COMPONENT SPOTLIGHT

Subaru Forester electrical problems

791 distinct owner reports with an electrical-system component in this snapshot.

Includes the electrical-system component and its detailed subcategories. Related recalls and investigations must also name this component; they are not linked by narrative keyword alone.

27 crash reports35 fire reports8 injury reports

Reports by model year

Recall and investigation columns show each year’s full history. A report naming several years can appear in more than one row.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

332 reports with mileage · 459 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 owners actually said

791 reports
2011 model year · Mileage unknown · Oct 23, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion SystemCrash

My car randomly turns off when reducing speed. It caused an accident a few days ago. I have had multiple mechanics try to figure out the problem but the only thing that comes up on the diagnostic tool is it needed 1 coil replaced. They have all been replaced and still won't go away. The Che k engine light is on. And the car use…

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My car randomly turns off when reducing speed. It caused an accident a few days ago. I have had multiple mechanics try to figure out the problem but the only thing that comes up on the diagnostic tool is it needed 1 coil replaced. They have all been replaced and still won't go away. The Che k engine light is on. And the car uses about a quart or more of oil everytime I fill up but has no leaks. When I reduce speed the car in traffic, around corners or to stop it constantly turns itself off. Starting it it sometimes turns itself off if I don't give it some gas at the same time. It smells like burning oil constantly.

NHTSA ODI #11551440

2019 model year · Mileage unknown · Oct 21, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

Three times in the last week or so, coming to a stop, in traffic, the car throws a warning about the EyeSight not working and it shuts the car off. The first time I was still rolling and had not come to a stop. The other two times I was just barely stopped and it happened. It would be horrible if it happened while driving fast. …

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Three times in the last week or so, coming to a stop, in traffic, the car throws a warning about the EyeSight not working and it shuts the car off. The first time I was still rolling and had not come to a stop. The other two times I was just barely stopped and it happened. It would be horrible if it happened while driving fast. You have to put it in park and hit the start button to turn the electrical off and then hit the button again to start the car. Windshield is clean. No visible obstruction to the camera system. Clear weather every time. No rain. Daytime driving.

NHTSA ODI #11551141

2017 model year · Mileage unknown · Oct 18, 2023
Electrical SystemSteeringUnknown Or Other

For the last few weeks on several occasions the ignition key remained stuck after parking and shutting off the engine. I was eventually able to release the key but was in a bit of a panic. I believe this should be a recall as I have read about this happening to many Subaru owners.

NHTSA ODI #11550606

2019 model year · Mileage unknown · Oct 18, 2023
Electrical System

Subaru has issued a service bulletin regarding this issue. The vehicles auto engine on/off (gas saving feature) fails to restart while driving due to OEM battery is known to be too weak. Only way to resolve the issue is to replace with higher capacity battery requiring new battery tray and additional new equipment. Current, c…

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Subaru has issued a service bulletin regarding this issue. The vehicles auto engine on/off (gas saving feature) fails to restart while driving due to OEM battery is known to be too weak. Only way to resolve the issue is to replace with higher capacity battery requiring new battery tray and additional new equipment. Current, customer has to pay repairs out of warranty. Incidents are frequent and reoccurring.

NHTSA ODI #11550549

2019 model year · Mileage unknown · Oct 15, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

This is a follow up from previous complaint 11525953 dated 6/8/2023. My subaru forester stalled again on 8/2 at an intersection after 15 minutes of driving, and then again on 10/4 at an intersection after 45 minutes of highway driving. There are no warning signals or any indication of engine problems. I replaced the air filter i…

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This is a follow up from previous complaint 11525953 dated 6/8/2023. My subaru forester stalled again on 8/2 at an intersection after 15 minutes of driving, and then again on 10/4 at an intersection after 45 minutes of highway driving. There are no warning signals or any indication of engine problems. I replaced the air filter in June hoping that might solve the issue.

NHTSA ODI #11550049

2016 model year · 19,000 miles · Oct 11, 2023
Electrical System

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that she was able to safely drive the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery was replaced for the third time, and the dealer informed the contact that they could…

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The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that she was able to safely drive the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery was replaced for the third time, and the dealer informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that the battery had been replaced three times in less than two years. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.  The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI #11549344

2018 model year · Mileage unknown · Oct 11, 2023
Electrical System

Starlink screen has failed - the screen will either only show the initial agreement screen and freeze or it will freeze with the back up camera activated. I can’t access Bluetooth capabilities, camera function, etc

NHTSA ODI #11549317

2020 model year · Mileage unknown · Oct 9, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion SystemFire

Daughter was driving vehicle on the morning of September 15, 2023, when smoke came from under hood. Immediately pulled over and engine was engulfed in flames. Got out of vehicle and moved a safe distance away as glass started to break and fire department arrived on scene. Picked up vehicle on September 12, 2023, after having the…

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Daughter was driving vehicle on the morning of September 15, 2023, when smoke came from under hood. Immediately pulled over and engine was engulfed in flames. Got out of vehicle and moved a safe distance away as glass started to break and fire department arrived on scene. Picked up vehicle on September 12, 2023, after having the thermal control valve replaced (warranty) but after doing research there are other components that also had to be replaced (fuel line, etc) as part of this repair. Noticed there have been other vehicles with recall due to thermal control valve just nothing on the Subaru Forester. Completely traumatized as the vehicle was gone in a little over 3 minutes. Have been in contact with Subaru but no resolution on what they believe caused the car to catch on fire. Did authorize them to get “black box” on September 29, 2023.

NHTSA ODI #11548980

2016 model year · Mileage unknown · Oct 7, 2023
Electrical System

BATTERY DRAIN ISSUE, 3RD BATTERY IN SINCE PURCHASE

NHTSA ODI #11548814

2016 model year · Mileage unknown · Oct 6, 2023
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

While driving my vehicle on my daily trip to work, I experience sudden power loss. My interior lights began to blink erratically, as my vehicle loss power and caused me to panic, as I was entering the highway. Some highways have no shoulders, so as quickly as I entered the highway, I pulled off took the next exit. I went into …

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While driving my vehicle on my daily trip to work, I experience sudden power loss. My interior lights began to blink erratically, as my vehicle loss power and caused me to panic, as I was entering the highway. Some highways have no shoulders, so as quickly as I entered the highway, I pulled off took the next exit. I went into a shopping center, to see what the issue was. I noticed that my radio and my air conditioning loss illumination. I turned the car off, opened the hood. I did not see anything of significance, I started the car up again, now the radio would not even start nor did the air conditioning. I phoned the Subaru dealer, to be told that this happens often! What, I thought to myself? I asked them if this was a well-known problem, why this has not become part of a recall, or why the dealership not contact Subaru of America, to work with their customer base and remedy the issue. I was told, that all that is done in the "diagnostic process", any codes are cleared, and this should get you back on the road. Are you kidding me, this is truly any motorist's nightmare. Losing power on a major highway, any road at night, or on a turn will literally bring catastrophic consequences to us Subaru owners, but all other motorists as well.

NHTSA ODI #11548758

Related Official recalls

2

19V297000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch

Apr 11, 2019

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.

16V738000 · Electrical System

Oct 13, 2016

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines. The relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump to continuously operate and overheat.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the air injection pump overheats, it may melt and increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTM-73.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

Related NHTSA investigations

0

No component-matched exact-year investigations in this snapshot.