2016 Subaru FORESTER: complaints, problems and recalls

MODELS W/ MANUAL CLIMITE CONTROL: VERY HARD TO SEE SETTINGS, ESPECIALLY IN DAY TIME, AND IF NEED TO ADJUST WHILE DRIVING SUCH AS TO DE-FOG WINDOWS, MAY RESULT IN DRIVING OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WRECKING.

Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10788343 at NHTSA ↗

2016 SUBARU FORESTER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE REAR HATCH DOES NOT RAISE HIGH ENOUGH ABOVE HIS HEAD TO ALLOW IT TO CLEAR UNDERNEATH IT, TO PRECLUDE CONTACT WITH HIS FOREHEAD. *SMD

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10805789 at NHTSA ↗

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 ↗

EYESIGHT AND CRUISE CONTROL INTERMITTENT SHUTDOWN AND RESTART. ON AN INCREASINGLY FREQUENT BASIS, WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL AND EYESIGHT ARE ENGAGED, BOTH WILL DISABLE AND CAN BE A FEW SECONDS TO MINUTES BEFORE THE EYESIGHT RE-ENABLES AND THE CRUISE CONTROL CAN MANUALLY BE RE-ENGAGED. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, VEHICLE GOES FROM AUTO-DRIVE TO MANUAL-DRIVE. ALSO, AN E1 ERROR APPEARED ON THE ODOMETER DISPLAY.

Owner-reported narrative. 9,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10810511 at NHTSA ↗

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 ↗

VEHICLE BEGINS TO ACCELERATE FROM PARKING LOT INTO TRAFFIC, BUT THEN GAS PEDAL HITS A "DEAD SPOT". GAS PEDAL IS NON-RESPONSIVE. UNABLE TO ACCELERATE UNTIL CONTINUALLY DEPRESSING GAS PEDAL 3/4 WAY TO FLOOR BOARD. THEN IT SURGES AHEAD! PROBLEM IS REPEATABLE AND IN MY OPINION VERY DANGEROUS. 1. PULLING INTO TRAFFIC AND UNABLE TO ACCELERATE TO TRAFFIC SPEED. 2. SUDDEN, UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION. I CONTACTED THE ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY SAID IT'S NORMAL. HAVE CONTACTED ANOTHER DEALERSHIP AND THEY WILL REVISIT MY …

Owner-reported narrative. 3,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10822403 at NHTSA ↗

IN A CLOSED PARKING LOT, I WAS GETTING READY TO PARK IN A SPACE. WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, I CUT THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND THEN EASED MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE TO MANEUVER INTO THE PARKING SPOT. I PUSHED THE BRAKE AGAIN IN PREPARATION TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEELS AND FINISH PARKING, NO SPEED REGISTERING ON THE GAUGE. WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AND JUMPED. I LIFTED MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, AND SLAMMED IT BACK DOWN ON THE BRAKE ATTEMPTING TO HALT THE VEHICLE. INSTEAD, WITH MY FOOT STILL FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE ACCE…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10823231 at NHTSA ↗

EYESIGHT SYSTEM DID NOT PICK UP VEHICLE IN FROMT OF CAR AND PROCEED TO DRIVE STRAIGHT TOWARD AT 70MPH, I HAD TO BRAKE THE CAR. THIS HAPPENED TWICE IN ONE DAY. DEALER SAID THEY TESTED CAR AND SYSTEM WAS WORKING FINE. THE SYSTEM DID NOT DETECT THE LARGE VEHICLE IN FRONT.

Owner-reported narrative. 8,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10825580 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2016-03-21 (March 21, 2016)

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.

Consequence: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTA-62.

Reported: 2019-02-28 (February 28, 2019)

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.

Consequence: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.

Reported: 2019-10-03 (October 3, 2019)

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.

Consequence: If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUM-98.