Equipment Problems of Subaru Forester - part 2

Cracked windshield - Subaru windshields are weak and crack easily. I've been driving 45 years, never had a cracked windshield. I bought a new 2019 Subaru Forester and have had 3 cracked windshields. Ridiculous and dangerous. They need to be recalled and pay for replacements. The first crack happened about 1 1/2 years after purchase, I took to dealership for replacement and paid ~$1,200. Then second crack was a star crack, and I had it sucked out/fixed (~$250). And now, vehicle is 5 years old 45k miles on it and has a huge crack in the middle of the windshield in front of the passenger side.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Forester 🔎.

I commute with my car and recently it started to speed up all by itself. I removed my floor covers thinking the gas pedal might be stuck on it but that wasnt the problem. While accelerating from a stopped position, it revs up and accelerates rapidly all by itself. Tapping the break pedal to deactivate accidendal cruise control doesnt work. I have to slam the break just to stop it from accelerating on its own. This is the fourth time it's happened. I have my personal mechanic change the oil every 3k miles and follows the factory recommendations on all other manufacturers recommendations. Very scary to drive because it happens at random.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Forester 🔎.

The horn on my Subaru doesn’t work a mechanic told me it happens a lot to Subarus the clock spring broke now nothing works in the steering wheel and I feel this should be a recall since this is happening to many other Subaru it has not been inspected and no lights came on to warn me I have seen it’s been a recall in the past to other years of Subaru so I feel mine should be included.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Air leak puncture on my left front tire driver side.

See all problems of the 2023 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Automatic stop activated at traffic light. When the brake was disengaged, the star would not start. The occupant was stalled at the traffic light during rush hour in a thunderstorm with limited visibility for approximately 15 minutes. Winter haven police department was dispatched but did not arrive probably due to other weather-related traffic situations. After that time, the engine did start and was moved into a lot without incident. The good samaritan that assisted stated he had just stopped down the street on another disabled vehicle in traffic due to malfunctioning auto stop/start. Here is the issue. The alternator and battery have both been checked twice and were in proper order. The oe battery was in use. There was no warning to indicate any issue with the batter. In fact, the Subaru app was reporting the vehicle was operating normally while the vehicle was dead in the road. I work with a local law enforcement agency and have worked fatal crashes on that road. It is unacceptable for the vehicle to not have some type of redundant system to warn owners that the vehicle battery is failing before they are thrust into a possible deadly roadway breakdown.

For a couple years I have been battling with the ignition and my key getting stuck. We have tried switching to the second key we received when we bought the car but that hasn't made a difference. It has gotten worse and I have been stuck a many times in parking lots, unable to remove my key so I can't leave my car safely. I have been late for appointments because of this problem. We did contact the local Subaru dealer today and was told this could be a $700. 00+ repair but after seeing there were 17 complaints on the NHTSA site alone, it appears Subaru needs to do a fix/recall to address this faulty ignition system.

Infotainment system not working correctly. Cannot connect apple car play. If is does a partial connection, just my phone contacts show when screen states “iphone connected” when and if a partial carplay installation shows up, it automatically turns off the wifi on my iphone. All updates are up to date on the phone dealer contacted and unaware that there was a new software update on 3/24/25.

See all problems of the 2025 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.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Forester 🔎.

I purchased my 2025 Subaru forrester from ciocca Subaru in flemington, new jersey in October, 2024. In March, 2025, a rock hit my windshield and cracked it. I spoke with both ciocca and open road Subaru about it and they informed me there is a back order on the windshield that could take 2 months and that I should file an insurance claim. I filed the isurance claim and was assigned to get a windshield from safelite, but safelite doesnt have any windshields for this vehicle either. Neither do any new jersey dealers. I then contacted the manufacturer in March, but was told these matters were handled by the dealerships, and thus left with no remedy. I have since called again yesterday, but other than assigning me a new customer service rep named brendan, Subaru has done nothing else. And now it's been over two months and I am stuck with a beautiful new vehicle that has a significantly cracked, ugly and unsafe windshield. I need a windshield replacement immediately or a new vehicle or a refund and forgiveness of any loan incurred in the purchase of this vehicle. If I had known this windshield would crack easily and that no replacements were available, I would not have purchased the vehicle.

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.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Front windshield crack came out of no where. No idea ever had a stone or anything connect with windshield.

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)?.

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.

Unknown.

See all problems of the 2024 Subaru Forester 🔎.

In the summer of 2024, my Forester started completely stall out when I was stopped at a stop light. The auto start/stop system seemed to not turn back on. I would have to put the car in park, turn the car off and turn it back on. It was very scary being in traffic and people getting upset behind me. This happened multiple times. I took my car to the dealership. I was told an update needed to be installed and it was not anything I could do at home. After that point, it worked better, but still started back up hard at times. When I remembered, I typically started turning the feature off each time I drove it because I do not trust the feature. Unfortunately, it happened again yesterday. We were at a stoplight, and the car did not start back up, it stalled out. My husband had to quickly try to put the car in park, turn it off and then back on. Cars started honking at us. I am very concerned about this feature.

Bought 2025 Subaru Forester in January 2025. Within 300 miles of driving brought it back to place I bought it, complained about constant vibraton in sterring wheel at high speeds around 55 - 65 mph. They said the wheels were out of balance, they re balanced them and the problem was resolved, but it wasn't. I brought it back to them at 600 miles they looked it over and took it for a ride they said they did not feel the wheel vibration. I said how could you not feel it. I brought it back a 3rd time at 800 miles. They took it for a ride with me in passanger seat . Even as I told them I could feel it in armrest they still said they did not feel it. I opened a case with Subaru of America advocates. They advised me to take it to a different dealer which I did. The second dealer acknowledge the wheel vibration at high speeds. They had my SUV for about 10 days they tried several different brands of tires . They same result happended . Then they said one brand of tires the vibration was less but it is not less it is about the same. They are trying to get me some new tires but I don't think it is the tires. The supension has been looked over by both Subaru dealers. They say it is safe to drive. But it still vibrates it is not just road noise. I just want the vehicle fixed properly.

Unknown or auto stop-start on two occasions when I stopped at a red light (auto stop-start activated) the car stalled out when I hit the gas. There was a warning message that alerted on the dash as well as flashing lights and beeping. The only way to restart my car was to put it in park, turn it off, then turn it back on. These were both at heavily used intersections and I had to use my emergency lights to try prevent being rear-ended and both times I have struggled to quickly resolve the issue which caused danger to others as well. My car has been serviced and inspected in the last 2 months so I am unsure the cause. I had received no alerts or warnings on my car prior to these instances and assumed the first instance was a fluke. I have scheduled a service with a Subaru dealer in the near future.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Forester 🔎.

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.

An off market part from api snapped after just 10 months and 7000 miles of driving on gentle paved roads. It was the lower control arm bolt. (2703-535960) would have caused a very dangerous situation if happened at speed! we got lucky but this was a very dangerous part to break.

See all problems of the 2015 Subaru Forester 🔎.

[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).

Cracked windshield.

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.

Recently, my mother died in a car accident. A bystander reported that she was driving normally and then suddenly drove off the road. The police investigated and found that the conditions weren't likely to contribute to an accident. There was no immediate explanation for what happened. The car did catch fire as a result of the accident after it struck a tree. We just received a notice in the mail that states there's been a safety recall on the wheels of the 2025 Subaru forrester that may contribute to accidents. We don't know for sure that it was related, but are concerned that it may be.

While I was driving my brand new car on a wide highway, with no other cars or buildings nearby, the driver's side rear-door window suddenly blew out with a loud "pop," shattering completely. Glass pieces came into the passenger area, and fortunately missed hurting my child who was in her safety seat. Also glass pieces damaged the paint on that side of the car. I was not aware of any previous damage to the window, nor heard anything hit the car on this trip. I had driven almost 100 miles before this happened. Temperatures were in the mid 40s. My insurance is handling the repairs, as window glass is not covered under new car warranty. I am aware that Subaru issued a 2019 recall specifically for the driver's side rear-door window in another model, so in case there is a continuing issue, I am submitting this incident.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned. A control system (I am guessing a computer or software problem occurred. The car had a sudden unexpected acceleration. On [xxx] my 2024 Subaru Forester sport while completing parking in a parking spot had a sudden unintended acceleration event. My foot was not on the acceleration. The automobile travelled at least 27 feet before I was able to stop the vehicle. The car skidded when I depressed the brakes. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the car accelerated over curbs and a planter and onto a wide sidewalk with a bus stop. The car hit the bus stop structure and a sign. If there had been a pedestrian on the sidewalk, the pedestrian might have been killed. If the car had travelled another 10 feet, I would have been crossing a busy boulevard. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? the car was taken to dalton Subaru dealership in national city, California. Dalton Subaru did an initial test of systems with their computer. Subaru of America investigated. The Subaru of America corporation stated the accident was due to driver's error and that my foot was not on the accelerator. This statement is not true! I am 100% sure that my foot was not on the accelerator when the car had a sudden unintended acceleration. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. The Subaru of America corporation has inspected the car. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? there were no warning signs. The sudden unintended acceleration event happened only once. It occurred on [xxx]. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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.

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.

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 stop start feature on the car drains the battery and alternator too much. It shouldn’t be forced on consumers. If it was a feature I wanted to use I should have the option of turning it on not be forced to always turn it off since I don’t use it. The alternator has already been replaced under warranty due to this feature. Between that and the dealership saying it would be over $700 to replace the battery is ridiculous. Today the car died while at a stop and the battery is needing to be replaced.

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.

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.

Windshield cracked after dust hit car while on road. Crack split aggressively in 1 day from 1 inch to 14 inches. This is the second time it has happened.

After two years, we had a rock hit our windshield and crack it. The car is not safe to drive and it is our only vehicle. We have learned that Subaru has used subpar glass on their windshields and they just had a class action lawsuit regarding that. Today, we were told that they have a national backorder situation with our windshield oem parts. Subaru is insisting that we only replace our windshield with oem parts with a re-cllibration to follow for eyesight, etc. Our insurance company has approved oem parts, the calibration and the repair company was ready to go today. After calling around all day with the help of multiple Subaru dealerships, we found that we cannot get these parts for a long time (no actual date provided) and that many customers have been waiting for over a year (the vehicle is two years old). Subaru's corporate customer "advocacy" area would not assist us and treated us horribly. Subaru is threatening to not honor our warranties if we use oem equivalent parts. There are laws against practices like this including the magnuson-moss warranty act. We need to get our car fixed immediately as we have no other mode of transportation right now. There is no reason for this situation as safety should be the number one priority! it seems that the entire country is affected by this and Subaru just continues to not resolve the situation. In addition, a couple of Subaru employees mentioned that Subaru has totally stopped glass production for these vehicles. If that is the actual case, they have to announce a massive recall and provide new vehicles or settlement funds to the many who are affected by this situation. Nobody should be told to drive on the road with cracks or chips in their windshield. Nobody should be told that they are on their own. Nobody should be put in impossible situations like these ones. Shame on Subaru - hold them responsible and accountable!!!.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Forester 🔎.