Equipment Problems of Subaru Forester - part 2

We recently bought a used 2025 Subaru Forester with 5000 miles on odometer from a dealer. Subsequently we are experiencing respiratory irritation. We question if the car had been in a flood or some other accident that compromised the a/c system. We wonder if the dealer concealed something or has not reported the problem. We suspect black mold may be in the a/c system.

See all problems of the 2025 Subaru Forester 🔎.

I had my foot on the brake, opened the garage door with my garage door opener, and before I took my foot off the brake the car surged, jumped, and smashed into the brick wall next to the garage. I did not put my foot on the gas.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Dear national transportation safety board, I would like to bring a situation that happened to me while driving my 2019 Subaru Forester last Saturday March 7th, 2026 at 10:40am. I was coming back to my house from an errand. While waiting for my garage door to go all the way up, my car suddenly accelerated forcefully and lunged through the garage and into my home through the wall. There was a chest freezer that was against the wall in the garage which was against the back wall. This freezer was also taken through the wall and into my laundry room. The freezer was crushed. The front of the car and tires were up through the wall and in the home. There was a water spigot also in the garage that came into my home that broke and dispersed water. The furnace was crushed, water heater damaged, washer and dryer damaged, a water cooler damaged along with crushed metal bifold doors that were ripped off hvac closet. And other things in garage totally crushed. Thankfully, no-one was killed. I was barely able to get out of car as when it suddenly accelerated, and clipped the bottom of garage door that wasn’t finished being up, then it went towards the left and corner of garage instead of of how I would normally pull in and park which would have been straight and middle of garage. The car went so fast and would not stop until it had hit the items in house that would make it not be able to go any further. This vehicle definitely had something faulty with it that caused this car to suddenly take off and crash. And the air bags did not go off. Surprised with such a forceful impact. My car had 62,039 miles on it and was well maintained. I bought brand new at dellenbach Subaru in fort collins, CO in December 2018. Please contact me at [xxx] nk you so much in advance, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6) information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Stalling/shutting down at stoplights with the auto start-stop feature has occurred continuously for the last 2 years I’ve taken to dealer, and multiple mechanics and they can’t find a problem.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Forester 🔎.

The interior of the vehicle is melting. It smells and the seats, sunglasses holder roof and other parts of the interior are seeding/melting. There is something wrong with this vehicle and Subaru will not help me. I have been there twice and contacted their customer advocacy and they will not help me.

My son, [xxx] is currently driving this car. The car only has 29,200 miles so far. Last week, while at the stop light on the hill, he had near fatal accident! Forester suddenly completed shut down. The only functioning part was the brake. My son had to put the car in park and restart the engine. I reported the incident to customer advocate at Subaru and taking the car in for inspection. We never skip any scheduled maintenance. My next maintenance not due until April. I also purchased Subaru safety monitoring software. The car never shows any malfunction. It’s a very serious issue. We strongly suspect it’s related to the start-stop system on this car. We strongly support to override the system at consumer level giving their unreliability. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My Subaru forrester eyesight system cuts out and is disabled while driving, including while the cruise control was engaged causing me to brake hard while driving to avoid a collision and a message announcing it is disabled is displayed on the screen. I took the car to my dealership who confirmed that there is a software problem but because I was out of the initial warranty I would have to pay to have the fix installed on my car. They charged me for an hour of service ($288. 60) to install a software update to the "eyesight® driver assist technology[ ] the culmination of everything Subaru engineers know about safety". Obviously they know there is a problem with their safety system and have created a fix but are charging the customers to correct it.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Forester 🔎.

The ac compressor needs replaced and I see a lot of complaints on-line about this specific model- 2018 Forester so I am reporting in case it may help with a recall. Cost to repair is $2,000+. Right now it may only be covered under warranty or through a TSB goodwill. I will need to pursue with Subaru but wanted to report this in case it's helpful as there seems to be a lot of reports on this specific issue.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Forester 🔎.

While driving (vehicle not parked), a message advertising popped up on the in-dash display, blocking other information and not dismissible - making it impossible to use the screen. This distracted me from driving.

The thermal control valve on my Subaru Forester failed while I was driving recently. The failure caused the car to stop while making a turn. It was a very frightening experience. Luckily at that time the traffic was light. The car was towed to a Subaru dealer, and the thermal control valve was replaced at no charge because Subaru extended the factory warranty. Subaru should have had a recall notice put out because this problem could cause serious bodily injury.

This is the second time in less than 9 weeks that my rear window (hatch) has shattered for no reason. The first time it was when I closed the hatch and this time it was when I shut the driver side door. Both times my car was in my garage and not running. I assume that all my windows were closed, I know they were this time. This would appear to be some defect. I have never had such a thing happen, needless to say twice.

Vehicle was delivered with the wrong battery - reserve capacity. The car stalls out in idle position creating safety issues. My wife was stranded and we had the original battery replaced with the specs from the previous battery…causing the same issues to occur. Finally, we were informed of the improper battery installation.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Forester 🔎.

I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding repeated, severe, and dangerous malfunctions of the vehicle's engine start/stop (idle stop) feature. The system is failing to operate as intended, resulting in the engine stalling while the vehicle is in motion or under crucial driving circumstances, creating significant safety hazards. History of incidents I have experienced four separate incidents where the engine unexpectedly stalled or shut down, creating extreme risk: incident 1 (railroad tracks): the engine stopped while I was actively driving over railroad tracks. The car stalled on the tracks, and within seconds of the engine restarting, the crossing gates came down and a train passed. I narrowly avoided being hit by the train, missing the impact by approximately ten seconds. Incident 2 (heavy traffic/bridge): during heavy, back-to-back traffic as a bridge (pga bridge) was opening, the car momentarily stopped and then resumed movement. The unpredictable stopping motion created a severe risk of being rear-ended, as the following vehicle would have had difficulty anticipating the sudden, unintended stop. Incident 3 (December 2025): while taking a right turn, the engine stopped suddenly, with dash lights blinking, during only a slight pause in vehicle movement. This occurred while the vehicle was still maneuvering. Incident 4 (the following day): the engine stopping malfunction described in incident 3 occurred again the next day. Attempted repair and ongoing concern two years ago, the dealership installed a new battery following the first two incidents. However, the problem has now recurred this week (December 2025). The dealership has informed me that using a third-party device to permanently disable the start/stop function would void the powertrain warranty. Causing mechanical stress: I believe the continuous, potentially faulty activation is putting unnecessary stress on the battery, electrical system, and engine components, which may ultimately shor.

Sirius xm popping up ads in the interior screen while driving is dangerous and ridiculous.

Cell phone does not stay stable on the wireless charging pad. The phone will start to charge, but as soon as the vehicle moves, the phone bounces off the flat charging pad and no longer connects or charges. It’s distracting to try to reposition the phone as the car is moving. It has become a costly, not usable, feature. Have tried many phone cases and different types of phones to eliminate this as a possible problem. Nothing works.

My Subaru has an auto start/stop. I was at a complete stop, making a left-hand turn, and my car completely shuts off with the following message: for safety, auto restart disabled; eyesight with a \ through the words, put car in park and restart vehicle. In the time it took me to put the car in park and restart, I was almost t-bone. This was terrifying. This had happened on previous occasion in stop and go traffic which is dangerous because my car has come to a complete stop without any warning to me where the driver behind me there are no warning symbols, warning lights, or any type of signal or symptoms to notify me that my car was going to stop completely. . Typically I remove my foot from the break, the car starts and then I put my foot on the gas pedal and the car moves forward. In the situations described above the car just stopped. It just flat out stopped. There’s never been any indication or signal to indicate the car is not going to restart the retailer replaced my battery and said it should help. I called the Subaru factory rep who was of no help. She said she is not a trained technician and all that she could offer to do was to contact the retailer. The dealer was not able to reproduce the problem. The retailer replaced the battery without any response about the safety issue. I asked if Subaru had a safety board I could report this too and the factory rep said no, but she will document it and they’ll do an internal review to see if we have any other similar issues reported, however, they will not contact me because they don’t talk to the public about these issues. I told her there are hundreds of these if not, thousands concerns online stating the same issue. The rep said she would document my concern. Documentation is good if there’s a fix but I’m concerned about the unnecessary death of a driver. The retailer also advised I could do the auto start override, I’m trying to make a point of how serious of a safety issue this problem can be. Thank you!.

I am submitting this complaint to report a potential safety defect with the windshield glass on my 2025 Subaru Forester. Since purchasing the vehicle in may 2025, I have experienced repeated windshield damage that seems excessive and abnormal for a new vehicle. Within the first two months of ownership, the windshield developed a rock chip. Approximately three months later, I experienced another rock chip that spread into a larger crack when I attempted to have it professionally repaired. Then, approximately two months after that, the windshield developed a large crack that is not repairable and requires full replacement. In total, my windshield has failed three times in less than one year of ownership under normal driving conditions. I have never experienced this frequency or severity of windshield damage with the cars I have owned in the past. This pattern suggests that the windshield glass may be unusually fragile or improperly designed for normal road conditions. The windshield is a critical safety component that supports the vehicle’s structural integrity and ensures proper airbag deployment. Repeated cracking raises serious concerns about occupant safety, visibility while driving, and the vehicle’s crashworthiness. I believe this may indicate a manufacturing or design defect in the windshield glass used in the 2025 Subaru Forester and warrants investigation before more drivers are affected.

While driving on public roads, all dash warning lights illuminated simultaneously. The instrument cluster displayed “eyesight off. ” at the same time, the electronic parking brake engaged / the vehicle would not accelerate and required me to stop and shift to park. The only way to restore drivability was to turn the vehicle off and restart. This has occurred intermittently, including in traffic, creating a serious safety hazard for myself and surrounding drivers.

Purchased new 2025 Subaru Forester hybrid sport on 01 may 2025 (owned 19 months). Approximately 156 days (a little over 5 months) after purchase we began having trouble with an unknown fuel system defect which prevents the vehicle from being refueled, disables our hybrid system, disables safety features such as the vehicles eyesight system, cruise control, and rab. Vehicle leaking strong gas smell. Issue has been increasing in frequency, occurring more often, and now escalating to leaking fuel all over the side of my car. I took my vehicle to the Subaru service center at the dealership for repairs 06 October 2025 (~14,700 miles), 22 October 2025 (17,394 miles), 09 March 2026 (27,470 miles), 02 July 2026 (35,782 miles), 23 July 2026 (35,782 miles) to date, Subaru has been unable to identify the direct cause of the problem and replacing the gas cap is a bandaid on the unknown issue.

The auto stop/start feature occasionally causes the entire vehicle to totally shut off. This happened 3 times 2 years ago and I was to it was a low battery. On 10/4/25, the car is stopped at a red light on a four lane highway and when my wife stepped on the gas to start, the vehicle totally shut off. After panicking, I helped her turn the electronics on in order to start the flashers, then move the vehicle from drive to park, and then restart the vehicle. With cars moving at 55 miles an hour toward a green light we were very concerned about getting hit from behind. Luckily, we were not hit. The Subaru dealer then suggested the problem might be the ecm and they charged us $203 for a software update. It is not clear what causes this total vehicle shutdown but it is a significant safety issue that puts the vehicle and occupants at risk. I hope the Subaru engineers have identified and fixed this issue in future models.

The front passenger airbag of my Subaru Forester 2018 is deactivated, I brought my car to the Subaru dealer in white plains, NY to check because I found out that there was a recall for malfunction of the airbag and I was told that I have to pay for it since the repair was already done, then, I have to pay for the repair ( see the estimated bill) I contacted the Subaru headquarters because I considered unfair, they air bag is still inactive and I am at risk of having an accident. Today I received a message from the dmv to renew my registration and I saw that my car is in a recall for the air bag (ntsa campaign 21v587000). Please help me to contacting the manufacturer to accept to rereplace the passenger airbag.

Traveling at approximately 45 mph through a green light at a 4-way intersection a car making a right on red turn turned into the outside lane in front of me. I had no warning sounds or automatic braking, to avoid a collision I had to steer to the left after an on coming car passed. There were no chimes or auto braking. I have had several instances similar with no alerts. My eyesight system has been problematic for the life of the car and required many diagnosis and recalibration with many trips to the dealership and no permanent repair. Frequent software updates and days with no eyesight -see manual. Finally had a total eyesight replacement with the assurance this was a long awaited technology all under 60,000 miles. A few months later eyesight malfunctioned again and required another update. Eyesight still remains unresponsive and goes in and out a couple of times a day. The technology is defective and unreliable. Subaru has provided no lasting fix.

See all problems of the 2023 Subaru Forester 🔎.

[xxx] our 2025 Subaru Forester's eye sight stopped working. The screen went completely blue, no rearview camera of course and loss of the eye sight safety system, including radio. We only have approximately 4k miles on our vehicle. I tried a reset by holding the radio on and off button for 15 seconds (didn't work). I also removed the ground wire from the battery for a few minutes (approximately 5). . . . . Didn't work. So I started doing research on this and it seems it's there is a lawsuit against Subaru that entails this. I believe it has been happening for about 10 years now. Having eye sight shut down and not having the safety options that we paid for is a terrible thing to happen on the road. Our dealership is taking care of it with a loaner tomorrow and hopefully fixing it forever, but my question is. . . . . . Why have they not been shut down until this is fixed? ten years is a long time for this serious safety issue. Thank you for letting me vent. Sincerely, [xxx] & [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

This complaint is in relation to a 2023 Subaru Forester. The car was purchased new at white river Subaru in white river junction, vt less than two years ago. Before it reached 30,000 miles the following problem has arisen 1) rusty brakes and pads 2) a wheel bearing had to be replaced 3) a faulty tire pressure gauge. However, must concerning, I noticed greasy film was forming on the inside of the windshield. I took it dealership and was told there was an ac leak in the engine bay. The service shop told me the substance on the windshield was condensation. I do not believe this to be true. The substance created a visible film across the glass, when it did met with condensation and cold it turned a solid milky color with almost no visibility through the windsheild. When touched the film smudgles and has a greasy texture. I am concerned as this has serious health implications.

Air bag warning light comes on intermittently so passenger air bag system is off.

Airbag light comes on due to some failure in the passenger seat. This vehicle year has had a recall on the same issue but this VIN number was not included for some reason. Another consumer posted his assessment which I have attached. My vehicle falls under his category. He has sold his since his was never resolved.

The ignition key kept getting stuck in the ignition. Subaru acknowledged a defect in the shifter plate and parking range switch. They replaced it on 8/30/25 under service bulletin 16-12-18r but the dealer charged me $584. 94 and Subaru north America refused to reimburse, stating that they had extended the warranty period to 2022, and therefore I was not covered for repair. However, they acknowledged that the original parts had failed for certain customers and that they had better parts available if the original parts failed before the extended warranty period lapsed in 2022. They should have issued a recall and replaced the original parts. I was unable to remove the keys and could not secure and lock my car. I was also concerned that the steering wheel would lock up while driving.

See all problems of the 2015 Subaru Forester 🔎.

I bought a used vehicle and looked at it and they erased the codes I saw then erased it then I confronted them and was told nothing is wrong with the vehicle after telling them there is a recall on the suspension. Went to go get a alignment and was told it's severely unsafe to drive and the subframe is about to snap! the mechanic gave me photos and a report to return it imatelt but the used car lot said well u had every chance and I did it the mechanical stuff checked but the car place said everything is in good condition!.

See all problems of the 2003 Subaru Forester 🔎.

While driving the vehicle I began to hear a loud grinding noise from the engine compartment when the a/c was engaged. I pulled over to look under the hood and it sounded like the noise was coming from the serpentine belt. Upon inspection by a Subaru dealership it was determined that the a/c compressor is failing. I was informed that there was a known issue with the 2018 Forester a/c compressor and the compressor has been redesigned. I was also informed that if I postponed repair then the compressor could seize up with would cause the serpentine belt to break which would then cause immediate engine failure. Such failure could be extremely dangerous if it happens when driving on a highway, etc. There was no warning light that appeared when the grinding noise started. I also listen to music when I drive so it was lucky that I heard the noise before the compressor seized. If Subaru had to redesign the compressor then it seems reasonable that a recall should be issued to prevent engine failure. All routine maintenance has been preformed on this vehicle at the dealership in a timely fashion. There is 78,000 miles on the vehicle and I am the original owner.

After arriving home from a short drive to the grocery store I parked my car in the drive way and went inside. On the drive home I could hear a low humming coming from the speakers and the car was decelerating when the accelerator was not being pressed, no warning lights or sounds came on. About 10 minutes after I parked a neighbor knocked on the door letting me know my car was smoking from inside the hood. Within a minute or 2 the entire hood of the car was engulfed in flames. The entire front half of the car burned to a crisp, the fire also burned half a tree. The car was burning so hot that it melted the hood of the car, had I parked it with the hood facing my house my house would have caught fire. The problem has not been reduced or confirmed by dealer or independent service. The vehicle is being stored by the insurance and for the time being is accessible for investigation. Because I was having trouble with the infotainment system, the humming coming from the speakers, and a recent warranty extension by from Subaru for the infotainment system due to known issues I suspect that the fire was caused by electrical issues.

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).

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Forester 🔎.

The ac compressor/condesor needs replaced and I see a lot of complaints on-line about this specific model- 2018 Forester. My kids and I were on a road trip in August 2025 when it stopped working. It was extremley hot even with the windows down and heat stroke became very real while we were sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. There was already a recall on this but now with the new part the ac stopped working and sounds very bad under the hood while the car is turned on. Ac is very much needed during hot summer day. S.

My Subaru smelled like gas and caught on fire while I was driving to work less than 72 hours after it left the service department at the local Subaru dealership. Earlier that week I dropped the car off for service due to a check engine light and multiple other warning lights on the dashboard. The check engine light was determined to be due to a faulty thermo control valve (a known issue on several models of 2019-2021 Subarus). During that service appointment, the thermo control valve was replaced under warranty, the 60000 mile service, state inspection, and an oil change/tire rotation were completed. The morning of the incident, the car smelled like gas, but there were no warning lights on the dashboard and the temperature and gas gauges were all in range. While looking for a safe place to pull over on the side of the road, the gas smell worsened, I heard a pop, the check engine light and every single other light on the dashboard lit up, it smelled like burning jet fuel, and the front of the car was smoking and there were flames, and all mechanical and electrical control of the vehicle was compromised. The car coasted to the side of the right lane. I was unable to operate the gear shift to put the car in park. I opened the driver’s side door, removed my seatbelt, grabbed my backpack, lunch bag, and phone, and exited the vehicle while it was still rolling. I ran around the back of the car to get onto the side walk. Flaming, melting pieces of plastic were coming off the bottom of the car. Flames and smoke were visible on the front hood of the car. I called 911 while the car continued to roll across several lanes onto the other side of the road. The burning car rolled and hit a guardrail on the opposite side of the road and continued to burn until the local fire department arrived on scene. Local police and the fire inspector wrote reports. My insurance declared the car a total loss. I have informed the local dealership and worked to get them access to the vehicle.

I was on the freeway when the check engine light came on with an alert I couldn't read in time before it disappeared. Then the gas pedal stopped working. I got to a safe place and shut off the car. My brother-in-law then drove the car the 5 miles back home on local roads - he videod the throttle ramping up when he was either braking or the foot wasn't on the gas pedal, which happened 4-5 times. Subaru service pulled fault code p2138.

See all problems of the 2014 Subaru Forester 🔎.

My vehicle has experienced repeated stalling events, including while the vehicle is in operation. The first occurrence began at approximately [mileage] and has continued intermittently despite multiple service visits. During these incidents, the vehicle unexpectedly loses power without warning. This creates a serious safety concern, particularly when driving in traffic, as it increases the risk of collision due to sudden loss of acceleration and potential impact on vehicle control. The issue appears to be intermittent and cannot be reliably reproduced. In some instances, a check engine light has appeared in connection with the events. Despite multiple attempts to diagnose and repair the vehicle at an authorized dealership, the problem has not been resolved. I have been informed that prior issues may have been addressed; however, I was also told that the root cause has not been definitively identified, and there is no assurance that the stalling will not occur again. The vehicle has been in service multiple times without a confirmed fix. Despite this, I have also been told that there are “no safety concerns” and that the vehicle is safe to operate. This is concerning given the unresolved and recurring nature of the issue. The vehicle is primarily used to transport my young children, which heightens the urgency of this safety risk.