Electrical System Problems of Subaru Forester - part 2

The rear backup camera failed. No warning lights appeared. This is a safety issue. This repair was expensive should not have happened at 79019 miles. The problem was inspected and estimated by our Subaru dealer. We were told that the radio/screen unit first needed replacement, then if that didn't fix it, to then replace the camera. We were give a rough estimate of $2500 to replace both items. We decided to get another estimate. They determine it was the camera, which we had them replace.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Forester 🔎.

The defect presents itself when the equipped data communications module (dcm) attempts to communicate with 3g cellular networks. As 3g networks within the u. S. Are no longer functioning, the call will continuously fail even after the vehicle has been turned off, draining the battery and resulting in a no-start safety risk for drivers but in order to replace the dcm to the 4g it will cost upwards of $2000.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Forester 🔎.

The passenger airbag sensor often, but not always, malfunctions in my 2017 Subaru forrester. Often it says passenger airbag off when there is a passanger. Occording to kbb kelly blue book there is a current recall in place for 2017 Subaru forresters for exactly this issue, including for my car - but when I typed in my liscnese plate in the NHTSA website, no unrepaired recalls showed up for my car.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Forester 🔎.

My vehicle is equipped with automatic start/stop system. In early 2024, I began having issues with sluggish restart during the start/stop cycle. I took it into the dealer at that time, who stated it required a software update and charged the battery. The issue persisted. It was more serious, as it was not just sluggish on the restart, but the restart would fail and stall the car. This happened in heavy traffic, which was very scary and unsafe. I took the vehicle back into the dealer in late 2024 for the same issue. They did another software update and charged the battery again. They recommended that we purchase a new battery. One month later, we purchased an upgraded agm battery, as it was recommended for auto start/stop systems. The issue continued to persist. First, with sluggish restart. Later, the auto start/stop system failed again in heavy traffic. We took the vehicle in again, and again the dealer stated it was the battery. They recommended we purchase a new battery. It was explained the battery was 6 months old, and the issue has never been fixed. Further, it was pointed out that the car could be restarted manually with the push button ignition, after a start/stop system failure. That led us to believe it was not a battery failure, but a deeper system failure. The dealer continues to assert it is the battery, even though it happened with a factory battery and a new, upgraded, battery. Neither of the batteries have failed testing, and report as "good" on the diagnosis forms. We believe there is a system issue, that is causing issues with the auto start/stop system, and is not being identified by the dealer. It is a safety issue, as it has happened in heavy traffic several times. We have attached diagnostic reports from March 2024 and June 2025, but cannot find the October 2024 diagnostic report.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Without any prior issue of having the engine turnover from being parked for more than 20 hours, the car would not start. It’s like the battery completely died overnight. I was able to unlock it but the car would not start, and therefore was unable to go into neutral because I didn’t have a long enough screwdriver with me to manually override into neutral. So it had to be jumped partially to be towed (had it towed for more than just the battery because it’s under warranty). The interesting part is that my car has a factory issued battery, and my car was the third Subaru made after 2020 that had to be towed due to the same issue, in the same day. Maybe the batteries are defective? regardless, since everything relies on power now, having a provided device to allow for manual override would prevent folks from being stranded. I tried using my key and the screwdriver that comes with the spare tire. Both were to short.

During severe stop/go, thick, holiday traffic on I-495 (DC beltway), during daylight hours, once again (this has happened several times before), the auto engine shutoff feature catastrophically malfunctioned, turning the car off, and simultaneously, activated the entirety of the dashboard to flash on/off, causing nearly every indicator light to come on, and then had difficulty restarting. This has been brought to Subaru's attention multiple times and they essentially have washed their hands of it and stating since they can't duplicate it, it essentially must not be occurring and they cannot repair it.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Forester 🔎.

The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester hybrid. The contact stated that the hatchback had opened independently while the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that the doors had opened unintendedly while the vehicle was being washed at the car wash. The contact stated that the door required to be slammed to close and to latch securely. Additionally, the contact stated that while reversing out of a 2-15 percent sloped driveway, the reverse automatic braking (rab) system's beeping sound engaged while there were no vehicles or objects in the proximity of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped abruptly, causing the driver's side seat headrest to hit the contact's head violently. The contact stated that the vehicle became inoperable. The contact exited and inspected the surroundings of the vehicle. The contact verified that the vehicle had not collided with an object. The contact returned inside the vehicle, and the vehicle responded as needed. The contact pulled into the driveway. The contact contacted the doctor's office weeks later, and was referred to the er. The contact went to the er, where a CT scan, and other tests were performed, but internal bleeding was not found. The contact sustained a concussion and persistent headaches. Additionally, the contact underwent an mri and was waiting for the neurologist to interpret the mri test results. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was advised to deactivate the reverse automatic braking(rab) system. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and sent a field technician who inspected and test-drove the vehicle. The manufacturer later informed the contact that the vehicle had operated as designed while reversing on the sloped driveway. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100.

See all problems of the 2025 Subaru Forester 🔎.

While driving, the vehicle's automatic stop-start system engaged as usual when the car came to a stop (e. G. , at a red light or in traffic). However, when releasing the brake, the automatic stop-start system failed to restart the engine. Not only it failed to restart the engine, but multiple attempts of manually start the engine all failed. And the car became stranded in the middle of road with heavy traffic. Had to call 911 and tow truck to get the vehicle out of the road. No dashboard warning or error message appeared prior to the failure. Never had issues with engine cold start prior to the failure. Basically, the battery was good to cold start the engine prior to the incident, but while driving when the car came to a stop at a red light for few seconds, the automatic stop-start system's engagement somehow suddenly cause the battery not able to start the engine anymore. The issue poses a serious safety hazard, particularly if it occurs in traffic, at intersections, or on highways, as it may leave the car stranded in a dangerous location.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Currently suspected that the vehicle battery was installed incorrectly during assembly. Engine fire started at the battery wiring and vehicle was a total liss.

See all problems of the 2023 Subaru Forester 🔎.

I’ve experienced recurrent failures with my Subaru’s ac system, and it’s become more than just an inconvenience—it’s a real safety concern. In hot weather, the cabin can become unbearably warm, making it difficult to concentrate and increasing the risk of fatigue or even heat-related illness, especially for passengers who are older, very young, or have medical conditions. What’s even more frustrating is the poor quality of the system and Subaru’s lack of communication about what appears to be a known defect. Despite numerous complaints from other owners and repeated service visits, there’s been no clear explanation or long-term fix offered. The situation is not only uncomfortable—it’s unsafe, and the lack of transparency and accountability from Subaru has been incredibly disappointing.

While I was driving to work, with cruise control set at 65, I hit a deer head on. All airbags deployed and engine ceased and I was able to brake car to a stop on the shoulder of the road. Within minutes, the engine erupted in fire and thankfully I wasn't trapped inside and was able to get out, because by the time I got 4-500 feet from the car, it had been totally engulfed in flames. From the time I hit the deer to the fire starting was less than 10 minutes. Fire truck wasn't even on scene yet and I was still speaking with highway patrol on the phone. If I had been trapped or the vehicle had rolled I wouldn't be here today. It was that quick.

See all problems of the 2014 Subaru Forester 🔎.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 mph, there was an alarm heard before several unknown warning lights illuminated and the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated to 35 mph. The contact shifted to neutral to restart the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and waited for a while before continuing to drive. The eyesight, brake light, automatic transmission, oil temp, and several other warning lights illuminated intermittently. The failure occurred a second time on the same day. The dealer was contacted and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer whenever the lights were illuminated. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was 119,000.

The airbag sensor (ods) malfunctions for front passenger seat. The "airbag off" warning lights up when the seat is occupied. This was fixed by dealer back in 2020 under recall wum-98/NHTSA id 19v-701000. However, this problem recurred intermittently about five months ago. I called capitol Subaru in san jose, CA and spoke with service advisor, dan padilla, who informed me that the recurrence of this safety issue would no longer be covered under this recall. He offered to schedule an appointment for a diagnosis, but I declined since it would cost $300. I also spoke with jorge, case specialist, from Subaru of America who reiterated that the aforementioned recall only covers a one-time repair and cannot be reopened. It is my understanding that safety recalls do not expire and that "federal law often mandates the manufacturer to provide free repairs for safety recalls on vehicles up to 15 yrs old. " how can NHTSA help in resolving this car safety issue with Subaru? the ods system is unreliable and poses a risk to my passengers.

The battery is getting drained by the car's system.

I am writing to express serious concerns about the auto start-stop feature, which poses a significant safety risk when it causes shutdowns in critical situations. Recently, my vehicle shut off due to auto start-stop while in the express lane of a highway. A depleted battery prevented it from restarting, leaving me stranded without the ability to shift to neutral or activate brake lights and hazard signals. For 30 minutes, I was stuck in a vulnerable position, forcing high-speed traffic to swerve dangerously close to my vehicle. While the battery issue was a factor, the car would have remained running had I been able to turn it off manually once parked. Reports from other drivers indicate similar issues, including stalling, hesitation, and complete system failures. Given these risks, I urge the NHTSA to investigate this feature and require manufacturers to provide a permanent disable option rather than a temporary one that resets.

The issue started last year over a period of several months when my car kept stalling at a traffic light. After stopping on a red light my car stalled. I had to shut off the car then restart to get it going. Had the battery replaced and problem was gone until this week. Car stalled at the traffic light again (in the middle of busy downtown and being the 1st car at the intersection), but this time it wouldn't restart and battery light turned on when attemped to restart. Called Subaru road assist and requested jumpstart service. While waiting for road assist to arrive, attempted to jumpstarts with a manual jump starter, but didn't work. Attempted with the jumpstart cables, but still didn't work. Subaru assist arrived and was able to successfully jumpstart my car. The Subaru tech assessed my battery and showed 75% battery life. Drove home on the freeway for about 25 miles. The next day drove to and home from work (25 miles reach way) with no issues. The following day, my car wouldn't start from my home. Jumpstarted with the manual one and brought it to the shop a few miles away. Got to the shop and turned off the engine. When turning on again, it wouldn't start.

My 2021 Subaru Forester battery has died twice in the last 10 months. I could not jump start the vehicle the first time about 10 months ago. I needed aaa to jump start it. I took the car to the dealer; they recharged the vehicle and said the battery was fine. They did not bill me. The car died again this week. This time I was able to jump start the vehicle myself. The safety issue is I might need to get to a doctor's appointment or other emergency in a hurry. I may be out shopping or hiking and need to return home, perhaps in bad weather. I might be stranded in a busy intersection or a lonely country road. The battery is simply not trust-worthy. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer, and they said the battery was fine. There was no warning lamp before the battery failed. The car is not safe-I don't know when it won't work.

I was stopped at a red light when, suddenly, my car engine completely shut down, a loud and high-pitched alarm began to squeal and many alerts flashed on my screen. One of the alerts stated that the eye--sight was not functioning. The car would not move when the traffic light turned green and I applied the gas pedal. Cars behind me and those in oncoming traffic had to swerve around me. I was in the center lane of traffic. Fortunately, I was able to put the emergency blinkers on. The traffic light turned red again. It occurred to me to shift into park and attempt to restart the car. The car did restart and I was able to drive home when the traffic light again turned green. I made an appointment to take the car into concordville Subaru and, there, I was told that the battery was low and I was given a new battery since the car is under warranty. I am reading from other owners that this is a temporary fix only and that it does not address the real problem.

Periodically, the vehicle stalls at stop lights, stop signs, and in other situations when coming to a complete stop. Once the vehicle comes to a complete stop and turns off due to the auto-stop/start function, it stalls immediately after the car re-starts and you press the gas pedal. This leaves the vehicle stalled in intersections and in potentially dangerous conditions. You must engage park and restart the vehicle while stopped in the middle of traffic, which poses a significant safety risk. I believe this issue is related to the auto-stop/start functionality. The vehicle has been inspected by a Subaru dealer several times, but they claim they cannot reproduce the problem and there are no diagnostic codes or warning lights. No other mechanic has inspected the vehicle.

[xxx], driving home, dark at [xxx] in airway heights wa. About 10 mins to home, lights in dashboard suddenly lit (brake, check engine, battery icon, water temp icon, 2 yellow colored pictures that had the word “off”, park, abs, exclamation point next to a circle that had a symbol in circle like a Mercedes Benz, and another symbol colored yellow). I kept driving with very little power in the car and it was hard turning the wheels to left or right turns. I was so scared thinking I would be stranded in the middle of the street! made it to my carport and drove it in. Turned off car; attempted to restart but didn’t, and during the times I started the car, it would make a stuttering noise. The lights that lit up remained, wouldn’t turn off until attempt to start again when the lights all turned off. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My dealer diagnosed issues with my car the gasket around my sunroof failed and allowed water to infiltrate the cabin and the electrical system over time. This caused corrosion in the electrical harness, which caused battery failure, failure of the adaptive headlight system, and random electrical glitches. My interpretation of their diagnosis was that this was a cascading failure that might have led to problems with other electrical components such as power brakes, other adaptive systems, etc. , and affected safety, if it had not been diagnosed in time. An insurance appraiser confirmed the dealer's diagnosis. Repairs (including replacing the electrical harness) have been completed and so the situation is not available for further inspection. When the adaptive headlight system stopped working, this was reported on the dashboard, but the cause of this and the base problem was not.

12/14/24-I was stopped at a red light at a very busy intersection. The engine was in stop mode by the start/stop feature. When the light turned green, the car failed to start. The entire car shut down, with alarms sounding and dash lights flashing. The entire system had to reboot before I could restart the car. It was a freighting experience. Fortunately, I wasn't killed by traffic zooming by or by some person with road rage. 12/16/24-issue evaluated by local Subaru dealer. Their evaluation was that when the auto start feature was activated, my car battery was too low to work. There was zero warning about a low battery before this failure in traffic. I had to buy a new battery. The auto start/stop feature is not an enhancement, but a safety hazard. Owners should be able to permanently disable this unnecessary drain on batteries and starters. I did a search, and there are plenty of others that experienced similar issues with their Subarus.

The wum-98 recall fix did not address the problem with the front passenger occupancy detection system. We, and many other Subaru Forester owners are continuing to experience problems post recall repair with the srs airbag light on, indicating error code b1760 "occupant detection sensor mat" failure. Subaru is not covering the cost of addressing this problem, and the entire seat frame and bottom cushion (that includes the sensor mat) are required to be replaced at the consumer's expense, with bills for repair in excess of $2,000. And, due to the high demand for this repair, parts are not available to perform the repair for as much as 6 months! this is jeopardizing the safety of occupants in the front passenger seat for extended periods of time while waiting for parts, whereby the airbag is not active due to the sensor mat problem. The original recall should have encompassed not only the harness cable component, but also the sensor mat.

My car completely lost power. I had driven to the stop light and was waiting when it lost power. It had no power for several minutes and was unresponsive to the ignition or anything else.

Passenger airbag sensor intermittently works and turns off when passenger is in the seat. Dashboard light for airbag is constantly on and passenger airbag is constantly off. Issues with seat sensor going off when no one is sitting in the passenger seat. Abs system error message. All identical to recall symptoms.

See all problems of the 2015 Subaru Forester 🔎.

1. The car shut off several times, with the steering wheel locking up and becoming stiff, the brakes failing to respond, and loud, erratic sounds emanating from the vehicle. The car is available for inspection. 2. Yes, the car crashed resulting in damage to the car, driver, and other driver (e. G. Car in front). 3. This is the second time the car has been brought to the dealership (the second time being Subaru south hill in pennsylvania) and they cannot identify the problem. 4. The vehicle was not inspected by police, or insurance, as far as I am aware. 5. There were no warning signs before the failure.

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.

Stopped in traffic near a red light. The auto stop/start was enabled and activated when stopped at the light. When the light turned green, tried to go, but the as/s system failed. A “no eyesight” warning flashed and disappeared; various symbol lights blinked. Car would not start, hazards would not activate. After 20-30 seconds, I was able to put the car in park and restart the engine (would not start before then). No battery or check engine lights had been on previously, up to date on oil changes, 35k total miles, and I had a quarter tank of gas. This was scary as I was stuck in the middle of the road with my children while cars behind me tried to pass on either side. Many people have reported this issue in Subarus and I’d like for this dangerous problem to be formally addressed.

The auto start stop feature has caused my car to shutdown with all lights lit on the dash in more than one scenario. In traffic on the freeway, I had my foot on the brake. It auto stopped. Then when the traffic was starting to move, I went to push the accelerator and the dashboard lights all lit up and the engine shut off completely. The car was still in drive but it was off. I had to shift the car into park and push the start button to start the engine back up. It has happened before at traffic lights with the same outcomes. I went to Subaru dealer and they said some of the batteries were faulty and replaced it but that is not the issue since it is still happening. It is dangerous in traffic!.

My backup camera would not operate after washing my car. When I was backing up, I got an alert that something was in my way. There was no picture, so I could not see what it was. I had to stop and get out to see. This could lead to serious problems, like getting hit by other vehicles while have to get out and look for obstacle. This could also be a risk to children crossing behind the car, because eventually the driver will tire of getting out and walking around the car. When I went to take the vehicle to the dealer the next day, the car had dried off, and the camera came back on. I looked at other Subaru forums and found many NHTSA recalls on cameras on different year Subaru's. The problem still seems to persist on my model, but no recall.

See all problems of the 2024 Subaru Forester 🔎.

This has happened multiple times, is increasing in frequency. Stopped in traffic at a red light. The auto stop/start was enabled and activated when stopped at the light. When the light turned green, tried to go, but the as/s system failed. A “no eyesight” warning flashed and disappeared; various symbol lights blinked across the instrument panel. Car would not start, hazards would not activate. After 10-20 seconds, I was able to put the car in park and restart the engine (would not start before then). No battery or check engine lights had been on previously, up to date on oil changes, 66k total miles, vehicle fully maintained at the nearest dealership. This was scary as I was stuck in the middle of the road on a state highway with traffic and cars behind me. Many people have reported this issue in Subarus and I’d like for this dangerous problem to be formally addressed.

The automatic shutoff that occurs when the vehicle stops to prevent idling, disengaged two separate times in the span of 4 days. Both incidents occurred at very busy intersections and failed to restart both times. When attempting to restart the car, lights came up on the dash, along with beeping, and failed to restart the car after the light had turned green. To restart, the car had to be completely turned off for about 60 seconds and then could be restarted. To avoid having to experience this issue again, or worse - get into an accident - I took it to the shop where they could not recreate the issue.

The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while waiting at a traffic light, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle immediately shut off. During the failure, the message "eyesight disabled" was displayed and the vehicle could not immediately be restarted. The gear shifter was shifted to neutral(n) and the vehicle was pushed to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was eventually restarted and operated normally. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 37,000. The VIN was not available.

The key keeps getting stuck in the ignition. . . . . . . . .

As I was driving, every warning light came on, my car emitted a high pitched alarm and the car stopped working. This happened twice. I had to put my car in park. Turn off the car and turn it back on to make it driveable. I took it to the dealer and was informed that the battery and starter required replacement. The battery was covered by an extended warranty (I paid $100 or 20% of the cost), but the starter was not covered by any warranty since my car has 41k miles and is 5 yrs old. I contacted Subaru and they agreed to pay $800 towards the $1209. 13 repair. My Subaru case # 241016-1801159. I believe my starter failed because of the automatic start/stop engine feature. I asked the dealer if the starter failure could have been detected during a regular maintenance and they said no.