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2018 Subaru Forester

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Forester years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Subaru Forester are substantially higher than the model-year median of 131.

About this comparison →
493Owner complaints

Model-year median: 131

3Recall campaigns

View recall details →

1Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
613
2015413
2016586
2017493
2018833
2019600
2020207
2021
Compare all Forester years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Visibility/wiper
135Air Bags
96Unknown Or Other
82Electrical System
70Engine
31
All reported categories
Seats
30Vehicle Speed Control
30Steering
24Power Train
23Visibility
21Fuel/propulsion System
19Suspension
15Structure
14Service Brakes
13Seat Belts
10Forward Collision Avoidance
8Lane Departure
7Electronic Stability Control (esc)
6Wheels
6Back Over Prevention
2Exterior Lighting
2Fuel System, Gasoline
2Tires
2Carry Handle, Shell, Base
1Service Brakes, Hydraulic
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

241 reports with mileage · 252 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.

  • Visibility/wiper. Review the 135 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 96 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 70 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

26 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports

Power Train complaints

23 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jun 14, 2021
Fuel/propulsion SystemPower TrainVehicle Speed Control

The 2018 Forrester XT was taken to Subaru Dealer (Gwinnett) for a routine 42,000-mile service. There were no issues with the car. Shortly after picking up and driving approximately 30 miles the car stalled twice at traffic lights. The engine was restarted but started to exhibit sluggish and erratic acceleration, especially fro…

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The 2018 Forrester XT was taken to Subaru Dealer (Gwinnett) for a routine 42,000-mile service. There were no issues with the car. Shortly after picking up and driving approximately 30 miles the car stalled twice at traffic lights. The engine was restarted but started to exhibit sluggish and erratic acceleration, especially from 0-45 MPH. The car was taken back to Gwinnett Subaru the next day. They did some data retrieval and found a mass airflow event, cleaned the air filter, test drove the car, and released it to us. The next few days, the same problems were experienced but the car did not stall. At one point, at a traffic light, the car would simply not accelerate even with full pedal pressure which was gradually increased. When it finally did, it was uncontrolled and erratic. Highway driving once speed was reached seemed normal, but any acceleration from a slower speed was problematic. On Monday 6-14-2021 the car was taken back to the dealer due to serious concerns about safety and the possibility of the loss of power when critically needed or when on the highway. The dealer promised to investigate the problem further. That evening, we were informed that it was their assessment that the car would need a brand new CVT transmission. The car has approximately 41,100 miles and we were told that it would be covered by the 5 years/60,000 miles powertrain warranty. Expected to take 7-10 days for repair.

NHTSA ODI #11420905

2,000 miles · Apr 14, 2021
Power TrainSuspensionUnknown Or Other

I HAVE AC PROBLEMS, REFRIGERANT LEAK, ACTUATOR PROBLEMS, BAD COMPRESSOR. I HAVE SERIOUS CVT SURGING AND SUSPENSION PROBLEMS THAT MAKE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CAR LITERALLY BEGINS TO HOP LIKE YOU ARE STOMPING THE GAS AND BREAKS BACK AND FORTH AND CAN EASILY MAKE YOU LOSE CONTROL. IT SOMETIMES DOES NOTHING WHEN PRESSING ACC…

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I HAVE AC PROBLEMS, REFRIGERANT LEAK, ACTUATOR PROBLEMS, BAD COMPRESSOR. I HAVE SERIOUS CVT SURGING AND SUSPENSION PROBLEMS THAT MAKE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CAR LITERALLY BEGINS TO HOP LIKE YOU ARE STOMPING THE GAS AND BREAKS BACK AND FORTH AND CAN EASILY MAKE YOU LOSE CONTROL. IT SOMETIMES DOES NOTHING WHEN PRESSING ACCELERATOR FOR WAY TOO LONG MAKING IT DANGEROUS PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. WINDOWS ROLL DOWN WITHOUT PRESSING BUTTON AND WON'T ROLL BACK UP UNLESS YOU ROLL THEM ALL THE WAY DOWN FIRST AND USUALLY IT JUST ROLLS RIGHT BACK DOWN AGAIN. AWEFUL TRYING TO DRIVE WHILE FIGHTING WITH WINDOWS THAT WON'T STAY UP. SUSPENSION IS SO DESTROYED FROM THE SURGING AND HOPPING THAT IT CANNOT BE ALIGNED. THE VEHICLE DESTROYS TIRES RAPIDLY AND UNEVENLY. GAS MPG IS TERRIBLE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU RUN AC. STEERING ASSIST IS DANGEROUS AND WILL SOMETIMES JERK WHEEL AWAY FOR NO REASON CAUSING YOU TO SCRAPE CURBS AND NEARLY HIT A POLE ONCE.. BREAKING ASSIST IS ALSO DANGEROUS AS IT WILL SLAM BREAKS FOR NO REASON. LANE DEPARTURE BEEPS A LOT FOR NO REASON. WIPERS ARE GARBAGE. WINDSHIELD GLASS IS TOO SOFT AND ALL DUST SCRATCHES IT MAKING VISIBILITY POOR THE TRUNK OFTEN WILL NOT OPEN NO MATTER IF YOU PUSH BUTTON ON KEY, INSIDE CAR OR ON TRUNK. THE DOOR SEALS FELL OFF, CHEAP CLIPS FALL OFF THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO HOLD IMPORTANT THINGS IN PLACE, GLOVE BOX SHOCK BROKE. I'M SURE THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES TOO. SUSPENSION IS A BIG ISSUE HOWEVER, COMPLETELY SHOT FROM SURGING. FAR TOO EXPENSIVE TO GET WHOLE NEW SUSPENSION. DEALERSHIP IGNORED ALL COMPLAINTS AND PURGED ALL RECORDS OF VISITS SO I COULDN'T FILE LEMON LAW. SUBARU IS VERY DISHONEST. SO MANY THINGS NEED RECALL THAT IT IS A LEMON PURE AND SIMPLE.

NHTSA ODI #11408079

65,000 miles · Mar 5, 2021
Back Over PreventionPower TrainCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU FOSTER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKING HER VEHICLE SHE SHIFTED INTO PARK, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND NO STRANGE SOUND HAPPENED BEFORE THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO DEPLOY THE AIR BAGS. THE CONTACT SUSTAINE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU FOSTER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKING HER VEHICLE SHE SHIFTED INTO PARK, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND NO STRANGE SOUND HAPPENED BEFORE THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO DEPLOY THE AIR BAGS. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED WHIPLASH AND NECK PAIN BUT NO MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. EMERGENCY OFFICIALS WERE CONTACTED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE 'S FRONT BUMPER AND HEADLIGHT WAS DAMAGED AND THE BUILDING DOOR WAS BROKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 65,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #11399285

Mileage unknown · Jan 9, 2021
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

A FEW INCIDENTS HAVE HAPPENED SINCE THE LATTER HALF OF 2020: WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT THAT TURNED GREEN, MY CAR STOPPED MOVING FOR A FEW SECONDS DESPITE PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL AND THE RPM WENT UP TO 6/ LOUDLY REVVED. I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED AT THIS LIGHT.THE CAR HAS ALSO HAD THIS LACK OF MOVEMENT ISSUE ON THE FREEWAY WHILE IN TR…

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A FEW INCIDENTS HAVE HAPPENED SINCE THE LATTER HALF OF 2020: WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT THAT TURNED GREEN, MY CAR STOPPED MOVING FOR A FEW SECONDS DESPITE PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL AND THE RPM WENT UP TO 6/ LOUDLY REVVED. I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED AT THIS LIGHT.THE CAR HAS ALSO HAD THIS LACK OF MOVEMENT ISSUE ON THE FREEWAY WHILE IN TRAFFIC. MY CAR JERKS SEVERAL TIMES ON SLIGHT INCLINES ESPECIALLY AFTER SURPASSING 40 MPH. OFTEN TIMES, I CANNOT ACCELERATE PAST 40 MPH REGARDLESS IF THE DRIVE IS ON A FLAT SURFACE OR AN INCLINE. THE RPM WILL INCREASE, BUT THE GEAR FEELS LIKE IT WILL GET STUCK AND THE CAR MAKES A LOUD NOISE. THIS IS THE MOST NOTICEABLE GOING FROM 40 MPH TO 50-55 MPH. THESE INCIDENTS ARE ON CITY STREETS. HOWEVER, POWER OFTEN GETS LOST GOING ON TO FREEWAYS FOR THE SAME REASON. I CANNOT SURPASS 40 MPH WHEN ENTERING A FREEWAY AND WAS ALMOST SIDESWIPED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BY AN IMPATIENT PERSON ENTERING TOO EARLY WHERE THE ON-RAMP MERGES WITH THE FREEWAY BECAUSE OF THIS. WHILE ON A FREEWAY, THE CAR WILL CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE DESPITE ATTEMPTING TO SLOW IT DOWN BY PRESSING ON THE BRAKE OR COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED ON CITY STREETS AND POSES A SAFETY ISSUE. THE ACCELERATION WHEN THIS HAPPENS IS MUCH FASTER THAN WHEN I TRY TO MANUALLY ACCELERATE THE CAR MYSELF IN OTHER CONTEXTS, LIKE MENTIONED ABOVE. I BELIEVE IT IS THE CVT AS THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CARS OF MY MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR.

NHTSA ODI #11387332

47,000 miles · Oct 26, 2020
Power Train

FIRST, DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED WORKING. SECOND, THE VERY NEXT DAY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE NOISES (SQUEALING) WHEN DRIVING IT ANYWHERE. STREETS, TURNS, HILLS ETC. THEN IT BEGAN RACE AND IT FELT AS IF THE BACK TIRES WERE RACING TO CATCH UP TO THE FRONT TIRES. THERE WAS LURCHING FORWARD. SHUDDERING. NO…

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FIRST, DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED WORKING. SECOND, THE VERY NEXT DAY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE NOISES (SQUEALING) WHEN DRIVING IT ANYWHERE. STREETS, TURNS, HILLS ETC. THEN IT BEGAN RACE AND IT FELT AS IF THE BACK TIRES WERE RACING TO CATCH UP TO THE FRONT TIRES. THERE WAS LURCHING FORWARD. SHUDDERING. NO DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, THEN TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. IT WAS SCARY TO DRIVE IT THERE. I FELT LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WAS GOING UP. THIRD, THE TAILGATE, ( IN OR OUT) RELEASE BUTTONS WERE NOT WORKING CONSISTENTLY (REPEAT COMPLAINT). I LEFT THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALERSHIP AND TELEPHONED SUBARU OF AMERICA. THIS 2018; I HAD OWNED FOR EXACTLY TWO MONTHS. I HAD ONLY DRIVEN THE CAR APPROX 1200 MILES TOTAL. MILEAGE 47,000. THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE AC AND CVT TRANSMISSION. THE AC IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND IT WAS THE CONDENSER THAT WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED REPLACED. THE CVT IS ALSO A KNOWN PROBLEM. THE SERVICE TECH TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND ABLE TO DUPLICATE CONCERN. HE FOUND THE RPM INCREASED AND THE SQUEALING COULD BE HEARD. VEHICLE WOULD SHUDDER. WHEN HE REMOVED THE PAN HE FOUND METAL IN THE OIL. CONFIRMING THE CVT (TRANSMISSION) NEEDED REPLACED. REPAIRS WERE MADE UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. GIVEN THE INFORMATION FOUND ON THE WEB REGARDING THESE PROBLEMS IT WAS IMPORTANT TO REPORT THAT THESE PROBLEMS CONTINUE. SAFETY IS CONCERN.

NHTSA ODI #11366545

Mileage unknown · Nov 25, 2019
Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND SOMETIMES LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER IT WAS SHUT OFF. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUBARU SHERMAN OAKS (888-690-1521, LOCATED AT 5747 VAN NUYS BLVD, VAN NUYS, CA 91401) WHERE THE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND SOMETIMES LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER IT WAS SHUT OFF. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUBARU SHERMAN OAKS (888-690-1521, LOCATED AT 5747 VAN NUYS BLVD, VAN NUYS, CA 91401) WHERE THE TECHNICIAN TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT SOMEONE WOULD FOLLOW UP WITH THE DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS NOT CALLED BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT PROVIDED.

NHTSA ODI #11282288

10,000 miles · Apr 9, 2019
Power TrainSuspension

WHEN ON AN INCLINE, AND OR ENTERING A HIGHWAY WHILE ACCELERATING THE CAR WILL GO INTO THE HILL DECENT MODE. EVERY LIGHT ON THE DASH WILL LIGHT UP! I AM FORCED TO PULL OVER BECAUSE THE ENGINE IS NOW SCREAMING!!! I THEN NEED TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON TWO TIMES IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE IT. NOW HALF THE LIGHTS ARE STILL ON. BU…

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WHEN ON AN INCLINE, AND OR ENTERING A HIGHWAY WHILE ACCELERATING THE CAR WILL GO INTO THE HILL DECENT MODE. EVERY LIGHT ON THE DASH WILL LIGHT UP! I AM FORCED TO PULL OVER BECAUSE THE ENGINE IS NOW SCREAMING!!! I THEN NEED TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON TWO TIMES IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE IT. NOW HALF THE LIGHTS ARE STILL ON. BUT THE CAR IS RUNNING NORMALLY. IT WILL TAKE TO MORE TIMES TURNING OFF THE ENGINE BEFORE ALL THE LIGHTS GO OFF. THE DEALER CLAIMED I WAS DRIVING TWO FOOTED. LEFT FOOT ON BRAKE AND RIGHT ON GAS. NOT TRUE I DO NOT DRIVE LIKE THAT. YOU CAN VERIFY THIS BEHAVIOR WITH STARLINK WHICH I HAD THE FIRST YEAR. STAMFORD SUBARU HAS HAD THE CAR A WEEK NOW AND I HAVE HEARD NOTHING! THE SECOND ISSUE IS THE FRONT END. WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP OR TURNING INTO A DRIVEWAY THERE IS A LOUD CLUNK. TO ME IT SOUNDS LIKE BALL JOINTS. STAMFORD SUBARU HAS TOLD ME IT IS THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM LIFTING ONE WHEEL OFF THE GROUND, THAT'S BULL. I'M DOING FIVE MILES AN HOUR. BOTH ISSUES HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER A YEAR. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN MY SUBARU. STAMFORD SUBARU HAS GIVEN ME AN IMPRESA AS A LONER AND I AM LOVING IT. I HAVE PUT SIX HUNDRED MILES ON IT AND NO PROBLEMS. PLEASE GET IN THEIR BUTTS TO FIX OR REPLACE MY FORESTER!!! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE... PS, THE COMPUTER CODE SAID INCORRECT GEAR RATIO FOR THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. IN ADDITION THIS HAS HAPPENED FIVE TIMES IN A YEAR AND FOUR MONTHS. VERY SCARY!!!

NHTSA ODI #11195285

Mileage unknown · Dec 3, 2018
Power Train

ON AUGUST 23, 2018, I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW SUBARU FORESTER (VIN # (XX)) FROM SOUTHERN STATES AUTOMOTIVE IN RALEIGH, NC. ON OCTOBER 30, 2018, I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM SUBARU OF AMERICA STATING THAT SUBARU OF AMERICA IS IMPLEMENTING A WARRANTY EXTENSION OF 10 YEARS/100,000 MILES (WHICHEVER COMES FIRST) FOR MY VEHICLE'S CONTINUOUS…

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ON AUGUST 23, 2018, I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW SUBARU FORESTER (VIN # (XX)) FROM SOUTHERN STATES AUTOMOTIVE IN RALEIGH, NC. ON OCTOBER 30, 2018, I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM SUBARU OF AMERICA STATING THAT SUBARU OF AMERICA IS IMPLEMENTING A WARRANTY EXTENSION OF 10 YEARS/100,000 MILES (WHICHEVER COMES FIRST) FOR MY VEHICLE'S CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION (CVT). ON OCTOBER 31, 2018, AT 5:13 PM, I SPOKE TO ERIC IN SUBARU'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISION. I ASKED ERIC HOW LONG SUBARU HAD KNOWN ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CVTS. HE STATED "TWO WEEKS." I STATED TO ERIC THAT I BOUGHT A SUBARU BECAUSE OF ITS RELIABILITY. I ASKED ERIC TO OFFER ME A LIFETIME WARRANTY ON MY CVT. ERIC STATED THERE WAS NO WAY HE OR ANYONE IN HIS DEPARTMENT COULD DO THAT. AT 7:09 PM ON OCTOBER 31, 2018, I SPOKE TO VIRGIL - A SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPERVISOR. I ASKED VIRGIL TO PROVIDE ME WITH A LIFETIME WARRANTY ON MY CVT. VIRGIL OFFERED ME A $500 SERVICE VOUCHER WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF NOVEMBER 2019. I ASKED VIRGIL HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO REPLACE MY CVT. HE STATED "SIX OR SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS." HE STATED THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE CAPABLE OF REVIEWING MY CONCERNS. ON NOVEMBER 13, 2018, I SPOKE TO DONNIE (X) AND DERRICK (X) IN THE SALES DEPARTMENT AT SOUTHERN STATES SUBARU. BOTH INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ME A LIFETIME WARRANTY FOR MY CVT. I HAVE PAID SUBARU $11,200 TOWARD THE COST OF MY BRAND NEW 2018 FORESTER. I SPECIFICALLY PURCHASED IT BECAUSE OF SUBARU'S REPUTATION FOR RELIABILITY. PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI #11155609

9,300 miles · Nov 22, 2018
Power Train

OCCASIONALLY WHEN I SLOWLY ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, AS WHEN I PULL INTO A DRIVING LANE FROM A PARKING LOT A STOP SIGN, THE CAR WILL MOVE A FEW FEET AND THEN STOP. THE ENGINE WILL STILL BE TURNING APPROX. 2000 RPM BUT THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE . WHEN I APPLY THE ACCELERATOR THE RPM DOES NOT CHANGE AND THE CAR STILL WILL NOT MOVE. AFTE…

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OCCASIONALLY WHEN I SLOWLY ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, AS WHEN I PULL INTO A DRIVING LANE FROM A PARKING LOT A STOP SIGN, THE CAR WILL MOVE A FEW FEET AND THEN STOP. THE ENGINE WILL STILL BE TURNING APPROX. 2000 RPM BUT THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE . WHEN I APPLY THE ACCELERATOR THE RPM DOES NOT CHANGE AND THE CAR STILL WILL NOT MOVE. AFTER ANYWHERE FROM 3-5 SECONDS THE CAR WILL ACCELERATE NORMALLY. OTHERWISE THE CAR PERFORMS NORMALLY AND THERE IS NO HESITATION AT HIGHER SPEEDS. AS A RESULT, I AM SITTING HELPLESS IN A TRAFFIC LAND WITH CARS BEARING DOWN ON ME. S FAR WE HAVE NOT BEEN HIT. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO REPLICATE THIS PROBLEM AND IT MAY OCCUR A FEW TIMES IN ONE DAY OR NIT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM ON A TEST DRIVE. HOWEVER, A SERVICE WRITER WITH THE SAME MODEL DID DESCRIBE A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE. THE SERVICE DEPT. RAN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND SAID THAT EVERYTHING IS NORMAL. SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THAT UNLESS THEY CAN DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. WHEN I GOOGLED THIS PROBLEM I FOUND SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS INVOLVING SEVERAL SUBARU MODELS AND ALSO THAT SUBARU IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT APPARENTLY HAS NOT FOUND A SOLUTION.

NHTSA ODI #11153216

7,000 miles · Oct 26, 2018
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND DECELERATED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JOHNSON SUBARU OF CARY (5010 OLD RALEIGH RD, CARY, NC 27511, (833) 287-8912) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND DECELERATED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JOHNSON SUBARU OF CARY (5010 OLD RALEIGH RD, CARY, NC 27511, (833) 287-8912) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 7,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #11142919

Official recalls

3

21V587000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Jul 29, 2021

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.

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.

18V455000 · Equipment:other:labels; Tires

Jul 10, 2018

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. The Certification Label may indicate the incorrect wheel size, tire size, and air pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected label, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTS-78.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Equipment:other:labels

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. The Certification Label may indicate the incorrect wheel size, tire size, and air pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

Consequence: Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected label, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTS-78.

Tires

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. The Certification Label may indicate the incorrect wheel size, tire size, and air pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

Consequence: Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected label, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTS-78.

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

1

PE19009 · Occupant Detection System (ods) Failure

Opened Aug 6, 2019 · Closed Jan 22, 2020

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags; Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module; Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full-sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The complaints reported the ODS failed to operate properly, the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light illuminated, and/or the ODS incorrectly suppressed (turned off) the front passenger air bag when the seat was occupied by a full-sized passenger. In a frontal crash that is sufficient to warrant deployment, a suppressed air bag may increase the risk of injury to the occupant of the seat.On August 14, 2019 ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Subaru requesting information on the subject vehicles and MY 2014-2015 Subaru Forester vehicles.On October 3, 2019, Subaru submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect in the passenger-side front airbag Occupant Detection System (ODS) harness of 366,282 MY 2015-2018 Subaru Forester vehicles equipped with seat heaters.The DIR stated that over time, due to a decrease in contact pressure between the terminals in the ODS sensor mat harness, a temporarily unstable electrical connection may be possible. If the connection is temporarily unstable, the ODS may not properly determine the status of the right front seat occupant. If the ODS is unable to correctly determine the status of the front occupant, the airbag warning light may illuminate, and 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.Using vehicle production data and field occurrence frequency, Subaru determined the potentially affected vehicle production range to be between January 20, 2015 ?and August 1, 2017.In addition, Subaru indicated that over 99 percent of the related MY 2015-2018 field reports with vehicles in the production range involved vehicles with seat heaters.NHTSA's analysis of complaint and warranty claim data showed 1,440 of the complaints and 11,672 of the claims involve vehicles with seat heaters that were built within the production range covered by Subaru's recall.In addition, NHTSA's analysis showed a complaint rate of 393.1 per hundred thousand vehicles for the recalled population and 89.0 for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall. Analysis of warranty claim data found a claim rate of 3.2 percent for the recalled population and 0.3 percent for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall.Subaru will instruct owners with Subaru Forester vehicles produced in the affected vehicle production range, to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the sensor mat harness, inspected and replaced with a new part, including the seat cushion assembly, if necessary.Based on ODI's analysis, the actions taken by Subaru mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by ODS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles. For subject and peer vehicles outside the recall population and those equipped without seat heaters, ODI's analysis indicates that there is currently no safety-related defect trend. Given these circumstances, further use of the agency resources in this matter does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.

Additional source detail variants (4)

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full-sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The complaints reported the ODS failed to operate properly, the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light illuminated, and/or the ODS incorrectly suppressed (turned off) the front passenger air bag when the seat was occupied by a full-sized passenger. In a frontal crash that is sufficient to warrant deployment, a suppressed air bag may increase the risk of injury to the occupant of the seat.On August 14, 2019 ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Subaru requesting information on the subject vehicles and MY 2014-2015 Subaru Forester vehicles.On October 3, 2019, Subaru submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect in the passenger-side front airbag Occupant Detection System (ODS) harness of 366,282 MY 2015-2018 Subaru Forester vehicles equipped with seat heaters.The DIR stated that over time, due to a decrease in contact pressure between the terminals in the ODS sensor mat harness, a temporarily unstable electrical connection may be possible. If the connection is temporarily unstable, the ODS may not properly determine the status of the right front seat occupant. If the ODS is unable to correctly determine the status of the front occupant, the airbag warning light may illuminate, and 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.Using vehicle production data and field occurrence frequency, Subaru determined the potentially affected vehicle production range to be between January 20, 2015 ?and August 1, 2017.In addition, Subaru indicated that over 99 percent of the related MY 2015-2018 field reports with vehicles in the production range involved vehicles with seat heaters.NHTSA's analysis of complaint and warranty claim data showed 1,440 of the complaints and 11,672 of the claims involve vehicles with seat heaters that were built within the production range covered by Subaru's recall.In addition, NHTSA's analysis showed a complaint rate of 393.1 per hundred thousand vehicles for the recalled population and 89.0 for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall. Analysis of warranty claim data found a claim rate of 3.2 percent for the recalled population and 0.3 percent for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall.Subaru will instruct owners with Subaru Forester vehicles produced in the affected vehicle production range, to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the sensor mat harness, inspected and replaced with a new part, including the seat cushion assembly, if necessary.Based on ODI's analysis, the actions taken by Subaru mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by ODS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles. For subject and peer vehicles outside the recall population and those equipped without seat heaters, ODI's analysis indicates that there is currently no safety-related defect trend. Given these circumstances, further use of the agency resources in this matter does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.

Air Bags:frontal

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full-sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The complaints reported the ODS failed to operate properly, the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light illuminated, and/or the ODS incorrectly suppressed (turned off) the front passenger air bag when the seat was occupied by a full-sized passenger. In a frontal crash that is sufficient to warrant deployment, a suppressed air bag may increase the risk of injury to the occupant of the seat.On August 14, 2019 ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Subaru requesting information on the subject vehicles and MY 2014-2015 Subaru Forester vehicles.On October 3, 2019, Subaru submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect in the passenger-side front airbag Occupant Detection System (ODS) harness of 366,282 MY 2015-2018 Subaru Forester vehicles equipped with seat heaters.The DIR stated that over time, due to a decrease in contact pressure between the terminals in the ODS sensor mat harness, a temporarily unstable electrical connection may be possible. If the connection is temporarily unstable, the ODS may not properly determine the status of the right front seat occupant. If the ODS is unable to correctly determine the status of the front occupant, the airbag warning light may illuminate, and 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.Using vehicle production data and field occurrence frequency, Subaru determined the potentially affected vehicle production range to be between January 20, 2015 ?and August 1, 2017.In addition, Subaru indicated that over 99 percent of the related MY 2015-2018 field reports with vehicles in the production range involved vehicles with seat heaters.NHTSA's analysis of complaint and warranty claim data showed 1,440 of the complaints and 11,672 of the claims involve vehicles with seat heaters that were built within the production range covered by Subaru's recall.In addition, NHTSA's analysis showed a complaint rate of 393.1 per hundred thousand vehicles for the recalled population and 89.0 for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall. Analysis of warranty claim data found a claim rate of 3.2 percent for the recalled population and 0.3 percent for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall.Subaru will instruct owners with Subaru Forester vehicles produced in the affected vehicle production range, to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the sensor mat harness, inspected and replaced with a new part, including the seat cushion assembly, if necessary.Based on ODI's analysis, the actions taken by Subaru mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by ODS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles. For subject and peer vehicles outside the recall population and those equipped without seat heaters, ODI's analysis indicates that there is currently no safety-related defect trend. Given these circumstances, further use of the agency resources in this matter does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.

Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full-sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The complaints reported the ODS failed to operate properly, the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light illuminated, and/or the ODS incorrectly suppressed (turned off) the front passenger air bag when the seat was occupied by a full-sized passenger. In a frontal crash that is sufficient to warrant deployment, a suppressed air bag may increase the risk of injury to the occupant of the seat.On August 14, 2019 ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Subaru requesting information on the subject vehicles and MY 2014-2015 Subaru Forester vehicles.On October 3, 2019, Subaru submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect in the passenger-side front airbag Occupant Detection System (ODS) harness of 366,282 MY 2015-2018 Subaru Forester vehicles equipped with seat heaters.The DIR stated that over time, due to a decrease in contact pressure between the terminals in the ODS sensor mat harness, a temporarily unstable electrical connection may be possible. If the connection is temporarily unstable, the ODS may not properly determine the status of the right front seat occupant. If the ODS is unable to correctly determine the status of the front occupant, the airbag warning light may illuminate, and 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.Using vehicle production data and field occurrence frequency, Subaru determined the potentially affected vehicle production range to be between January 20, 2015 ?and August 1, 2017.In addition, Subaru indicated that over 99 percent of the related MY 2015-2018 field reports with vehicles in the production range involved vehicles with seat heaters.NHTSA's analysis of complaint and warranty claim data showed 1,440 of the complaints and 11,672 of the claims involve vehicles with seat heaters that were built within the production range covered by Subaru's recall.In addition, NHTSA's analysis showed a complaint rate of 393.1 per hundred thousand vehicles for the recalled population and 89.0 for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall. Analysis of warranty claim data found a claim rate of 3.2 percent for the recalled population and 0.3 percent for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall.Subaru will instruct owners with Subaru Forester vehicles produced in the affected vehicle production range, to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the sensor mat harness, inspected and replaced with a new part, including the seat cushion assembly, if necessary.Based on ODI's analysis, the actions taken by Subaru mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by ODS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles. For subject and peer vehicles outside the recall population and those equipped without seat heaters, ODI's analysis indicates that there is currently no safety-related defect trend. Given these circumstances, further use of the agency resources in this matter does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.

Air Bags

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full-sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The complaints reported the ODS failed to operate properly, the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light illuminated, and/or the ODS incorrectly suppressed (turned off) the front passenger air bag when the seat was occupied by a full-sized passenger. In a frontal crash that is sufficient to warrant deployment, a suppressed air bag may increase the risk of injury to the occupant of the seat.On August 14, 2019 ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Subaru requesting information on the subject vehicles and MY 2014-2015 Subaru Forester vehicles.On October 3, 2019, Subaru submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect in the passenger-side front airbag Occupant Detection System (ODS) harness of 366,282 MY 2015-2018 Subaru Forester vehicles equipped with seat heaters.The DIR stated that over time, due to a decrease in contact pressure between the terminals in the ODS sensor mat harness, a temporarily unstable electrical connection may be possible. If the connection is temporarily unstable, the ODS may not properly determine the status of the right front seat occupant. If the ODS is unable to correctly determine the status of the front occupant, the airbag warning light may illuminate, and 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.Using vehicle production data and field occurrence frequency, Subaru determined the potentially affected vehicle production range to be between January 20, 2015 ?and August 1, 2017.In addition, Subaru indicated that over 99 percent of the related MY 2015-2018 field reports with vehicles in the production range involved vehicles with seat heaters.NHTSA's analysis of complaint and warranty claim data showed 1,440 of the complaints and 11,672 of the claims involve vehicles with seat heaters that were built within the production range covered by Subaru's recall.In addition, NHTSA's analysis showed a complaint rate of 393.1 per hundred thousand vehicles for the recalled population and 89.0 for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall. Analysis of warranty claim data found a claim rate of 3.2 percent for the recalled population and 0.3 percent for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall.Subaru will instruct owners with Subaru Forester vehicles produced in the affected vehicle production range, to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the sensor mat harness, inspected and replaced with a new part, including the seat cushion assembly, if necessary.Based on ODI's analysis, the actions taken by Subaru mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by ODS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles. For subject and peer vehicles outside the recall population and those equipped without seat heaters, ODI's analysis indicates that there is currently no safety-related defect trend. Given these circumstances, further use of the agency resources in this matter does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.

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