general problems of the 2015 Subaru Forester - part 1

The ignition key kept getting stuck in the ignition. Subaru acknowledged a defect in the shifter plate and parking range switch. They replaced it on 8/30/25 under service bulletin 16-12-18r but the dealer charged me $584. 94 and Subaru north America refused to reimburse, stating that they had extended the warranty period to 2022, and therefore I was not covered for repair. However, they acknowledged that the original parts had failed for certain customers and that they had better parts available if the original parts failed before the extended warranty period lapsed in 2022. They should have issued a recall and replaced the original parts. I was unable to remove the keys and could not secure and lock my car. I was also concerned that the steering wheel would lock up while driving.

An off market part from api snapped after just 10 months and 7000 miles of driving on gentle paved roads. It was the lower control arm bolt. (2703-535960) would have caused a very dangerous situation if happened at speed! we got lucky but this was a very dangerous part to break.

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.

After replacing the valve body (part of cvt transmission). The car was released to me. Immediately upon leaving the dealership, the car kept jolting and shuddering, but no maintenance lights were lit on the dashboard. Upon returning it to the dealership, we were notified that the whole transmission would need to be replaced. Subaru is aware of the faulty transmission as they increased the cvt transmission warranty for approx 2010-2017 Forester/outback/impreza/etc. Cars to 10yr/ 100,000 miles. Upon further review, several other Subaru owners have expressed their transmissions needing to be replaced around 110,000-120,000 miles, most after just replacing the valve body. It appears Subaru knew the transmission was about to die, but they encouraged replacing just the valve body causing me to invest $2,200 knowing it would not fix the actual problem.

The horn stopped working. I have yet to determine exact fix. Subaru forums suggest that it may be the clock spring, a relay, the horn itself, or a fuse.

While driving I noticed my hood bouncing up and down as if the hood latch was pulled. I havent pulled the hood latch in a while and thought it couldn't be open. Upon pulling off the roadway I noticed it was able to be opened simply by sliding the lever to open the hood. I then shut the hood thinking maybe I accidentally pulled the lever somehow with my foot. This was not the case because I then tested it by pulling up on the hood and it released again as if the lever was pulled. I checked the lever and it looks as it is ok and I gave it a pull to see if it seemed broken but it does not appear that way. I have not gone to a dealer yet and will bring it to my mechanic as soon as im able to safely get it there.

In the parking lot of my condo/home I was slowly approaching and driving in to my regular assigned parking space. As I applied the brakes preparing to stop, the car suddenly and without warning quickly accelerated and crashed into the building causing extensive damage to the building and the vehicle. The air bag did not react.

When pulling up to park behind another car in the street, the car had a burst of acceleration about 5 ft from behind the next car. I slammed on my brakes and stopped the car inches from the next car. I was not gunning the gas at that point. I was just applying lighter pressure as I was pulling up behind that parked car. Scared the heck out of me. I have had surges of acceleration in the Subaru in the past after a lag in acceleration when I first push down the pedal. But this is the first time I’ve had it surge as I was letting up on the gas pedal.

I was parking the car it suddenly accelerated jumped the curb and was heading towards the building entrance dore. I could not stop it. To avoid entering the building I turned the vehicle tight and it collided against the wall. The air bags inflated.

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 and into the brick wall of an abandoned building, continuing to accelerate for a few seconds while against the wall. Air bags did not deploy. I walked away without physical injury, thank goodness. There were no warning lights, symptoms of or dashboard indicators of a problem before or during the issue. Upon investigation online, we see that there is a pending class action for this exact issue. The vehicle has been inspected by our insurance carrier and been deemed a total loss. Insurance has asked that we turn the title over to them in order to receive our payout, and I believe they plan to destroy the car.

Our steering wheel clock spring is malfunctioning causing the vehicles horn not to work in certain positions (intermittently). More of a preventative to warn others, as we first noticed when we tried using it to help warn a car to stop for the light while we were making a left turn the car nearly ran through the red light which would of hit us. I dont know if the problem has been reproduced but I do see plenty of posts online for the same issue for Subarus. The vehicle has nor component has been inspected by anyone else except myself (owner) nothing gave pre-warning just suddenly stopped working.

I parked my car in the walgreens parking lot while shopping, less than 30 minutes. When I returned, the car would not start. I called aaa for what I thought was a battery jump. When the aaa technician arrived, checked the battery and said his equipment said to replace the battery. After several attempts he was able to finally get the car started. I drove my car to the dealer where I had just had the battery and terminal replaced five months earlier. The service person checked the battery and charged it for more than an hour after having me call a Subaru warranty line and tell them how many times the battery had to be jumped - once. Yesterday, 12/6/2022 I was attempting to leave my home to take my husband to a cancer treatment clinic for an appointment and the car would not start. I called the Subaru technician who told me to bring the car in before 5 pm, which I could not do. Today, 12/07/2022, after several attempts I was able to start the car and take it to the service center. The technician could not find evidence of the battery purchase June 22, 2022. I showed him my paid receipt and he was able to locate the purchase. He told me the service manager wanted him to test the battery before doing anything. This is my only vehicle and I can’t keep going back and forth to the repair center whenever the new battery and connector , still under warranty, do not work. Today the technician told me the recall for coil replacement needed to be done. I was told it was done in June, but the service center has no evidence in their system that it was done. I never received any notice from Subaru that it was recalled.

Check engine light keeps coming on for an O2 sensor that has been recently replaced.

Airbag light intermittently turns on to indicate that airbag may not deploy even if there is someone in the passenger seat. This is a known safety issue with a recall in 2019 but for some reason is affecting a much larger set of vehicles than in the recall, including mine.

Car does not respond when accelerating/attempting to accelerate. Takes 3-5 seconds to engage when press on gas from stopped/brake position, also very slow to accelerate when changing speeds. Took car in for service and was told not transmission, but still having issue. Dealer stated they couldn't reproduce issue when was in for service, but nearly immediately upon driving away, it had same issue. No warming lights, sounds or smells occur when this happens. Nearly got t-boned on road due to slowness to respond. Unknown component causing issue.

My vehicle's horn stop working about six months ago, not long after I had to replace the battery. I took it to dealership and they had to replace the clock spring , roll connector. I use the horn only when absolutely necessary. I have never had a cars horn go out. I think they ought to last at least ten years if not longer. Is this a defect? I just wanted to let you know.

A/c continue not to work. Blowing out warm air followed by bad odor. Ac compressor assembly replaced 5/2022 now having the same problem after new repair ac clutch and repair/ placed the a/c pressure switch on 8/25/2023. Not one day went by same problems recurred returned back to glanzmann Subaru. Has the ac system need to be recalled. I researched and found complaints of ac issues with the 2015 Subaru Forester a/c.

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.

The transmission triggered a warning light suggesting a problem. After taking it to the dealership, it was determined that the valve body solenoid had failed and the entire valve body needed to be replaced. This was a very expensive job for a very inexpensive part. This seems to be a known issue for Subarus of this era (based on internet research) and Subaru has yet to issue a recall.

I have experienced on occasion to what I believe to be spontaneous acceleration. I will be driving down hill, my foot is already on the brake the whole way but before my vehicle reaches the stop sign, it will stop braking and go. My foot never left the brake pedal. Never changed the pressure on the pedal. When this happens it almost feels like my vehicle is releasing some sort of pressure. It has happened numerous times, fortunately I have been able to come to a complete stop before oncoming traffic.

My wife and I were looking specifically for the 2014-2018 Subaru Forester. We looked over 25 of the same car and most of them had this noise coming from the ac compressor. The one we bought was 27000 miles only and did not have the loud noise on the ac compressor when we bought it, but about 2000 miles later the noise started, and after a little research we found that is super common on those years models to have the issue, and eventually it causes ac compressor to failure. I would attach a video if possible.

My horn is not working unless my steering wheel is turned all the way to the left/right. I was told it was a clock spring in the steering wheel. . The internet said this was a common problem. I believe this is big safety issue. When I called Subaru they told me there was no recall for this issue.

I had two instances where my car stalled on the highway while doing 50-60 miles an hour. The engine runs fine and revs go up when I push the accelerator, however the car does not speed up. Both the times I was able to move the car to the side of the highway, narrowly avoiding accidents. The engine died both times and after a period of time stranded on the side of the highway I was able to start the car and drive to my destination. I took it to a local dealership to get it checked out. The dealership claims they could not find what the issue is with the car. According to them, they idled the car for about an hour to warm it up and drove it for an hour. They repeated this one more time. However, they could not replicate the issue and cannot fix it. Apparently they performed a throttle body service on the car and charged me for it. Looking at the mileages on the invoice, the car went into the dealership at 91223 miles and went out of the dealership at 91255 miles. However when I picked up the car, the mileage on it was 91241 miles. So basically they drove the car for a total of 18 miles in 2 hours? I have two issues here. 1. I have a car that has a potential to put the safety of my family and I at risk in the middle of the highway. 2. The dealership claimed they tried to diagnose it but evidently have not even tried, if you look at the mileage. I would like to know how I can get this issue fixed and feel safe in the car.

Loss of power. It feels like there is simply no throttle response. It has happened after turning into traffic from a stop sign or red light at low speed (< 40 mph) and merging onto a highway at high speed (> 60 mph). Pressing the gas pedal just results in continued vehicle deceleration. The engine is still running but no response to throttle. After several cycles of backing off throttle and pressing, the engine will just suddenly start responding. Sometimes the hill assist and abs lights on the dash will illuminate, sometimes not. There is never been a check engine light when it happens. It has happened several times. Scary, especially on the highway.

Loss of engine power/acceleration. Traveling home in our 2015 Forester, VIN jf2sjawc9fh595438, 93k miles, when we encountered a problem. On the interstate, traveling approximately 70mph, our Forester seemed to come out of gear, all the dash lights illuminated & the gas pedal would not work as far as actually accelerating the car (the gas pedal would �rev up� when pressed, but there was no actual acceleration happening with the engine). There was no warning; no engine issues; no warning lights on the dash prior to this event. We were luckily able to pull safely off the interstate. We did shut the car off in hopes of �resetting� something but could not get the car to restart (it would just crank). Therefore, we had to have it towed. This is the third time this has happened in the past year on this vehicle. We have taken it to our trusted local mechanic. No issues were found, and no codes were identified.

My car losses power while I am driving. I merged into traffic on a two lane highway, and while my vehicle was across the north & south lanes, I lost power. Luckily all traffic slowed or stopped until I was able to move my car. This has happened 3 times now, I have had it to my dealer twice and was given answers like brake problems. Returning to the dealership 12/19/2019 for the third time, before I am killed, or cause a multi-car accident and other people to be injured. I have also reported this to consumer reports and Subaru's main location. Please notify me of anything else I can seek out as to not be killed or seriously injured in this car. Thanks.

Car stalled while driving, with no lights lit up on the dashboard. Happened twice, once at 5 mph and again at 25 mph. The two times it happened were about three minutes apart this morning. Then I drove three hours on the highway without a repeat of the issue. When it stalled, it felt like the wheels and engine became disconnected from the gas pedal. No engine revving was audible. It did not completely stop, but slowed to a crawl coasting totally on momentum, then started moving again on its own. This is what happened both times.

Two times, while driving on the highway at about 65 mph, my car lost the ability to accelerate. It was as though the car slipped into neutral. I pushed the accelerator pedal and the rpm's would increase, but the car wouldn't accelerate. It simply slowed down. Both times the highway was empty enough that I was able to drift into the shoulder. Once I pulled over, I turned off the car and waited a few minutes. When I turned it back on, the car started and acceleration worked as normal. Both times I brought it to a local Subaru dealership, and after running some tests said they couldn't find any issues, and couldn't help me any further. I've found other people who have experienced very similar problems, but it seems like no one has found a solution.

Recall notification followup --- this vehicle has a brake lamp switch recall. I called the dealer --bob baker Subaru in carlsbad CA -- and they require an appointment to change the switch. Today is July 9, 2019, and they cannot schedule an appointment until November, 2019. To me this is an unreasonable amount of time to wait for a vehicle recall that is a very minor part replacement. I am making this complaint because the recall notice and this website both mention that the repair should be done in a reasonable amount of time.

Today is 6/5/2019. The earliest I can schedule my urgent important safety recall with fox Subaru in grand rapids, mi is November 6th, 2019------five months from now! really??? so if I die. . . . Before then. . . In an accident as a result of them not being able to do the recall does my family get to sue fox Subaru as well as Subaru of America, inc for compensation from my life? how ridiculous is this 5 month wait for urgent important safety recalls?????.

My ac has been giving me problems since I bought it. It never really cooled to its full potential. It has gotten worse over the years. Loud noises when ac is turned on, blowing cool then after 30 mins gets cold. Now it stopped cooling. Blowing hot air.

When driving after some time the ac goes warm. This happened while highway driving, when stopped in traffic and on city rds. It seems to happen after the system had been on for a bit. It also starts back to cold on its own after a while.

When using light acceleration such as in a parking lot or at a red light or stop sign to start going the vehicle bucks forward it will literally make you jerk back in the seat. Also while pulling onto a street it jerks forward but has hesitation which isnt to safe if you ask me when trying to get out on the road if cars are coming. . .

Periodically in the middle of a turn the car seems to loose power and acts like it is going to stall. It is inconsistent when it happens. Car can be cold or have been driven for over an hour. Subaru mechanics could not replicate and I do not feel I should have to keep paying them when they can't find it. Problem also happened to my husband while driving this car. Problem did not happen in winter but has happened twice in past 4 months.

The car was parked on a city street, not running. When I approached to enter the car in the morning, after clicking the unlock button but before touching the car, the rear windshield spontaneously shattered into hundreds of pieces. Nothing hit or fell on the car, no one was touching it nor in it. It simply shattered and broke as it was sitting there stationary and off.