9.8

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
512 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

Feb 092024

Forester

  • miles
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.

- Pomona, IL, USA

problem #12

Jan 172024

Forester

  • miles
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.

- Greenville, SC, USA

problem #11

Dec 202022

Forester

  • miles
Vehicle auto start stop feature sporadically fails to start vehicle after stop feature stringers. Happened on multiple occasions, at red light, at stop sign, on freeway during traffic jams.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #10

Oct 072022

Forester 4-cyl

  • miles
When I bought my car I was assured that it was impossible to lock the keys inside the car. Typically I put my dog in a special car harness and buckle him into the middle of the back seat. He's 77 lbs. and tall. It's a bit of a project to get him all set. I'm leaning over and all my stuff is hanging off of me so I drop my purse onto the floor of the back seat and put the car keys on the console between the two front seats so I can more comfortably deal with him. I do this from the right side of the car as the child car seat is on the left side. Once he's buckled in I close the door and walk around to the driver's side and get in. On Oct. 7th I had taken him to a park to play. The temps were in the 80s and my car was parked in the sun. He's a Bernedoodle and does not handle heat very well. I buckled him in as usual from the right side and also put the keys on the console as usual. Then I closed the door. CLICK! Uh-oh! All the doors automatically locked! With the car in the sun and the outside temps in the 80s I can only guess that the inside temp had to be well over 100. I almost panicked. I thought of calling the police, but here in Portland they are slow to respond if they even respond at all. I banged on all the windows and thought of finding a rock to break one open. Then I remembered that I hadn't tried the back lift up door as it's an SUV. Thankfully it opened. But I had to crawl in over all my stuff in the back, over my tall, 77 lb. dog, and stretch out to reach my keys on the console in the front. Then I had to back out. This was not easy; I'm in my 70s. I shouldn't have to do that! So [XXX] was okay in the end. What if it had been my two year old granddaughter" What if the back didn't open like the side doors didn't" It shouldn't be that way. I called Subaru and they said they never heard of that happening. They said there was a lock setting but I couldn't find it. They said the fob battery could be low but there was no warning. I'm bringing the car in. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFO

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #9

May 192021

Forester

  • miles
Purchased brand new from dealer. Less than 3 months later a tiny pebble came up and hit the center of the windshield, immediately you could see an indentation and a spider web. Now the whole windshield has multiple spider web cracks. The splits go from edge of driver's side all the way to edge of passenger side of the car. As well as 3 separate rings going around center indentation. Only had the car 3 months when this occured. Have had 3 instances that I could not start the car. Now the cigarette lighter charge port will not work. Moon roof malfunctioning and will not close sometimes when fully opened. Now I am having issues with the brakes sticking. It's 1 year old and this is way too many issues for a brand new car! Never again!

- White Settlement, TX, USA

problem #8

Dec 082021

Forester

  • miles
My windshield shattered when hit by a small rock that apparently came from across and bounced up and hit the windshield. Subaru does not replace windshields... so you have to get Insurance to cover. The wiring in a Subaru is attractive to rodents - what the wiring is made of depends on who you speak with - most common answer is Oat Based Covering. I have spent over $4000 to have the wring in the front and fuel area. This is a 2021 Subaru Forester with less than 12K miles. Subaru can not give a straight answer on material in the wiring and says I need to build a shed. There are 4 other vehicles at my location that are there 20 hours a day - I go to an office 5 days a week so my car is gone over 50 hours a week - still my fault!

- Forsyth, GA, USA

problem #7

Dec 012021

Forester

  • miles
The wiring system fails when the wiring - SOY BASED - is eaten by rats. SUBARU refuses to take responsibility for this. My car has less the 9500 miles and has had over $3500 work done to replace the wiring eaten by Rodents as this is considered "my fault?.

- Forsyth, GA, USA

problem #6

Nov 022021

Forester

  • miles
I have had the wiring in my 2021 Subaru Forrester having to be replaced 2 times - once in front of car, once in fuel parts - due to Rodents eating the wiring. I have been told by Subaru Customer Service staff that the wiring is Soy Based. Subaru has a Class Action Suite in Hawaii for this exact reason yet Subaru in Macon continues to insist this is MY problem not theirs. I have Rodent repellant devices in my car. I am very frustrated, upset with being misled and no concern for the customer being offered.

- Forsyth, GA, USA

problem #5

Nov 302021

Forester

  • miles
Several instances of parasitic drain of the battery resulting in vehicle not being able to be started without a jump. Nothing was left on in the vehicle. Each time it was parked with the alarm set for approx 3-4 hours. The battery was completely dead. This vehicle is only 8 months old and this has happened around 8-9 times. Dealer does nothing about it except to charge the battery. This is unacceptable.

- Sun City, AZ, USA

problem #4

Aug 152021

Forester

  • miles
The batteries drained overnight 3 times within 7 months after the purchase of the new vehicle. Battery was jumped each time by Subaru Roadside Assistant. The dealer checked the battery and it was fine. It is the electrical (CAN) problem that drained the battery.

- Torrance, CA, USA

problem #3

Jul 252021

Forester

  • miles
I parked in the parking lot yesterday afternoon. But when I try to start my car this morning, the battery dead?I just bought this new Subaru three months with 5000 miles. Very disappointed.

- Meridian , ID, USA

problem #2

Mar 022021

Forester

  • 400 miles
On March 2, 2021 I needed to get to an appointment and my car wouldn't start, nor would my fob work to even open the doors. After calling for assistance they jumped the battery. Then I brought it to Subaru where they did a complete diagnostics test and found that the battery was defective. I had bought the car Nov. 25, 2020, only three months before! they replaced it with the same kind of battery. I was dismayed to find that I had been sold a new car with a defective battery.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #1

Feb 072021

Forester

  • 6,252 miles
The car is two months old and the battery died (nothing was left on)!

- New York, NY, USA