Subaru Forester Complaints

513 consumer complaints on file.

#11735070May 1, 2026
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
On the first day of receiving the car the windshield looked clear by day but it had little specks and lines like dust when driven at dusk and night of the first day it was driven. I brought it back to the dealer, they replaced it with a new one, and the problem persists. A clear windshield is much safer than one with specks.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733947April 27, 2026
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V106000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for parts availability. The dealer was contacted and informed that once parts became available, vehicle owners would be notified by mail. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733264April 23, 2026
AIR BAGS
I was involved in a front-end motor vehicle collision while driving straight through an intersection. Another vehicle entered perpendicular to my path and stopped directly in front of me, resulting in a collision primarily impacting the front-left (driver’s side) of my vehicle. The impact appeared significant, and the front airbags did not deploy. Additionally, there appeared to be a partial or unclear deployment of the passenger-side airbag system, which did not resemble a full and typical deployment. The vehicle sustained substantial front-end damage, particularly on the driver’s side. I am concerned that the airbag system may not have functioned as expected for the severity and nature of the crash. I am requesting that this incident be reviewed to determine whether the airbag system, sensors, or deployment logic performed within appropriate safety standards. No warning lights or prior issues with the airbag system were observed prior to the incident.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11733227April 23, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Windshield cracks/chips very easily even when nothing has touched it. I have had 4 cracks in less than 6 months with no reason as to why they are occurring and they are ALL on the driver side, NOTHING on passenger side, which seems very odd. This car was bought brand new in February 2025 and this should not be happening. I believe the windshield is faulty. There is a settlement but my 2024 is not included as it cuts off at 2022. but this is not ok and i can't keep submitting comprehensive windshield repair claims to my insurance.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733185April 23, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I am writing to formally request that the NTSB investigate an apparent defect in the EyeSight driver assistance system installed on the 2024 Subaru Forester. I have experienced repeated instances of unreliable and unsafe behavior, including unexpected alerts and the EyeSight system disengaging on multiple occasions, including during periods of bad weather. These issues occur in situations where the vehicle should continue to function normally and create a significant safety concern for drivers, passengers, and other road users. Given EyeSight’s role in collision avoidance and driver assistance, any defect poses an elevated risk of accidents. I believe this issue may be systemic rather than isolated and warrants independent review. I respectfully request that the NTSB investigate this matter and determine whether further action is necessary.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11731868April 17, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving this car on April 4, 2026 at around 6PM, I experienced the distinct smell of gasoline. I had driven for about 5 minutes on our way to a local restaurant that is approximately an 8 minute drive from our residence. My wife said that she had just filled the gas tank that afternoon. After arriving at the restaurant, I checked the gas cap to ensure it was tightly sealed. I also checked to ensure no fuel was leaking from the car. After finishing dinner, we I drove the car back to my residence and once again, 5 minutes into the drive, I smelled gasoline. After we arrived home, I check the vehicle exterior for leaks and found no liquids under the car. The following day, April 5, 2026 at approximately 1115 AM, having once again found no liquids or gasoline under my car, I drove the car to my local repair shop; an 8 minute drive. About 5 minutes into the drive, I smelled gasoline again. I parked the car at the repair shop, but while adjusting the parking to fit better between the painted lines, I saw and heard a large puff of smoke from the hood area. I immediately put the car into Park, shut off the engine and ran from the car. After exiting, I saw that the car ignited with visible fire under the engine compartment. I called 911 to request fire department help. No damage to any structures or other cars occurred. Q1 Above: No the car is totaled and unavailable for inspection as far as I know. Q2 Above: I had to run from a burning car. Q3 Above: No. Q4 Above: Yes, the car was inspected by my insurance company, USAA. Q5 Above: No, there were no warning lights or any indictor that there was trouble. I would like to note that the car was brought in to my Subaru dealership service station (Hyman Brothers in Midlothian, VA) for a heater element safety recall several months ago.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11731400April 15, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730834April 13, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Dealer says initial batch of repair parts was used on vehicles in inventory, not on vehicles already sold to consumers. Supposedly Subaru instructions to dealer. That is a foolish policy decision that doesn't protect drivers of cars already sold and on the road. NHTSA should consider ordering to the contrary. NHTSA should also considering ordering all manufacturers to use capless fuel filler technology. Please respond.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730548April 11, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This vehicle has died 4 times in one week. when this happens, multiple lights have flashed in the dash board, including the "eye sight" warning. Then, it would not restart but continued to "turn over" when the ignition button was pushed. One instance was on a busy street at a stop light, another at a busy intersection in the inner left turn lane, the other 2 instances were in parking lots. The first 2 times the vehicle was able to be jump started and was not taken to the dealership. The 3rd, it was jump started and taken to the dealership. They said the battery was slightly low, but had sufficient charge. They changed the fob battery, and topped off the car battery. That was all. The next day was the episode where it died in the turn lane. I had it towed to the dealership. This time they changed the battery to a more high capacity battery, and admitted that these vehicles have a battery put in them at the manufacturer that is not strong enough for the systems it runs. I even found a service bulletin about it online, #TSB 07-218-23R. This should be a recall item, and they should have changed this battery at my first visit! A vehicle suddenly dying on a busy roadway puts those inside at risk, as well as everyone around them. Very disappointed in this 2023 Subaru Forester Premium.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729077April 3, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Significant issues with adaptive headlights having a large shadow in middle of beam as well as two smaller dark shadows at end of beam that are very distracting. It also dims very low at times severely reducing my visibility especially at different grades of the road. The headlights were so bad from the first week I tried to get the sales manager at Ciocca Subaru in Allentown to take this car back and to return my old car with no luck. I fear for safety driving this forester and I see it is a common complaint online for the 2025. Oncoming cars it shrinks the headlights significantly impairing my visibility for my side of road especially since in Pennsylvania we have a significant amount of deer that get hit and need clear visibility ahead of us. My coworker drove with me the one night and said how difficult it was for her to see at times and said I had to log a complaint because she was concerned for my safety. No car should have such significant shadows or adjusting the beam so significantly. I am afraid I will get into an accident because of the visibility of these headlights.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728784April 2, 2026
ENGINE
While driving the car, the engine stops completely. After a few seconds, it can be restarted. It does this several times a week at random intervals. It's very dangerous since it usually happens when we're driving in traffic. The dealer checked it out in July but couldn't find anything wrong. Even though it's a serious safety problem, they said to keep driving it until it does it every time the car is driven or until the car won't run. When this happens, all the dashboard warning lights come on and the word "Eyesight" is displayed with a diagonal line through it. A warning buzzer also sounds. This started last summer with very infrequent occurrences and is now several times a week.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728521April 1, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I experienced a false emergency braking event twice at the same area near my home. The vehicle falsely identified a stopped car ahead of me and slammed on the brakes, with a loud beeping noise and flashing lights. Fortunately, there was no one behind me, or they would have probably collided with my vehicle. The same series of events happened a second time at the same place. I was on [XXX] heading west, where a left turn lane appears at [XXX] . Both times there was a vehicle in front of me that turned left into the exit lane when I was using cruise control. 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
#11728464April 1, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Automatic start/stop fails to turn car on - intermittent. Taken it to Subaru detailer miltiple times and paid for services to correct the issue, but the issue persists. Fist time - replaced the battery in July 2025. 2nd time, went on a ride along for 1 hour, issue did not happen, replaced spark plugs, issue persists. 3rd time, updated TCM software, issue still persists. Subaru of America is aware of the issue and have not gotten a resolution either.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728265March 31, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehicle: Subaru Forester 2025. Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026, between 1530 and 1630. Situation: I just completed a 3-hour drive from [XXX] , to [XXX] , arriving around 1440. There was no warning. The rear windshield spontaneously shattered while parked in a suburban neighborhood. The glass was on the street and on the car's bumper, and it had sharp edges. The neighborhood consists of families with children playing. It could have hit a child or an adult, or if they walked with no shoes or socks. I took pictures of the initial damage and of the glass after cleaning. I emailed my insurance agent. On Sunday, March 29, 2026, at 0900, I made a claim (XXX) with my insurance company. I will be going to my Subaru dealership in [XXX] , on Monday, March 30, 2026. I visited the Rivertown 1 Subaru Dealership/service center in [XXX] , on Monday, March 30, 2026, and informed them of the situation. They said that it never occurred with their cars. But there was a class-action settlement, Case No. XXX, with final approval on April 21, 2025. Plus, the service center stated that they do not work with glass. 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
#11727592March 27, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727556March 27, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
Eyesight camera randomly turns off and on while driving. Has been consistent over several months pierced to be an ongoing issue that was previously recorded from 20 14–20 21 super Forrester. Very similar issue now with my 2023.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726788March 24, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
On 12/4/25, I was pulling into a space in a parking deck, was approximately one quarter of the way into the spot and the vehicle suddenly accelerated and struck a cement wall. I did not have my feet on the pedals at the time and was going at approximately 5 miles per hour. The airbags did not deploy, and no automatic braking or warning systems engaged. As a result of the accident, I sustained three fractured ribs and a partially collapsed lung. Immediately following the impact, the Starlink system dialed 911 and a police report was filed. I contacted the dealership who directed me to Subaru of America to report the incident. Their customer advocacy and quality assurance department reviewed telematics data and have refused to physically inspect my vehicle even though I have requested it as a customer because I do not feel safe driving this vehicle. Since I purchased my vehicle many of my safety sensor and warning systems will temporarily disable without any obvious cause.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726243March 23, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Navigation system gives incorrect directions including wrong freeway exits and and incorrect home location ( off by about 300-500 feet ) . This creates a safety hazard while driving. Vehicle has been taken for repair about six times , but the issue remains unsolved. Dealer com bined multiple visits into fewer repair orders.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725947March 20, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Vehicle suffered a major oil leak at under 60k miles. My low oil light didn’t turn on but I was actually extremely low on oil. The dealer confirmed the issue and had to replace multiple components related to the oil filter, caps, etc. If I hadnt noticed/waited any longer I would have had no oil in my car at all.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725755March 20, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
On March 12, 2026, my 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid, owned for less than 1 month at the time and purchased on 2/14/2026, sustained a star chip to the windshield during normal driving conditions. While the physical damage itself was minor, the vehicle is equipped with Subaru EyeSight, a camera-based advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that relies on precise optical clarity through the windshield. I'm now required to have the windshield replaced, because the manufacturer and dealer requires it. According to both Subaru and the vehicle’s owner’s manual (page 15), windshield replacement must be performed using OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) glass to ensure proper calibration and safe operation of the EyeSight system. My insurance provider is attempting to authorize the use of aftermarket (non-OEM) windshield glass despite this. This presents a serious safety concern. The EyeSight system controls or assists with critical safety functions including pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane keep assist. Aftermarket glass can introduce optical distortion or variation that can interfere with camera calibration and system performance. Using non-OEM glass in a vehicle designed around camera-based safety systems creates a risk that these features may not function as intended, potentially increasing the likelihood of a crash. This directly impacts federally recognized vehicle safety systems. There appears to be a gap between manufacturer safety requirements and insurance replacement practices. Consumers are being placed in a position where cost-saving measures may override safety-critical specifications. I'm requesting that NHTSA open a formal safety investigation into the use of non-OEM (aftermarket) windshields in vehicles equipped with camera-based ADAS systems. I further request that NHTSA establish clear regulatory guidance or requirements ensuring that windshield replacements follow manufacturer specifications, including the use of OEM glass.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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