Subaru Forester Complaints (2021)

214 consumer complaints on file.

#11703148December 5, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11702915December 4, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698565November 10, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11696842October 31, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle has experienced four separate engine shutdowns while stopped in traffic. Each time, the engine turned off unexpectedly, requiring a manual restart. One incident occurred near a railroad crossing with my child in the car. The vehicle also lurches forward at low speeds and hesitates when accelerating after being stopped. These issues persist despite service visits. I believe they may relate to Technical Service Bulletins regarding the Auto Start/Stop and battery systems (TSBs #16-147-24, #10232217, #07-218-23R, #10251098). Subaru service staff have acknowledged awareness of these problems. I’m submitting this complaint to ensure the safety risk is documented and investigated.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11696387October 29, 2025
SUSPENSION
Issue started with hearing a clunking noise from the front of the car, had the dealer inspect at 37,000 miles. They said they the clunking was caused by ECU issue and reprogrammed the ECU to correct it. Obviously, a software update did not correct the noise. Had an independent repair shop inspect the vehicle and found both front control arm bushings were cracked and torn allowing the control arm to move around causing the noise. Since the control arms are an integral component of steering the failure of these bushings could've caused loss of control, or an accident. They were replaced by the independent shop and now the noise is gone.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11695458October 24, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic signal, the vehicle stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving over railroad tracks, the vehicle stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact continued to drive, and two blocks later, the vehicle stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with battery failure. The battery was replaced. The contact picked up the vehicle, and on the drive back to the residence, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle was almost rear-ended by the vehicle behind. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer replaced the fuel injectors. The contact picked up the vehicle, and the following day, while driving to work, the vehicle jerked abnormally and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688867September 22, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Unintentional Acceleration - 2 times within 4 days of each incident. 9/17/25 while stopped to pull into a parking lot my 2021 Subaru Forester accelerated as I was stopped. I had to slam on the brakes, take a deep breath and was shocked at the pull and speed the car wanted to go. 9/20/25 Pulled into a parking spot, not moving and the car again pulled and accelerated. Again I slammed on the brakes to stop from crashing into other vehicles or whatever was in the vicinity the car wanted to go. There were no warning messages, no symptoms prior to these 2 incidents. The car only has about 24,000 miles on it and all maintenance has been done on time and at the dealership. No outside mechanics have ever worked on the car. I called AAA to tow me as I was not safe to drive the car and had it towed to the Suburu Dealer where I purchased the car. This is an extremely dangerous situation. The floor mats were not near the gas pedal or the brake pedal and It was absolutely 100% not my error in foot pedal placement. I will not drive the car any longer until the dealer calls to tell me what is wrong or what they have found to be the problem. There is a civil lawsuit against Subaru for this situation but when mentioning it to the dealer they acted like they knew nothing about it. This is not something that should be ignored. I was lucky the 2 times it happened and I hope to God it never happens again!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688606September 20, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
I was going down a highway using the lane keeping assistance feature. Suddenly the vehicle stopped following the road and ran me into a ditch. I was able to steer back onto the road, but if the ditch had been deeper I believe there would have been a rollover accident. The root cause is that when the audio system is turned up in the vehicle, the warning chimes do not interrupt the music or sound loudly enough to be heard over it. When the vehicle needs manual intervention assistance staying on the road, the driver may not hear the warning sound in time before the system disengages. The warning chime sounds need to be able to be heard over the audio system. This exact thing has happened to me 2-3 times in the last year.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684971September 4, 2025
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
driving on [XXX] in NJ on [XXX] at approximately [XXX] my car just stopped in traffic and steering locked up and all lights came on dashboard along with a constant beeping sound-I was in the middle of a four lane highway traveling south-I could not get out of my car and feared someone would hit me as I was a "sitting duck" while cars were swerving around me-my only saving grace was that my flashers worked after I turned them on-I called roadside assistance as I was starting to panic and was told they could not help me as I was on a private road-I saw a helicopter overhead and at the same time a police office weaving in and out of traffic behind me to slow and stop the traffic-he then proceeded to push my car off the road with his car to the shoulder and called a tow truck-car was towed to nearest Subaru dealer where they performed a diagnostic test and found NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR!! How could that BE?? I was then charged for the test and the tow-have called Subaru customer care several times but they say they cannot help me because the test result showed nothing-Please help me as I no longer have peace of mind driving this vehicle and I am [XXX] who needs to drive long distances several times a month- there were no previous warnings in my car it just stopped 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
#11681870August 20, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680508August 13, 2025
POWER TRAIN
On 8/12/15, I had stopped at a stoplight. When the light changed and I attempted to move forward with traffic, the Eyesight Disabled warning came on and my car completely stalled and refused to move. The car prompted me to put it into park, I attempted this and it did not resolve the issue. After this, the car prompted to press the start/stop button. This also did not work. I eventually had to completely turn off the car while in an active lane of traffic and turn it back on. This resolved the issue. In less than 24 hours, I was at the dealership. They have been unable to determine what caused the vehicle to effectively shut off while idling. They are performing a TCM update and do not appear to believe the issue is a safety issue, however again the vehicle stalled in an active lane of traffic during rush hour. It felt like when the car goes into the gas saving mode while idling but this had not happened. It just stopped. This was an extremely unsafe situation to be in a car that can not move or have to try and get it into neutral and get it out of traffic on a busy road, moments after being on the highway. The dealership checked the battery twice and confirmed that it was functioning and I have the video walk through where the confirm the car is in good condition and they could not replicate the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680144August 12, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Vehicle unexpectedly brakes for no apparent reason, has almost caused us to be rear ended. Subaru inspected vehicle, says the Eyesight ADA camera needs to be replaced at our cost. This vehicle is only 4 years old and has 38,000 miles. This is clearly a safety defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680140August 12, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Vehicle began surging during acceleration. Dealer stated that the Engine Intake Valves had carbon deposits that were causing performance issues including poor fuel economy, increased emissions and running concerns. The valves required a cleaning to correct the issue. This is a 4 year old vehicle with only 38,000 miles, this is unacceptable for issues like this so soon. Estimated cleaning cost is $300 and is mentioned no where in the scheduled maintenance information.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680124August 12, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
On August 12, 2025, at approximately 10:16 AM, while driving at normal speed on CR-43 NW southbound just past Minnesota Ave in Big Lake, MN, my Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist System, specifically the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) / Pre-Collision Braking System, suddenly activated without warning and with no obstacle present. The braking was abrupt and unnecessary, causing the vehicle behind me to nearly rear-end mine. Road conditions were clear, dry, and unobstructed, with no pedestrians, vehicles, or hazards in my lane. This appears to have been a “false positive” from the AEB system. This sudden stop placed both my safety and the safety of other drivers at serious risk, and in different circumstances could have caused a collision resulting in injury or death. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center because Subaru requires a $200 diagnostic fee, which I have not paid. The vehicle has not been inspected by Subaru, police, insurance, or any other parties for the same reason. No warning lamps, error messages, or other indicators appeared prior to the incident. All systems appeared to be functioning normally before the unexpected braking occurred. I am concerned this defect persists beyond 48,000 miles, outside the limits of prior settlements, and believe Subaru should issue a recall covering all affected vehicles, regardless of mileage, to prevent potential crashes.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678856August 6, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
We purchased a 2021 Subaru Forester Touring SUV on [XXX] at the El Cajon Subaru dealer and this July, I experienced the transmission (CVT) inadvertently shift from drive to neutral twice in one day. This was a concern to me and after I did research online, I was very surprised to discover that this has been an apparent issue with the CVT transmission. We then arranged to have the vehicle towed to the Kearney Mesa Subaru in San Diego for them to diagnose the problem. They found NO issues! I contacted the Subaru Manufacturer at Subaru.com and received a Case # and Jorge, a customer service individual called us today, 8-6-2025 , to address my inquiry. He informed us that if the dealership was unable to duplicate the problem then he was unable to request further action. This was an issue that he was unfamiliar with, or had ever even heard of, and could only suggest that we have the vehicle seen, again, by another dealership to see if they can determine the problem. This is very disappointing as we have only driven this vehicle less than 1000 miles since purchasing. And since I'm now reluctant to drive any distance in this vehicle, or on freeways, will need to have it, again , towed to another dealership as suggested! I would very much appreciate any information you can provide on how to approach this circumstance and if you have encountered any additional complaints specifically related to the Subaru CVT transmission shifting unexpectedly into neutral. Thank you for your attention to this request as we find this a significant safety concern that needs to be addressed. .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
#11677645July 31, 2025
ENGINE
At signal/stop sign or in stop and go traffic, Engine shuts down. Car is in park. Engine (or Car) makes beeping noise when this happens. Eyesight disabled shows on the screen (however this has nothing to do with that) There's existing lawsuit for cars until 2020. This problem exists for some 2021 model as well. Similar problem: [XXX] This is a recurring intermittent issue. Can't reproduce consistently 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
#11674825July 20, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The Thermo Control Valve failed and the engine overheated in April 2025. The car has only been driven 1,200 miles since then and the engine failed at 65,000 miles likely due to the TCV failure and engine damage.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673017July 12, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Windshield cracks with the slightest rock hit making the windshield unsafe to continue use. Had two replacements in first six months
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673013July 12, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Brake Rotor and Pad issues at 20K, 30k, 40k, and 66k- eventually replace OEM parts with aftermarket Duragold parts. Rotors had severe damage at every 10k interval with gauged Metal on rotor
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673010July 12, 2025
SUSPENSION
Front suspension lower control arm Bushings left and right side failed
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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