2011 Subaru FORESTER problems and owner complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN BRAKING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE WOULD ABNORMALLY ACCELERATE. ON ONE OCCASION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS AN OCCURRENCE OF ABNORMAL ACCELERATION AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE FOUNDATION OF A BUILDING. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 11,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 11,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10428425 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES AT 20 MPH AND THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STOPPED APPROXIMATELY FIVE FEET BEYOND WHERE SHE INTENDED TO STOP. THE FAILURE RECURRED APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS LATER WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED. DURING THE SECOND FAILURE, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE ENGINE RPMS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACT…

Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10436755 at NHTSA ↗

ON 5/24/11, WHILE DRIVING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION, MY FORESTER WAS HIT BROADSIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT RAN A RED LIGHT. THE IMPACT OF THE SPEEDING VEHICLE CAUSED THE FORESTER TO SPIN 360 DEGREES AND FLIP-OVER ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. I WAS LEFT TRAPPED INSIDE THE FORESTER AND WITNESSES POINTED OUT THAT THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION CONTINUED TO RUN AFTER THE FORESTER FLIPPED OVER. APPARENTLY THERE IS NO ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION KILL SWITCH. FURTHERMORE, THERE IS NO INTERIOR RELEASE OF THE REAR HATCH. AS A RESULT I REMAINED TRAPPED INSIDE THE VEHICLE…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,837 miles reported. Look up ODI 10430338 at NHTSA ↗

MY WIFE AND I CURRENTLY OWN A 2011 SUBARU FORESTER WE PURCHASED NEW FROM HATFIELD SUBARU IN COLUMBUS, OHIO. WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD IT SERVICED AT BYERS DUBLIN SUBARU IN COLUMBUS OHIO. AT THE 25,000 MILE MARK BOTH HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING SO THE MECHANICS AT BYERS PULLED THE MOTOR AND REPLACED THEM. JUST RECENTLY AT THE 33,000 MILE MARK I BROUGHT IN MY VEHICLE TO BYERS FOR MY 30,000 MAINTENANCE CHECK ALSO COMPLAINING OF A STRANGE NOISE. THEY INFORMED ME THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING AGAIN AND THE NOISE WE HEARD WAS THE TRANSMISSION RUNNING LOW ON FLU…

Owner-reported narrative. 33,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10959866 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING AND SUDDENLY HEARD A VERY LOUD KNOCKING NOISE. THE CAR STARTED SLOWING DOWN AND THEN STOPPED. SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A NEARBY DEALERSHIP. THEY DETERMINED THAT THE ONE OF THE CONNECTING RODS PUNCTURED THE ENGINE BLOCK WHICH CAUSED ENGINE OIL TO SHOOT THROUGH THE HOLE ONTO THE ENGINE BLOCK, MELTING THE WIRING, AND CAUSING THE SMOKE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 21,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10470279 at NHTSA ↗

ON THE LAST TWO DATES THIS VEHICLE STARTED UP BY ITSELF WITHOUT INPUT FROM KEY OR REMOTE. THE VEHICLE WAS UNLOCKED BY REMOTE WHICH IS THE MANUFACTURER REMOTE. THE DOOR WAS OPENED THEN THE "LOCK" BUTTON IN THE DOOR WAS PRESSED AND THE DOOR CLOSED. AFTER THE DOOR WAS SHUT THE ENGINE STARTED UP. THIS HAPPENED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. ON OTHER OCCASIONS THE ENGINE WOULD STILL KEEP RUNNING EVEN THOUGH THE KEY IS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THIS VEHICLE WAS FITTED WITH A REMOTE STARTER BY THE DEALER (NOT FACTORY). THE REMOTE START WAS CHANG…

Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10504748 at NHTSA ↗

THE VEHICLE STALLS IN TRAFFIC AND AT A STOPS, PROBLEM BEGAN IN DECEMBER 2017 AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. IN JANUARY 2018 IT WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED SUBARU DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE 60000 MILE SERVICE WAS PERFORMED, IT CONTINUED TO STALL AND WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS WERE REPLACED AND IT STALLED IN TRAFFIC WHEN IT WAS PICKED UP FROM THE DEALERSHIP, IT WAS RETURNED. THE WIRING HARNESS IS NOW BEING REPLACED. SUBARU FIELD TECHNICIANS AND DEALERSHIP TECHNICIANS HAVE TRIED TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE.

Owner-reported narrative. 63,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11078852 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH THE HELP OF A POLICE OFFICER. SUBARU OF GWINNETT (2920 SATELLITE BLVD, DULUTH, GEORGIA 30096) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS ALSO ASSESSED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11113962 at NHTSA ↗

I HAD PURCHASED A NEW SUBARU FORESTER IN AUGUST OF 2011 WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 7 YEARS. IT WAS A BIG INVESTMENT FOR ME AND I HAD HOPED TO DRIVE MY NEW SUBARU FORESTER 2011 FOR SEVERAL YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING IT, I NOTICED THE BRAKES TO BE DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE IN A TIMELY FASHION OR QUICKLY ENOUGH. MY WIFE, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO DRIVE MY CAR, ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT ITS BRAKES. I HAD MY VEHICLE REGULARLY SERVICED AS PER THE COMPANIES WARRANTY REQUIREMENTS AND AT ONLY AUTHORIZED SUBARU SERVICE & DEALER…

Owner-reported narrative. 16,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10494780 at NHTSA ↗

WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (CEL) IS ACTIVATED BY AN EMISSION CONTROL FAILURE SUBARU HAS PROGRAMMED A SHUT DOWN OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (AS WELL AS SHUT DOWN OF CRUISE CONTROL). THIS ABS SHUT DOWN COULD OCCUR FOR A SIMPLE LOOSE GAS CAP WHICH IS COMMON CAUSE OF CEL FAILURE. THE SECTION 3-16 ON CEL WARNING LIGHT/MALFUNCTION INDICATOR DOES NOT INFORM THE OWNER THAT A CEL EVENT WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE DISABLING OF THE ABS. THE DRIVER FINDS THIS OUT ONLY BECAUSE THE CEL IS ACCOMPANIED BY BLINKING CRUISE LIGHT AND STEADILY ILLUMINATED ABS …

Owner-reported narrative. 22,736 miles reported. Look up ODI 10664131 at NHTSA ↗