015 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WHILE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON HIGHWAY, CAUSING CAR TO CRASH INTO GUARDRAIL ON MEDIAN, CAUSING EXTENSIVE BENT FRAME OF CAR AND EXTENSIVE BODY DAMAGE, CAUSING CAR TO BE DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS, AND CAUSING NERVE DAMAGE IN THE NECK OF DRIVER.”
NHTSA complaint #11323214, 2020 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I WAS PARKING THE CAR IN A CVS PARKING LOT ON SUNRISE BLVD FT. LAUDERDALE. I MADE A RIGHT TURN INTO THE LOT AND ANOTHER RIGHT TURN INTO THE SPACE ON THE RIGHT. IT WAS A LARGE SPACE AND THE ROW OF PARKING SLOTS ON THE RIGHT SIDE WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY SO I WENT TO DRIVE THE CAR INTO ONE OF THOSE. I MADE THE TURN INTO THE SPACE, DRIVING VERY SLOWLY, WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY MADE A LOUD NOISE AND SHOT FORWARD. I HAD DONE NOTHING TO CAUSE THIS. THE CAR RAN OVER THE CURB AND INTO A CLUSTER OF SHRUBBERY - ABOUT 7 FEET WIDE. THE CAR CAME TO A STOP INSIDE THE SHRUBBERY BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL GOING.…”
NHTSA complaint #11252433, 2019 · crash

Wheels 15 1 crash

“AFTER ABOUT 2 INCHES OF WET SNOW MY WIFE WAS DRIVING UP A SLOPED STREET. SHE CAME TO AN AREA WHERE SHE COULD SEE 2 CARS WAITING AFTER A COLLISION. SHE STOPPED. ANOTHER CAR STOPPER BEHIND HER. A POLICE CAR PASSED THE CAR PARKED BEHIND MY WIFE. THE POLICE CAR BUMPED THE CAR PARKED BEHIND MY WIFE AND PARKED. MY WIFE TRIED TO TURN AROUND. AS SHE DID HER CAR LOST TRACTION AND SLID INTO THE PARKED POLICE CAR. THERE WAS NO VISUAL DAMAGE TO MY WIFE'S CAR. I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE WAS ANY DAMAGE TO THE POLICE CAR. A REPORT STILL HAD TO BE FILED EVIDENTLY BECAUSE IT WAS A POLICE CAR. LATER I CH…”
NHTSA complaint #10885007, 2015 · crash

“When I drove the car, All most all light on the dashboard are on onthe road, and when I stop and tried to go, the car is somewhat not controled. I immidieatly went to dealership and dignosed P2764 CVT balve problem. And they add wheel bearing is problem. Subaru noticed these problems but my 88,278 mile 2016 forester has all the lights on and it was very scared and it took 4400 dollars for fixing.”
NHTSA complaint #11754563, 2026

“When the car accelerates to around 70 mph, the right front side starts to shake and vibrate, giving the impression of driving on a bumpy road. The issue becomes noticeably worse when changing lanes to the right. Both wheel alignment and tire balancing have been checked and found to be fine. After researching online, many Subaru owners have reported similar issues caused by problems with the lower control arm or wheel bearing, leading to shaking at high speeds. However, when contacting Subaru of America about this, they declined responsibility, citing an expired warranty.”
NHTSA complaint #11626190, 2024

Suspension 13 1 crash 1 fire 1 injury

“STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WHILE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON HIGHWAY, CAUSING CAR TO CRASH INTO GUARDRAIL ON MEDIAN, CAUSING EXTENSIVE BENT FRAME OF CAR AND EXTENSIVE BODY DAMAGE, CAUSING CAR TO BE DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS, AND CAUSING NERVE DAMAGE IN THE NECK OF DRIVER.”
NHTSA complaint #11323214, 2020 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I purchased on March 18, 2023 at HGREG West Palm Beach dealership. The salesperson did not disclosure the previous car incident information, I found it later that car has 2 car incidents. After purchasing a car on April 30, after I parked my car, its started unprovoked alarms. I have no control over my car for about 15 min. I knew that my car has an anti theft device so I contacted MagniShield and Road Vantage- the companies affiliated with HGreg Dealership where I purchased my car. I spoke with the MagniShiled representative- Edter but they refuse to explain what is the service installed in…”
NHTSA complaint #11523704, 2023 · fire

“When I drove the car, All most all light on the dashboard are on onthe road, and when I stop and tried to go, the car is somewhat not controled. I immidieatly went to dealership and dignosed P2764 CVT balve problem. And they add wheel bearing is problem. Subaru noticed these problems but my 88,278 mile 2016 forester has all the lights on and it was very scared and it took 4400 dollars for fixing.”
NHTSA complaint #11754563, 2026

Structure 11 7 crash 1 fire 3 injury

“I backed out of a parking space, put my foot on the brake and shifted into Drive to finish maneuvering out of the space. Although I didn't remove my foot from the brake, my Forester immediately accelerated at extremely high speed, striking the two cars parked next to me, and seriously damaging both. Rather than slowing down after hitting the other two vehicles, my car continued to speed up, only coming to a stop when it hit, head-on, a cement barrier surrounding the lot. My car hit with such force that every airbag in it deployed, and its front end was totally destroyed. No one was in the othe…”
NHTSA complaint #11586376, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WHILE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON HIGHWAY, CAUSING CAR TO CRASH INTO GUARDRAIL ON MEDIAN, CAUSING EXTENSIVE BENT FRAME OF CAR AND EXTENSIVE BODY DAMAGE, CAUSING CAR TO BE DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS, AND CAUSING NERVE DAMAGE IN THE NECK OF DRIVER.”
NHTSA complaint #11323214, 2020 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“FRONT END TOTAL COLLISION TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30MPH ON A RESIDENTIAL SECTION OF A MAIN STREET. HIT, AND BROKE, A TELEPHONE POLE. CAR DEEMED TOTALED. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.”
NHTSA complaint #10992796, 2017 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 8 1 crash 1 injury

“THERE WERE 5 MAJOR ISSUES WITH MY VEHICLE THAT I WANT INVESTIGATED. I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT NB ON US-101 IN THE #1 LANE OF TRAFFIC, GOING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, WHEN FOR NO EXPLAINABLE REASON, THE REAR TIRES OF MY 2016 SUBARU FORESTER BEGAN TO SKID ME ACROSS THE #2 LANE OF TRAFFIC. I WILL NOTE THAT IT HAD JUST STOPPED SPRINKLING AND THE ROAD WAS DAMP. ISSUE 1: DURING MY SKID, THE SKID CONTROL FEATURE NEVER ENGAGED (WHICH IS A MARKETED FEATURE AND A REASON I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE). I HAD TO FIGHT THE SKID ON MY OWN. ISSUE 2: THE ROLL OVER FEATURE NEVER ENGAGED (WHICH IS A MARKETED FEATUR…”
NHTSA complaint #11243025, 2017 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE PARKING. ALL LOW SPEED <5 MPH. CAR WAS IN DRIVE, BRAKING, MADE A HARD LEFT TURN THEN STOPPED. CAR WAS SHIFTED TO REVERSE, MOVED 25 FEET, BRAKE AND STOPPED. CAR WAS SHIFTED TO DRIVE (LOW), APPLIED ACCELERATION (LIGHT), HARD RIGHT TURN, BRAKE APPLIED, CAR ACCELERATED, JUMPED CURB, SHIFTED CAR TO PARK, TURNED OFF IGNITION. RESTARTED CAR, STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT ON, SHIFT WOULD NOT ENGAGE EVEN WITH BRAKE DEPRESSED. REMOVE SHIFT LOCK COVER (SMALL BUTTON NEAR SHIFT) DEPRESSED RELEASE AND MOVE SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND THEN REVERSE TO BACK OFF CURB. INCIDENT OVER, CAR F…”
NHTSA complaint #11337719, 2020

“RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE ABOUT SEAT SENSOR AND AIRBAG DEFECT. NEED TO,GET,THIS REPAIRED AS A RECALL, BUT PARTS SUPPOSEDLY NOT YET AVAILABLE. ERROR MESSAGES SINCE AUGUST WHEN DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT WAS AN AIR BAG ISSUE.”
NHTSA complaint #11289210, 2019

Forward Collision Avoidance 8 3 crash 1 injury

“My Subaru Forester is equipped with Airbags and Subaru's Eye Sight anti-collision braking system. On Aug 5th my wife met with an accident while trying to avoid a head-on collision side swiped a vehicle on the right lane which hit the car on the rear side and the impact further changed the direction of her car and she went and hit the steel fence stone pillar on the right side. The frontal collision with the stone pillar damaged the bumper and car engine is dislocated from its position as the frame is deformed and the front tires jammed. The car's famed anti-collision system did not prevent th…”
NHTSA complaint #11478865, 2022 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I was driving very slowly in a long line of traffic due to a sudden downpour of hail, ice pellets, and frozen rain which blanketed the road in white. Suddenly, without warning, my 2016 Subaru Forester accelerated and veered to the right and into a grove of trees doing extensive damage to the front end. The vehicle was totaled by my insurance company. I suspect that there was sudden acceleration and because of the icy road conditions my car left the road instead of plowing into the car ahead of me. The airbags didn't go off and I wasn't hurt at all but the entire front end was beyond repair…”
NHTSA complaint #11585676, 2024 · crash

“Car accelerated while I was parking in a parking spot and hit fence and unoccupied storefront.”
NHTSA complaint #11457842, 2022 · crash

Exterior Lighting 6

“Concerned driver stopped me and said I had no brake lights , only the lights atop the hatch showed breaking. After returning home I checked all settings on light controls and none made lower break lights work when pedal depressed. This could cause someone not watching top of vehicle crash into my vehicle. If light on top malfunctions I will not have any brake lights. Running lights work fine but do nothing when breaking. At first though it had to do with setting on light controls. I think I’ve been told I had no tail lights only front running lights and had to turn control at dusk to have tail…”
NHTSA complaint #11558928, 2023

“The backup camera and reverse taillights stopped functioning soon after I bought this vehicle in 2020. I am the 2nd owner and bought it from Peterson Toyota dealership in Boise, ID. There was no particular incident, i just noticed that the backup camera no longer showed an image when putting the car into reverse. I later found out while getting an oil change that the reverse taillights were not functioning either. It is available for inspection, and I have taken it to 2 Subaru dealerships who assessed it and said they couldn't find any specific issue. They confirmed the problem however. It has…”
NHTSA complaint #11535763, 2021

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V149000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE CONTACT CALLED TUCSON SUBARU AT 520-422-2111 (LOCATED AT 4901 N ORACLE RD, TUCSON, AZ 85704) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.”
NHTSA complaint #11210378, 2019

Seat Belts 6 1 crash 1 injury

“THERE WERE 5 MAJOR ISSUES WITH MY VEHICLE THAT I WANT INVESTIGATED. I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT NB ON US-101 IN THE #1 LANE OF TRAFFIC, GOING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, WHEN FOR NO EXPLAINABLE REASON, THE REAR TIRES OF MY 2016 SUBARU FORESTER BEGAN TO SKID ME ACROSS THE #2 LANE OF TRAFFIC. I WILL NOTE THAT IT HAD JUST STOPPED SPRINKLING AND THE ROAD WAS DAMP. ISSUE 1: DURING MY SKID, THE SKID CONTROL FEATURE NEVER ENGAGED (WHICH IS A MARKETED FEATURE AND A REASON I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE). I HAD TO FIGHT THE SKID ON MY OWN. ISSUE 2: THE ROLL OVER FEATURE NEVER ENGAGED (WHICH IS A MARKETED FEATUR…”
NHTSA complaint #11243025, 2017 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“No damage or water spill to the car whatsoever, but now the SRS passenger airbag light is on. This is a recurrent issue with Suabru, and there was even a recall for this part a few years ago, which was replaced in my vehicle during that period. Less than 5 years later, there is already an issue with it. This is not an oil change or a tire replacement; it is an AIRBAG SENSOR!! I cannot find any definite information indicating that my own driver's airbag will go off while the SRS light is on. To think that my airbag may not go off, from no fault of my own, due to an issue with the PASSENGER airb…”
NHTSA complaint #11680909, 2025

“Passenger commented, asking why their seatbelt attachment point was not properly anchored and was hanging loose from front seat. Upon investigation, we noticed that the bolt holding the end of the LH portion of the passenger seatbelt had backed out. We were able to make a temporary field repair by tightening the bolt back in with our fingers, and later needed to use a 17mm wrench to further tighten the bolt to the point where it appeared to be reasonably tightened. When tightening the bolt, I did not notice any type of locking washer, or sense there was any type of chemical locking material…”
NHTSA complaint #11483816, 2022

Visibility 3

“The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal sound and noticed that the windshield had cracked. The contact stated that the crack expanded to approximately 12 inches. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11419668, 2021

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDOW IMPLODED WITH A LOUD NOISE, WITHOUT IMPACT, LEAVING PIECES OF GLASS, LARGE ENOUGH TO CAUSE SEVERE INJURIES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE CONTACT CALLED KOEPPEL SUBARU LOCATED AT 42-01 NORTHERN BLVD, QUEENS, NY 11101, (347) 846-0660, AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000. *LN *TR”
NHTSA complaint #11353749, 2020

“IN 2016 WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IT STARTED TO SLEET. THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME. I TURNED ON MY HEATER AND DEFROST AND THE WINDOW POPPED AND CRACKED FROM THE HEATING VENT TO ABOUT 1/2 UP THE WINDOW. OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS THE CRACK CONTINUED TO GROW. *TR”
NHTSA complaint #11330062, 2016

Tires 2

“I HAVE A 2016 FORESTER WITH YOKOHAMA G91F TIRES AND JUST HAD INSPECTION THEY SAID TIRE TREAD WAS GOOD EXCEPT THE SIDE ARE WORN DOWN SO I REQUIRED NEW TIRE TO PASS. I FOUND MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH THIS TIRE ONLINE. THE TIRE IS FOR PASSENGER VEHICLES BUT SAYS IT CAN BE USED ON CROSSOVER AND SUV BUT TALKED WITH SEVERAL TIRE SHOPS THAT ALL RECOMMEND USING SUV SPECIFIC TIRES AS THEY SEE THE SAME ISSUE OVER AND OVER WITH CERTAIN MULTI CATEGORY TIRES LIKE THIS WHERE BECAUSE OF RIDE HEIGHT, VEHICLE WEIGHT AND CENTER OF GRAVITY WHEN ROUNDING CORNERS THESE TIRES GET WORN DOWN REALLY QUICKLY BECAUSE OF IT B…”
NHTSA complaint #11118485, 2018

“2016 SUBARU FORESTER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO EXCESSIVE WEAR ON VEHICLE TIRES. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE OUTER EDGES OF THE VEHICLE'S TIRES WERE EXCESSIVELY WORN. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE WORN OUT IN LESS THAN 20,000 MILES. *JS”
NHTSA complaint #10978472, 2015

Back Over Prevention 1 1 crash

“Car accelerated while I was parking in a parking spot and hit fence and unoccupied storefront.”
NHTSA complaint #11457842, 2022 · crash

Lane Departure 1

“HAVE LESS THEN 10,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE. I PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW. WHEN I TRIED TO START IT TODAY, THE STEERING WHEEL SEEMED LOCKED AND THE ERROR MESSAGE CAME ON. IT'S PARKED IN A SEMI-HEATED GARAGE AT HOME.”
NHTSA complaint #11377388, 2020