2015 Subaru Forester problems

POWER TRAIN

The contact's spouse owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop or at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle hesitated and failed to accelerate as intended. The Hill Assist and Automatic Transmission Oil Temperature warning lights flashed, and the ABS, Traction Control, and VDC warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and turned off to cool down on each occurrence. After approximately 45 minutes, the vehicle was restarted and was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

NHTSA complaint #11748724 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:ABS WARNING LIGHT

The contact's spouse owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop or at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle hesitated and failed to accelerate as intended. The Hill Assist and Automatic Transmission Oil Temperature warning lights flashed, and the ABS, Traction Control, and VDC warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and turned off to cool down on each occurrence. After approximately 45 minutes, the vehicle was restarted and was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

NHTSA complaint #11748724 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side air bag warning light illuminated, and the air bag module warning light was illuminated. The air bag occupant classification system was not operating as intended. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and an occupant detection system malfunction code was retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags); as a possible cause for the failure; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,684.

NHTSA complaint #11747820 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

AIR BAGS

Codes for B1760 and B1650 present, intermittent SRS light for the passenger airbag. Passengers put at risk in event of crash. SRS sensor issues seem to be common for this vehicle according to online databases and dealership technicians.

NHTSA complaint #11746865 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

2 REAR WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED ON LOW MILAGE VEHICLE.ALTHOUGH CAR IS 10 YEARS OLD IT IS WELL MAINTAINED AND HAS 57K MILES ON OD.nEVER DRIVEN OFF ROAD OR IN WATER. PERHAPS WORSE THREE STUDS AND LUGS HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SNAPPING OFF. APPARENTLY THIS IS COMMON AS THE SAME STORY WAS TOLD TO OTHERS WAITING AT DEALERSHIP

NHTSA complaint #11745979 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I was pulling into a parking spot almost stopped when the vehicle suddenly surged forward. I slammed on the brake and put the car in reverse since it had driven upon the walkway. This happened earlier today and I plan to have it checked out as soon as possible . Never have had this problem before, no warning lights or messages.

NHTSA complaint #11735015 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I was pulling into a parking spot almost stopped when the vehicle suddenly surged forward. I slammed on the brake and put the car in reverse since it had driven upon the walkway. This happened earlier today and I plan to have it checked out as soon as possible . Never have had this problem before, no warning lights or messages.

NHTSA complaint #11735015 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I was pulling into a parking spot almost stopped when the vehicle suddenly surged forward. I slammed on the brake and put the car in reverse since it had driven upon the walkway. This happened earlier today and I plan to have it checked out as soon as possible . Never have had this problem before, no warning lights or messages.

NHTSA complaint #11735015 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

AIR BAGS

Front passenger airbag sensor light stays on continuously

NHTSA complaint #11732834 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Vehicle: 2015 Subaru Forester Mileage at Failure: 85,000 miles Component: Powertrain – CVT Transmission My 2015 Subaru Forester is experiencing a premature safety‑related CVT transmission failure at approximately 85,000 miles. The vehicle developed a pronounced whining noise that increases with vehicle speed, consistent with internal CVT bearing or pulley failure. This is a known defect pattern in Subaru Forester CVTs and is not related to maintenance or wear. The noise is continually progressing and the risk of sudden catastrophic failure makes the vehicle unsafe to operate. An authorized Subaru dealer and the District Parts & Service Manager (DPSM) both confirmed that the CVT has failed and requires full replacement. This failure occurred well within Subaru’s extended CVT warranty mileage limit of 100,000 miles, and matches the defect pattern Subaru acknowledged when it extended CVT coverage nationwide for this model. However, Subaru is refusing to replace the CVT due to the 10 calendar year extension expiration. Subaru’s maintenance schedule for this vehicle does not require any CVT fluid replacement interval, so there is no missed maintenance that contributed to the failure. A failing CVT creates a safety hazard due to to the risk of sudden loss of power, hesitation, or inability to accelerate. I am filing this complaint so NHTSA is aware of this premature CVT failure and the associated safety concerns of SOA's refusal to replace the CVT under their extended warranty.

NHTSA complaint #11728666 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

This has now happened twice to my daughter, both times on the highway. One time the car shut down completely and the 2nd time the car just started slowing while pressing the gas and coasted to a stop. Luckily she was able to avoid other cars and get to the shoulder. The car restarted both times...1st time after about an hour wait and 2nd time within minutes. Both incidents happened when the gas gauge was at 2 bars. I am terrified of this thing right now. No warning signs at all prior to the incident. I took it to the dealer after the first incident but they could not figure out what the problem was as they were not able to recreate the issue. This is an extremely unsafe issue and I am not sure what I should do next.

NHTSA complaint #11726895 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

On 3 different occasions the car randomly accelerated at a high speed without stepping on the gas pedal. The first time was in a parking lot. The second time was on a busy road while traveling at 35 mph. The car accelerated to about 60 mph, fortunately once applying the brakes the vehicle slowed down to gain control. The third time it happened was recently on [XXX] while slowly backing down [XXX]. The car accelerated backwards at a very high speed narrowly missing a fence in the neighbors yard. These incidents have happened with large time frame gaps in between the occurrences. After the third incident I took the car to a dealer Planet Subaru in Hanover MA. After keeping the car for a few days, the dealer called and said that they could not find anything wrong with the car and there was nothing that they could do for me. This issue is obviously very serious, if the car surges forward randomly while someone is crossing in a crosswalk it could be potentially fatal. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11715389 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

On 3 different occasions the car randomly accelerated at a high speed without stepping on the gas pedal. The first time was in a parking lot. The second time was on a busy road while traveling at 35 mph. The car accelerated to about 60 mph, fortunately once applying the brakes the vehicle slowed down to gain control. The third time it happened was recently on [XXX] while slowly backing down [XXX]. The car accelerated backwards at a very high speed narrowly missing a fence in the neighbors yard. These incidents have happened with large time frame gaps in between the occurrences. After the third incident I took the car to a dealer Planet Subaru in Hanover MA. After keeping the car for a few days, the dealer called and said that they could not find anything wrong with the car and there was nothing that they could do for me. This issue is obviously very serious, if the car surges forward randomly while someone is crossing in a crosswalk it could be potentially fatal. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11715389 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I bought a used 2015 subaru forester with 117,000 miles from an auto shop/used car dealer in March of 2024. In September of 2025, 11,000 miles of driving later, a bunch of lights came on my dash. Check engine, traction control, ABS, at oil temp, and incline assist. I took it to Autozone to get the codes read and the part it suggested was the transmission oil pressure sensor. I then took it to a trusted mechanic who said they weren’t able to get the lights to turn back on and told me to come back when the lights reappeared. In December of 2025, the lights came on and they were on long enough to take it back to the mechanic. The mechanic told me that it looked to be the transmission valve body and recommended a local transmission shop. I took it there and the mechanic told me there was a speed sensor that was failing and the transmission and valve body would need to be replaced. He said that they don’t sell the speed sensor anywhere and it is impossible to obtain. I got quoted 9,100 to fix my car (I originally paid around 8,500 for it). I was told it would not be worth my time or money to fix the transmission. The transmission guy told me that Subaru cvt transmissions are horrendous and to take this is a lesson to never buy a Subaru. I heeded to this advice and traded her in for $2000 towards a 2010 rav4. Additional info: It had a rebuilt title and had been in an accident before I got it. Lived its entire life between kentucky and tennessee. I replaced the engine oil and filter every 4,000-6,000 miles. Tire treads were very mismatched for the time I had it (almost two years) which I was told by a subaru dealership can damage the transmission. Back tires had significantly lower tread than front. I had front left lower control arm, rear spring coils, brake switch lamp, and one of the battery terminals replaced during the time I had it. My TPMS light was always on. My front right headlight went out frequently. My brake light assembly also broke and wasn’t worth fixing

NHTSA complaint #11713143 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

I bought a used 2015 subaru forester with 117,000 miles from an auto shop/used car dealer in March of 2024. In September of 2025, 11,000 miles of driving later, a bunch of lights came on my dash. Check engine, traction control, ABS, at oil temp, and incline assist. I took it to Autozone to get the codes read and the part it suggested was the transmission oil pressure sensor. I then took it to a trusted mechanic who said they weren’t able to get the lights to turn back on and told me to come back when the lights reappeared. In December of 2025, the lights came on and they were on long enough to take it back to the mechanic. The mechanic told me that it looked to be the transmission valve body and recommended a local transmission shop. I took it there and the mechanic told me there was a speed sensor that was failing and the transmission and valve body would need to be replaced. He said that they don’t sell the speed sensor anywhere and it is impossible to obtain. I got quoted 9,100 to fix my car (I originally paid around 8,500 for it). I was told it would not be worth my time or money to fix the transmission. The transmission guy told me that Subaru cvt transmissions are horrendous and to take this is a lesson to never buy a Subaru. I heeded to this advice and traded her in for $2000 towards a 2010 rav4. Additional info: It had a rebuilt title and had been in an accident before I got it. Lived its entire life between kentucky and tennessee. I replaced the engine oil and filter every 4,000-6,000 miles. Tire treads were very mismatched for the time I had it (almost two years) which I was told by a subaru dealership can damage the transmission. Back tires had significantly lower tread than front. I had front left lower control arm, rear spring coils, brake switch lamp, and one of the battery terminals replaced during the time I had it. My TPMS light was always on. My front right headlight went out frequently. My brake light assembly also broke and wasn’t worth fixing

NHTSA complaint #11713143 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

REPORT OF FAILED RECALL REMEDY (RECALL 19V-149 / WUE-90) My 2015 Subaru Forester experienced a total recurrence of the defect addressed in 2019. The vehicle became trapped in 'Park' intermittently on several occasions before remaining immobilized. During one incident, the manual shift-lock override failed to function. While the brake lights functioned during these incidents, the failure to shift is a documented symptom of a failing brake light switch. I had the switch replaced by a technician who initially suggested a full shifter assembly replacement. However, replacing ONLY the brake light switch immediately and permanently resolved the issue. This confirms the recall-related part was the point of failure. Subaru of America was notified but declined to acknowledge this as a failure of the safety remedy. I am also reporting intermittent 'ghost' activations of the right turn signal stalk.

NHTSA complaint #11708987 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

REPORT OF FAILED RECALL REMEDY (RECALL 19V-149 / WUE-90) My 2015 Subaru Forester experienced a total recurrence of the defect addressed in 2019. The vehicle became trapped in 'Park' intermittently on several occasions before remaining immobilized. During one incident, the manual shift-lock override failed to function. While the brake lights functioned during these incidents, the failure to shift is a documented symptom of a failing brake light switch. I had the switch replaced by a technician who initially suggested a full shifter assembly replacement. However, replacing ONLY the brake light switch immediately and permanently resolved the issue. This confirms the recall-related part was the point of failure. Subaru of America was notified but declined to acknowledge this as a failure of the safety remedy. I am also reporting intermittent 'ghost' activations of the right turn signal stalk.

NHTSA complaint #11708987 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

REPORT OF FAILED RECALL REMEDY (RECALL 19V-149 / WUE-90) My 2015 Subaru Forester experienced a total recurrence of the defect addressed in 2019. The vehicle became trapped in 'Park' intermittently on several occasions before remaining immobilized. During one incident, the manual shift-lock override failed to function. While the brake lights functioned during these incidents, the failure to shift is a documented symptom of a failing brake light switch. I had the switch replaced by a technician who initially suggested a full shifter assembly replacement. However, replacing ONLY the brake light switch immediately and permanently resolved the issue. This confirms the recall-related part was the point of failure. Subaru of America was notified but declined to acknowledge this as a failure of the safety remedy. I am also reporting intermittent 'ghost' activations of the right turn signal stalk.

NHTSA complaint #11708987 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

Passenger airbag sensor intermittently works and turns off when passenger is in the seat. Dashboard light for airbag is constantly on and passenger airbag is constantly off. Issues with seat sensor going off when no one is sitting in the passenger seat. Abs system error message. All identical to recall symptoms.

NHTSA complaint #11703165 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

AIR BAGS

Passenger airbag sensor intermittently works and turns off when passenger is in the seat. Dashboard light for airbag is constantly on and passenger airbag is constantly off. Issues with seat sensor going off when no one is sitting in the passenger seat. Abs system error message. All identical to recall symptoms.

NHTSA complaint #11703165 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Passenger airbag sensor intermittently works and turns off when passenger is in the seat. Dashboard light for airbag is constantly on and passenger airbag is constantly off. Issues with seat sensor going off when no one is sitting in the passenger seat. Abs system error message. All identical to recall symptoms.

NHTSA complaint #11703165 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.