2018 Subaru FORESTER problems and owner complaints

MY 2018 SUBARU FORESTER XT SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING 2 TIMES ON 7/26/18. NOTHING HAPPENED, NO WARNING LIGHTS,IT JUST SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. AND CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP IN A MATTER OF SECONDS -I WAS GOING 40 MPH. AFTER IT SHUT OFF THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ONE, THE CHECK ENGINE, AND THE ESP ELECTRONIC STABILITY LIGHT CAME ON. EXTREAMLY HEART STOPPING TO HAVE YOUR VEHICLE SHUT OFF/STALL, WHATEVER, WHILE ON A ROAD, ESPECIALLY A HIGHWAY. LUCKILY I WAS ON A STREET WHERE I COULD GET TO THE SIDE BEFORE IT COMPLETELY STOPPED. BUT I HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF THE FRE…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,650 miles reported. Look up ODI 11114000 at NHTSA ↗

FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY ON AND OFF, WITH AND WITHOUT A PASSENGER, WITH AND WITHOUT ITEMS ON THE SEAT. THIS IS THE THIRD OR MAYBE FOURTH OCCASION VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER. ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES THEY INSPECTED THE CAR, AND THEIR SOLUTION WAS TO RELOCATE THE "MODULE" (WHATEVER THE MODULE IS) FOR THAT SEAT. THEY STATED IT WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM. A MONTH LATER THE CAR STARTED TO DO THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON AND OFF AGAIN. CAR BACK AGAIN TO DEALER BUT THEN LIGHT WAS GONE OFF. YESTERDAY, SEP 23, 2019 CAR WAS DROPPED…

Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11257673 at NHTSA ↗

PAGE 9-6 FIGURE 8 OF THE OWNERS MANUAL SHOWS HOW TO PLACE THE JACK ON THE FRAME TO RAISE THE CAR TO CHANGE A TIRE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN YOU REEF DOWN ON EITHER LOOSENING OR TIGHTENING THE TIRE, THE CAR WILL ROCK EITHER FORWARD OF BACKWARDS AND SLIDE OFF OF THE JACK. THE CAR WILL THEN FALL FORWARDS OR BACKWARDS DROPPING THE CAR TO THE GROUND, POTENTIALLY INJURING THE PERSON CHANGING THE TIRE. THE CAR FELL TWICE WHEN I WAS TRYING TO CHANGE THE TIRE. THIS CAN BE EASILY RESOLVED BY HAVING A JACK THAT FITS SNUGLY WITH THE MOUNT POINTS ON THE…

Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 11092370 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING ON I-95 IN FAIRFIELD CT AND STARTED TO ACCELERATE TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC WHEN MY CAR STARTED TO RACE. I IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO BRAKE, I NEEDED TO PRESS VERY HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDDLE FOR THE CAR TO STOP ACCELERATING. AS SOON AS I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, THE CAR ACCELERATED AGAIN AT A VERY HIGH SPEED. WHEN I WAS BRAKING, I COULD NOT CONTROL THE BRAKE SPEED, IT SEEMED LIKE THE CAR WAS SHUTTING OFF SO I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE. THIS HAPPENED FOUR MORE TIMES UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET OVER TO AN OFF RAMP AND SHUT THE CAR DOWN. TH…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 11097928 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MILES AN HOUR ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY, I WAS GOING AROUND A SLIGHT CURVE WHEN THE LANE ASSIST CAME ON. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND NOT NEAR THE LEFT LINE IN ROAD, BUT CENTERED IN THE MIDDLE OF LANE. I HEARD ONE BEEP AND THEN THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY LOOSE IN MY HAND AND IT TOOK ME A FEW SECONDS TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS ALSO HAPPENED WHILE GOING ON A SLIGHTLY CURVED CITY STREET GOING ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR. IT SCARED THE DICKENS OUT OF ME AS IT WAS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED THE LANE ASSIST TO DO. I WENT B…

Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 11024931 at NHTSA ↗

BRAND NEW VEHICLE. DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE AT 55MPH AND MADE A SLIGHT LEFT TURN AT A BEND IN THE ROAD, WELL WITHIN THE CLEARLY PAINTED LANE MARKERS. CLEAR WEATHER, TEMP ABOUT 50 DEGREES F. HEARD ONE BEEP AND LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING FOR A SECOND WHILE THE CAR STEERED ITSELF SLIGHTLY LEFT. MY HANDS WERE ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND I WAS ACTIVE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. STARTLING! HAPPENED TWO MORE TIMES. TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND HE EXPLAINED THAT I MIGHT NOT BE USED TO ELECTRONIC STEERING. THE SAME DAY, ON A TWO LANE ROAD AT 35 MPH, AT A SLI…

Owner-reported narrative. 160 miles reported. Look up ODI 11055994 at NHTSA ↗

THE CAR WILL PERIODICALLY STALL FOR A SECOND OR TWO ON OCCASSIONS WHEN STARTING OUT AND THEN ACCELERATE WITH A JOLT. WHEN IN TRAFFIC THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. I UNDERSTAND THIS MAY BE COMMON WITH CVT TRANSMISSIONS. IF THAT IS THE CASE I QUESTION WHY THEY ARE ALLOWED ON THE ROAD. I WLL NOT PURCHASE ANOTHER SUBARU OR ANY OTHER CAR WITH A CVT.

Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11082203 at NHTSA ↗

2018 SUBARU FORESTER 2.5I AUTOMATIC CVT: DEFECTIVE LOW GEAR - SAFETY ISSUE. 21 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE TOOK IT TO DURANGO COLORADO MOUNTAINS, PUT IT IN LOW GEAR BEFORE DESCENDING AND THE LOW GEAR NEVER KICKED IN TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. STOPPED MULTIPLE TIMES TO RE-ATTEMPT AND LOW GEAR FAILED EACH TIME. I DARED ONLY 40MPH ON THE GRAVELLY SWITCHBACKS. MANUFACTURER & DEALER REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE DEFECT EVEN THOUGH I RECORDED ANOTHER INSTANCE ON TEXAS HILLS. MECHANIC SHOP IN THE AREA SAID THAT THE CAR HAS NO LOW GEAR FAILURE LIGHT SO DIAGNOSTIC MACH…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 11097195 at NHTSA ↗

FOR 2 MONTHS SINCE MAY 19, 2018, THE AIRBAG WARNING SENSOR LIGHT GOES ON MY DASHBOARD WHILE DRIVING AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG 'OFF' WARNING LIGHT ALSO GOES ON ' SEE ATTACHED PHOTO. THIS OCCURRENCE HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY TIME I DRIVE MY VEHICLE. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TWICE FOR REPAIR BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. SUBARU ' STARLINK PROGRAM HAS NOTIFIED ME WITH NUMEROUS EMAILS THAT I SHOULD HAVE THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE FIXED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. AFTER NOT RECEIVING ANY SATISFACTION FROM THE DEALER, I CALLED AND WRITTEN TWICE TO SU…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11111454 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ENGINE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO AN EXIT RAMP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL IDLING EXTREMELY LOW AND THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. RIMROCK SUBARU (324 S 24TH ST W, BILLINGS, MT 59102, [phone removed]) REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE DEALER REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE MANUFACTURER AND OFFERED A TRADE-IN FOR A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE MANUFACTURER WA…

Owner-reported narrative. 4,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11124519 at NHTSA ↗

STRONG FUEL ODOR IS DETECTED IN GARAGE AFTER PARKING AS WELL AS WITHIN THE CABIN WHILE DRIVING. BELIEVE FUEL IS ENTERING OIL FROM UNDETERMINED LOCATION AS ODOR IS ESPECIALLY PRONOUNCED AROUND DIP STICK. IF OIL IS CHANGED THE ISSUE DISSIPATES BUT RETURNS WITHIN 1000 MILES. THERE ARE PLENTY OF ONLINE REPORTS FROM OTHER 2015 - 2018 FORRESTER XT (TURBO) OWNERS REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE AND IN MOST CASES THEIR DEALER IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE AN ISSUE OR PROVIDE A SOLUTION. IN ONE REPORT, HOWEVER, THE OWNER INDICATED THEIR DEALER FINALLY RESOLVED THE…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11316859 at NHTSA ↗