2016 Subaru Forester electrical problems

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Problem: Recall for passenger side airbag malfunction in heated seats for my model year. Manufacturer has said they addressed the recall but they have not. My car and thousands of others are unsafe for passengers to ride in because the airbag system does not work. Warning light is the airbag symbol and message that alerts driver that SRS system is not working. Manufacturer and dealers want to charge $200 to look problem over and then tell you its off warranty. My car has 96000 miles and this has been a problem since they “did the recall”. Subaru tells owners that passenger should ride in back seat. How does that work with two car seats. Subaru needs to take responsibility for their engineering design and fix this safety defect. These cars are death traps.

NHTSA complaint #11740447 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Passenger Occupant Detection System is malfunctioning. It is not registering a passenger in the seat, and in turn not turning the passenger airbag on when the seat is occupied. This puts any passnger who sit in this seat at risk of the airbag not deploying. This issue has been confirmed by the dealer. There was a recall for the Passenger ODS harness (WUM-98R) that the harness was replaced. Since this has been completed they state the Occupant Detection System is a seperate issue that requires seat base to be replaced in order for the system to register an occupant and have the air bags turn on when occupied.

NHTSA complaint #11734206 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I have a 2016 Subaru Forester and started 3 weeks ago with a problem when I turn it on all the lights on the dashboard turn on and the car won't star. The mechanic has changed the battery and the problem continues. It's happened three times now that it's suddenly shut off while I'm driving. It was very scary. Now the mechanic said that I have to take to the dealer because it is the body control module.

NHTSA complaint #11717499 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The rear backup camera failed. No warning lights appeared. This is a safety issue. This repair was expensive should not have happened at 79019 miles. The problem was inspected and estimated by our Subaru dealer. We were told that the radio/screen unit first needed replacement, then if that didn't fix it, to then replace the camera. We were give a rough estimate of $2500 to replace both items. We decided to get another estimate. They determine it was the camera, which we had them replace.

NHTSA complaint #11694751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The airbag sensor (ODS) malfunctions for front passenger seat. The "airbag off" warning lights up when the seat is occupied. This was fixed by dealer back in 2020 under recall WUM-98/NHTSA ID 19V-701000. However, this problem recurred intermittently about five months ago. I called Capitol Subaru in San Jose, CA and spoke with Service Advisor, Dan Padilla, who informed me that the recurrence of this SAFETY issue would no longer be covered under this recall. He offered to schedule an appointment for a diagnosis, but I declined since it would cost $300. I also spoke with Jorge, Case Specialist, from Subaru of America who reiterated that the aforementioned recall only covers a one-time repair and cannot be reopened. It is my understanding that safety recalls do not expire and that "Federal law often mandates the manufacturer to provide free repairs for safety recalls on vehicles up to 15 yrs old." How can NHTSA help in resolving this car safety issue with Subaru? The ODS system is unreliable and poses a risk to my passengers.

NHTSA complaint #11676289 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 108,127 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 110,000. The contact stated that on a Carfax Report the mileage was 188,130.

NHTSA complaint #11668761 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Passenger's seat belt sensor is alarming when no one is in the seat. The passenger side airbag warning light is also coming on and off. I took it to the dealer, and they confirmed that the sensor in the seat pad is bad. The airbag light was intermittently going on for several weeks before I took it in. The car has been at the dealer since mid-August, and I am told that the part is currently on backorder without an estimated arrival date.

NHTSA complaint #11618130 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Battery constantly fails after a few days of driving. Even after battery has been replaced with new, the problem continues to occur. Car does not start and it needs to be constantly jump started. The problem first started happening in 2019. Just discovered there was a lawsuit related to this issue, but I did not receive any type of notification about it.

NHTSA complaint #11609262 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Had recall completed for Subaru Forester (WUM-98) where dealer replaced ODS sensor harness in 2020. At the end of 2021 had the SRS light intermittently come on but would then go off for months( front passenger seat). This kept happening intermittently so I brought it to dealership and had it diagnosed in 2023. They suggested replacing the passenger seat ($1200 P&L). Dealer said no water damage to seat and cables looked good. Brought it to new dealership in 2024. They said it needed a new ODS sensor harness and replaced it. Since this was replaced, I have not had the SRS light come back on. This is a huge safety risk to front passenger riders. Disappointed that it needed to be replaced so soon after the recall was completed. I did open a case with SOA and they offered goodwill assistance but said the recall warranty only lasted a year.

NHTSA complaint #11606910 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

113,727 miles. 2016 Subaru Forester. 5 different warning lights all came on at the same time. Before that I noticed occasionally there was a delay starting again at a stoplight. Reputable mechanic replaced the valve body of the transmission. They said they service 2-3 Subarus for this same issue every month.

NHTSA complaint #11606047 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Concerned driver stopped me and said I had no brake lights , only the lights atop the hatch showed breaking. After returning home I checked all settings on light controls and none made lower break lights work when pedal depressed. This could cause someone not watching top of vehicle crash into my vehicle. If light on top malfunctions I will not have any brake lights. Running lights work fine but do nothing when breaking. At first though it had to do with setting on light controls. I think I’ve been told I had no tail lights only front running lights and had to turn control at dusk to have taillights of any kind.

NHTSA complaint #11558928 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the battery had drained and was replaced by an independent mechanic. A few months later, the vehicle received an oil change by a dealer. After leaving the dealer, the vehicle failed to startup while in a parking lot. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove back to the dealer. The contact was informed that the battery was defective, and the battery was replaced a second time. The old battery was taken back to the independent mechanic and tested. The contact was informed that there was nothing wrong with the battery. Several months later the battery failed. Upon investigation, the contact linked the battery failure to the STARLINK technology feature that came equipped with the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the DCM (Digital Control Module) needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 108,000.

NHTSA complaint #11558755 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that she was able to safely drive the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery was replaced for the third time, and the dealer informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that the battery had been replaced three times in less than two years. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.  The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA complaint #11549344 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that she was able to safely drive the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery was replaced for the third time, and the dealer informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that the battery had been replaced three times in less than two years. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.  The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA complaint #11549344 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

BATTERY DRAIN ISSUE, 3RD BATTERY IN SINCE PURCHASE

NHTSA complaint #11548814 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving my vehicle on my daily trip to work, I experience sudden power loss. My interior lights began to blink erratically, as my vehicle loss power and caused me to panic, as I was entering the highway. Some highways have no shoulders, so as quickly as I entered the highway, I pulled off took the next exit. I went into a shopping center, to see what the issue was. I noticed that my radio and my air conditioning loss illumination. I turned the car off, opened the hood. I did not see anything of significance, I started the car up again, now the radio would not even start nor did the air conditioning. I phoned the Subaru dealer, to be told that this happens often! What, I thought to myself? I asked them if this was a well-known problem, why this has not become part of a recall, or why the dealership not contact Subaru of America, to work with their customer base and remedy the issue. I was told, that all that is done in the "diagnostic process", any codes are cleared, and this should get you back on the road. Are you kidding me, this is truly any motorist's nightmare. Losing power on a major highway, any road at night, or on a turn will literally bring catastrophic consequences to us Subaru owners, but all other motorists as well.

NHTSA complaint #11548758 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The backup camera and reverse taillights stopped functioning soon after I bought this vehicle in 2020. I am the 2nd owner and bought it from Peterson Toyota dealership in Boise, ID. There was no particular incident, i just noticed that the backup camera no longer showed an image when putting the car into reverse. I later found out while getting an oil change that the reverse taillights were not functioning either. It is available for inspection, and I have taken it to 2 Subaru dealerships who assessed it and said they couldn't find any specific issue. They confirmed the problem however. It has not been assessed by insurance representatives or police. There was no warning lamp or indication that my reverse lights were not working, other than realizing why no one was letting me out of parking spots. I have tried both replacing the bulbs and replacing the fuses for these systems, with no change. Upon researching, I found an identical problem occuring in Subaru WRX's manufactured between 2015-2021 that is listed under recall 22V522000. I would like to get this fixed as soon as possible and would like to see if it is possible to extend the existing recall to include my vehicle?

NHTSA complaint #11535763 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The Horn stopped working in the vehicle. This is a known issue with many Subarus. The horn is essential for safety reasons due to this the vehicle cannot pass a safety inspection. The culprit of this issue is the electrical coil spring component in the steering wheel behind the air bag. The component has multiple connections going to it including an airbag connection. In the event of accident it is not guaranteed that the spring coil component would deliver the signal for the air bag to deploy. This component is defective in many Subarus and is a very costly repair due to all the electrical and safety components connected to cloak spring. This component has been an issue in previous Subaru models but has not been extended to newer models that clearly have the same issue. please see document attached.

NHTSA complaint #11532772 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Battery drain due to CAN system. Has caused loss of power to functions of car resulting in vehicle dynamic control and airbags to be turned of in the middle of driving causing the ABS to become unusable in the case of an accident putting everyone in the car at risk of injury or death.

NHTSA complaint #11527373 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The horn does not work due to failure of the clock spring. This is a common problem among many Subaru vehicles. Without the use of a horn warning noises cannot be made to alert other drivers of potential hazards. There are numerous video and forums detailing this issues on multiple Subaru models.

NHTSA complaint #11520351 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Electrical system drains battery. Had battery replaced at dealer under lawsuit settlement guidelines.

NHTSA complaint #11512286 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The battery drains constantly. I’ve had it replaced several times but it continues to die even when I jump it repeatedly. This may be a known issue but the Subaru dealership’s tech refused to admit their car’s electrical system caused the issue and attempted to have me continue to drive with a dead battery, then have AAA replace the battery under the AAA warranty (even though Subaru’s car was at fault, not AAA’s battery), which was really disingenuous. At the dealership, I was told that if I chose to have Subaru replace the battery (as they should given it has a class action settlement and has an extended warranty) I “may never get paid” if I submitted a class action lawsuit claim. My car has died multiple times, inconveniencing me again and again, even at gas stations. The way Subaru is handling their electrical system error is not professional at all.

NHTSA complaint #11499092 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Check engine light, service emissions, dash lights blinking and loss of power!!! I was pulling out into a busy intersection and warning lights started to flash and i lost power to cylinder #2 (per the technician at Van Subaru, he told me the alternator was sending bad info to the computer) and i was almost T-BONED as i limped through the intersection.

NHTSA complaint #11494605 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Multiple occasions of vehicle cranking and not starting, or not cranking at all. Had original battery replaced at 35 months, and had new battery tested on 10/06/2022. The manufacturer mandated test showed the new battery was rated as a Fail, not meeting industry standards for this battery type/configuration. Dealer confirmed that there is no known repair available, including a reflash of the engine control module (ECM). Subaru is involved in battery lawsuit, and will not work on any battery related issues without forcing owner to register in the class action and give up rights to getting problem fixed. These actions are forcing us to own vehicles that the manufacturer considers unrepairable and are guaranteed to fail to start due to battery issues.

NHTSA complaint #11488295 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Alternator failed about a year old 2017. Next year battery failed.

NHTSA complaint #11487001 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The horn does not respond when pressing the button on the steering wheel. The only works if the steering wheel is turned. This is a hazard as the horn is needed to prevent a collision. I have had near miss collisions due to this failure.

NHTSA complaint #11485198 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Our Subaru Forester is slow to respond on acceleration and then surges quickly. This problem just started to surface. Our concern is when stepping down on the accelerator the car is very slow to react and then surges forward quickly, creating a serious concern over a potential accident. On August 17, 2022 I was reversing up my driveway to the garage and as I depressed the accelerator the car failed to respond. I was reluctant to depress the pedal further over concern it might suddenly surge backward too fast. What was concerning is that the accelerator did not respond as normal. August 18th, I started the car, drove out of the garage and onto the street. When I stepped onto the accelerator the car showed no response, then suddenly without warning surged forward at high speed, catching me off guard. I stepped on the brake and the car immediately stopped. I carefully tried to drive forward, again the car surged forward. I drove back into the garage. Our neighbor’s nephew took it for a drive and experience the same unexpected surge of acceleration. It was towed to the Subaru Dealership. The Dealership has consistently maintained our Forester since purchased. I asked if the car had surged and the Service Advisor shared that the technician had noticed an irregularity in acceleration. However, Diagnostic tests found nothing. The shop manager said he put almost 40 miles on it but found nothing. The service adviser called and suggested we come in and ride with the shop manager, which we did. He test drove it for a few miles and the acceleration appeared normal. He did say after the test drive that he sensed something irregular about the acceleration when leaving a stop sign. We asked they keep the car and test the car after sitting over the weekend. I asked service advisor and the shop manager if he had ever heard of a Subaru with this issue of being slow to respond on acceleration and then surging quickly. They both said they had never heard of this issue

NHTSA complaint #11480297 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I pulled into a parking space with a friend and as I turned the wheel to pull in and had the foot on the break, as soon as I let up on the brake the car lurched forward. Luckily, I slammed back on the brake since my foot has just come off it. This was very scary as I came close to ramming into the car parked in front of me. There is no way that I hit the gas and made it lurch like it did. The car is only a 4 cyl. Now I am scared to drive it. There were no warning lights at all. I have not taken the car in to the dealer as I suspect they will say there is nothing wrong and charge me for diagnostics. I saw there were 200 complaints about this, mostly with 2017 models, but there should be a recall. I had another problem where the power steering quit working after parking the car in the garage overnight. Again, no recall and when I called Subaru they said they could run diagnostics but if nothing is found, I have to pay. Nice racket they have going.

NHTSA complaint #11480344 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.