10 of the 576 complaints about the 2014 Subaru Forester are about the lighting — 2% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 72,016 miles.
10
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I HAVE MY BACK LIGHT ON BY ITSELF WITHOUT HIT BREAKS AND BACK DOOR POTON DOES NOT WORK AND I HAVE LIGHT ON MY BOARD ALWAYS LIGHT UP
NHTSA complaint #11394943 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. WHEN THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE AND RELEASED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,000.
NHTSA complaint #11287842 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V149000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) REGARDING A BRAKE LAMP SWITCH REPLACEMENT. AFTER THE RECALL WAS SERVICED, WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE HILL ASSIST WARNING INDICATOR FLASHED AND THE VEHICLE DRASTICALLY SLOWED DOWN. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO SUBARU OF GEORGETOWN (7501 I-35 FRONTAGE RD, GEORGETOWN, TX 78626, 512 930-2111) WITH MUCH DIFFICULTY AND THE ABS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS FAULTY. THE DEALER ADJUSTED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH TO THE CORRECT SPECIFICATIONS AND REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED BY CLEO BAY SUBARU (2125 E STAN SCHLUETER LOOP, KILLEEN, TX 76542, (254) 634-3175). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INITIAL RECALL, BUT NOT OF THE DEFECTIVE RECALL REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,032.
NHTSA complaint #11242114 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
REPEATED ISSUE WITH HEADLIGHTS FAILING AFTER VERY SHORTY PERIOD OF TIME FROM INSTALLATION. REPLACED HEADLIGHTS 3 TIMES IN THE PAST 11 MONTHS (HAVE REPLACED AT LEAST 1 ADDITIONAL TIME SINCE MAY 2017). BULBS INSTALLED CORRECTLY WITHOUT MAKING CONTACT WITH ANY PART OF BULB EXCEPT PLASTIC END WITH BULB GREASE APPLIED TO REAR CONNECTOR.
NHTSA complaint #11228853 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V149000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. BYERS SUBARU ALEXANDRIA (2301, 7416 RICHMOND HWY, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22306, (703) 768-5800) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
NHTSA complaint #11210383 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V149000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE CONTACT CALLED AN UNKNOWN DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
NHTSA complaint #11202868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
MY HIGH BEAM/DAYTIME RUNNING BULB BLEW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. WHEN REPLACING THE BULB I FOUND IT HAD ACTUALLY MELTED, AND HAD A LARGE BUBBLE IN THE GLASS. APPROXIMATELY A YEAR PREVIOUS THE DRIVERS SIDE BULB HAD BLOWN AND I HAD FOUND THE SAME BUBBLE, BUT DIDN'T REPORT IT AT THAT TIME, ASSUMING IT WAS JUST SOMETHING WEIRD THAT HAPPENED ONCE. NOW THAT IT'S HAPPENED TWICE, ONCE ON EACH SIDE, I'M MORE CONCERNED THERE'S A LARGER ISSUE WITH THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FOR THE BLURB TO GET SO HOT THAT IT ACTUALLY MELTED THE GLASS.
NHTSA complaint #11202596 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
LOW BEAM HEADLAMP HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE IN 12 MONTHS. THERE HAVE BEEN WARRANTY EXTENSIONS ON OLDER SUBARU'S FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED FOR NEWER MODELS
NHTSA complaint #10907167 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
THE LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS ARE VERY POOR, THEY ONLY PROJECT 100 FT . BECAUSE OF THIS WE HIT A DEER WHICH CAUSED $4000 DAMAGE. PLASE TELL ME YOU ARE LOOKING INTO THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM
NHTSA complaint #10863120 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT WOULD NOT ACTIVATE AND CAUSED THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO FAIL. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED ISSUES STARTING DUE TO THE BRAKE SWITCH ACTIVATION FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SWITCH THAT ACTIVATED THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V366000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.
NHTSA complaint #10809676 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.