10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
13,946 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #13

Mar 052007

Forester 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 93,000 miles
When parking vehicle in garage, engine revved and car drove forward causing damage to car and garage even though car had been placed into park.

- Solon, OH, USA

problem #12

Oct 152006

Forester 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 21,600 miles
When traveling 60 mph the car suddenly looses acceleration, like it is slipping into neutral. At first, I could remove my foot from the gas, allow the car to coast and slow, and then re-apply gas, and it would accelerate again. Now when it occurs, I have to stop, normally on the side of a rural highway, put it in park, then back to drive for it to work properly. I am afraid this is going to leave me stranded somewhere out in the 'sticks.' The car has less than 25K miles, and has had its scheduled maintenance. Any info?

- Marinette, WI, USA

problem #11

Apr 012004

Forester 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Multiple times I have stepped on the brake and the car lurches forward.

- Liberty, NY, USA

problem #10

Jan 292004

Forester 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 29,650 miles
Car hesitates then lurches forward after pressing the gas pedal. Vehicle then hestiates as if losing power. Had the same probelem in August of 2003 and dealer reset the vehicle's computer and said no problem. Dealer tried to have me pay for a fuel injector cleaning service this time. Car has 29,000 miles. I spoke a another customer at the dealership who was having the same problem and noticed the numerous complaints on the web site. Shouldn't this matter be looked at for a possible recall?

- West Chetser, PA, USA

problem #9

Dec 032003

Forester 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 15,345 miles
On the green traffic signal I accelerated and the car surged into the vehicle in front of me. I jammed my foot on the brake and threw the shift into park when the car stopped, then with my foot on the brake and shift in park, the car surged in reverse hitting the car behind me. I previously experienced surging twice before this. My 2002 Subaru forrester was recalled for the parking rod replacedment in April 2003.

- Somerset, NJ, USA

problem #8

Oct 152003

Forester

  • miles
While driving 55 mph on the highway there was a humming winding sound coming from underneath the vehicle. Driver took the vehicle to the dealership for analysis, and mechanic told the driver that front differential came apart, and piece of metal was inside of transmission, causing transmission to fail.

- Marshall, VA, USA

problem #7

Jul 102003

Forester 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 21,700 miles
Transmission hesitates from a dead stop. You depress the accelerator and nothing happens for 2 seconds or so, then the car lurches forward.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #6

Aug 052003

Forester 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Car "hesitates" occasionally, 1-2 second delay after you press the gas pedal until the car responds. Also, the car shifts inappropriately. Mostly this occurs on hills. You will attempt to accelerate, and the car downshifts; or you attempt to pass someone on highway and car will hesitate, then begin to accelerate, then will suddenly downshift. I have had car to dealer, first I was told there was no problem. Then, they realized there was a problem, and had the computer reset. This seemed to improve handling for only about a week. The car is now hesitating and downshifting on a regular basis.

- Bethel Park, PA, USA

problem #5

Mar 172003

(reported on)

Forester

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Problems getting recall repair performed. Consumer received recall notice 02V-282 to replace failed transmission park mechanism. Consumer has problem with the amount of time it takes to perform recall repairs. The notice states repairs will take an 1-1/2 hour, however dealership needs vehicle for the entire day and will not authorize a loaner car for the entire day.

- Stratford, CT, USA

problem #4

Oct 222002

(reported on)

Forester 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Consumer stated the engine started hesitating during acceleration from a complete stop, hesitation occurs one second to a few seconds after acceleration and can lat approximately three seconds. Since the problems have been happening with the hesitation, the transmission now shifts with a slight thump to a loud bang, during acceleration the automatic transmission misses a shift and goes into neutral causing the engine to instantly over speed to 2,000 RPM's the transmission searches for different gears while gently accelerating, on 2 occasions the dealer has reprogrammed the computer modifications which has made the problems less intense, but still exists.

- Trabuco Canyon, CA, USA

problem #3

Nov 072001

Forester 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Intermitent backfire after shifting on manual transmission Foresters. Manufacturer notified, confirmed that engine backfires but said backfiring was not a problem, hence no fix was neccessary and non would be provided. How many of you out there consider ba.

- Oakland, CA, USA

problem #2

Dec 012001

Forester

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Automatic transmission gears lock in park position on an intermittent basis. Dealer has been contacted.

- Bloomfield, CT, USA

problem #1

Jun 302001

Forester

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
This situation was taken care of by replacing "the brains" of the transmission but the idle speed has remained below 300 without the service light coming on since. One other comment is that the shifter does not lock into drive like most cars it locks into 3rd. I do not know what the idle speed is supposed to be but it can't be 220. Put back in service on Dec 8th.

- Rye, NY, USA