general problems of the 2015 Subaru Forester - part 2

We have had this vehicle for almost 4 years and have had to get 2 new batteries with less than 2500 miles on this vehicle. We are seniors and have been in please where we had to have the battery charged at least twice not including the times it failed on us. We were told that this was a very safe vehile for seniors. Our warranty will be up in a year. Is this normal for a vehicle with so many electronics, they should have a stronger battery if it is used so much. We have not used it for long trips, as we are unsure of our safety. . Is there any fix that Subaru is working on. We now keep all our light switches in the off position.

Horn does not work when sterring wheel in straight ahead position. Horn works in all other positions.

The eye sight system will turn off while driving down the road which in turn turns off the cruise control. And the automatic brake then doesn't work, which becomes very dangerous in traffic.

I was trapped inside my vehicle when the battery died. While sitting in my car using the accessories to charge my phone, the car battery died and I was unable to unlock the doors to get out. The key fob did not work either. There is no inside handle on the rear hatch. The dashboard lights flickered a couple times and after about three minutes the door did unlock. What if the battery was completely dead? what if I did not have access to a cell phone and it was cold temperatures? I do not think I would be strong enough to kick out the windows. I am concerned and hope you will investigate. Thank you.

The electrical keeps having problems. This problem is all over the internet for several years of the Forester. I don't know why there hasn't already been a recall. There will be a be a beep, usually when driving - sometimes when trying to start the car or move out of park, and about any "safety" feature that this car has exhibits a light and/or warning. While this happens over days, sometimes the gears stick in park. I have to take a tool and press beside the gear stick to get out of park. The lights will stay like this for days or weeks and then it just stops. I have had it checked, but it is just reset until the next time it happens. Just the other night, my husband was driving behind me and told me that my brake lights were not working consistently. This is dangerous!!! who knows what else is not working when this electrical issue occurs.

Eyesight driving assist cameras failed, intermittently at first then complete failure. This failure also takes out the rear backup camera and cruise control and brake assist functions.

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 sides and rear from the trees/bushes. The front airbags did not deploy. I purchased this car new and had driven it for more than 42,000 miles with no problems until this incident.

Oil consumption!! I purchased the vehicle in June 2017 with 67,000 miles with in month I was burning 1-2 quarts of oil. Now there is a class action lawsuit out there but only thru 2014 not on mine apparently. Now here I am 1. 5 years later and still burning 1-2 quarts of oil in between the 5,000 mile oil change.

Evaporator core failure, during use of vehicle in motion, leaking refrigerant into the vehicle leading to a/c not working.

I bought the car a month ago around March 10,2018 from glanzmann Subaru. After 2 weeks of driving, the car was shaking and had trouble accelerating intermittently when at stop signs or at low speeds. After words I noticed when the car is around 80 mph, sometimes the rpms go up but there is no torque. I was told to drop the car off at the service station which I did and after 4 days got the car back but they said they "could not replicate" the issue that I was having. I also get 18mpg while the advertised mpg is around 25. I should atleast get 22mpg. I have a very good feeling I was sold a car with a clutch that was on its way out. The dealer is not acknowledging the issue but I was able to replicate the issue on my way from the service center. I was told I would be able to drive the car with a tech but on the day of the pickup , the tech was unavailable. It has become a safety issue because sometimes when merging into a highway or turning into streets from a center lane the car does not have good pick uplike it is suppose. I know my car is an issue because the loaner that I got from glanzsmann was also a Forester and I could tell the difference right away. Thank you.

Dashboard warning lights lit up "like a christmas tree"! safety features are disabled. No eye sight, traction control, lane deviation. I have been to the dealer multiple times with no success. This has been going on for several months. Lights come on and go off, seemingly at random. Mostly stay on now.

Twice the Forester surge forward --once it stopped before hitting a tree and the second time it hit a building. Both times pulling in to a parking space from a road and from a parking area.

Engine stall at highway speeds. This has occurred to me on two separate occasions. Cruise control was on. A/c on.

When needed for the ventilation to clear the fog, which forms on the windshield occasionally when the weather is humid or very hot or too cold, have to keep it on. Then when the car is off vapor forms on the windshield.

Problem is with the Subaru "eyesight" system on this vehicle. The system has been sutting itself off more and more over the past few weeks until now, it shuts down the system and cruise control multiple times daily even at night. Daytime or whenever it wants to. The local dealer checked it and found no problem that he could see for it.

The tire low pressure indicator came on the dash board. The air pressure was low, so that was what was supposed to happen. The problem is that I can't reset the tire low pressure indicator unless I pay the dealer $50. So, I haven't had a functioning low pressure indicator for two years.

When stopped on a hill, with engine running, shift placed securely in park, with road ice on one side of vehicle, the car started to slide down the hill, but both rear wheels and driver side front wheel were turning while car was sliding down hill. In testing this, it was repeated two times, once on the same hill, again on a different hill. This is dangerous! it is as though "park" is only locking the right front wheel, but if it is on ice, the car will begin to slide because the remaining wheels are not also locked.

While driving the car on a parking lot I slowed down to park and I had the foot on the gas pedal. The car accelerated on its own and went over the sidewalk. I could have injured someone walking or hit the glass window in front of me. The Subaru dealer inspected the car and did not found any issue and could not reproduce the problem. I have read that this has happened to other owners and it represents a safety risk to the driver and everyone else.

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 not replicate the problem. Less then 4 days layer, while on my morning commute to work, the same problems which had plagued the car started to occur, however this time, I heard a loud pop/bang and smoke filled the cabin of the car. Very shortly after smoke entered the cabin, I witnessed flames coming out from under the hood and above the windsdhied. I exited the freeway lanes as quickly as possible, and within 10 seconds the car was engulfed in flames. I have paperwork from the dealership with my expressed concerns, and the suabaru mechanic's acknowledgement of the issue.

Vehicle was purchased new on October 31, 2014 at a maryland dealer. The following are dates, miles and the issues that have arised since taking ownership. All issues related to vehicle have occurred while driving. No specific roads, vehicle maneuvering or weather condition, changed or caused the the following issues. 12/09/14 6680 miles, issue with steering & alignment 12/20/14 8524 miles, issue with steering & alignment April 2015 replaced battery 06/20/15 41,700 miles, issue with electrical system 07/23/15 47672 miles, issue with driveability 08/26/15 53037 miles, issue with body electrical system 08/2015 all rotors and brake pads replaced 09/23/15 57923 miles, issues with check engine light & stop light lamp switch 10/08/15 60428 miles, issue with power windows 12/03/15 68762 miles, automatic transmission replaced, electrical system June 2016 issues with starting vehicle begins, undetermined cause July 2016 issues began with hvac blower fan intermittent failure 09/25/16 110839 miles, unknown a/t possible failure Subaru of America still has an open ticket for electrical issues that still plague the vehicle; including power windows, hill start assistant, low oil pressure, audio speaker, vehicle stability control, abs, brake system failure lights. Dealer has stated that failure can only be duplicated when an on-board diagnostic system code is present. Thus the reason for outstanding issues. Furthermore, not all repeated issues or communications with dealer are listed due to lack of records.

Car shuts off while driving on the expressway, approx 70mph. All of the lights on the dash turn on as car dies. These incidents have happened multiple times, and the dealer cannot locate the issue to resolve the matter. The defect is unknown at this time. The date indicated is the most recent occurrence.

Occasionally stalls when accelerating (usually to get on freeway or speed up drastically while on freeway). Doesnt completely lose power, only occurs for about 1-4 seconds but during that time car does not speed up even when pressing gas (actually acts as if foot was taken off gas), and makes a clicking noise. Has happened ever since purchasing car new, and mentioned at every service but they can never recreate the issue and therefore cant fix it. Saw a similar stalling issue on a recall for same type of car but not my VIN. Dealership wont check unless I pay fee.

My vehicle is bucking/jerking under light to medium acceleration loads between about 10 mph to 30 mph. The issue occurs intermittently, but it will occur several times during a single trip to work 25 miles away. I have taken it to the dealer, but the technician was not able to replicate the issue in the parking lot. They believe it is an issue with the cvt. Others online have expressed concern with the exact same issue. Specifically, you depress the gas pedal a constant distance, but the vehicle will give you unreliable amounts of acceleration: sometimes an initial lurch and then a pause and then another lurch or very little acceleration and then a pause and a lurch. Depressing the gas pedal farther during one of the jerky periods has little effect except to make the lurch more violent once it finally happens. Not being able to accelerate reliably during a turn with oncoming traffic is extremely dangerous and the reason for me writing a report. I will continue to work with the dealer, but from the research I have done, this is not an isolated issue. I believe the only reason I was not able to find recorded car accidents referencing this issue is due the newness of the vehicle.

I purchased my car from colonial Subaru in danbury CT. It’s a 2015 Subaru forrester xt with only 11 miles. Unfortunately, I was dissatisfied for the following reason(s): I just purchased the vehicle in Jan 2015 but the exhaust on the vehicle has a lot of rust building up on the pipe. I took it to the local Subaru dealer where I purchased it and they said contact Subaru headquarters. I contact Subaru hq and they said contact the local Subaru dealer.

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 continual cold draft. Have taken this vehicle to the dealer twice with these complaints – both times they contacted Subaru and was told that the car is operating as designed, so no effort was made to improve. For comparison the dealer provided a loaner car – same make, model, year and features. We drove it and our car on the same 60 mile route at the same ambient temperature (0f), the loaner car heated up quicker, was more comfortable inside, had minimal foot well draft, had higher engine oil temperature and the windows were much clearer. This was communicated to Subaru, with the same response – your car is behaving as designed, no service is required. . Read more...

Tire pressure monitor indicated low pressure. Right rear tire needed air. Tire continued to slowly leak and the pressure monitor tripped again days later. Mentioned problem to dealership during service. Dealership found no problem with the tire and properly inflated all wheels. A few days later the tire pressure was low (tire pressure monitor tripped again). Bringing vehicle back to the dealer for possible replacement of tire. Probably a problem isolated to my specific car, but logging the incident in case there are more tires out there with similar problems.

There is an odd hesitation as if it does not want to go forward at idle after braking. If I press the gas, there is a delayed reaction and a lurch. This is scary! at times, when I am heavily braking to a stop I can feel my car lurching slightly when it unlocks before it comes to a stop. This lurching is most noticeable in stop and go traffic. When I take my foot off the gas to coast, it seems to slow the vehicle down very abruptly as if I was in the wrong gear. Even under light braking, these unexpected occasional forward lurches occurs. This is a real safety hazard, as I am not expecting the vehicle to speed up momentarily as I am braking. I notice that these lurches correspond to rpm blips and the mileage mpg goes to 11, 12, or 13. On the freeway while driving at a decent speed, say 50 - 70 mph, if I hit the gas to overtake someone, sometimes there is a hesitation before I get a change in the engine rpm (and speed). Finally, when I push the pedal to accelerate it often hesitates before revving up. The problem is that these issues does not occur all the time but enough to make me feel that this car is dangerous to have on the road.

Within one hour of getting this new vehicle, the eyesight warning and braking system turned itself on and off repeatedly. This continues after two dealers have made repeated attempts to fix the system. Subaru headquarters forced me to pay for a new windshield, because they said I had put a nick in the windshield. After replacing the windshield the eyesight system still continues to turn itself on and off approximately 3 times per hour of travel. This is a serious safety issue, because you are expecting the eyesight system to warn you of unusual lane changes and your proximity to the vehicle in front of you. Also when you are using the eyesight system with cruise control at highway speeds the vehicle slows down whenever the system turns itself off. Since no brake lights are activated, the vehicles behind you do not get a signal that you have reduced your speed. This is also a serious safety issue. It is also impossible to reactivate the eyesight system yourself, unless you stop, turn of the engine and restart the car. Subaru headquarters cannot make the eyesight system function correctly and therefore it should be removed from the market.

Pulled into parking space, foot on brake. Sudden acceleration, could not stop vehicle. It drove down a hill, finally stopping with brake pedal and emergency brake fully activated. Two flat tires on driver side of car from running over an elevated sidewalk pad. Dealer could find nothing wrong with it.

Heat system does not heat the car and window keep freezing over. Have to keep turning from floor heat which is none, to windshield to keep it clear. Always cold which takes your mind and control away from driving, could cause to accident taking time to keep trying to get heat to where it is needed. People should not buy the Subaru Forester till they fix the problem, and should be banded till fixed. The did not have heat problem till this year by the sounds of it, so they should be able to switch it back to the way it was in older model year before someone gets hurt. A recall is pass due before someone gets hurt or killed.

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.

Ever since I purchased this car, the heater does not heat the interior of the car very well. The air blowing out of the vents is weak and cold to tepid. Even after 30 minutes of driving the car, it is still lukewarm. This is for temps between 0 degrees and 40 degrees outside. The temp inside the car never goes over 45 degrees when it is cold outside. If the temp is over 40 degrees outside, the inside will warm up to about 55 degrees after 30 minutes of driving. This is a safety hazard since the defroster does not remove accumulated ice off the front window during the cold temps. I have to stop on the road, scrape the windshield after a few miles and then do that repeatedly during the 45 minute drive each day. It is also a safety hazard when you are too cold to drive, even with gloves, and your fingers are numb and your body is shaking from the cold. The dealer says nothing is wrong. There is something wrong. Maybe an incorrect thermostat, or something. But, Subaru should do something about this.

After I slow down to turn a corner this car occasionally pauses, or will not resume moving for a few seconds when I step on the gas. This has caused cars behind me to almost rear end me numerous times. It sometimes happens twice in one day then won't happen again for several weeks. I have taken it to the dealer but it has never done it on any of their test drives. This has occurred ever since I bought this car new. I was told other owners have complained of the same problem but they have to experience it when they test drive it.

When the transmission is put into drive or reverse from park, or from drive to reverse or vice versa there is a delay of approximately three seconds before the transmission engages. On a hill, the car starts to roll if the foot is removed from the brake before the transmission engages. I have asked Subaru to correct this, but I have been told that this is a characteristic of this transmission and that they will not correct it. While it may not be a major defect that will lead to serious injury, it represents a risk to the people and cars around the vehicle.

The bluetooth does not work property. 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 ".