general problems of the 2017 Subaru Forester - part 1

I own a 2017 Subaru Forester with approximately 55,324 miles. The vehicle has experienced repeated rear wheel bearing failures at relatively low mileage. On October 1, 2024, at 48,877 miles, the passenger-side rear wheel hub assembly, including the wheel bearing, was replaced by a Subaru dealership. Subaru provided goodwill assistance for that repair. At approximately 55,324 miles, both rear wheel bearings were diagnosed as failed and required replacement. The failure was confirmed by a Subaru dealer and an independent repair facility. Manufacturer was contacted regarding assistance but declined coverage support. Consequently this most recent repair was performed by independent repair shop. Prior to replacement, the vehicle exhibited increasing humming, roaring, and grinding noises from the rear, which worsened with vehicle speed. No warning lights were illuminated. I am concerned about repeated premature rear wheel bearing failures and the potential safety risk associated with wheel bearing deterioration, including loss of wheel stability and vehicle control if the condition progresses while driving.

My windshield cracked significantly after shutting the passenger side door. I chalked that up to maybe a possible chip was put under stress, until a few months later, my driver's side window burst spontaneously right in front of my eyes as I was shutting the trunk door. The pieces went half inside the car and half outside the car. Even though most of it was chunks of glass, I have been sliced and cut up trying to remove it from the driver's, passenger and rear seats, carpets, doors, etc. The entire thing shattered completely, like it almost exploded. The car was parked in the shade on a relatively cool day (it was about 75 degrees) and had not been running.

I’m facing a really big issue here. I’ve been experiencing all the textbook issues in my vehicle for both of the recalls that did exist for my vehicle. I purchased my vehicle in [xxx], and I was just in to walser Subaru in st. Paul mn where they said my recalls were completed in April 22, 2022. That is absolutely not true. I was at the dealership all day that day. So I called miller hill Subaru in duluth mn where it said it was done, and all they provided me with was the 2 dates I had brought it in for a general inspection and for an a/c issue. All I had done there was a transmission flush and both of those times were well after April 22nd. I purchased my vehicle from anderson auto in rice lake township. So now I have my car with recalls that were falsified that they were done, but I am expected to pay for them. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

On Feb 28 2025 I bumped into car at stop light. Don’t know how it happened. 11 4th about 2 as I was stopped behind car at bank, the car lunged forward-jumped- no reason for it. This is the 4th time something has happed. I slammed on brakes so no incident this time. I am being cautious such as staying 1car length back. Vehicle is accelerating without cause.

Hello. Please explain the difference between the Subaru exhaust pipe (front) warranty extension, (wi22-013) and the Subaru exhaust pipe front (epf) bellows cracking (wuj-95). Please explain why exhaust pipe front (epf) bellows cracking (wuj-95) is a NHTSA recall but exhaust pipe (front) warranty extension, (wi22-013) is only a warranty extension. Please explain why Subaru has chosen to void warranty extensions for rebuilt/restored titled cars? if a recall is a mandatory action taken by a manufacturer to address a safety concern, and a service bulletin is a non-critical notification about a performance or reliability issue, isn’t exhaust fumes coming from cracks at the bellows section of the front exhaust pipe which includes the catalytic converter a safety concern? isn’t a leak occurring at the front exhaust pipe which may result in deterioration of emission performance resulting in the vehicle’s failure to meet emission levels certified by the epa and/or California arb a safety issue? why isn’t exhaust pipe (front) warranty extension, (wi22-013) a recall like exhaust pipe front (epf) bellows cracking (wuj-95)?.

Key removal system is more occasionally failing to lock the steering wheel in position. When that happens. With the key turned to the completely . . . Off position. The key release remains locked in place and the key cannot be removed from the keyslot in the steering column. Restarting and moving the shift lever from park to drive and hard again into park, while twisting the steering wheel to its center position occasionally works the first, second or third repetition. This began with the vehicle at 36800 miles and continues occasionally today . Vehicle has 39500ilrs currently.

When I park my car, I have to press extremely hard on the brake pedal before I move the gear shift into park. If I do not, it will not let me remove my keys from the ignition and the car stays on. It seems as though the keys get stuck and the car will not turn off. I have not taken it in for servicing yet. It started happening after I got it inspected. Sometime in July/August. It happens almost every time I drive unless I press really hard and down on the brake pedal. I am going to use today’s day, see below.

The problem of a sticking ignition key . I park the car, skip the shifter into park position and the shifter often does not unlock the ignition release switch. That allows the engine shut down and removal of the key from the ignition. It often requires ramming the shifter home into park position , then removing the key. I have seen other notes with this particular problem. My vehicle has just 39,000 + miles . It is a problem.

Key is stuck in ignition. This happened 2 or 3 times and I was able to remove key after reversing, then putting it back in park. That no longer works and the key cannot be removed. Parked in my driveway now but my car is not secure since I’m not able to lock it with the key in the ignition I see many, many reports of this happening with Subarus. There really should be a recall for the issue as Subaru identified the problem in 2018.

Hello, recurring occupant detection system problem, 2017 Subaru Forester the occupant detection system for the front passenger seat is intermittently failing. The symptoms are exactly the same as before 2020 repairs of wiring harness were made for recall wum-98r. Despite having a passenger in the front passenger seat, the warning lights will sometimes show that the airbag is off. I have had the problem verified by my local Subaru dealer, fitzgerald Subaru in rockville, MD, on [xxx]; they simply reset the warning system. But the problem comes back, putting my passenger at risk. And I have contacted the Subaru customer advocacy department, representative abie on [xxx], who assigned a case number [xxx]. However, there has been no follow-up, despite my four additional calls in an effort to recontact abie, who fails to return calls or make other contact efforts. I am unsure based on fitzgerald Subaru's inspection if the issue is caused by the wiring harness again, or a different component in the occupant detection system. Thank you for any help. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Cracked windshield for no reason.

Hello. Subaru has a recall: wuj-95r for cracked exhaust bellows. It turns out, these bellows crack as a result of the materials used in manufacturing and have issued a service bulletin: 09-84-22r. My question is why is 09-84-22r a service bulletin and not a recall like wuj-95r? my cabin fills with exhaust fumes at low speeds when the fan is blowing and I'm not using recirculation. Subaru refuses to extend the warranty through the service bulletin on a branded title vehicle. It's still an unsafe condition, regardless of the branded title. It's the same issue that spans multiple models and production years. Subaru of America has refused repairing my vehicle and local dealerships won't service with a warranty.

This has been a recurring issue. Frequently, at dusk and night, I have been blinded by my side view mirrors and some oncoming traffic. I have had my mirrors looked at by certified Subaru mechanics at the dealership, and they have yet to find any issues. It seems like every time I drive at night, a vehicle behind me or in front of me has temporarily blinded me with white/blue lights. I get no warning signs from my car. My safety, and the safety of others, has been put at risk because I am unable to see for 10-20 seconds after being blinded by cool white led lights. If the NHTSA cannot regulate the out-of-control headlights on newer vehicles, then what is the point of the NHTSA?.

For the last few weeks on several occasions the ignition key remained stuck after parking and shutting off the engine. I was eventually able to release the key but was in a bit of a panic. I believe this should be a recall as I have read about this happening to many Subaru owners.

On July 31,2023, approximately 8pm, I was driving my 2017 Subaru slowly as I made the 90degree turn into my driveway. Midway up the driveway, the car suddenly —on its own—spontaneously accelerated , burst through the half open garage door, across the garage, and crashed through the garage wall into my family room—bulldozing through two sheets of plywood and large pieces of firewood in the garage, and then destroying heavy antique furniture in the family room before coming to rest. The jagged remains of the wall prevented opening either the passenger or the driver’s side door. My adult son, gregory, was my passenger in the front seat. He climbed to the back, but the hatch has no handle on the inside, so we were trapped in the car. I called 911. Police and fire departments arrived. Miraculously, we were not hurt, but had anyone been in the family room at the time, they would have been seriously injured or killed. I made an insurance claim with allstate insurance company the next morning. They determined that the car is "repairable" but will not pay for it to be examined and repaired at a Subaru dealership or Subaru certified body shop . They tell me I have to use at shop in their "preferred network" and pay the extra cost that a Subaru facility would charge. A non-Subaru affiliated mechanic theorized that it was a computer problem that caused the malfunction. Doing a "google" search, I find that hundreds of drivers have had this sudden, unexpected acceleration problem,(Subaru Forester years 20120-2018) but that Subaru dealerships are unable to discover the cause. There have also been two "class action" lawsuitsi I called groove Subaru dealership,(5300 s. Broadway, englewood, CO, 80113, and the service department man that I spoke with seemed not at all concerned about the spontaneous acceleration issue, and casually recommended a body shop. The unknown cause needs to be found before someone is killed !!! please help.

Windshield cracker for no reason. And rear/back window/glass again cracked for no reason.

Ignition key does not come out after I put the car in park.

Constant battery jumps from friends and towing companies. Car is now dead and in driveway. No other vehicle. Senior citizen living alone. Also, rear gate does not open at all at times to get into trunk area and does not close fully which also leads to battery drain. Was told yesterday that a new gel battery to replace is $500 and they do not have in stock.

My battery was replaced in may 2021, I bought the car in July 2021. I was never notified that there was a battery problems with the 2017 Subaru Forester's when I purchased my car and I just had to replace the battery today December 9, 2022. I called Subaru and was told that the settlement was only good for 60 days from the action date of September, 2022. So, this this problem could be very serious if not addressed going forward. The car probably should not be on the road if the battery drains that quickly.

My 2017 Subaru Forester, to which I am the original, and still current owner, has a recall warranty for a cracked front exhaust system / catalytic converter - see attached letter. I am experiencing the these issues related to this fissure, including reduced performance of the vehicle, exhaust impact and noises. Because I spend sometime abroad and I have brought the vehicle to france, Subaru is attempting to deny my warranty / reimbursement request. Subaru's warranty makes no mention of a situation where the vehicle spends a portion of the year outside the us, especially in the case where I am currently the original owner. On the contrary, the warrany information published on the ntsb site, indicates that customers who pay for the repair may be reimbursed, this could specifically apply to my situation. I greatly appreciate your assistance to resolve this matter as I'm hopeful it poses to safety hazard to my young family. Thank you and have a pleasant day. I've attached a number of relevant documents.

I am unable to remove key from ignition switch when the car is placed in park requiring shifting several times to finally remove key. 2017 Forester with less than 40,000 miles on it.

Unknown I was pulling toward a parking space. We heard a loud revving sound and the car jumped forward. I braked and then after a short discussion with my passenger trying to figure out what just happened I proceeded to turn into the space. All of a sudden the car revved even louder rapidly accelerated and we hit the pole grazing another vehicle. Felt like someone rammed us but nobody else was behind us when I looked in the rear mirror. Thank god nobody was hurt but if someone was walking in that area they could have been killed. There was almost seven thousand dollars in damage from the car wrapping around the pole and we are very lucky it happened in a parking lot.

The crack at the lower right side of the windshield spontaneously appeared and grew to 12 inches in 9 days & keeps on growing.

I started noticing grid lines on my computer screen and am unable to read the screen. I took the car to suburu and was told they were always there but I have owned the car for six years and they just appeared this March. I asked them to replace the screen as I cannot read it and was told they wouldn’t replace it until it shows gridlines in the dark which doesn’t do me any good as I don’t drive after dark. Someone online said there is a bulletin number 15-177-14r; revised 07/26/19 cause defective display unit. Recommendation: order an exchange head unit following the normal procedure. Ff667um.

Cracked front windshield for no known reason.

Battery will not start car.

Front windshield has started cracking from the middle top by the rear view mirror and is steadily getting larger making it's way toward driver side of windshield, there is also a chip by the passenger side of windshield.

Subaru oem windshield glass is too weak and prone to cracking / chipping / breaking. I've owned my car for nearly three years and the windshield glass has cracked three times now. More so than any other vehicle I've owned. I think it is a design flaw which makes the glass too thin / brittle.

When I try to turn off the vehicle, the ignition key gets stuck in the ignition switch, and does not turn to the off position; I cannot remove the key. This is a recurring problem that been happening every day for the past three weeks. According to youtube, there are many other people having this same issue, with no fix being provided by Subaru. I’ve tried moving the steering wheel back and forth, tried spraying lubricant in the key hole, with the vehicle is in park, pulled the car up and back to park again, tried with my foot on the brake pedal and foot off the brake pedal while in park, etc. , etc. —none of these things work. I’m still having the issue of removing the key from the key hole, and cannot turn the vehicle completely off. One “fix” being provided by consumers on youtube, is to disengage a selinoid from the key switch. This selinoid prevents the key from being turned off while the vehicle is running—a safety feature, which is now being disengaged by people so frustrated with this problem, because there is no manufacturer documented fix.

Spontaneous windshield crack occurred while car was parked (I. E. , no collision or pebble impact). Crack originates at lower portion of passenger side in black-colored perimeter of windshield glass with windshield deicer and spread upward and across middle of entire windshield. Crack obstructs driving visibility and poses risk to integrity of entire window including adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning system calibration. No previous impacts to windshield. Suspect defect in windshield consistent with those found in 2015-2016 Subaru outback and legacy models related to materials used in deicer area of windshields in recent class action settlement against Subaru. Took to Subaru dealer who confirmed origin of crack in originates in deicer region of windshield, but denies any liability for weakened material at sight of deicer as determined for other models.

When in park, the key will not pull out of the ignition. The car is not recognizing that it is in park and shoild release the key. I was told by a Subaru dealership that Subaru is aware of the problem but does not intend to recall it at this time. I was told that aggressive shifting is causing a plate to bend. My car only has 18000 miles on it and I'm not a kid and I don't shift aggressively. The only way I can get the key out is to shift it back-and-forth aggressively and then it will release. Although I have onky 18000 miles on the car, it's over 3 years old so now I'm out of warranty (hich does not please me at all) this is an expensive repair for customers. This can be a safety hazard if I must leave the iey in the ignition making it possible for a child to start the engine!.

My windshield is cracked. It is available for inspection. This could cause my whole windshield to break and possibly get a ticket and crash. Nothing has been reproduced or confirmed. It happened today. I noticed it when I was got in the car to leave work. It has not been inspected by anyone. No warning lamps or messages. Just happened today.

I have a 2017 Subaru forrester that has 60,000 miles. At least twice a week the past month my key gets stuck in the ignition. I put the vehicle in park and turn it off and the key wont come out. I have to turn the vehicle on and off a few times in order to get the key to release.

On July 12, 2021, I had an appointment for service at Subaru because 2017 Forester ac was blowing hot air. Was assured condenser would be replaced at no charge. While checking the car in, I mentioned the key sticks and cannot be removed without re-starting engine moving the car back and forth and trying again to remove key as many as 3-4 x. They were aware of the problem, but no recall on it. Shifter plate, etc. , was replaced at approx. Cost of $370. The service bulletin # is 16-112-18r dated 03/15/18 and revised 11/06/18. The mileage on this vehicle is 12,717.

Since purchasing this vehicle in October, 2016, I have purchased two new batteries. It continues to die with no apparent reason. Even with a new battery that was installed this past spring, it died again on July 5th. Yes, it is available for inspection. Nobody was at risk. The mechanic who works on my car checked the battery before he replaced it a second time. He said there was nothing wrong with it; then, when he changed the oil and did some routine maintenance, it died. He replaced it a second time. This was in the spring. There were no warnings. I need to reset the automatic window feature each time this happens. I do not understand why the battery continues to be a problem. I have had to get it jumped multiple times, both in my garage as well as the parking lot at work.