10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
18 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
7 / 0
Average Mileage:
21,224 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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.

2017 Subaru Forester engine problems

engine problem

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2017 Subaru Forester Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #33

Jan 102024

Forester

  • 55,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owned a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that after driving into a parking space in a parking lot with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle jolted and veered to the right. The passenger's side of the vehicle hit the driver's side of another occupied vehicle. The other vehicle was scratched and there was no injury sustained. The contact stated she then reversed out of the parking space, and the vehicle made an abnormal growling sound. The vehicle then accelerated unintendedly while reversing. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she depressed the brake pedal continuously but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact then shifted into drive (D), and the vehicle accelerated increasingly. The contact swerved and hit another unoccupied vehicle; however, the vehicle continued to accelerate unintendedly. The contact stated that she then attempted to drive into a tree to stop the vehicle, but a high curb caused the contact to miss the tree, and the vehicle crashed into an unoccupied vehicle that was parked behind the tree. The vehicle then stopped. The unoccupied vehicle then hit another vehicle, which caused a train of reaction that involved 6 unoccupied vehicles. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that an unknown rear tire blew out, and the vehicle was severely damaged. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The insurance company then towed the vehicle to another lot, where it was totaled. There was no police report filed. The contact sustained pain in the right SI joint and on the right leg. The contact stated that the incident might have intensified her pre-existing neck injury. The contact also sustained mental and emotional trauma. The contact received medical assistance and was undergoing physical therapy. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #32

Jan 102024

Forester

  • miles
When I pulled into a parking spot in a parking lot, the car seemed to go faster than I intended. I swiped a car next to me, which to me as it was not a tight space. I immediately, turned off the engine and dealt with the passenger of the other vehicle, exchanging information. After sometime, I got back in my car to move it to another location. As soon as the motor was running in reverse, in began to accelerate making a loud roaring noise. I stepped on the brakes, meanwhile going in reverse at an accelerating speed, trying to keep away from cars parked on either side. I also pulled up the emergency brake. At the end of the row, I felt I could move forward without hitting many cars and hoping that in doing so, it would now slow down. It did not. At that point, I thought the only way to stop it, was going to be hitting something. (I did not want to go out of the parking lot into traffic). I aimed for a small tree, not realizing that there was a high curb surrounding it. The car hit the curb and flew over it, missing the tree, blowing out a rear tire, and hitting another parked car. That car slid into another car causing a chain reaction with still another car. There were 6 cars that were damaged in all. My insurance company is involved, but I do have a cap on how much liability I can pay.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #31

Nov 292023

Forester

  • miles
The incident happened at my workplace parking garage. As I slowly turned left to park in parking spot at work, I heard the engine rev and my car unexpectedly lurched forward very quickly. I stepped hard on the brake but it did not seem effective at stopping the car. I recently replaced my brakes in late August, 2023. As far as I know, before today my car was in proper working order. My vehicle is equipped with EyeSight Driver Assist Technology and I don't believe that the warning collision activated even as the car plowed towards the wall. The car hit the concrete parking block/wheel stop and then the heavy wire barrier at front the parking spot. The wire barrier sits between the front of the parking spot and parking structure wall (I would guess about a 12 inch gap between wires and wall). The wire barrier probably prevented the car from hitting the wall and causing greater property damage or injury to myself. So far, damage looks cosmetic. The front bumper is scratched (some paint taken off) and scuffed from the wire barrier and the bottom half of my license plate frame broke off. I am feeling rattled and I'm unsure if I have injuries. I intend to contact my dealership and car mechanic for suggestions on next steps and will likely ask them to inspect my car.

- San Bruno, CA, USA

problem #30

May 202022

Forester

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On May 20, 2022, I was attempting to back into a parking space when my car lunged forward and crashed into two parked cars. I suffered a cracked sternum. No one else was hurt but I was just a few feet from the ground-level windows of a motel. Much body damage to my car (in excess of $13,000) and the other two cars. Police report was filed. Insurance claim filed. No reproduction of problem sought from manufacturer or dealer. No warning signals from car. Assumption made of driver at fault accident. However, please refer to Detroit Free Press article printed 4/22/23: https://freep-mi.newsmemory.com/?publink=0dd2ac172_134ab3a

- Warren, MI, USA

problem #29

Jun 282022

Forester

  • miles
After coming to a complete stop, the vehicle, a 2017 Subaru Forrester suddenly and without driver input surged forward. It crashed into a large garbage can directly in front of the vehicle, crushing it. It then continued forward crushing two whole-home air conditioning units and driving one of them into a brick wall, dislodging and breaking some of the bricks. The vehicle suffered considerable front end damage including the bumper, right front fender, and right headlight. The collision avoidance system should have prevented this occurrence as the flat sided municipal type garbage can was directly in front of the car. Furthermore the front air-bag did not deploy despite the considerable damage to the front bumper.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #28

Jul 092022

Forester

  • miles
Sitting in line to get gas and when I put car in Drive it went to full throttle and struck two vehicles in front of me. Car ended up on resting on driver's side and had to be towed.

- Henrietta, Ny 14467, Usa, NY, USA

problem #27

May 312022

Forester

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2017 Subaru Forester- I had arrived to work and stopped at parking spot. Before I could put car in park position.. I heard a car high pitch revving sound. The car throttles forward and hit a building. Now I-??m scared of the car.

- Oceanside , CA, USA

problem #26

Jan 072022

Forester

  • miles
When operating the vehicle at low and high speeds, the EyeSight system intermittently turns off with a "check owner's manual" message and the system remains off until at least the next vehicle restart. Additionally, after the EyeSight system disengages, when making turns at low speeds (turning corners), the steering shudders (quick violent turns to the left and right), the EyeSight warning light disappears and then re-appears after the vehicle turn is completed. At the same time the vehicle steering shudders, some portion of the internal electrical system appears to be reset (any radio / music system turns off temporarily, and the user-selected display in the main instrument panel resets to its default setting. This puts the vehicle occupant(s) at risk as it introduces an unsafe driving condition due to the vehicle shudder, which may result in a driver panic-reacting, or the vehicle failing to remain in the intended lane.

- Franklin, IN, USA

problem #25

Oct 082021

Forester

  • 28,959 miles
The contact owned a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph and making a turn, the vehicle hydroplaned as the contact lost control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle inadvertently accelerated while hydroplaning going across 3 lanes of oncoming traffic and hit a curve. The contact stated that the front driver's side tire detached from the vehicle. No one was injured, and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a local tow lot where it was deemed as a total loss. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,959.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #24

Mar 252021

Forester

  • 55,338 miles
I bought a certified pre-owned 2017 Subaru Forester on June 19 2020. I have had an intermittent safety issue with the vehicle not responding correctly when I try to accelerate since. When I press the gas pedal the car will begin to accelerate with my rpms rising normally. Then my rpms will start to drop when they would normally rise and my car stops or maintains the acceleration prior. Once they have dropped they will stay there for a little and then will shoot up suddenly and red line. I have tried a variety of things to prevent this from happening; I have taken my foot off the gas, kept the same or more pressure on the gas, and breaking. Regardless of what I do the vehicle red lines and my speed will either drop or stay the same. I have taken the vehicle to Subaru dealerships on 3 separate occasions and it was returned to me without diagnosing or repairing the problem. The last time I drove my vehicle it did this again and the rpms red lining causing my engine to fail. I was accelerated from a stop at a street light and the vehicle stopped accelerating even though I was pressing the accelerator. The rpms redlined and my engine began making a terrible noise that we later discovered was from unrepairable engine damage. The vehicle has now been at the dealership for over a month to replace my engine and try to fix this issue. Every week they tell me I will get it back the next week and then something else fails or causes a set back. I bought a Subaru Forester because of advertisements about how "safe" and 'reliable' they are supposed to be. Instead I have had near misses when merging onto the interstate or turning across traffic in a busy denver intersection because the vehicle doesn't respond as expected. The dealership has ignored my concerns by either saying "that just happens with Foresters sometimes" or "we can't fix it unless we can replicate it.'

- White Rock, NM, USA

problem #23

Mar 012021

Forester

  • 46,050 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space, the vehicle surged forward when the brake pedal was depressed causing the vehicle to jump the cement bumper and the bushes in front of the vehicle. The vehicle was still revving when turned off and placed in park. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was not towed. A police report was not filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (crews Subaru of charleston 8261 rivers ave, North charleston, SC 29406; (843) 820-4200) who were unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 46,050.

- Mt Pleasent, SC, USA

problem #22

Dec 122018

Forester

  • 48,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that before depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle independently accelerated without warning. The contact depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken twice to johnson Subaru of cary (5010 old raleigh rd, cary, nc 27511, where an unknown software was reprogrammed. The technician informed the contact that there was a glitch in the software that caused the vehicle to launch. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that each time the failure occurred, the software was reprogrammed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #21

Oct 112020

Forester

  • 64,500 miles
The vehicle was traveling along the highway at around 65-75mph and we went up a grade (cuesta grade) along 101 freeway in California and vehicle had a sudden loss in power while climbing up the hill. Ultimately, no power was ever regained and the vehicle shut off completely and stopped. We were stuck on the side of the road and had to call 911 to have a chp offer park behind us so that we would not be hit because we were partially in the lane. The car could not move so we had to have it towed to a Subaru dealership. We received a check engine light, vehicle emissions controls, hill assist, and the car was shaking. Subaru recently made a recall on models that have had a loss of power but my vehicle is not on the list but I did experience everything mentioned in the recall. Can you assist?

- San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

problem #20

Jun 292018

Forester

  • 23,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while applying the brakes at speeds slower than 5 mph, the vehicle surged forward. The contact stated that extra effort was needed while depressing the brake pedal to slow and stop the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 23,000.

- Hammonton, NJ, USA

problem #19

Feb 232020

Forester 4-cyl

  • 29,000 miles
When in motion coming to a stop on local street, hitting brakes, Forester makes sounds on both front wheels but more on front right wheel area needing to brake harder. Wife and son were on freeway in motion, hitting brakes made click click sound and having to brake harder coming to a full stop wife

- Rosemead, CA, USA

problem #18

Apr 082020

Forester 4-cyl

  • 33,491 miles
Traveling on a highway, no cruise control set. Maintaining 70-73 mph. All of a sudden I felt my car surge, speed up on its own. I took my foot off the gas pedal briefly and the car continued to surge. I heard the engine make acceleration sound like I was speeding off a ramp to get on to a highway. Confused as to what was going on, I stepped on my brake twice. I then noticed I had control again of the speed. I wasn't really sure what happened.

- Savage, MN, USA

problem #17

Dec 132019

Forester

  • 29,000 miles
I was driving on the high way for about 2 hours, 70 mph, gas was at about 1/8 full, but low gas light on. The gear shifter remained in D and the indicator on the dash said D. the engine revved as if it were in neutral and would not provide power to the wheels. The check engine, traction control, and cruise control lights came on, along with possibly others. The car began to slow since it was just revving in what appeared to be neutral while the gas pedal was pressed. Eventually I made it to the shoulder. I turned the car off for about 15 seconds then started it again. It struggled to start for a moment like the battery was low or it was cold outside, but still started on the first try. I shifted into D and began to move on the shoulder, but when the car when over about 10 or 15 mph, it would rev and not provide power to the wheels. I had the car towed to the dealer where they added gas, test drove it, said there was nothing wrong, and nothing that they could do.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #16

Feb 052019

Forester

  • 10,000 miles
Since I have bought the car I've been having electrical issues with it it's always saying that a key is not detected even though the keys right next to it or underneath that they already has been a transmission leakage also the balance of the car has been off-balance so I had to take it back to them when the air conditioner was on when it was summer is there making a weird noise I recorded the noise I showed it to the dealer and they said that they couldn't find anything wrong with that even though I have proof that there was something wrong with it but I just didn't know where was coming from alsoalso a little crack on the windshield randomly came out like about three weeks ago and never had an issue with that until now and when I start out my car and I had to do it at the first break at a stop sign my car started shaking and then it stopped shaking and then that's the only time does the shakiness I've had so many issues with this forrester 2017 they try to fix it issues but when they fix it something new always comes up.

- Winnetka, CA, USA

problem #15

Dec 122019

Forester 4-cyl

  • 42,000 miles
On a long trips (200 miles of interstate driving) the car loses it's ability to maintain highway speed. The accelerator peddle does not work and vehicle slows down to idle. You have to pull off the road and stop. Put the car in park and then back in to drive. It works after that. During the failure you lose all ability to maintain speed. It has happened about 3 times in the past year. The dealer checked out the car and not codes are shown. Thanks, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'

- Knoxville, TN, USA

problem #14

Oct 012018

Forester

  • 20,000 miles
There is intermittent surging upon initial acceleration and while driving at higher speeds. The back interior light will intermittently turn on while all doors are closed. The passenger side seatbelt sign comes on intermittently while there's nothing in the seat. The battery will die if the hazard lights are on for 5 minutes or 15 and others will be just fine. The camera in the back of the car is a bit obstructed by the rear bumper.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

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