2026 Subaru Forester

I am reporting a severe structural vulnerability regarding the component shielding on the 2026 Subaru Forester Touring. The vehicle was purchased brand new in March 2026 and experienced a catastrophic component failure on September 4, 2026, at only six months of ownership. While driving under normal road conditions, the vehicle’s climate control system completely failed. A subsequent inspection by an authorized Subaru dealership revealed that a rock passed entirely through the front factory grille and punctured the air conditioning condenser, causing an immediate loss of refrigerant and irreparable component damage. The dealership service department stated that this occurs frequently due to the unshielded, highly exposed placement of the condenser directly behind the widely spaced gaps of the front grille assembly. No significant impact or road hazard was heard or felt during operation, indicating that routine, minor road elements are capable of easily penetrating the factory defenses. A complete failure of the HVAC system in severe climates, such as the extreme heat of Texas, presents an immediate cabin safety hazard—especially for vulnerable occupants. The manufacturing and structural layout of the 2026 Forester grille fails to provide critical baseline protection for pressurized cooling components, creating an unreasonable risk of premature systemic failure from everyday driving environments. This open design should be investigated as a manufacturing defect.

I was pulling into a handicapped parking spot at the grocery store, turning right into it, and was almost stopped, with my right foot on the brake, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated at top speed, surging over the median strip, flattening the "Handicapped Parking" sign, and racing ahead into the street beyond. I drove forward and turned left back into the parking lot and parked the car. The flattened parking lot sign ripped the front panels off the car. I went into the grocery store and asked if we needed to call the police, and they said no, and that they would replace the sign. The two store managers helped m by putting the ripped off front, plastic panels into the back seat and advised me to take the car to the dealer to address the damage. My foot was on the brake when this unexpected acceleration occurred. I was extremely lucky that this did not happen when I was breaking at a stop light; if it had, I would have soared out into moving traffic and probably been killed.

"My 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness is subject to safety recall Campaign 26V346000 for moonroof adhesive failure. A yellow chemical fluid leaked out from the driver's side moonroof seal assembly and ran down the body panel, burning completely through the factory clear coat down to bare metal. While the fluid is not actively dripping at this exact moment, Landers McLarty Subaru explicitly documented on Invoice #401063: 'YELLOW FLUID COMING OUT OF DRIVERS SIDE OF SUNROOF CAUSING DAMAGED TO PAINT.' Despite this permanent written diagnosis from their own dealer network, Subaru of America is denying all liability and refusing to repair the vehicle, leaving the sheet metal exposed to rapid corrosion."

The contact owns a 2026 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was parked after fueling, the fuel door failed to latch as needed, especially when it was extremely hot outside. The contact poured cool or cold water on the fuel door to latch it securely. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the locking mechanism for the fuel tank door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.

I closed the driver's door, and the rear windshield shattered and collapsed into the vehicle. No known defects were known prior to the incident. Animals or contents in the rear compartment could have been cut by the shattered glass. The vehicle is only 4 months old. The rear windshield will be replaced by an independent glass company. We live in a very rural area, and park well away from the road. There were no storms since the previous use of the vehicle. Thus, no damage prior to the glass shattering.

Twice within a month. the Eyesight front collision braking system suddenly activated in traffic while passing through a signal light showing green when the car in front made a right turn onto an adjacent street. My vehicle was clear of the car that had turned right and could continue to proceed through the light without incident. The Eyesiight system activated and caused a near-miss potential rear end collision situation between my car and the cars following behind me.

I was merging into a road in Windsor, Ontario on July 3/4. I was nowhere near another vehicle. There was a LARGE gap between myself in any other cars. I am always extra cautious being out of country and driving. The automatic brakes kicked on and told me I had an obstruction ahead and would not let me control the vehicle. I was stopped turning into the middle of a five-lane road without control of my vehicle. This was incredibly dangerous. Luckily, it was only a few seconds and I had time to move before other cars got to me but it was a much closer call than it should have been.