Subaru Forester Complaints (2021)

207 consumer complaints on file.

#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
#11672501July 10, 2025
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
While driving on I-17 Southbound near mile marker 311 at approximately 75 mph, I experienced a sudden and dangerous malfunction of the Lane Keep Assist (Auto-Steer) system in a 2021 Subaru Forester. The feature was active at the time and unexpectedly veered the vehicle sharply toward the concrete wall on the left shoulder of the highway. I attempted to regain control, but due to the abrupt nature of the malfunction, I overcorrected and collided with the wall on the rear driver side. There were no vehicles in the immediate vicinity, or this could have resulted in a multi-vehicle collision at high speed. I hit my head during the impact but did not require emergency medical services at the scene. Road conditions were dry and clear, with no visible debris or extreme weather factors. There were no warning lights or error messages from the vehicle prior to or during the incident. The Auto-Steer system did not disengage on its own before veering off course. This was the first time driving this particular vehicle, which was a company car, and I immediately reported the incident to my employer. The damage was reported and the vehicle is seemingly available for inspection. At the time of this report, the issue has not yet been formally diagnosed by a dealer or service technician. The failure of this driver-assist feature significantly endangered my safety and potentially the safety of others had there been nearby traffic. I am filing this report so the issue can be investigated, and similar malfunctions prevented in the future.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11672390July 10, 2025
AIR BAGS
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669728June 27, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
The Auto-Stop/Start feature frequently fails to properly restart the car, often causing the car to stall during the restarting process, leaving me effectively disabled on a busy road. The battery has already been replaced once.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667900June 19, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666612June 12, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My vehicle is equipped with automatic start/stop system. In early 2024, I began having issues with sluggish restart during the start/stop cycle. I took it into the dealer at that time, who stated it required a software update and charged the battery. The issue persisted. It was more serious, as it was not just sluggish on the restart, but the restart would fail and stall the car. This happened in heavy traffic, which was very scary and unsafe. I took the vehicle back into the dealer in late 2024 for the same issue. They did another software update and charged the battery again. They recommended that we purchase a new battery. One month later, we purchased an upgraded AGM battery, as it was recommended for auto start/stop systems. The issue continued to persist. First, with sluggish restart. Later, the auto start/stop system failed again in heavy traffic. We took the vehicle in again, and again the dealer stated it was the battery. They recommended we purchase a new battery. It was explained the battery was 6 months old, and the issue has never been fixed. Further, it was pointed out that the car could be restarted manually with the push button ignition, after a start/stop system failure. That led us to believe it was not a battery failure, but a deeper system failure. The dealer continues to assert it is the battery, even though it happened with a factory battery and a new, upgraded, battery. Neither of the batteries have failed testing, and report as "good" on the diagnosis forms. We believe there is a system issue, that is causing issues with the auto start/stop system, and is not being identified by the dealer. It is a safety issue, as it has happened in heavy traffic several times. We have attached diagnostic reports from March 2024 and June 2025, but cannot find the October 2024 diagnostic report.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663239May 27, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Without any prior issue of having the engine turnover from being parked for more than 20 hours, the car would not start. It’s like the battery completely died overnight. I was able to unlock it but the car would not start, and therefore was unable to go into neutral because I didn’t have a long enough screwdriver with me to manually override into neutral. So it had to be jumped partially to be towed (had it towed for more than just the battery because it’s under warranty). The interesting part is that my car has a factory issued battery, and my car was the third Subaru made after 2020 that had to be towed due to the same issue, in the same day. Maybe the batteries are defective? Regardless, since everything relies on power now, having a provided device to allow for manual override would prevent folks from being stranded. I tried using my key AND the screwdriver that comes with the spare tire. Both were to short.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663231May 27, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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