Table 1 shows two common back over prevention related problems of the 2021 Subaru Forester.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Warnings problems | |
| Rearview System Braking problems |
My Subaru Forester has a significant safety defect. If my web searches are representative this software problem affects multiple models and years of Subaru. I have addressed this problem with the local dealer, Subaru America, and Subaru japan and have been told "that is the way it was designed and it is supposed to do that. " as you may imagine that is not a satisfactory answer to a significant safety issue; I can only imagine Ford saying the pinto was designed with a gas tank that explodes in a collision or a more recent takata claiming that their seatbelts were designed that way. So here is the problem in a nutshell (and I have a host of emails from various levels of Subaru if you want the details of how I have attempted to get them to address the issue. ) there is a sensor on the gas cap that detects if it is not fully closed since that is a pollution control issue. (more on that later) when that sensor is activated, it disables the Subaru eyesight system and when the eyesight system is disabled it disables every safety feature except the seatbelt and it lights up the dash with a dozen alarms none of which have anything to do with the gas cap. That takes down collision avoidance, lane changing, and autodim headlights among others. It also wants you to check the engine and consult the users manual. None of that has anything to do with the actual situation. Now I have taken the car to the dealer who assures me it is operating as designed and there is no fault in the sensor. When you close the gas cap there are audible clicks and as a 190 pound man I can assure you that the cap is fully closed when I close it. But on a random basis the dashboard lights up despite the fact that the gas cap is fully engaged and the safety systems become disabled. Usually it stays lit up until I refill the tank, but its behavior is not predictable - occasionally it just resets as I drive. Besides the obvious hazard of having safety systems which do not work, havi.
The rcta system operates very poorly. When backing up and we see a car in the rear camera screen approaching from the back side of our car, we cannot hear or see any allert. My wife and I are both seniors in our seventies and I suffer from normal age-related hearing loss. . . . My wife not so much. Her hearing is quite normal. But we cannot hear the alert alarm. Also, the visual alert is located in a place where you do not look when you are backing up. It wasn't until I owned the car for four months that I discovered that there is a visual rcta alert in the side view mirrors (of all places). . . . An area one does not look at while backing up. With a car with a rear camera, your eyes are usually glued to the camera display screen when backing up; after all, it is a safety device. We have nearly had a collision a half dozen times already. I contacted Subaru about this issue, and they told me that there is nothing that they can do and that in their words "as you can imagine, finding the right balance for all of our owners is a difficult job. " this sound alert should be adjustable. . . It is not. And the visual alert should be in a place where your eyes are looking when backing up. Right now, the Subaru rcta is worthless to us.