Subaru Forester Complaints

513 consumer complaints on file.

#11759893August 27, 2026
EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:CARRIER/RACK
The affected product is a Kuat Sherpa 2.0 hitch-mounted bicycle rack (2-bike, [1.25" / 2"] receiver), purchased new in January 2023, mounted on a 2022 Subaru Forester. On two occasions in the past several months, the front ratchet/hook arm that secures the front wheel released on its own while the vehicle was in motion, allowing the bicycle to come off the tray. On July 17th 2026, at approximately 15 mph on a gravel driveway, the bike released and was retained only by the rear wheel strap. On August 26th 2026, at approximately 15 mph, the bike released again and was retained only because a supplemental lock cable was attached; the bike ended up on the ground behind the vehicle with the rack still mounted and deployed (photo attached, timestamped 8/26/26 21:56). The rack was installed and used per the manufacturer's user guide: correct hitch class, provided hitch pin, torqued to spec, genuine unmodified parts, and within the stated weight limit. There was no crash, curb strike, or overloading. No injury or property damage to other vehicles occurred, but a bicycle detaching from a rack at highway speed presents a clear risk of a crash to following traffic. Note for investigators: NHTSA recall campaign 24E044 addressed a similar carrier-drop failure on Kuat's Transfer v2, in which a pivot mechanism could disengage and let the carrier/bike drop while driving. The failure I experienced on the Sherpa 2.0 is the same class of failure. I have not seen a recall covering the Sherpa 2.0.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758790August 22, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
When I am driving forward, or turning, sometimes the car automatically beeps very loud and puts on the breaks and the car in front of me is far away. It’s stressful and problematic. It doesn’t seem like an effective feature. This has happened like 10 times
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758116August 19, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
On 8/15/2026 my car's EyeSight system falsely automatically engaged Pre-Collision Braking on a clear road with no cars, obstacles or potholes ahead, on a sunny day, accelerating at 10–15 mph from a traffic light stop. The car was brought to an abrupt stop with no warning beeps from the Eyesight system that are supposed to precede its activation. This event almost caused a chain-like rear end collision involving 2-3 cars behind my car. On 8/19/2026 a Subaru dealership scanned for DTC codes, found none, stated that since no codes were found,there is no problem found. Dealership did not offer to recalibrate the Eyesight system or do any additional diagnostic work.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757716August 18, 2026
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:FUELING/CHARGING DOOR/HATCH/PORT
The contact owns a 2026 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was parked after fueling, the fuel door failed to latch as needed, especially when it was extremely hot outside. The contact poured cool or cold water on the fuel door to latch it securely. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the locking mechanism for the fuel tank door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757616August 18, 2026
WHEELS
Noticeable noise after oil change and tire rotation that became progressively worse over time. Constant humming/growling noise from the rear that increases in volume and intensity with speed. Noticeable at 40 mph and higher and floor vibration present at highway speed, especially under the dead pedal. Droning propeller sound. Upon inspection, both rear hub bearing units were failing prematurely and were replaced at 29,240 miles at no cost under the factory warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757614August 18, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
Sunroof cracked completely on its own while vehicle was parked. No surface impact, chip, marking or exterior imperfection in the glass was present. There were small air bubbles in the pane mould around the corner where the crack appeared and spread across the pane. Dealership replaced it under factory warranty after Subaru of America approved the claim at no cost at 15,216 miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757169August 15, 2026
AIR BAGS, STRUCTURE:BODY, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While driving my grandbaby home I was unable to avoid hitting a deer when it ran into the road. Neither the automatic braking nor the airbags deployed when I hit the deer at the front left side. It destroyed the headlight and damaged the fender and quarterpanel lightly and slightly bent the hood. I was able to pull over safely. When I got out to look at the damage, I could not open the hood but I could see a small flame on the passsenger side of the engine (this would be on the other side of the engine from where I hit the deer.) I grabbed a fire extinguisher from the back of my car but could not get the fire out. I got my grandbaby out safely at that point. Another driver stopped and tried to get the fire out with his fire extinguisher but to no avail. We called 911 and the fire department promptly got there. By then the entire car was in flames. The fire dept put out the car and nearby weeds that were burning. Besides the safety equipment not working, what concerns me most is that a minor accident caused the entire car to become engulfed in flames within 3-4 minutes. I had enough time to get myself and my grandson out but not his carseat base or diaperbag. The car was burnt down to the frame.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757019August 14, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I closed the driver's door, and the rear windshield shattered and collapsed into the vehicle. No known defects were known prior to the incident. Animals or contents in the rear compartment could have been cut by the shattered glass. The vehicle is only 4 months old. The rear windshield will be replaced by an independent glass company. We live in a very rural area, and park well away from the road. There were no storms since the previous use of the vehicle. Thus, no damage prior to the glass shattering.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756731August 13, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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 on: 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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756597August 12, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
We are experiencing the exact same problem as the recall Under NHTSA Campaign No. 23V755000 (Subaru recall code WRQ-23) for an ineffective weld leading to moisture affecting the backup camera and dashboard lights. However, our VIN is NOT included in the recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756347August 11, 2026
Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness
The harness was missing stitching on one side. They're supposed to be two levels to connect the harness for a smaller child. One side had two levels. The other side it only had one. Safety first is sending me a brand new harness.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756014August 10, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
When filling my tank for the first time, I pumped the gas slightly after the "pop" from the handle. When I did this, fuel poured out of my gas tank onto me, my car, and the gas station. My VIN is not listed but my vehicle model is. Please advise.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755786August 9, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Twice within a month. the Eyesight front collision braking system suddenly activated in traffic while passing through a signal light showing green when the car in front made a right turn onto an adjacent street. My vehicle was clear of the car that had turned right and could continue to proceed through the light without incident. The Eyesiight system activated and caused a near-miss potential rear end collision situation between my car and the cars following behind me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11754950August 5, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am writing to formally report a critical safety defect regarding the driver-side footwell design in my 2023 Subaru Forester Sport, which poses an immediate and severe risk of a crash. A hard plastic lower extension for the HVAC air duct sits dangerously low directly above the brake and accelerator pedals. For drivers with larger or longer feet, this duct extension acts as a physical obstruction that interferes with safe pedal operation in two specific, highly dangerous ways: Delayed Braking: When attempting to transition from the accelerator to the brake pedal, the toe of the driver's shoe frequently catches on the lip of the air duct extension, delaying the ability to depress the brake pedal in time-sensitive or emergency situations. Pedal Entrapment: When the brake pedal is depressed, the driver's foot can become completely wedged between the brake pedal arm and the air duct extension. This traps the foot, making it impossible to smoothly or quickly release the brake. The physical proximity of this hard plastic duct to the primary driving controls is a severe design flaw. The air duct should not protrude into the clearance space required for standard footwear, as it directly compromises the driver's ability to control the vehicle's speed and braking. I have photo and video documentation clearly demonstrating the lack of clearance and exactly how a shoe becomes caught and wedged during normal driving maneuvers. I am requesting that the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) review this hazard immediately, as this spatial interference requires a recall and physical redesign of the lower ductwork to prevent potential collisions, injuries, or fatalities. The component causing the issue is the physical HVAC ductwork extension, and the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Because this is a physical design flaw rather than an breakdown, there were no warning lamps or dashboard messages. I have photo and video documentation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11754644August 4, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Two occurences of rear hatch window shattering spontaneously while vehicle was parked, powered off. No symptoms, warning lamps, or messages were present. First incident, six months after production/purchase, factory-installed window shattered spontaneously while owner was seated in the car, parked, and engine turned off. Second incident, two months later, OEE replacement window shattered while vehicle was parked, powered off, unattended. Currently having third window installed by dealer and submitting report to Subaru of America.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11754515August 3, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Engine is misfiring, causing in ability to accelerate properly and loads multiple error codes. Upon taking it to the dealership for services, we were told that there is a significant amount of carbon built-up inside the engine. The car has only 6,800 miles on it. The dealership stated that it is an issue that Subaru engineering is aware of but has yet to figure a way to resolve it. The dealership informed us that hybrid engines have had severe carbon build-up on the in-take valves that causes misfiring, loss of power, bucking and stumbling of the engine. Apparently this has been reported all over different on-line forums. The dealer informed us that they would need to order a valve cleaning kit as referenced un service bulletin 02-193-24 and the engine would require walnut blasting. The vehicle was dropped off for service on 7/22 the work was completed, but upon restarting the engine more codes fired up and they stated that the Electronic Communication Module failed and it would now require an escalation to the Subaru Engineers called TechLine, "they now say that the ECM now needs replacement, still misfiring and has become a more complicated issue"
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753338July 28, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space, the brake pedal was slightly released to move the vehicle forward; however, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, failed to respond upon depression of the brake pedal, and crashed into a brick wall. The impact resulted in damages to the front bumper and caused a body panel to detach. No warning light was illuminated before or after the crash. The air bags did not deploy. There was no property damage, no reported injury, and no Police report was filed. The vehicle was driven to the dealer, where Subaru field technicians inspected the Event Data Recorder (EDR) and informed the contact that no data was recorded. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that data was not logged because the vehicle was traveling at a significantly slow speed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that a previously owned 2021 Subaru Forester had experienced the same failure, which also resulted in a crash, and a Police report was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 1,200.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753115July 27, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Eyesight collision braking system engaged as I was rolling up my driveway to go into garage. Garage door was rolling up and was about 5 feet off the ground when Anti Collision system engaged and slammed the brakes on. I was going under 1 mph and would not have hit the door. It beeped right before brakes engaged. This is the second time it has engaged when it shouldn't have. The first time was in a right lane, a car about 6 car lengths in front of me was and did turn right as I was driving down the road. It almost caused an accident with the car behind me. The brakes slammed on so hard my back and neck are now sore and it bent my fingernail backwards somehow on the steering wheel.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751388July 19, 2026
POWER TRAIN, SUSPENSION
Tires are wearing badly on the inside edge only. Suspension and drive train components make noise during normal operation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751343July 19, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
the gas cap O ring recall was repaired previously by Casey Subaru of Newport News, VA. (I live in [XXX], purchased the vehicle in [XXX] at Ourisman Subaru) I filled my gas tank the night before this leak occurred. I noticed the smell of gasoline in my car at approximately 08 AM on the way to work. It was mild No obvious exterior leak. I drove my 25 commute to Williamsburg, Va. Upon leaving work I noticed a strong smell of gasoline inside the vehicle. Inspection of the exterior revealed an obvious gas leak (the fuel door to the gas cap was not opened at this time). the paint was wet and the paint adjacent to the plastic guard on the bumper side had bubbled due to the leak. The outside temperature was nearing 100 with a heat index of 105. I drove the vehicle to the dealership in Newport News (not aware I should have had it towed due to the leak). It has not been driven since. The fuel door was opened and there was an obvious leak as the well in the gas cap space was wet and the odor of gasoline was very strong. I twisted the gas cap and it did not close any farther. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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