Subaru Forester Complaints (2021)

214 consumer complaints on file.

#11617156September 30, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
**Component Malfunction**: The windshield developed cracks shortly after purchase, which expanded without impact, affecting visibility and causing the Safety Eyesight system to malfunction. **Safety Risk**: The expanding crack impaired vision and led to safety system malfunctions, posing a risk to driver and passenger safety. **Problem Reproduction**: It is unclear if the issue has been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center. **Inspection Status**: The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. **Warning Signs**: There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure; the issue appeared in the first week after purchase.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11608800August 15, 2024
STRUCTURE:BODY
While driving on the highway on 8/15/24, the rear driver's side door randomly opened. The warning/indicator light came on, as well as the overhead lights. I also immediately was able to hear extra road noise coming from that side and could clearly see through my side view mirror that the door was ajar (it was not wide open). I have not had the car inspected by anyone.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11608744August 15, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Windscreen cracked for no apparent reason
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11608245August 13, 2024
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
See attached document for complaint
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11602929July 17, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Windshield has spontaneously cracked 2 times within ~30 days in the lower passenger side. No preceding event or chips in the windshield before cracking.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11598420July 2, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I’ve owned the vehicle under a year and am already on my second window replacement. I drive the same route everyday and ever experienced windows cracking in any other vehicle before this vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11594250June 13, 2024
ENGINE
Thermo control valve defective. Not informed one week ago when I purchased car at end of lease. Problem known to Subaru since 2019 or sooner. Would not have purchased if I had been notified about this major problem
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11592004June 2, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I was driving along the highway when I heard the sound of a pebble hitting my windshield. When I got home, I immediately checked my windshield and did not see any damage. I was quite relieved. Two hours later, I looked out and saw a very long crack had appeared. The crack went from nothing to about 22 inches long in a matter of hours. I went to investigate further and saw that the pebble created a small pit on the edge of the windshield. Unfortunately, like typical windshields, the pit did not remain consistent in size and stay put. Instead, it spread out as a very large crack on the window. I read today that Subaru has a lawsuit against this very thing - faulty windshields. I have had this vehicle two weeks and now have a very costly repair because of the eyesight technology. I bought this car for its reliability without knowing that it had faulty windshields.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11587502May 7, 2024
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front windshield cracked without impact. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,350.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11587418May 7, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
To whom this may concern, My name is [XXX] . I was the owner of a 2021 Subaru Forester. I bought this car brand new and I loved this car. One of the biggest reasons I bought a Subaru is because of the multiple safety features the car has. I've had this car for three years and always felt safe until last week. During a road trip on [XXX] at [XXX] My car hit a deer on the front drivers side and within seconds caught on fire. The entire car was engulfed in flames within 3 minutes. All passengers were unharmed and we were able to get 95% of our stuff out of the car. This experience was pretty traumatic knowing that I was supposed to be driving the safest car in America and it caught on fire very easily from a baby deer hit. Not only did my car catch on fire but it left us stranded in the middle of Utah. Thank god it was in a big enough town that had a car rental. Insurance is still assessing my car and I'm currently in the market for a new car but with everything that happened it makes me feel very uneasy about getting another Subaru. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11586211April 30, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Just discovered this morning that the windshield of my car has a long crack without being hit by any item like stone or small debris. It also affects the eyesight as it malfunctions occassionally
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11583289April 16, 2024
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, she observed micro-fractures developing on the front windshield of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 15,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11582052April 10, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Windshield has cracked twice with no visual impact site or minimal impact. Occurred almost ‘spontaneously.’ Both incidents had significant splintering on the windshield impairing visibility. Incidents occurred within 6 months of each other. The windshield cracking can also affect the ‘Eye Sight’ camera with the car safety features. Appears to be a known issue with the type of glass used.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11573729February 23, 2024
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Vehicle was parked and idling unoccupied for under 5 minutes when an extremely noxious, hot blast of fumes came from underneath the back. Black smoke immediately entered the passenger cabin through the vents and flames were visible in the engine compartment and running onto the ground. Entire vehicle was burned beyond recognition in a matter of minutes. Ten days earlier the TCV, a known problem, had been replaced at a dealership per TSB 09-80-21. The vehicle had been driven under 300 miles since the replacement. Afterwards, a manufacturer rep inspected the vehicle, indicated the fire started in right rear of the engine compartment, could have possibly been a fuel leak, but damage was too extensive to determine the exact cause. The referenced TSB explicitly requires a new fuel line for every TCV replacement.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11571429February 12, 2024
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The 2021 Subaru Forester had been functioning normally with no warning lights. About 25 minutes into the drive I had come to a stop light on an upward incline. When the light turned green I moved from the brake to the gas as usual. However the auto-start function on the car failed, causing the engine to stall. A loud clunking sound was heard and the dashboard lit up with multiple lights, although I do no recall which ones were illumined. I attempted to press the gas again and the car did not respond. During this short time my foot was pressing on the gas the car rolled backwards and collided with the vehicle behind me. I continued attempting to press the gas pedal and still no acceleration was made. After parking and restarting the car it has resumed normal function. I have not yet visited the dealership so this issue has not yet been reproduced, nor has the offending system been inspected. I'm summary, the automatic engine start failed at a critical location, putting myself and others in serious danger and ultimately caused a crash.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570971February 9, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
The automatic shut off feature causes the car to lose all power. No power at all in the middle of traffic and I can't even use hazard lights to warn anyone. When at a stop the auto shut off turns off the car and when I take my foot off the brake it completely dies. It has happened 5 times in the last 3 days. Very dangerous. Imagine this happening on the freeway during rush hour. It's a miracle if no one has been killed. I saw countless posts from others on different forums. I have only owned this car for a week and half, taking it to the dealer today. This needs to be a recall paid for by Subaru, it is unacceptable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570024February 5, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Had a rock barely touch my windshield causing a crack
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11569468February 2, 2024
POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE
Once or twice a day my vehicle hesitates from a light and I have to almost floor it to get it going again.I have brought it to 2 different Subaru dealers 3 times and they say they can't fix the problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11567371January 23, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My vehicle starlink infotainment system does not work. This is a safety hazard because it prevents drivers from using their back up cameras and this car has many blind spots. This also frustrates drivers and causes distraction as navigation is not available. The screen display abruptly stopped working. I brought my vehicle to the dealer and their solution was to spend $1700 on a new infotainment system. Owners should not have to be paying to utilize safety features marketed for the vehicle they bought. There were no warnings prior to the system breaking.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11565763January 16, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My Forester was parked and when I started the car I heard a pop, pop, pop. Looked at my front windshield and watched it crack from the lower left - driver side - up to the center of window, with each pop. Googled - the community has posted similar problems with Subaru windshields. Temperature on [XXX] in Phoenix was 60 degrees at the time of windshield popping. No impact, parked car, started engine and crack just started and I watched it expand from 2 inches to 24". Very scary! 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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