2016 Subaru FORESTER problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
411 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
39,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2016 model year. Data snapshot: . 217 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 97 of 411 complaints (23.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 69 | 16.8% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 54 | 13.1% |
| Transmission and shifting | 33 | 8.0% |
| Engine operation | 30 | 7.3% |
| Steering behavior | 26 | 6.3% |
| Fuel system concerns | 6 | 1.5% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Air Bags | 97 |
| Electrical System | 90 |
| Unknown Or Other | 69 |
| Engine | 60 |
| Power Train | 48 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 36 |
| Service Brakes | 29 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 24 |
Air Bags: 97; Electrical System: 90; Unknown Or Other: 69; Engine: 60; Power Train: 48; Vehicle Speed Control: 36; Service Brakes: 29; Fuel/Propulsion System: 24
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 69 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 78 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 43 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 11 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 9 |
| 150,000 and above | 7 |
Under 25,000: 69; 25,000 to 49,999: 78; 50,000 to 74,999: 43; 75,000 to 99,999: 11; 100,000 to 149,999: 9; 150,000 and above: 7
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (78). 194 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 |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 4 |
| 2016 | 30 |
| 2017 | 19 |
| 2018 | 36 |
| 2019 | 80 |
| 2020 | 63 |
| 2021 | 36 |
| 2022 | 40 |
| 2023 | 39 |
| 2024 | 29 |
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2026 | 15 |
2015: 4; 2016: 30; 2017: 19; 2018: 36; 2019: 80; 2020: 63; 2021: 36; 2022: 40; 2023: 39; 2024: 29; 2025: 20; 2026: 15
Pattern summary
Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 69 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 54 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 33 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 10810175 · 2015-12-14 (December 14, 2015)
THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. THE DRIVER STOPPED TO MAKE A U-TURN THEN SLOWLY STARTED TO TAKE HER FOOT OFF THE BRAKE WHILE MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO THE RIGHT (OPPOSITE DIRECTION). THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED ONLY AFTER COLLIDING INTO A STREET POLE.
Owner-reported narrative. 70 miles reported. Look up ODI 10810175 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10818271 · 2016-01-05 (January 5, 2016)
CAR HAS 11,000 MILES, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT ON A HIGHWAY USING THE CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 65 MPH WITH THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL ON (FEET NOT TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL OR BRAKE) THE CAR ENGINE RPM'S BEGAN INCREASING TILL IT REACHED THE REV LIMITER. AT THE SAME TIME THE ENGINE RPM BEGAN REVVING HIGH, THE CAR BEGAN TO COAST AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. BUT THE GEAR SHIFT REMAINED IN DRIVE. AFTER A FEW SECONDS OF THE ENGINE REVVING AS HIGH AS IT COULD, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR STOPPED. I HAD TO P…
Owner-reported narrative. 11,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10818271 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10887453 · 2016-07-21 (July 21, 2016)
NON-TURBO MODEL STALLS IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT WARNING. FIRST AIR CONDITIONER SHUTS OFF, ALONG WITH ELECTRICAL, THEN ENGINE STALLS. NOTHING UNUSUAL PRIOR TO SHUTTING OFF. VEHICLE BECOMES NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL WITH LIMITED BRAKING AND STEERING. CAR WILL NOT IMMEDIATELY RE-START. THIS HAS OCCURRED SIX TIMES SINCE NEW; DEALER HAS NOT FIXED PROBLEM, BUT HAS SEEN VIDEO OF THE CAR STALLING IN TRAFFIC THAT MY WIFE TOOK WHILE I WAS DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS IN GEAR, MOVING AT LOW TO MODERATE SPEED EACH TIME, WITH AC OPERATING AND NO OTHER ACCESSORIES OR U…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10887453 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11098416 · 2018-05-29 (May 29, 2018)
DURING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN, THE VEHICLE APPEARS TO SUFFER MAJOR ELECTRICAL ISSUES. SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2018, MY VEHICLE HAS REPORTED PROBLEMS AFTER A MAJOR STORM WITH THE EYESIGHT CAMERA SYSTEM, ABS, HILL ASSIST, AND FUEL GAUGE. FYI-EYESIGHT INCLUDES THE DYNAMIC CRUISE CONTROL, CRASH AVOIDANCE, AND LANE MONITORING SYSTEM. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED TO OUR SUBARU DEALER/MAINTENANCE TEAM BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DISCOVER THE SOURCE OF THE ISSUE.
Owner-reported narrative. 32,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11098416 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10896771 · 2016-08-17 (August 17, 2016)
WHEN YOU GO FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE THERE IS A LAG TIME IN THE TRANSMISSION. OR IF YOU GO FROM PARK TO DRIVE ITS THE SAME. IF YOUR ON AN INCLINE IT MAKES YOU HIT THE GAS TO ACCELERATE. AND IF YOU WERE TO PULL A TRAILER AND YOU ARE ON A SMALL HILL IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS IN NEUTRAL WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS. WE ONLY HAVE 3700 MILES ON THE CAR. I HAVE CONTACTED SUBARU CORP AND THEY TOLD ME TO GO TO THE DEALER, WHICH I DID. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE HAD A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT HE ALSO SAID IT WAS ONE OF THE CHARACT…
Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10896771 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10854551 · 2016-04-09 (April 9, 2016)
MY SISTER AND I BOUGHT THIS CAR ON MAR. 25, 2016. ON APRIL 6, 2016 THE CAR STALLED ON HER TWICE. SHE WAS COMING OUT OF A STORE PARKING LOT, AND CROSSED THE INTERSECTION TURNING LEFT AND THE CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD IN THE INTERSECTION ON THE BROKEN YELLOW LINES. SHE HAD TO PUT HER CAR ON 'PARK' AND RESTART. THE SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED THE SAME WAY, COMING OUT OF A PARKING LOT BUT DIDN'T REACH THE CENTER OF THE STREET, AND STALLED ON THE FAST LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. SHE DID THE SAME, PUT THE CAR IN 'PARK' AND RESTARTED. I T…
Owner-reported narrative. 340 miles reported. Look up ODI 10854551 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10885629 · 2016-07-18 (July 18, 2016)
THREE TIMES OVER THE PAST 2 WEEKS, MY VEHICLE HAS STALLED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ALL THREE TIMES THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN I WAS TRAVELING WITH 1/4 OR LESS OF GAS (BUT THESE INCIDENTS DID NOT OCCUR DUE TO HAVING RUN OUT OF GAS). ALL THREE TIMES I WAS ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE OR DRIVE UPHILL. THE VEHICLE STALLED ALL TIMES AT AROUND 65-75 MPH OF SPEED, CAUSING ME GREAT CONCERN WHEN I HAD TO QUICKLY PULL OVER ON HEAVILY TRAVELED HIGHWAYS SUCH AS CT ROUTE 84 AND VT ROUTE 91. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO BERTERA SUBARU IN HARTFORD, CT, WHERE I HAD PUR…
Owner-reported narrative. 23,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10885629 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11129380 · 2018-09-13 (September 13, 2018)
ON FIVE DIFFERENT OCCURRENCES WHILE THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON AND WE WERE DRIVING AT AROUND 70 MILES AN HOUR ON AN INTERSTATE, OUR CAR WOULD ELECTRONICALLY PUT ITSELF IN NEUTRAL, THE AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFTER WOULD PHYSICALLY REMAIN IN DRIVE, THE RPM'S WOULD GO UP TO ABOUT 5500 RPMS, BECAUSE THE CAR WAS SLOWING DOWN AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON. WE WOULD PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE AND THE ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS. THREE OF THE FIVE TIMES, THE CAR WOULD START AFTER SITTING FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. THE THIRD TIME…
Owner-reported narrative. 52,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11129380 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11362843 · 2020-10-05 (October 5, 2020)
MY 2016 SUBARU FORESTER HAS TWICE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ENGINE STALL WHILE CRUISING AT APPROX. 70 MPH WHEN THE FUEL WAS LOW. IN BOTH CASES THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ON AND THE VEHICLE SHOWED FUEL IN THE TANK WITH FUEL RANGE OF 70-100 MILES. IN BOTH CASES ONCE THE CAR WAS STOPPED IT STARTED AGAIN AND RAN NORMALLY UNTIL AND AFTER REFUELING. THIS HAS HAPPENED ONLY AT HIGH SPEED WHICH MAKES THE CONDITION ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT (@ 42,000 MI.) I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A SUBARU DEALER WHO CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND…
Owner-reported narrative. 42,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11362843 at NHTSA ↗