71 of the
897 complaints about the 2015 Subaru Forester are about the
throttle and cruise control — 8% of everything
reported for this model year.
Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before
35,000 miles.
F
71
Complaints
27
Crashes
0
Fires
10
Injuries
Exactly what failed
Vehicle Speed Control
6693.0%
Accelerator Pedal
57.0%
Acceleration & Cruise Control across every Subaru Forester year
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.
Kissimmee, FLCrash
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The Vehicle Dynamics Control safety system malfunctioned and forced me to drive straight on a curved banked overpass into the concrete barrier
NHTSA complaint #11638240 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 50,000 milesWaynesville, NCCrash1 injured
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 1 MPH into a parking space, the contact attempted to shift the transmission into park (P) while depressing the brake pedal when the vehicle inadvertently lunged forward and crashed into a building. No warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The impact caused soreness in her chest and stomach. The contact received medical attention on the scene from Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the tow yard. The vehicle was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
NHTSA complaint #11547939 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 100,000 milesMedfield, MA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 65–70 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
NHTSA complaint #11538825 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
New Providence, NJCrash
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I was parking the car it suddenly accelerated jumped the curb and was heading towards the building entrance dore. I could not stop it. To avoid entering the building I turned the vehicle tight and it collided against the wall. The air bags inflated.
NHTSA complaint #11515233 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hancock, MD
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
We were driving at 75 mph in the left lane when our car suddenly dropped in speed to 40 mph as though the transmission had dropped into neutral. There were no warning lights or any indication about what was happening. We were in heavy traffic, with trucks and car hitting their brakes. This could have caused a very serious accident. We managed to move our car to the right shoulder. The car's transmission re-engaged and we picked up our speed. This happened 3 times in the space of a few hundred miles while we were on a road trip. I called Subaru. They had no idea what it was. We went to the nearest Subaru dealer and they ran a diagnostic test, even including a 12 mile test drive with the computer hooked up. Nothing showed up. They told us to continue our trip. Then it happened 2 more times! The last time, again, in the left lane, on cruise. The engine rpm clocked up at 7500 rpm before I was able to get the car off the road. The engine died and we had to be towed to a shop. Again, no warning dash lights. This is a serious flaw and very dangerous.
NHTSA complaint #11510749 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Elburn, ILCrash
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I was backing out of a parking spot, and there was a telephone poll behind me in my path. I needed to pull forward to navigate around this poll. After backing up some, I put the car into drive to pull slightly forward, and the car lurched aggressively, so much so that I got out to see if it'd caught on something. It did not -- there was absolutely nothing there. So I got back in and tried to continue forward, and the accelerator went full force. I floored the brake pedal, but the car behaved as though I was flooring the accelerator. The car drove itself over a cement block, through a staircase and into the brick wall of an abandoned building, continuing to accelerate for a few seconds while against the wall. Air bags did not deploy. I walked away without physical injury, thank goodness. There were no warning lights, symptoms of or dashboard indicators of a problem before or during the issue. Upon investigation online, we see that there is a pending class action for this exact issue. The vehicle has been inspected by our insurance carrier and been deemed a total loss. Insurance has asked that we turn the title over to them in order to receive our payout, and I believe they plan to destroy the car.
NHTSA complaint #11507009 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 70,000 milesLa Crosse, WICrash1 injured
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while at a carwash moving forward, the vehicle accelerated up to approximately 35 MPH and crashed into the rear of a Ford Explorer. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver sustained injuries to his chest due to striking the steering wheel. Medical attention was provided. The contact was able to drive away from the crash site. A police report was filed. There was no air bag deployment. The vehicle was taken to a Collision Center. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified about the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
NHTSA complaint #11503188 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 82,000 milesWest Shokan, NYCrash
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated upon pulling into a parking space, the brake pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly and crashed into the side of the apartment building of her friend. The contact stated that the crash damaged the apartment of her friend located on the first floor. There was no warning light illuminated. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
NHTSA complaint #11491903 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lexington, MA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Suddenly lost acceleration and engine stopped - without any dashboard signal of low gas or engine issue. Car was able to start after couple of minutes. At the time of losing acceleration and stopping gas indicator was showing two bars - and car was not running with low fuel indicator. My whole family was in the car and stopping in the middle lane of a busy national highway of 65 miles speed limit on a Saturday late in night was very scary!
NHTSA complaint #11486260 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Largo, FL
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I have had several instances while driving on the highway when my forester revs to a very high RPM, the vehicle speeds up suddenly, and then shuts off completely. The only fix is to put the vehicle in neutral, move to the shoulder, and restart the vehicle. This has happened approximately 4 times during my 1 year of ownership and it is completely random when it occurs.
NHTSA complaint #11477539 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Francisco, CA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I was driving with cruise control going around 70 when the car started slowing down suddenly. Not wanting to slow down even more, I turned off the cruise control by hand using the cancel button on the steering wheel (rather than tap the brake) but when I then hit the accelerator, the engine felt like it was in neutral, revving past 6000 rpm on the tachometer. At that point, I realized I had no control over the drive train so I pulled off the road onto the center median of the highway, just as the engine died - fortunately, there wasn’t anyone following close behind. We had been driving for about 1.5 hours with the AC blasting and the gas tank at that point was low, with less than 1/8 remaining. All this happened without any dashboard warning lights turning on. This was the very last leg of a ten-day, 2,000 mile road trip. I tried restarting the engine but only got clicking. Since I thought we’d be struck a while and it was so hot, I turned the key to the accessory position and was able to roll down the windows. We sat there for a couple of minutes wondering what to do. It took another minute to find my AAA card. Before calling for roadside assistance, I tried starting the engine again and this time it turned over. We did not have any further problems in the remaining 100 miles of our trip (though I was very anxious about it happening again). I took the car in to a Subaru service center this morning (36 hours later). They did a multi-point inspection and road test but did not find any issues and were not able to replicate the problem.
NHTSA complaint #11477675 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 72,000 milesVerona, VA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration causing the driver to immediately depress the brake pedal to abruptly stop the vehicle. After the failure, the vehicle operated as normal. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.
NHTSA complaint #11465161 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Peoria, IL
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sudden accelerations.
NHTSA complaint #11456739 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 60,000 milesWoodbury, MN
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, pulling into a parking space, and while attempting to park the vehicle on the street, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. The contact had to depress the brake pedal several times before the brakes were engaged. The failure occurred on two separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer could not replicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and was later sold to St. Cloud Subaru (141 Park Ave S, St. Cloud, MN 56301). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately under 60,000.
NHTSA complaint #11439324 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Littleton, CO
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
This 2015 Subaru accelerates without warning and without gas pedal input. The issue arose about a month ago (July 2021) and has persisted ever since. The vehicle will rev while in park and once put into drive will jolt aggressively and without warning. Additionally, the vehicle will enter low-power mode at random and decelerate to 15-20mph. This has caused multiple hazards when driving on highways/interstates where pulling over is difficult or impossible.
NHTSA complaint #11428178 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Farmington, MNCrash
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The 2015 Subaru Forester accelerated unexpectedly while slowly turning into a a Walgreens parking lot. The acceleration could not be stopped by stepping on the brake, and the car crashed into the brick building. The vehicle is at Phil's Auto Body Shop in Rosemount, MN. The estimate on the car is complete, and waiting on State Farm insurance to approve. The police were at the scene of the accident. Walgreens has video of the accident from their security cameras.
NHTSA complaint #11418574 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 60,000 milesMansfield, MACrash2 injured
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
AUTO ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY AFTER LEAVING CAR WASH BAY. AUTO SPED THROUGH PARKING LOT INTO STREET AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER AUTO TRAVELING ON A ROAD.
NHTSA complaint #11415816 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 107,008 milesDES Moines, IA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDENLY IT STARTED TO ACCURATE AND THE OTHER WAS ALL IN BORD CONTROL SYSTEM DEFAULT ARE LIGHTING UP
NHTSA complaint #11407997 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 134,000 milesAustin, TX
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, CAUSING THE SPEED TO INCREASE TO APPROXIMATELY 62 MPH AFTER LEAVING FROM A STOP LIGHT. ON ANOTHER OCCASION WHILE DRIVING, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE DRIVER DOWNSHIFTED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT YET DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER AUSTIN SUBARU LOCATED AT 8100 BURNET RD, AUSTIN, TX 78757 AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,000.
NHTSA complaint #11397488 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 78,500 milesSunnyvale, CA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I HAVE EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION DURING MY OWNERSHIP OF MY 2015 SUBARU FORESTER XT WHILE I WAS STOPPED ON A CITY STREET. THERE IS ALSO A "LUNGING" FEELING WHENEVER YOU PRESS THE ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE AFTER PROCEEDING FROM A COMPLETE STOP.
NHTSA complaint #11396068 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 92,000 milesHolladay, UT
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, MY CAR HAS SHUTDOWN ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS AROUND 75-80 MPH. THEY ALL HAPPENED DURING ROAD TRIPS WHILE MY CAR WAS BETWEEN 1/8 AND 1/4 TANK. THE CAR HAS A NOTICEABLE DROP IN POWER, WHICH FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION DISENGAGES AND APPLYING MORE GAS DOESN'T HELP. THIS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS!!!! LUCKILY I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE ON ALL 3 LOCATIONS SO I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CAR WILL NOT START, UNTIL MORE GAS IS PUT IN THE CAR. IT'S NOT OUT OF FUEL THOUGH BECAUSE I TRACKED HOW MUCH GAS IS IN THE CAR AND HOW MUCH I FILLED UP AFTER TOWING. THIS ONLY HAPPENS AFTER DRIVING FOR MULTIPLE HOURS. I CAN RUN THE CAR TO EMPTY IF I'M JUST DRIVING AROUND TOWN. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED FOR THIS ISSUE. I CAN SEE THERE HAVE BEEN TONS OF COMPLAINTS AROUND THIS ISSUE.
NHTSA complaint #11382959 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 57,500 milesAlameda, CA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
EYESIGHT SYSTEM FAILS REGULARLY OR DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. THIS IMPACTS ALL PROXIMITY WARNINGS, AUTOMATIC SPEED CONTROL AND WHEEL SLIP CONTROL.
NHTSA complaint #11372535 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 1 milesSAN Rafael, CA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
CAR IN MOTION. HAPPENS ON A STOP, PARKING THE VEHICLE IN PROGRESS, DRIVING SLOW. WHEN PUSHING GAS PEDAL SLOWLY FROM START POINT; VEHACLE SPEED UP SO MUCH THAT I HAVE TO PRESS BRAKES PEDAL TO HOLD THE SPEED DOWN. HAPPENS ONCE EVERY OTHER TIME.
NHTSA complaint #11355729 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 67,000 milesIndianapolis, IN
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH THE CAR LOST ALL POWER. THE RPMS WENT UP LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL (CAR WAS STILL IN DRIVE). FUEL TANK WAS DOWN TO A LITTLE LESS THAN 1/4TH OF A TANK BUT STILL HAD 100 MILES UNTIL EMPTY. ADAPTIVE CRUISE WAS ENGAGED AT THE TIME (AUTOMATED CRUISE APPLIED ACCELERATOR THAT ROSE THE RPMS TO 4500). THIS WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A 4 HOUR ROAD TRIP ON A FLAT STRAIGHT ROAD. CAR EXHIBITED NO WARNING OR LIGHTS UNTIL COMPLETE POWER WAS LOST. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. ALL LIGHTS CAME ON IN THE DASH AFTER I WAS STOPPED. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND I WAS ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY START IT AGAIN. SHORTLY AFTER I FILLED UP THE TANK AND THE CAR DROVE FINE FOR THE NEXT HOUR UNTIL I WAS HOME. THIS WAS A SCARY INCIDENT THAT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. I NOTICED THAT THIS CAR HAS ABOUT A DOZEN OTHER REPORTS THAT ARE MUCH LIKE THIS IN THE PAST YEAR.
NHTSA complaint #11342445 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 60,000 milesTroy, MI
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE SURGES SOMETIMES AND MISFIRES WHEN IT COLD STARTS. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE RETAILER, THEY DID NOT FOUND ANY ISSUE. ONLY THE DIFFERENTIAL OIL WAS CHANGED. THEY TOLD ME TO RETURN IF THE PROBLEM OCCURS AGAIN. AGAIN IT CAME BACK AND INTERMITTENT. I AM SURE RETAILER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM AGAIN. IT IS SUDDEN LOSS OF POWERS FOR COUPLE SECONDS AND IT A HAZARD ON THE ROAD. HOPE THERE ARE RECALLS ON THIS ISSUE.
NHTSA complaint #11325095 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 82,300 milesCollierville, TN
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE DRIVING IN THE HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON THE CAR SUDDENLY WENT TO 5000 RPM AND AT THE SAME TIME STARTED TO BRAKE ALL THE LIGHTS IN THE DASHBOARD CAME ON I PULLED OVER AND THE CAR'S ENGINE SHUT DOWN. I TRIED TO STARTED ABOUT 5 06 TIMES THE CAR WOULDN'T STAR AND AFTER THAT THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. I HAD IT TOW TO A SHOP. THE NEXT MORNING IT STARTED LIKE NOTHING THE MECHANIC AT THE SHOP SAID IT WAS THE BATTERY.AFTER CHANGING THE BATTERY I TOOK IT TO THE GAS STATION AFTER PUTTING GAS IT WOULDN'T START AGAIN AFTER SEVERAL TRIES IT STARTED.AT THIS POINT I DON'T THINK THE BATTERY WAS THE ISSUE BUT I AM GLAD I GOT HOME. THIS HAPPENED IN STARKVILLE MS 200 MILES FROM WHERE I LIVE.
NHTSA complaint #11323491 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 16,552 milesYankton, SD
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I DROVE INTO GARAGE AT ABOUT 1 M.P.H. AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK. AFTER IDLING FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS THE ENGINE ACCELERATED TO 2,800 R.P.M. AND STAYED THERE,I COULDN'T GET IT TO SLOW DOWN. I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR MANY TIMES,IT WOULDN'T SLOW DOWN OR SPEED UP. IT JUST STAYED AT THE SAME SPEED. PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. I GOT IT STOPPED BY TURNING OFF THE IGNITION. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I GOT CODE P2138. I AM REPLACING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR AS I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT.THE CAR IS EXACTLY 5 YEARS OLD,I BOUGHT IT NEW. IT HAS 16,552 MILES ON IT NOW. I WAS VERY LUCKY IT WAS IN PARK WHEN IT DID THIS. I HOPE THE NEW PART FIXES IT.AFTER 4 RESTARTS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OUT. I TOOK IT FOR A SHORT DRIVE,AND THE ENGINE KEPT WANTING TO RUN FAST. TWO DAYS LATER IT SEEMS OK,IT SLOWS DOWN NOW.
NHTSA complaint #11240517 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 73,000 milesFair Oaks, CA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WE WERE DRIVING IN THE FREEWAY AT 65MPH, WE HAD BEEN DRIVING ABOUT AN HOUR, ON THE FREEWAY WITH SOME TRAFFIC BUT MOSTLY MOVING NORMALLY. SUDDENLY WITH NO WARNING NOR ENGINE LIGHTS, THE CAR REVED BUT DIDN'T RESPOND TO THE GAS PEDAL. AS THOUGH IT HAD RUN OUT OF GAS. THE LOW FUEL LIGHT HAD GONE ON ALREADY, IT TURNS ON AROUND 70 MILES TO EMPTY, BUT WE STILL HAD 50 MILES TO EMPTY. WE PULLED OVER AND CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO DELIVER GAS SINCE THAT'S ALL WE COULD FIGURE HAD HAPPENED. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES WAITING WE DECIDED TO TRY IT AND JUST SEE IF IT WOULD START AND IT DID! WE DROVE TO THE NEXT EXIT AND GOT GAS WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS, AND CONTINUED ON HOME AFTER. THIS WAS VERY SCARY AND LEFT MY FAMILY SITTING STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. NO ENGINE LIGHTS, NO CODES, NOTHING OBVIOUS TO FIX. NOW I'M NERVOUS TO DRIVE WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR IN CASE IT HAPPENS AGAIN.
NHTSA complaint #11228592 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 93,000 milesDE Soto, KS
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TWICE WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE ON A 3-4 HOUR TRIP GOING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH USING CRUISE CONTROL WITH APPROXIMATELY 1/12 - 1/6 TANK OF GAS, MY ENGINE BEGAN TO REV AND AT THE SAME TIME LOST POWER AND SPEED. THE FIRST TIME I PULLED OFF THE ROAD, SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, WAITED APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND FINISH MY TRIP. IT HAPPENED THE SECOND TIME WITH MOSTLY IDENTICAL CIRCUMSTANCES. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, WAITED AND WAS UNABLE TO START THE ENGINE. I HAD TO TOW MY VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP. THEY RAN DIAGNOSTICS WITH NOTHING TURNING UP. THEY WERE HOWEVER ABLE TO START THE CAR WHEN THEY TRIED. THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BEING IN 70 MPH TRAFFIC AND HAVING NO SPEED CONTROL. I HAVE THE DEALERSHIP PAPERWORK FROM THE SERVICE. NOW THE ENGINE DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE THE NORMAL POWER IT USUALLY DOES WHEN ACCELERATING. *TT
NHTSA complaint #11218406 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.