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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.

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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.

53 crash reports7 fire reports26 injury reports

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

70 reports
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Mileage unknown · Aug 4, 2022
Fuel/propulsion SystemPower TrainVehicle Speed Control

I was driving with cruise control going around 70 when the car started slowing down suddenly. Not wanting to slow down even more, I turned off the cruise control by hand using the cancel button on the steering wheel (rather than tap the brake) but when I then hit the accelerator, the engine felt like it was in neutral, revving p…

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I was driving with cruise control going around 70 when the car started slowing down suddenly. Not wanting to slow down even more, I turned off the cruise control by hand using the cancel button on the steering wheel (rather than tap the brake) but when I then hit the accelerator, the engine felt like it was in neutral, revving past 6000 rpm on the tachometer. At that point, I realized I had no control over the drive train so I pulled off the road onto the center median of the highway, just as the engine died - fortunately, there wasn’t anyone following close behind. We had been driving for about 1.5 hours with the AC blasting and the gas tank at that point was low, with less than 1/8 remaining. All this happened without any dashboard warning lights turning on. This was the very last leg of a ten-day, 2,000 mile road trip. I tried restarting the engine but only got clicking. Since I thought we’d be struck a while and it was so hot, I turned the key to the accessory position and was able to roll down the windows. We sat there for a couple of minutes wondering what to do. It took another minute to find my AAA card. Before calling for roadside assistance, I tried starting the engine again and this time it turned over. We did not have any further problems in the remaining 100 miles of our trip (though I was very anxious about it happening again). I took the car in to a Subaru service center this morning (36 hours later). They did a multi-point inspection and road test but did not find any issues and were not able to replicate the problem.

NHTSA ODI #11477675

Mileage unknown · Aug 4, 2022
Vehicle Speed Control

I have had several instances while driving on the highway when my forester revs to a very high RPM, the vehicle speeds up suddenly, and then shuts off completely. The only fix is to put the vehicle in neutral, move to the shoulder, and restart the vehicle. This has happened approximately 4 times during my 1 year of ownership and…

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I have had several instances while driving on the highway when my forester revs to a very high RPM, the vehicle speeds up suddenly, and then shuts off completely. The only fix is to put the vehicle in neutral, move to the shoulder, and restart the vehicle. This has happened approximately 4 times during my 1 year of ownership and it is completely random when it occurs.

NHTSA ODI #11477539

72,000 miles · May 18, 2022
Vehicle Speed Control

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration causing the driver to immediately depress the brake pedal to abruptly stop the vehicle. After the failure, the vehicle operated as normal. The cause of the failure was not yet deter…

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The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration causing the driver to immediately depress the brake pedal to abruptly stop the vehicle. After the failure, the vehicle operated as normal. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

NHTSA ODI #11465161

Mileage unknown · Mar 15, 2022
Fuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

Sudden accelerations.

NHTSA ODI #11456739

60,000 miles · Nov 4, 2021
Vehicle Speed Control

The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, pulling into a parking space, and while attempting to park the vehicle on the street, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. The contact had to depress the brake pedal several times before the brakes were engaged. T…

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The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, pulling into a parking space, and while attempting to park the vehicle on the street, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. The contact had to depress the brake pedal several times before the brakes were engaged. The failure occurred on two separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer could not replicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and was later sold to St. Cloud Subaru (141 Park Ave S, St. Cloud, MN 56301). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately under 60,000.

NHTSA ODI #11439324

Mileage unknown · Aug 7, 2021
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

This 2015 Subaru accelerates without warning and without gas pedal input. The issue arose about a month ago (July 2021) and has persisted ever since. The vehicle will rev while in park and once put into drive will jolt aggressively and without warning. Additionally, the vehicle will enter low-power mode at random and decelerate …

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This 2015 Subaru accelerates without warning and without gas pedal input. The issue arose about a month ago (July 2021) and has persisted ever since. The vehicle will rev while in park and once put into drive will jolt aggressively and without warning. Additionally, the vehicle will enter low-power mode at random and decelerate to 15-20mph. This has caused multiple hazards when driving on highways/interstates where pulling over is difficult or impossible.

NHTSA ODI #11428178

Mileage unknown · May 26, 2021
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed ControlCrash

The 2015 Subaru Forester accelerated unexpectedly while slowly turning into a a Walgreens parking lot. The acceleration could not be stopped by stepping on the brake, and the car crashed into the brick building. The vehicle is at Phil's Auto Body Shop in Rosemount, MN. The estimate on the car is complete, and waiting on State F…

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The 2015 Subaru Forester accelerated unexpectedly while slowly turning into a a Walgreens parking lot. The acceleration could not be stopped by stepping on the brake, and the car crashed into the brick building. The vehicle is at Phil's Auto Body Shop in Rosemount, MN. The estimate on the car is complete, and waiting on State Farm insurance to approve. The police were at the scene of the accident. Walgreens has video of the accident from their security cameras.

NHTSA ODI #11418574

60,000 miles · May 10, 2021
Vehicle Speed ControlCrashInjury

AUTO ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY AFTER LEAVING CAR WASH BAY. AUTO SPED THROUGH PARKING LOT INTO STREET AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER AUTO TRAVELING ON A ROAD.

NHTSA ODI #11415816

107,008 miles · Apr 14, 2021
Electrical SystemForward Collision AvoidanceVehicle Speed Control

SUDDENLY IT STARTED TO ACCURATE AND THE OTHER WAS ALL IN BORD CONTROL SYSTEM DEFAULT ARE LIGHTING UP

NHTSA ODI #11407997

134,000 miles · Feb 23, 2021
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, CAUSING THE SPEED TO INCREASE TO APPROXIMATELY 62 MPH AFTER LEAVING FROM A STOP LIGHT. ON ANOTHER OCCASION WHILE DRIVING, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE DRIVER DOWNSHIFTED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE WHIC…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, CAUSING THE SPEED TO INCREASE TO APPROXIMATELY 62 MPH AFTER LEAVING FROM A STOP LIGHT. ON ANOTHER OCCASION WHILE DRIVING, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE DRIVER DOWNSHIFTED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT YET DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER AUSTIN SUBARU LOCATED AT 8100 BURNET RD, AUSTIN, TX 78757 AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,000.

NHTSA ODI #11397488

Official recalls

3

19V701000 · 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Subaru Forester problems