Subaru Forester Complaints

513 consumer complaints on file.

#11742094June 4, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
In early April 2026 I after washing the auto I noticed a chip in the windshield on the passenger side. I was shocked-normally if the windshield is hit hard enough to chip the drive notices it-I am the only drive and I was totally unaware of any such strike (auto had about 2000 miles on it). Then, May 30th as I exited a highway midway up the ramp going ~40-45 mph behind another auto going the same slow speed with 1-1.5 car length between us, something struck my windshield and immediately the strike had clearly broken the windshield just below the driver's direct line of sight and put a thorough 'star' the size of a nickel coin. There did not appear to be any debris on the road nor off or out of the auto in front of me. (There was not a vehicle ahead of that auto that would have generated this strike.) I feel I may be unsafe in this auto if its windshield cannot hold up under minor strikes such as this. When I called the auto repair center recommended by my automobile dealer they told me they’d already had 14 Subaru windshields call to schedule repairs this week (it was only Tuesday. This is a modest sized single location windshield repair shop).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741969June 4, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Infotainment center had popup ad about Sirius xm trial ending soon and a phone number to call to extend. Had to hit small x in the corner to disable while vehicle in motion or have no access to air, radio controls, or see map.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741940June 3, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving the head unit was connected to Google automotive with Google maps giving me directions and music through you tube music when a full screen sized ad for Sirius XM took over the entire screen. I could no longer see the map and directions, couldn't use the climate control. The entire screen was locked by this add until I removed my focus from the road to hit the small X icon in the top right corner of the add to close it out. Ads for a product I've never used taking over my entire head unit distracting my driving and following the directions from Google maps is unacceptable and unsafe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741839June 3, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Sirius add pop-up on the infotainment screen, locks you out of the system. Not allowing use of hands free calling, text or climate control. Recurring issue making vehicle unsafe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741788June 3, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2021 Subaru Forester The vehicle has experienced recurring electrical and battery-related issues for several years. The original battery was replaced by the Subaru dealer with a larger-capacity battery because of repeated starting concerns. The replacement provided only temporary improvement. The vehicle continues to experience rough starting on a regular basis, even after installation of a newer aftermarket battery with a higher cold-cranking-amp rating. The current battery is approximately five months old. The most significant safety concern occurs during Auto Start-Stop operation. On multiple occasions, the engine has shut off at a stop as intended, but then failed to restart when attempting to move again. When this occurs, multiple warning lights illuminate on the dashboard and the vehicle is unable to proceed until it is shifted into Park and restarted manually. Because of this issue, I now disable the Auto Start-Stop feature on every drive to avoid a potential failure to restart while in traffic. The issue has been ongoing for years and has occurred with multiple batteries, including the dealer-installed replacement battery and a newer aftermarket battery. The dealer suggested that an aftermarket dash camera could be contributing to battery drain. The dash camera was disconnected, but the problem continued. I am concerned that failure of the vehicle to restart after Auto Start-Stop operation could leave the vehicle disabled in traffic and create a safety hazard. The condition appears to involve the vehicle’s electrical system, battery management system, charging system, Auto Start-Stop system, or a combination of those components. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741735June 3, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
A commercial advertisement for SiriusXM took the entire infotainment screen until I could click the small X to close it. I was driving at about 35 mph on a road (this has happened at least twice since I bought the vehicle). It impacted my safety and others as it covered navigation information which is important to understand easily and quickly in unfamiliar areas. The annoyance and required fine motor skill reduce driver attention on the road and tie up one hand for an unimportant reason.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741648June 2, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The interior of the vehicle is melting. It smells and the seats, sunglasses holder roof and other parts of the interior are seeding/melting. There is something wrong with this vehicle and Subaru will not help me. I have been there twice and contacted their customer advocacy and they will not help me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741630June 2, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I receive many distracting ad messages from Subaru on my screen advertising Siriusxm while driving! I tried to get help from Subaru and the refuse to stop the ads. The messages are a dangerous, distracting safety issue. I almost had an accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741542June 2, 2026
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
Drivers side mirror vibrates making changing lanes a Safty issue as the approaching vehicle is not a clear visual to operator
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740854May 29, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I was working on fitting a cargo box on the crossbars the dealer had recently installed and noticed a milky white discoloration and moisture in the front driver's corner of the moonroof. I arranged for an appointment at the dealer who confirmed the glass had delaminated. They happened to have a replacement in stock and replaced it under warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740460May 27, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Ad for satellite radio covering screen. Popped up while driving. Requires taking eyes off road to dismiss.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739287May 21, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
We recently bought a used 2025 Subaru forester with 5000 miles on odometer from a dealer. Subsequently we are experiencing respiratory irritation. We question if the car had been in a flood or some other accident that compromised the a/c system. We wonder if the dealer concealed something or has not reported the problem. We suspect black mold may be in the a/c system.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738456May 18, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The gps/map display, displays the wrong speed, on some traffic circles it directs me to go around in the wrong direction. The auto vehicle uses the speed limit from the installed map to display the speed limit on the main dash between the tach and speedometer. Both conditions could easily cause and accident. Contacted the manufacturer, the corporate headquarters, my dealership where I purchased the vehicle, and Tomtom in the Netherlands. None will assist in the correction of the issue. Tomtom did commit to investing the issue after I gave them the specific locations, but they closed my record/complaint file. On fb, I see a good many people complain about the same issues and also that they can't get sny help from the dealership, like me, to resolve the issue. Please help the all consumers to be able to purchase a new car that is functioning as advertised and to be confident that they will be safe when driving the highways.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738084May 15, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
My Subaru Forester has a significant safety defect. If my web searches are representative this software problem affects multiple models and years of Subaru. I have addressed this problem with the local dealer, Subaru America, and Subaru Japan and have been told "that is the way it was designed and it is supposed to do that." As you may imagine that is not a satisfactory answer to a significant safety issue; I can only imagine Ford saying the Pinto was designed with a gas tank that explodes in a collision or a more recent Takata claiming that their seatbelts were designed that way. So here is the problem in a nutshell (and I have a host of Emails from various levels of Subaru if you want the details of how I have attempted to get them to address the issue.) There is a sensor on the gas cap that detects if it is not fully closed since that is a pollution control issue. (More on that later) When that sensor is activated, it disables the Subaru Eyesight system and when the Eyesight system is disabled it disables every safety feature except the seatbelt and it lights up the dash with a dozen alarms none of which have anything to do with the gas cap. That takes down collision avoidance, lane changing, and autodim headlights among others. It also wants you to check the engine and consult the users manual. None of that has anything to do with the actual situation. Now I have taken the car to the dealer who assures me it is operating as designed and there is no fault in the sensor. When you close the gas cap there are audible clicks and as a 190 pound man I can assure you that the cap is fully closed when I close it. But on a random basis the dashboard lights up despite the fact that the gas cap is fully engaged and the safety systems become disabled. Usually it stays lit up until I refill the tank, but its behavior is not predictable - occasionally it just resets as I drive. Besides the obvious hazard of having safety systems which do not work, havi
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737260May 12, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for a service appointment, the contact was advised that the batter was defective. The contact was informed that the battery was not large enough for the power of the vehicle. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was a known failure of the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,200.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736848May 10, 2026
AIR BAGS
On Wednesday, May 6, the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle while traveling on I-270. After the impact, the vehicle continued down the highway lane and crashed into the highway divider. During the crash, the front hood opened and fumes/smoke came out from the front of the vehicle. Despite the severity of the collision and secondary impact with the highway divider, the airbags did not deploy. The failure of the airbags to deploy placed the driver at significant risk of injury during the crash. Law enforcement officers at the scene also expressed concern that the airbags did not activate given the magnitude of the accident. The vehicle and airbag system are available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11736419May 7, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
[XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] VIA CERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Compliance Division (NVS-210) 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 Wednesday, May 6, 2026 RE: SAFETY DEFECT COMPLAINT – 2026 Subaru Forester VIN: [XXX] Honorable, Eileen Sullivan Associate Administrator, Enforcement I am filing this formal safety defect complaint regarding my 2026 Subaru Forester. A pedestrian incident occurred on February 2, 2026, in which the vehicle failed to warn or brake automatically when a pedestrian crossed in front of my car. Additionally, the Subaru EyeSight system does not remain enabled between ignition cycles. Every time I start the car, I must manually re-engage the system. Consequently, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) is not active by default during ordinary driving and will reverts to off (not remain enable) when I am driving . I believe this poses an unreasonable risk to pedestrian and occupant safety. I am aware of prior investigations (e.g., NHTSA Action Number PE23010 and related lawsuits) involving Subaru EyeSight failures, including lack of braking for obstacles. Vehicle Information: Year: 2026 Make: Subaru Model: Forester VIN: [XXX] 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
#11735674May 4, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This 2023 windshield can easily be chipped. It has more than 10 visible chips/cracks.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735403May 3, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am filing this complaint regarding a recurring and dangerous safety issue with my 2021 Subaru Forester. The auto stop/start feature intermittently fails to restart the engine after it shuts off when stopped. When this occurs, multiple dashboard warning lights come on, an alarm sounds, and the vehicle requires putting the transmission into "Park" and shutting it down completely before it will start again. This has happened multiple times at intersections, traffic lights, and freeways during rush hour (stopping and starting frequently), leaving me temporarily stranded in live traffic. The local Subaru dealership service department was unable to replicate the issue, however upon inspecting the vehicle's charging system, the battery was found unable to hold charge from the alternator and was replaced on June 9th, 2025. Now after less than 1 year of replacing the battery, the problem persists. I have been made aware of TSB 16-118-24R (TCM reprogramming for auto start/stop restart failure) and TSB 09-80-21 (Thermostatic Control Valve failure) which appear directly related to this issue. This is a serious safety hazard. A vehicle that cannot restart in live traffic puts the driver and other motorists at significant risk of a crash. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue and consider a formal recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735341May 3, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Vehicle stopped at light,auto start stop engine off,stepped on gas to go engine didn’t restart,my passenger and I jumped out and grabbed a Noco GB40 jump box I carry and jump started car,we were on a road trip out of town and could not wait for the dealership so finished our trip with the auto start stop turned off and if we had a problem starting used the jump box.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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