The AC compressor/condesor needs replaced and I see a lot of complaints on-line about this specific model- 2018 Forester. My kids and I were on a road trip in August 2025 when it stopped working. It was extremley hot even with the windows down and heat stroke became very real while we were sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. There was already a recall on this but now with the new part the AC stopped working and sounds very bad under the hood while the car is turned on. AC is very much needed during hot summer day.s

- Carson, WA, USA

The AC compressor needs replaced and I see a lot of complaints on-line about this specific model- 2018 Forester so I am reporting in case it may help with a recall. Cost to repair is $2,000+. Right now it may only be covered under warranty or through a TSB goodwill. I will need to pursue with Subaru but wanted to report this in case it's helpful as there seems to be a lot of reports on this specific issue.

- Linden , VA, USA

On October 3, 2023, I purchased a used 2018 Subaru Forester (VIN: [XXX] ) from Hengxin Auto Group, 210 39th St, Brooklyn, NY 11232, for about $19,500 including tax and fees. The dealer stated the mileage was 65,800 and printed that number on the contract. However, both the official NY DMV Title Record and the Carfax report showed 86,588 miles at the time of sale. This clear discrepancy proves the dealership intentionally rolled back or misrepresented the odometer reading. Later, the title was branded -??mileage unknown.-?? After purchase, many severe issues appeared: chassis instability, transmission jerking, loud engine noise, high oil consumption, A/C malfunction, battery failure (replaced at my own cost), and worn tires that left me stranded. The dealer had advertised the vehicle as -??excellent condition, only minor scratches, -?? which was completely false. I repeatedly contacted the dealer, but they only made partial chassis repairs and ignored all other problems. I paid significant repair expenses and eventually had to trade in the car on April 29, 2024, at Romano Toyota for $12,530.24, while still owing $13,705.58, resulting in a direct loss of about $9,283.78, not including additional repair and transportation costs. On October 2, 2025, I sent a formal demand letter to Hengxin Auto Group requesting compensation for odometer fraud and vehicle misrepresentation. The letter was received on October 9, but no response or resolution has been offered. The dealer-??s conduct involves clear odometer fraud and nondisclosure of safety-related defects. I respectfully request NHTSA to investigate this case and take appropriate action to prevent similar consumer deception and safety risks. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Syracuse, NY, USA

Air bag warning light comes on intermittently so passenger air bag system is off.

- Mariposa, CA, USA

While driving the vehicle I began to hear a loud grinding noise from the engine compartment when the A/C was engaged. I pulled over to look under the hood and it sounded like the noise was coming from the serpentine belt. Upon inspection by a Subaru dealership it was determined that the A/C compressor is failing. I was informed that there was a known issue with the 2018 Forester A/C compressor and the compressor has been redesigned. I was also informed that if I postponed repair then the compressor could seize up with would cause the serpentine belt to break which would then cause immediate engine failure. Such failure could be extremely dangerous if it happens when driving on a highway, etc. There was no warning light that appeared when the grinding noise started. I also listen to music when I drive so it was lucky that I heard the noise before the compressor seized. If Subaru had to redesign the compressor then it seems reasonable that a recall should be issued to prevent engine failure. All routine maintenance has been preformed on this vehicle at the dealership in a timely fashion. There is 78,000 miles on the vehicle and I am the original owner.

- Bend, OR, USA

I-??ve experienced recurrent failures with my Subaru-??s AC system, and it-??s become more than just an inconvenience-?"it-??s a real safety concern. In hot weather, the cabin can become unbearably warm, making it difficult to concentrate and increasing the risk of fatigue or even heat-related illness, especially for passengers who are older, very young, or have medical conditions. What-??s even more frustrating is the poor quality of the system and Subaru-??s lack of communication about what appears to be a known defect. Despite numerous complaints from other owners and repeated service visits, there-??s been no clear explanation or long-term fix offered. The situation is not only uncomfortable-?"it-??s unsafe, and the lack of transparency and accountability from Subaru has been incredibly disappointing.

- Washington, DC, USA

I bought the car certified used from a Grand Prix Subaru in Hicksville, NY. They did not mention this issue. I-??ve had the car for 2 years, drive it 1-2x a week, have it serviced regularly, etc. all of a sudden in the past week it-??s needed a jump 2x, maybe a few days apart. My lights are on auto, always, & shut off when the car turns off after a few seconds. My interior lights are all set to off, after the first jump. Doors & cargo door are all closed well. Battery has been tested & they say it-??s not bad & doesn-??t need replacing. So what is draining the battery then? When the battery is dead, it-??s completely dead. No turnover at all & the cargo door won-??t open until it-??s running & charged enough again. I-??m shocked the cargo door can-??t open without the battery!

- Bradford, VT, USA

LCA lower control arm front bushing on Right and Left front for 2018 Subaru Forester is a known issue with EVERY Forester. Mine had only 55K miles when the Right Front started shaking and now the left is doing so and I am only at 60K miles!!

- Jarrell, TX, USA

2018 Subaru Forester has another cracked windshield. I do not drive this car a lot and all of a sudden there is a crack. It happened in 2021 too, it is exactly in the same spot this time. Subaru refused to fix it the last time, so I am not expecting them to fix it this time. This is not safe to drive when there is a crack like that. It is a matter of time before someone gets hurt or even worse because of the faulty windshield.

- Aurora, OH, USA

The air conditioning stops working in warm weather posing a health hazard.

- New Milford , NJ, USA

The battery completely drains after not being started for 2-3 days. I-??ve had the battery checked by autozone and it was found to be in good standing. This issue has happened twice in the last two months. Also, on occasion when driving an icy road message pops up from the eyesight, however it-??s a clear sunny day. Although this hasn-??t engaged any other safety features, it-??s concerning that at any time it could initiate an eyesight safety feature to engage which could pose a safety issue for occupants.

- Winston Salem, NC, USA

The ignition key gets stuck from time to time and will not turn all the way to off, which means it cannot be pulled out. When this happens, I have to turn the car back on and off, move the gear away from park and then back to park, and then try again to remove the ignition key. Sometimes, it takes multiple tries before the key can be removed! This has been happening for several years now.

- Springfield, VA, USA

Engine started to race when applying the brake and vehicle was being placed into gear (either forward or reverse the first time it happened and reverse the second time it happened). I could not verify my foot was not on the accelerator the first time, but I was able to verify I was on the brake and only the brake to second time.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

While driving steering wheel freezes and driver is not able to control steering.Engine quits.

- Walhalla, SC, USA

I was making a 90 degree left turn, at a very slow rate of speed, onto a tarred parking bay located in front of a hedge approximately 4 feet high. (This is a parking spot I was very familiar with, and moving extremely carefully which is necessary, because the small cat colony I was there to feed were milling around on the parking bay as they always do.) When I depressed my brake to bring the car to a complete stop, my vehicle surged forward through the hedge and landed up against a wall on the other side of the hedge. The movement was wholly unexpected, and directly contradictory to my braking to bring the vehicle to a stop. It felt as if I, the driver, was not actually in control of the vehicle for those few seconds. After the tow truck pulled it back onto the parking bay, although my Subaru was still mechanically drive-able, I had the vehicle towed to the closest Subaru dealer as it would have been irresponsible for anyone to drive the vehicle given the unexplained spontaneous acceleration issue that had just occurred. I immediately reported the accident to AAA Insurance and made the Claims Representative at the time, and subsequently the Insurance Adjuster, aware of the safety issue experienced. -?? The mechanical root cause is unknown -?? Immediately following the body shop repairs I sold the vehicle back to Subaru and made them aware of the safety issue. -?? I could have been injured. Fortunately, I was alone, and although in shock for several days, not physically hurt. -?? When I asked Subaru about the feasibility of getting data from the Event Data Recorder, to substantiate what happened, they advised that was not possible without a court order. -?? Yes, the vehicle was inspected by a Third Party Insurance Assessor but am unsure if they were made aware of the safety event that precipitated the vehicle's damage -?? There were no prior warning signs which made the occurrence extremely surreal and shocking.

- Lutz, FL, USA

AC compressor went out at 110k miles. This is a common issue with Subaru compressors.

- Fenton, IL, USA

Control arms failed within 55,000 miles, shaking and dangerous conditions for a vehicle less than 5 years of age. Leaking air condition and numerous electrical issues started ironically just after the standard 35,000 bumper to bumper warranty extended. Now my car smells like coolant and worried it-??s going to overheat. All my tire sensor pressure gages burn out before 50,00 0 miles and needed replacing. Violent shaking of suspension at highway speeds and not one safety alarm goes off.

- Rye, NY, USA

We purchased 2018 Subaru Forester. Paid top dollar. When we got home we noticed rust and paint bubbles across the windshield. Subaru says they won't do anything car is 5 yrs old. collision shop wants $1700 to repair. Says it is more than stone chips as rest of car body is in perfect condition. It will become safety issue and compromise safety of windshield. They cannot guarantee the work. We went back to used car dealer where we purchased it, they say just touch it up, would not do anything. It is much more tha a touch up. On line many 2018 Subaru owners are complaning of same issue.

- Macomb, MI, USA

The Condenser for the A/C went at 70,700 miles. This is a known problem with 2017-2018 Foresters.

- Margate, NJ, USA

In June 2022 I purchased a 2018 Subaru Forester Turbo Touring at Carmax. Soon after purchase the car hesitated a few times when I was turning. I was turning in front of oncoming traffic and it scared the ___ out of me. So I returned the car to CarMax and bought a similar replacement which is the VIN reported to you in this report. After a couple of months, this car is now doing the same thing, generally when turning but sometimes when merging into traffic. I press the gas, the car moves a bit, then it just dies - there's nothing there, simply no response. It does not turn off, it is just powerless. Then a few seconds later it gets gas and we squeal to safety. However I am just dead in the water, usually in front of oncoming traffic, until it decides to move. Pumping the gas does not help. I took the first Subaru to CarMax for a check up but they found nothing wrong so I just returned it. I am taking the second one in in January. Because the problem is intermittent, it is hard to diagnose but there's definitely a terrifying problem. I thought I was going to die when I had that first one and now this one is developing the same problem. There are a few posts on Google about the same problem. Is there a recall" Have others reported the same problem" I would appreciate any feedback you might be able to provide.

- Benton, KS, USA