Warnings problems of the 2017 Subaru Forester

My 2017 Subaru Forester touring (VIN: [xxx] , 118,200 mi) has a recurring eyesight failure where the system becomes disabled and will not complete camera registration or calibration. Subaru of sterling (va) diagnosed active code b28a0 “vehicle model judgment” and noted that the eyesight stereo camera would not accept vehicle model registration. The technician documented: “error for camera adjustment incomplete. When attempting to relearn ui for eyesight camera, system is not taking vehicle registration; suggests camera replacement and perform recalibration. ” this occurred after a confirmed dcm/starlink parasitic draw had caused repeated low?voltage conditions until the dealer reset the dcm to factory mode (per the “no further draw present at this time”), suggesting eyesight registration may have failed due to prior voltage instability rather than true hardware failure. Subaru's service flow for b28a0 indicates this code can occur when the model write/registration is incomplete, interrupted, or mismatched—not necessarily when a camera has failed. Subaru lists causes such can communication issues, incorrect model registration, incomplete write due to ignition timing, or power/fuse issues during aiming (eyesight diagnostic manuals). I am reporting this to NHTSA because eyesight is a safety-critical system that governs adaptive cruise, lane keep assist, and pre-collision braking. My dealer is recommending camera replacement without documenting that Subaru’s required pre?replacement steps (model registration inspection, can/lan re-scan, voltage and fuse verification, genuine-part verification, etc. ) have been completed. I request odi review because eyesight should not fail to register unless hardware is defective or a procedural/voltage issue exists. I want this documented in case this represents a broader pattern of eyesight registration/calibration failures on Forester models using the same stereo camera platform. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The incident happened at my workplace parking garage. As I slowly turned left to park in parking spot at work, I heard the engine rev and my car unexpectedly lurched forward very quickly. I stepped hard on the brake but it did not seem effective at stopping the car. I recently replaced my brakes in late August, 2023. As far as I know, before today my car was in proper working order. My vehicle is equipped with eyesight driver assist technology and I don't believe that the warning collision activated even as the car plowed towards the wall. The car hit the concrete parking block/wheel stop and then the heavy wire barrier at front the parking spot. The wire barrier sits between the front of the parking spot and parking structure wall (I would guess about a 12 inch gap between wires and wall). The wire barrier probably prevented the car from hitting the wall and causing greater property damage or injury to myself. So far, damage looks cosmetic. The front bumper is scratched (some paint taken off) and scuffed from the wire barrier and the bottom half of my license plate frame broke off. I am feeling rattled and I'm unsure if I have injuries. I intend to contact my dealership and car mechanic for suggestions on next steps and will likely ask them to inspect my car.

We have a 2017 Subaru Forester 2. 5i premium with eyesight with 58,582 miles. During the first week in June, 2022 the eyesight system failed and displayed an error message that stated to “see owner’s manual “. The owner’s manual stated ”take the vehicle to Subaru dealer for servicing” which we did on June 9, 2022. The Subaru servicing dealer’s statement from the diagnostic invoice states “checked for codes in all systems found code b2809 vdc malfunction in eyesight module. Checked code in vdc module found c1742 wheel cylinder pressure sensor ran test for code lead to needing vdc module replaced “. Subaru parts stated to the dealership that the part would not be available until July 30, 2022 when that date came I was notified that part would not be available until Aug. 8, 2022. I was notified again on Aug. 9, 2022 of another delay only this time indefinite as to when it may be available. Without the eyesight system the following safety functions that I am aware of do not work 1) adaptive cruise control, 2) emergency front braking, 3) lane departure and lane keeping assistance, 4) forward collision warning, and there may be other safety features that are connected to this system that I am not aware of.