This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Vehicle accelerated from a stop sign at high speed and brakes were pushed down all the way with no respond the steering wheels was stiff and the Vehicle continued at high speed on its own crashing curbs side walk vegetation along the way until final crash at a tree. not warning lamps messages and air bag did not deploy. Car engine remained on at time of crash until manually turned off. safety of driver & passenger and others near by were at very high risk. Head on collision with other vehicles and homes could have happened. Insurance adjuster inspected and determined it is a "Total Lose" but did not gave reason for incident. police report was done and suggested to follow up with dealership. Emailed about this incident to Subaru dealership. Unknown if any additional inspection was done.
On Wednesday November 10 I was arriving at Chase Bank 4229 Woodruff Ave Lakewood Ca. I was turning right into a parking stall heading due east, parking between a pickup truck to the right and a passenger car to the left. I was braking with my right foot only traveling 5 miles per hour and suddenly the car accelerated over a parking stop and into the bank building. It was so sudden I couldn't react and pull up the parking brake. The collision caused major front end damage to my 2015 Subaru Forrester XT. It also caused damage to the Chase Bank building. I was lucky to be a couple of parking spaces south of the ready teller, as there was a male white customer at the outside teller and he would of been killed or at least very severely injured. My wife selected this car new in 2015 because of the safety of it.
At about 101,000 miles I took the car in to the dealership where I bought it for another issue. When the tech got it up on his lift he came in and notified the service manager that there was bubbles on my brake line. The service manager came to us and she said -??I really shouldn-??t let you drive out of here with those bubbles because I would be an unsafe condition-??, the implication was that if they burst I would have no brakes. The road salt on the roads in the winter in Vermont was indicated as the cause of the problem. They installed all new brake lines behind the cabin. I had asked them to save a section of the brake lines showing the bubbles and that DID NOT happen. I do much of my own maintenance and to have steel brake lines bubble it-??s hard to understand. Maybe the hose between the end of the steel brake line and the wheel could bubble but having the brake line bubble is nightmarish.The safety concern is if other Subarus in salty climates have that problem and the owner is not aware of it, the brakes are liable to fail. Scary. As to the engine, since the car was a new, putting pressure on the accelerator caused the car to lurch, Irritating and dangerous in tight settings. Notified the dealership on the day we got it and when mentioned, nothing could be done for the 5 years since it was new.
The contact's wife owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while reversing into the driveway, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated while the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated he depressed the brake pedal all the way to the floorboard and he pulled up the parking brake to stop the vehicle from crashing into the wall. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 53,002.
I have experienced on occasion to what I believe to be spontaneous acceleration. I will be driving down hill, my foot is already on the brake the whole way but before my vehicle reaches the stop sign, it will stop braking and go. My foot never left the brake pedal. Never changed the pressure on the pedal. When this happens it almost feels like my vehicle is releasing some sort of pressure. It has happened numerous times, fortunately I have been able to come to a complete stop before oncoming traffic.
- Hancock, MI, USA
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This car was repaired under campaign 19V149000 on July 27 for the brake light switch issue. Since the repair of the recall, I have taken my car back to international Subaru in tinley park, il for follow up service related to the replacement part. The problem I've encountered on a number of occasions is the car alerts that there is an issue stating "hill start assist system needs to be checked" while the car is in motion. The car then cuts all throttle capabilities for approximately 5 seconds and the car just coasts before resuming taking a throttle input. When this happens the car is just coasting and drops 15+ mph in speed. This alert seems to be triggered randomly and it causes serious safety concerns when without warning my car suddenly loses any usage of the throttle. This problem has been traced back to the part replaced in the recall and the dealer found the records in the car's computer showing the switch was active when it wasn't being pressed. This issue first surfaced on 8/31/20 but has come back numerous times since then. Furthermore, I had issues where the brake lights were on on the car overnight with the switch active with no input causing a drained battery. This is a more serious issue than just lights because the car's throttle cuts out without warning and this has been traced back to the switch on my car. I would rather have the original recalled part replaced in my car compared to the recall replacement part.
Brake switch was replaced on 10/06/18 on 2015 Subaru Forester. When recall came out, dealer didnt refund for the $156.01 for the replaced brake switch, but replaced it again under recall 19V149000. Symptoms are that the car would lose power to wheels while driving (engine RPM would rise) & would have to release, then depress accelerator to get it to put power to wheels again. Happened multiple times on interstate. ABS and traction control warnings came on during issue as well until car restarted.
The car was wobbly and went in for service and they found one rear strut the technician took it for a drive and the other one broke on him. It costs me $1390 to fix it and I drove it on the highway and it still wobbly. Subaru does not want to acknowledge the fact there is a major issue with this vehicle. This should have been recalled by Subaru when they knew about this. This car also had rotors that needed to be replaced, the arm control, wheel bearings all under 60,000. This is a serious issue, I could get killed or have a major accident and Subaru does not want to hear about it. I am scared to drive this car. The consumer stated the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered to assist with the repairs.
Takara recall wue-90 safety issue with grand forks nd Subaru has unreasonable two week wait time to replace brake lamp switch failure and rendering consumer at unreasonable safety risk or unusable car. Car locks in park or ABS lights and hill start electrical malfunctions during driving unpredictably. Car was serviced for exact same safety issue previously (7/22/2016 : service dept stated "found brake lamp switch faulty and not working") and grand forks nd Subaru's failed to repair defect succussfully. Grand forks nd Subaru disregards driver safety again by failing to service same defect in a timely manner, in regards to customer safety complaints and in accordance with consumer protection safety regulations and laws.
When highway driving multiple warning lights are illuminated on dash, traction control, eyesight, cruise control off, hill assist. The eyesight systems are disabled shutting off cruise control. When this happens the rear brakes light are not working. When the car is the shut off then restarted and the brake is depressed the car will not come out of park after starting. This happens when it is reset after the car sits off overnight. The last time I could not get it out of the park I went behind the brake pedal and move the brake switch and pressed the connection on top in. This reset the system and I was able to get the car out of park and all the warning light on the dash disappeared. The stoplight switch/brake switch part #83311fj001 is defective. On 3/1/19 Subaru announced a recall not sure if it's this part/issues but I am hoping it is.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. While driving, the contact depressed the brake pedal and noticed it was stiff. The contact had to depress the brake pedal several times to stop the vehicle. The failure occurred several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 35,000.
Similar complaints already logged. While driving at any speed warning lights for ABS, eye-sight, dynamic vehicle assitance, hill-start assistance come on. Took the vehicle to the dealership to get it checked out. They replaced the brake light switch and said the problem was fixed. Upon driving, the problem persisted, this time with the brakes being applied by the vehicle itself while in motion on a highway moving at highway speed despite my foot not being on either the brake or gas pedal. With the decrease in speed, I attempted to accelerate the vehicle to no avail. At this time I pulled the vehicle off to the shoulder, put it in park, and then back into drive to see if the problem had been corrected. I pressed the accelerator for a period of time before ultimately the drive reengaged. Online there appear to be numerous others who have had similar issues: Https://www.carcomplaints.com/Subaru/Forester/2015/brakes/service_brakes.shtml
Hello, Subaru needs to add Forester models to its recall of 72,000 vehicles due to problems with their automatic braking system (ABS), faulty brake light switch sensors. I just had to have my Subaru Forester's brake light switch replaced for the 2nd time in 2 years! both times, I was driving on open highways far from home doing 55mph on flat terrain when all of a sudden the 3 lights came flashing on my car's dashboard: Hillstart assist system, ABS, & vehicle dynamics control systems. I was extremely alarmed both times that my vehicle might not be safe to travel, especially since I was on highways and far from home. Could it be that when the part was replaced 2 years ago it was replaced with yet another faulty part"? two years ago, the repair cost was covered under Subaru new-car warranty. This second time, my extended warranty paid some, but I am now out of $100. Deductible, --- ($160. Labor cost("!), to replace a $16. Part! total billed was $175.68) I am not confident in the replaced sensor, and am scared to drive my Forester for long-distant trips for fear it may happen again, since it has already happened twice in 2 years. I believe that Subaru should refund my $100. Since Subaru has known about faulty brake sensors formally recalled in other models. Upon searching the internet, I discovered that faulty brake switch sensors have been a well-known problem with Subaru for many years, and recalls for this part should apply to the Forester as well as other models. I also believe that Subaru needs to add Forester models to their list of recalls for faulty brake light switch sensors. I/we Forester owners should not have to keep paying for known faulty parts, nor should we be scared for our safety to drive our newer model vehicles. Please help! R/ Ms. Kotsiras
Bullet-end of parking brake cable came off, allowing brake drums to fall loose and tumble inside the right rear wheel at highway speed, just as I was slowing for a rest stop. Repair cost $545; I have documents but can't scan them at the moment -- if they matter, I can copy and mail them.
ABS lights come on, eyesight warning lights come on, cannot shift out of park.. car was stationary. These warning lights have been coming on frequently when in motion, but now it wont shift out of park.
While backing up a winding hill on a hard packed gravel driveway I backed into a seven inch diameter tree on the edge of the road. Did not hit it hard enough to damage the back bumper. I put the car in drive and in an instant the motor went wide open. I hit the brakes, but no noticable effect. I narrowly missed the corner of the garage. The car dug four depressions in the driveway when it took off. And threw gravel all the way down the hill and on the flat until it hit a large tree, the motor still racing. The runaway happened in seconds. The car was totaled. My wife suffered a badly broken right wrist. I was nearly knocked out. I have been a safe driver for 60 years. Drove professionally for about four and a half years. I also have over 175,000 miles and counting on motorcycles. This car definitely did malfunction. Fortunately the house security camera captured the action. I don't know if I can upload the video to your site. Please advise. Sabaru Canada and the my Subaru dealer ignored my complaint, with the dealer rep saying, 'the floor mat was probably on the gas petal.'
I started driving and found that my hill holder, my vehicle dynamics control system, my ABS, my Subaru eyesight and multiple other warning lights were all lite up. I pulled over and turned off the car and when I restarted the car I couldn't put my car into gear. It was stuck in park on the side of the highway. After a few more tries I was able to get it into gear and continued driving with all the warning lights on. This problem occurred multiple times yesterday as I attempted to get it to the dealership.
Soft brake fade. Brakes fade, in particular, when vehicle is warm after driving at highway speeds, brakes sink all the way to the floor. It seems like they won't stop the vehicle. This seems to be getting worse as vehicle ages. Happens regularly. Dealer and Subaru say this is normal behavior. There are service bulletins about this safety issue on many other Subaru models, but not on this model. Dealer and Subaru are incorrectly treating this as a customer satisfaction issue, not a safety issue. I recommend an investigation of Subaru brake issues on all models.
In August of 2015 my wife was driving the vehicle. All dash lights came on and the vehicle became inoperable as a result. After several attempts she was able to restart the vehicle. However, after about 150 ft all warning lights came on again saying that is was disabling several safety features (ABS, eyesight, hill assist, etc.). she again pulled over, and the vehicle would not re-start (flat-out would not come on, the power would come on but the vehicle would not start [has a key less ignition system]). she called road side assist and they came to try and help her with the car. They were able to get it started and she drove it to the dealership. They took the vehicle in and looked at it. Their servicing notes indicate that they were unable to replicate the issue, however, while my wife was there they were unable to start the vehicle as well. In review of these notes they indicate the following error codes were present P1531 and B2809 and they also replaced the following part [83311fj000]. on June 25, 2017, the problem occurred again while driving. All safety features disabled, all systems shut-off. Once I turned the vehicle off I was unable to start it again. It seemed as if I was unable to depress the brake pedal far enough to trigger the keyless start feature. So, the vehicle was unusable and unsafe. I contacted Subaru and they have towed the vehicle to the dealership as all attempts to start the vehicle have failed (all power works, but no start and all safety features indicate they are disabled). I spoke with the dealership and expressed all of these concerns as well as several others. The vehicle is at the dealership at this time. In all instances when the vehicle had issues we were either driving on a city street, a local highway, or unable to start the vehicle due to these problems. This is the second occurrence in less than three years.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Glendale, AZ, USA