The Vehicle Dynamics Control safety system malfunctioned and forced me to drive straight on a curved banked overpass into the concrete barrier
2015 Subaru Forester
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Forester years
Owner complaints for the 2015 Subaru Forester are substantially higher than the model-year median of 131.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Forester years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
410 reports with mileage · 203 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 131 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 101 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 95 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Steering complaints
19 reportsThe horn stopped working. Upon inspection at the Subaru dealership they confirmed that the steering wheel roll connector had an open circuit. After researching this, I found it can also affect the air bag. When I asked the dealership if the airbag could be effected, they said yes and couldn’t confirm or deny if it would or would…
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The horn stopped working. Upon inspection at the Subaru dealership they confirmed that the steering wheel roll connector had an open circuit. After researching this, I found it can also affect the air bag. When I asked the dealership if the airbag could be effected, they said yes and couldn’t confirm or deny if it would or wouldn’t work. The passenger airbag also stopped working around the same time, so that was concerning.
The vehicle is a 2015 Subaru Forester. At that time, the car had 47800 miles on it. I started to sense a shaking or vibration on the steering wheel, especially at highway speeds. I took it to a local Subaru dealer and the dealer technician found the lower control arm bushings to be work/torn. I have been driving for over 40…
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The vehicle is a 2015 Subaru Forester. At that time, the car had 47800 miles on it. I started to sense a shaking or vibration on the steering wheel, especially at highway speeds. I took it to a local Subaru dealer and the dealer technician found the lower control arm bushings to be work/torn. I have been driving for over 40 years and have never had to have the bushings replaced in any of my (Toyota) cars, especially at 47800 miles. I bought the car new. I live in the city and do not do any off road driving. I bought the car because of the Eyesight safety system. I didn't realize Subaru's quality was not at the same level as Toyota. According to J.D. Power, "The bushings prevent metal-to-metal contact (friction) hence safeguarding the metal joints." and "Driving around with worn-out bushings can pose a threat to the driver and other road users. Worn-out bushings may also cause damage to the vehicle when its components snap." (website: [XXX] ) I believe it may be a "lemon". I have had to take it to the dealership regarding the transmission problem of hesitation on acceleration. The technician tested it and (of course) found nothing wrong. The service advisor did inform me, over the phone, that the technician experienced the issue during testing. Subaru denied my request for reimbursement of the defective battery. They indicated that I was not eligible for reimbursement because I did not pay the dealership to replace the battery. I had bought an Interstate battery at Costco and replaced it myself. Replacing a car battery is not rocket science. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle accelerated from a stop sign at high speed and brakes were pushed down all the way with no respond the steering wheels was stiff and the Vehicle continued at high speed on its own crashing curbs side walk vegetation along the way until final crash at a tree. not warning lamps messages and air bag did not deploy. Car eng…
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Vehicle accelerated from a stop sign at high speed and brakes were pushed down all the way with no respond the steering wheels was stiff and the Vehicle continued at high speed on its own crashing curbs side walk vegetation along the way until final crash at a tree. not warning lamps messages and air bag did not deploy. Car engine remained on at time of crash until manually turned off. safety of driver & passenger and others near by were at very high risk. Head on collision with other vehicles and homes could have happened. Insurance adjuster inspected and determined it is a "Total Lose" but did not gave reason for incident. police report was done and suggested to follow up with dealership. Emailed about this incident to Subaru dealership. Unknown if any additional inspection was done.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the power steering malfunctioned, and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure and no repair was performed. Additionally, whil…
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The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the power steering malfunctioned, and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure and no repair was performed. Additionally, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear brake lights failed to illuminate while depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the brake light switch under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V149000 (Exterior Lighting). The failure mileage was 19,000.
Started the car and began to back out of driveway when power steering warning light came on and power steering was loss as soon as I began turning the wheel. Total loss of power steering. If this were to happen at highway speeds, unexpectedly, a major life threatening collision could occur. The odds of a probable coolision would…
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Started the car and began to back out of driveway when power steering warning light came on and power steering was loss as soon as I began turning the wheel. Total loss of power steering. If this were to happen at highway speeds, unexpectedly, a major life threatening collision could occur. The odds of a probable coolision would be pretty high for even an experienced driver.
My Vehicle's horn stop working about six months ago, not long after I had to replace the battery. I took it to dealership and they had to replace the clock spring , roll connector. I use the horn only when absolutely necessary. I have never had a cars horn go out. I think they ought to last at least ten years if not longer. …
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My Vehicle's horn stop working about six months ago, not long after I had to replace the battery. I took it to dealership and they had to replace the clock spring , roll connector. I use the horn only when absolutely necessary. I have never had a cars horn go out. I think they ought to last at least ten years if not longer. Is this a defect? I just wanted to let you know.
Driving in merging four lane traffic 70mph when forward motion stopped due to power loss. Almost wrecked getting to shoulder of road. Stranded in 90+ heat. Vehicle would not crank.
RECEIVED A WARNING LIGHT SAYING TO CHECK POWER STEERING. NOTHING TO CHECK ON ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. LIGHT WENT OFF BY SWITCHING IGNITION OFF AND BACK ON. INTERNET SEARCH FOUND FAILURES WHILE DRIVING ON THE EPS SYSTEM, SO I TOOK CAR IN FOR DIAGNOSIS. A CODE HAD BEEN STORED THAT LEAD TO A DIAGNOSIS OF BAD EPS GEARBOX. REPAIR NEC…
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RECEIVED A WARNING LIGHT SAYING TO CHECK POWER STEERING. NOTHING TO CHECK ON ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. LIGHT WENT OFF BY SWITCHING IGNITION OFF AND BACK ON. INTERNET SEARCH FOUND FAILURES WHILE DRIVING ON THE EPS SYSTEM, SO I TOOK CAR IN FOR DIAGNOSIS. A CODE HAD BEEN STORED THAT LEAD TO A DIAGNOSIS OF BAD EPS GEARBOX. REPAIR NECESSITATED REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE STEERING RACK. NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED FOR OBVIOUS SAFETY REASONS - LOSS OF STEERING!
POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS
Official recalls
319V701000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
Oct 3, 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUM-98.
19V149000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
Feb 28, 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.
16V162000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/supercharger
Mar 21, 2016
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTA-62.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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