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.
On 11/18/2023, as soon as I started the vehicle, put it in reverse and let off the brake to back down the driveway, the car made a loud unfamiliar noise (like bzzzzzt) and suddenly and unexpectedly accelerated on its own. Nothing worked, brakes, automatic gear shift, gas pedal, and steering were all disengaged. It was terrifying to me and I was worried about anyone or anything behind me. At the street corner the car turned somehow (I was trying to steer, but the vehicle was jostling wildly and the steering, brakes didn't work at all), ran over a high curb, knocked over a street sign, and took out the neighbor-??s sprinkler system, and then came to a stop, dead!
Engine shuts off when coasting into a turn when car is moving at less than 5mph. Causes loss of steering. Will restart if gas pedal is pumped. Dealer can find no problem. Does not happen predictably and can not always be replicated. Very dangerous.
Corrupted Driver Assist Software. Dashboard icons for hands on steering wheel, dynamic vehicle control, lane change control were flashing that systems were off, controls were turned off randomly. Vehicle was not tracking appropriately in its lane, steering was not acting correctly. Car at times acted as if it were being blown by a strong crosswind. Steering between lanes was not consistent. Icon warning that my hands were not on steering wheel when both my hands were on the steering wheel.
Subaru has a known issue with a Thermo Control Valve in Foresters. Apparently the part is failing all over the place and they redesigned the part and are replacing it. The problem is the part is backordered and the dealerships are telling people it is safe to drive the car. Our car completely shut off at highway speed. I have since learned this is happening to a number of other owners who were also told it was safe to drive it while the part is back ordered. This vehicle has a lot of advanced driver features and some or all of them are shut off when this happens. Very dangerous for them to tell people to keep driving it and the vehicle should be recalled to replace the defective part that is failing.
I drive this V little, but the steering wheel has repeatedly tried to jerk me into the left lane when tuning right and right when turning left! I stopped using cruise, but it still does it. I am an advanced driver, but don't low, if I could overcome this if it acted like some other 2020 Foresters I've read owners state have gone off the road and rolled over! Also the auto stop - start often shuts engine off when power is needed - is totally unpredictable! This is my wife's car, but she got it as the seat works with my V bad back! Had I known the Eyesight system would malfunction (I did not trust it, but hoped it would be ok!), I'd have insisted on getting a good older car without unproven so called driver aids! We really don't have the $ to replace the car!
- Canton, NY, USA
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Lane Keep Assist Feature The lane keep assist feature seems, in general, to over steer causing sway back and forth across the lane. While I find this bothersome, Most recently, at highway speed, the lane keep assist pulled the car (suddenly and somewhat violently) onto an exit ramp rather than holding the right lane. No one was hurt. No damage occurred. I was able to yank the wheel back to the lane with the entire incident over in less and a second. Safety at risk? highway speed with unanticipated veer of intended path. It was good that traffic was quite light. I have not reported this to the dealer. No special warnings other than that the system "worked".
On the morning of October 1, 2020, I pulled the car out of my garage. I was the only occupant, . the car was parked facing the wall, on the opposite side of the garage door, and I had to back out of the garage into my driveway, putting the car in reverse. I then had to turn right, into my driveway leading to the street. After I shifted the gear from reverse into drive, the car started moving forward spontaneously, and I was unable to stop it, nor steer the steering wheel. My right foot was on the brake pedal, but I was unable to stop the vehicle. The brake pedal felt hard and would not go down. I found the car going forwards towards the garage, but slightly to the right of the open garage door. I was also not able to turn the car with the steering wheel, which was also stiff. I was fully aware of the failure, and my inability to control the vehicle, with the car going towards my house, and the brake not being effective. My wife, [xxx]who was at the door, was watching and helpless. The car then hit the pillar/ post, between my garage doors and stopped, hitting the right side, of the front of the vehicle into the garage post. I notified my insurance company and drove the car to Subaru's service center, and has since left the car there. I had met experienced a similar situation about 2-3 days earlier. At that time, I did not think much of it. The car is with the service department of [xxx], Subaru dealer, and the service manager, can explain the damages to the car, as it has been with them since the incident. My wife was standing at the door and witnessed the incident. The investigation was then handed over to Subaru America, who further forwarded it to Bosch engineering. Subaru America now wants to me take the car without explanation for the failure. I have requested a copy of the report, which Subaru has denied. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Vehicle vibrate starting at 50 mph and gets excessive at 65mph and up, while cruising in the highway. The vibration can be felt on the steering wheel and the driver seat seat.
I was driving my 2020 Subaru Forester sport in the left lane along an on-ramp to the highway, which consists of a road that curves to the right. There was snow on the ground but the roads were clear and dry. Suddenly and in a matter of a few seconds, the car began to beep continuously while the steering wheel veered to the left and locked, and the anti-lock brake system kicked in as I tried to correct the wheel and brake the car. I was suddenly completely out of control of the vehicle as the car drove me off the road and down into the snowy median, where it rolled at least once before landing upright. I believe the error with the car may have occurred with Subaru's brand-new lane centering technology, released with the 2020 edition vehicles. The technology will physically direct the steering wheel towards the center of the lane if it detects the vehicle is getting too close to either lane line. Lane centering is a feature of the Subaru's driver assist technology, called eyesight. I'm unsure if the malfunction occurred with eyesight or with the lane centering function specifically.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- La Grande, OR, USA