2014 Subaru FORESTER problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
403 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
53,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2014 model year. Data snapshot: . 298 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Suspension is the most frequently named component, appearing in 93 of 403 complaints (23.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 80 | 19.9% |
| Transmission and shifting | 31 | 7.7% |
| Steering behavior | 26 | 6.5% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 17 | 4.2% |
| Engine operation | 16 | 4.0% |
| Fuel system concerns | 5 | 1.2% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 93 |
| Engine | 69 |
| Air Bags | 55 |
| Unknown Or Other | 44 |
| Power Train | 41 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 41 |
| Electrical System | 40 |
| Service Brakes | 31 |
Suspension: 93; Engine: 69; Air Bags: 55; Unknown Or Other: 44; Power Train: 41; Vehicle Speed Control: 41; Electrical System: 40; Service Brakes: 31
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 67 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 73 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 72 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 44 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 36 |
| 150,000 and above | 6 |
Under 25,000: 67; 25,000 to 49,999: 73; 50,000 to 74,999: 72; 75,000 to 99,999: 44; 100,000 to 149,999: 36; 150,000 and above: 6
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (73). 105 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2014 | 35 |
| 2015 | 19 |
| 2016 | 22 |
| 2017 | 29 |
| 2018 | 30 |
| 2019 | 110 |
| 2020 | 57 |
| 2021 | 32 |
| 2022 | 14 |
| 2023 | 18 |
| 2024 | 17 |
| 2025 | 13 |
| 2026 | 3 |
2013: 4; 2014: 35; 2015: 19; 2016: 22; 2017: 29; 2018: 30; 2019: 110; 2020: 57; 2021: 32; 2022: 14; 2023: 18; 2024: 17; 2025: 13; 2026: 3
Pattern summary
Suspension leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 80 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 31 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 26 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10573467 · 2014-03-19 (March 19, 2014)
I WAS TURNING RIGHT TO PARK AT A STATE PARK. THE PARKING AREA IS SANDY AND FULL OF POT HOLES. I WAS ALMOST STOPPED WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED VIOLENTLY. MY CAR MOUNTED A FLAT BOULDER, ONE OF MANY IN THE PARKING AREA. I STILL DON'T FEEL LIKE I COULD HAVE STEPPED OR STOMPED ON THE GAS PEDAL VS THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT IT IS A POSSIBILITY. I AM A VERY CAUTIOUS DRIVER. COULD THIS BE A DEFECT IN THIS CAR? I FEEL THAT IT SHOULD BE REPORTED AND NOTED IN CASE OTHERS HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 10,261 miles reported. Look up ODI 10573467 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10574609 · 2014-03-24 (March 24, 2014)
THIS VEHICLE IS A FORESTER XT TURBO. I WAS OPERATING ON CRUISE CONTROL AT 78 MPH, APPROXIMATELY 900 MILES FROM HOME, WHEN A SUDDEN LOSS OF PROPULSION OCCURRED. DASHBOARD HAD MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS. ENGINE WAS STILL OPERATING, THOUGH AT VERY LOW RPM SO I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN STEERING AND BRAKING CONTROL. AFTER MANEUVERING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I NOTICED THE TACHOMETER WAS FLUCTUATING BETWEEN 500-800 RPM. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE FOLLOWING WARNING LIGHTS WERE STILL ILLUMINATED: CHECK ENGINE, HILL CONTROL, CRU…
Owner-reported narrative. 7,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10574609 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10544552 · 2013-09-20 (September 20, 2013)
AFTER I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE, I NOTICED A HESITATION BETWEEN 20 - 40 MPH. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR FOR THE FORESTER'S TO HAVE A CVT ENGINE SO I THOUGHT IT NEEDED BROKEN IN. I ALSO WENT THROUGH 3 CYCLES OF FILLING UP MY GAS TANK FROM 3 DIFFERENT GAS STATIONS AND THE HESITATION CONTINUED. THE FIRST TIME I BROUGHT IT IN THE TECHNICIAN SAID HE OVERFILLED THE OIL A SLIGHT BIT, REMOVED IT, AND I SHOULD NOTICE A DIFFERENCE. NO DIFFERENCE. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ADDRESSING THE SAME ISSUE. THEY PERFORMED THE TESTS SUBARU OF AMER…
Owner-reported narrative. 25 miles reported. Look up ODI 10544552 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10565461 · 2014-02-22 (February 22, 2014)
WHILE DRIVING OUR 2014 FORESTER XT 2.0 UPHILL ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 50 MPH, THE CEL, HILL-ASSIST, EYESIGHT-DISABLED AND ANOTHER WARNING LIGHT ALL CAME ON. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD, STOPPED AND CALLED THE DEALER, WHO SAID THE CAR COULD BE SAFELY DRIVEN IN FOR INSPECTION AS THE CEL WAS NOT BLINKING. APPARENTLY THE CEL LIGHT SETS OFF A BUNCH MORE TO GET YOUR ATTENTION. THE OBD CODES THE DEALER PULLED SAID THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD FAILED (NO FURTHER EXPLANATION WAS OFFERED). THEY SAID A NEW ONE WOULD BE ORDERED AND INSTALLED UNDER WARRANTY. …
Owner-reported narrative. 10,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10565461 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10607764 · 2014-07-02 (July 2, 2014)
I WAS TURNING LEFT ON AN ARROW AND A CAR RAN THE RED LIGHT RESULTING IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH ME, I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 3MPH AND HE WAS DRIVING 45MPH. HIS CAR WAS TOTALLED, AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND ON FIRE. I HAD FRONT END DAMAGE AND MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY NOR DID THE SEAT BELT LOCK UP. AS A RESULT I HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH MY KNEE AND MY ANKLE GOT LACERATED AND BLUNT TRAUMA FROM THE BRAKE/ACCELARTATION PEDAL. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10607764 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10586411 · 2014-05-04 (May 4, 2014)
I WAS DRIVING MY 6 MONTH OLD 2014 SUBARU FORESTER AT ABOUT 50 MPH AT NIGHT AND MY DRIVER'S SEAT BEGAN RECLINING. I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND HAD AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE MECHANISM TO STOP IT WAS NOT WORKING. IT HAPPENED THREE MORE TIMES AFTER THAT OCCURRENCE. ALSO, THE POWER LIFT GATE WAS INOPERABLE. I HAD TO CRAWL INTO THE BACK CARGO AREA TO TRY TO OPEN THE REAR LIFT GATE. IT WOULD NOT OPEN, EVEN FROM THE INSIDE. IT WAS REINITIALIZED SEVERAL TIMES BY KINGERY RYE SUBARU IN RYE, NY AND THEY FAILED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. EVENTUALLY THEY …
Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10586411 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10631329 · 2014-09-07 (September 7, 2014)
THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORST. THE CAR HAS BEEN HAVING TROUBLES TURNING OVER ON COLD STARTS, AND HAS EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF PROPULSION AND STALL GOING UP HILL INCLUDING A LOSS OF BRAKES SINCE I BOUGHT IT A YEAR AGO. ON 9/6/2014 THE CAR WAS STARTED AND WAS IDLING HIGH (APPROXIMATELY 4000RPM), CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, SPEED CONTROL LIGHT WAS ON, INCLINE ALERT LIGHT ON, SPORT MODE LIGHT WAS ON AND CHECK EMISSIONS SYSTEM LIGHT WAS ON. HAD TO MOVE THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE AND IT BARELY MADE IT UP THE INCLINE IN THE UNDERGROUND…
Owner-reported narrative. 6,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10631329 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10544448 · 2013-09-19 (September 19, 2013)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR INSPECTION BUT HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47.
Owner-reported narrative. 47 miles reported. Look up ODI 10544448 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10616975 · 2014-07-28 (July 28, 2014)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED MULTIPLE TIMES AND THE BRAKES FAILED UPON MAKING A COMPLETE STOP. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY EXCESSIVE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE FAILURES COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10616975 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10910886 · 2016-09-30 (September 30, 2016)
I WAS ON AN ON RAMP ONTO THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE COMPUTER IN THE CENTER OF THE DASH STARTED ALERTING THAT SEVERAL SYSTEMS NEEDED CHECK. ALL THE DASHBOARD INDICATORS WENT OFF AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER EVEN WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON AGAIN IT WAS IDLING HARD AND IT SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED ON. THE CAR WAS TOWED UNDER WARRANTY TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. UPON INVESTIGATION THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS A BAD COIL. AFTER REPLACING THE COIL THE VEHICLE STILL DIDN'T WORK. NOW THEY CLAIMED THERE WAS …
Owner-reported narrative. 34,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10910886 at NHTSA ↗