I hand washed my 2015 Subaru Forester using a garden hose with no pressure nozzle on the hose. While drying it I noticed a very strong burning smell. I then noticed smoke coming from the drivers side door mirror. It smoked for 30 to 40 seconds. Afterward my key fob door locking/unlocking functions do not work. Also the dome lights and clock do not work, as well as the TPMS. When I lock the car with a key, it only locks the drivers door. If I lock the car manually with the inside push button and close the door all doors are locked, but when I unlock it with the key the "Panic Horn" starts beeping. The car has not been repaired yet and is available for inspection. There were no warning lights or messages prior to the smoking mirror. This happened inside a washbay and I was definitely concerned about a major fire, luckily this did not happen. I googled this incident and there are other instances of this exact same incident occurring, as well as a recall of 630,000 Subaru vehicles in prior years, but not the 2015 model. My vehicle has never sustained any damage of any kind. No accidents, no fender benders, no weather related damage what so ever. This Forester, although being a 2015 model year, is in showroom condition with only 15,850 miles.
2015 Subaru Forester complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2015 record →
Cam carrier/front cover seal failed on our 2015 Forester with the 6 speed MT. This oil leak has ruined the O2 sensor, the drivers side VVT solenoid and according to the dealer has caused oil to run down the wiring harness which will cause further sensor failures if not corrected. All told the dealer wants over $3700 to fix the issues and will not warranty any parts unless the oil leak is fixed. The car currently has ~105k miles on it, out of warranty, but we had mentioned oil loss issues to our mechanic and local Subaru dealer when the car was serviced for the 2019 airbag sensor recall. The car was 4 yrs old, had ~65k miles and was "consuming" about 1 qt per 2500 miles at which time the low oil light would come on, but not the check engine. The concern was dismissed by the dealer as minor and likely oil consumption common on this engine. This is concerning as I now know that a service bulletin for this leak was issued in 2019. Now the car "consumes," leaks, about 1 qt every 1500 miles with no visible signs under when parked, but does have a distinct smell of burned oil in the car when idling in the driveway or stopped in traffic. The check engine light is no on constantly and cruise control does not function.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated after turning the vehicle off, the next morning the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the battery was faulty and needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced, and the failure was remedied but reoccurred. The contact indicated that on at least four separate occasions, the battery had failed and had been replaced. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while pulling out of the driveway, he heard an abnormal grinding sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the driver’s side wheel bearing had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the passenger’s side wheel bearing needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rear passenger’s side and rear driver’s side wheel bearings needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the rear wheel bearings were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The independent mechanic replaced the wheel bearings for a second time. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
I have had to replace my battery about every 16 months. Seems like something is draining the battery prematurely. I shouldn't have to keep buying new batteries every year.
The SRS warning light came on, indicating that the car be taken to the dealer for inspection. The light was not on by the time the car arrived at the dealer, but they were able to find code DTC B1760, indicting that the Occupant Detection Sensor Mat on the passenger side was not working properly. This is the system used to determine whether the air bag should deploy in an accident and at what force it should deploy. After following a diagnostic tree, they suggested replacing the passenger seat bottom. I called Subaru of America on 12/13/2021 to discuss the issue before telling the dealer to proceed and after being on hold for 23 minutes I left a number for callback. I then sent an email using their online contact form. As of 12/15/2021, I have not received any response from Subaru. This was obviously a safety issue that had to be fixed immediately, regardless of cost, so I told the dealer to complete the repair while I waited to hear back from Subaru. No passenger was in the seat when the warning light came on. After doing some research , it appears that I am not the only Subaru owner with this exact issue and I even found recalls for other Subarus made the same year as my vehicle.
Subaru dealership in Rockvile, MD diagnosed a defective airbags' occupant detection system (ODS) mat harness on my 2015 Subaru Forester. Recommend replacing part for $1200. Subaru America issued a recall WUM-98 (NHTSA 19V-701) on Oct 3, 2019 to adress this very issue on 2015-2018 vehicles. Dealer states my vehicle not covered by this recall... This is a very serious safety issue and I question whether Subaru has recalled a sufficient number of vehicles beyound the stated 336,282 .
The passenger airbag light has been on and has been disabled whether there is someone in the passenger seat or not. This is due to the sensor in the passenger seat malfunctioning. Because of this malfunction, there is no access to the passenger airbag which poses a risk to the passenger in the vehicle in the event of an accident. The problem has been confirmed by Charlie's Subaru in Augusta, Maine. The airbag light came on in September 2021. It went on and off for a few weeks and has been on since.
2015 Subaru Forester Horn stopped working at 80,000 miles. Replaced steering roll connector at considerable expense. 3rd Forester. Question of how frequent & whether Subaru is aware of problem.
Front passenger seat doesn't detect passenger. Airbags off and come up with warning signs stating that they are off. "SRS airbag system needs to be checked."
Tire developed a bubble in the sidewall about 1.5" in diameter and 3/4" high. Tire removed from service and replaced as a safety issue. I have the tire in my storage. Car is a Subaru Forester used light duty and on paved roads. Approximately 75% to 80% of tread remaining. TPMS operational, so tire was not run low on air. When tire pressure removed (to replace tire), bubble disappeared. Vehicle has 70,000 miles. Vendor declined to reimburse.
PREMATURE WHEEL BEARING FAILURE, SUBARU ALREADY HAS A SERVICE BULETIN (#05-70-19 ANNOUNCED ON SEPT 30, 2019) RECOMENDING INSTALLING REVISED BRAKE BACKING PLATES DUE TO FACTORY INSTALLED NON-FLAT BACKING PLATES WHICH DISTORT THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS/HUBS CAUSING PREMATURE WHEEL BEARING FAILURE. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED OCCURANCE NOTED ON NATIONAL SUBARU WEB PORTALS FOR MULTIPLE MODELS WITH POSSIBLE CATASTROPHIC OUTCOMES.
Rear hatch lift struts failed (pneumatically) unexpectedly causing hatch to fall down on me while loading groceries.
On Wednesday November 10 I was arriving at Chase Bank 4229 Woodruff Ave Lakewood Ca. I was turning right into a parking stall heading due east, parking between a pickup truck to the right and a passenger car to the left. I was braking with my right foot only traveling 5 miles per hour and suddenly the car accelerated over a parking stop and into the bank building. It was so sudden I couldn't react and pull up the parking brake. The collision caused major front end damage to my 2015 Subaru Forrester XT. It also caused damage to the Chase Bank building. I was lucky to be a couple of parking spaces south of the ready teller , as there was a male white customer at the outside teller and he would of been killed or at least very severely injured. My wife selected this car new in 2015 because of the safety of it.
I have done research and noticed that the engine is a problem with the 2015 Subaru Forester. The engine consumes oil at a very high rate. I get my oil changed (fully synthetic) every 5,000 miles. However, at about 3,000 miles of use, my oil light comes on at the dash. I then have to take my vehicle to the dealership to get the oil "topped off" to hold me over until my oil change date. This engine burns off oil at a very high rate. Also, the vehicle has consistently smelled like a burning or burnt oil type smell in the cabin of the car after driving it. After I park the vehicle in the garage and get out, you can smell the "burning/hot" smell of the engine or oil. This has been an issue for over 2 years and I have notified the dealership where I bought the vehicle. They said there is nothing that they can do, because there is no recall and that these cars just burn oil fast. The dealership also stated they don't know what the "burning" smell is. I feel that this is an insufficient engine and can be dangerous. I'm not sure how toxic the fumes are from the engine to be smelling it on a consistent basis, but also burning oil at a fast rate could cause more expensive and dangerous issues with other parts of the vehicle.
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.
Noticed that there was a crack in the windshield when starting up car. Not sure why windshield should crack when parked. I can understand if this happened when driving on highway or next to construction vehicles.
At about 101,000 miles I took the car in to the dealership where I bought it for another issue. When the tech got it up on his lift he came in and notified the service manager that there was bubbles on my brake line. The service manager came to us and she said “I really shouldn’t let you drive out of here with those bubbles because I would be an unsafe condition”, the implication was that if they burst I would have no brakes. The road salt on the roads in the winter in Vermont was indicated as the cause of the problem. They installed all new brake lines behind the cabin. I had asked them to save a section of the brake lines showing the bubbles and that DID NOT happen. I do much of my own maintenance and to have steel brake lines bubble it’s hard to understand. Maybe the hose between the end of the steel brake line and the wheel could bubble but having the brake line bubble is nightmarish.The safety concern is if other Subarus in salty climates have that problem and the owner is not aware of it, the brakes are liable to fail. Scary. As to the engine, since the car was a new, putting pressure on the accelerator caused the car to lurch, Irritating and dangerous in tight settings. Notified the dealership on the day we got it and when mentioned, nothing could be done for the 5 years since it was new.
The car regularly lurches or feels as it will stall. This occurs when trying to go from stops to starts both in a slow and faster manner. Has occurred while trying to turn left with oncoming traffic and I was concerned I may get hit. Dealership said “all 2015 Forrester do this. It drives like the others on the lot. There aren’t any issues and if there were we would see light”. Obviously this is a know issue and Subaru doesn’t want to address it. When it happens the rpms shutter abs the speed doesn’t change
We were driving on the highway going 65 and then there were two quick shudders and jerks of the car. Seemed to lose power in those moments. Immediately after that, we could hear a faint whoosh sound when on the accelerator but the car did accelerate. That sound was not there before the shudders. Then about 30 seconds later the power gave out and the car started slowing down very quickly. Luckily we were in the right lane and could pull off to the shoulder quickly, though the shoulder was very narrow and dangerous. The car slowed down very quickly without applying that much brake. When we were stopped on the shoulder, I applied the accelerator, and the car was in Drive, and it didn’t go anywhere. Then we put it in park and the car rolled forward. So both the drive and park gears were not working. We turned the car off and then back on to try the gears again. Same issues happened again with drive and park. This was a very dangerous situation that occurred quickly on a highway. The issue described and what we experienced seems to be consistent with similar issues with other CVT transmissions. We hope the NHTSA follows up with Subaru as we will be as well.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the seat belt warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed but not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
My 2015 Subaru Forester developed a high pitch noise emanating from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle currently has less than 50,000 miles on the odometer and I am the original owner. I discovered that Subaru has issued a TSB regarding the issue (NUMBER: 05-70-19). The noise is loud and distracting and it appears that a complete bearing failure is imminent. Subaru should extend the powertrain warranty for this item to 10 years and or 100,000 miles and cover any owners previous repair costs.
Key will not remove from ignition when put in park. Happens about 40-60% of the time and must shift several times in and out of park to get key out of ignition. This is a known faulty part with several models (see Subaru Service Bulletin 16-112-18R) yet Subaru has not issued a recall. Replacement of known faulty part is at customer's expense. Safety issue - unable to exit car upon parking.
The passenger side airbag warning light goes on and off. It came on when I went for a state inspection and caused a rejection. Computer reading listed 3 possible codes for repair investigation. When I took it to a repair center, the light did not come on and stay on and was told that it should pass inspection. I took it back to the inspection station, and the previous 3 codes did not come on the computer, but a different one did suggesting it may be in the sensor in the passenger seat. (The front driver and passenger seats have independent seat heating elements--not in use at this time, but was listed in Subaru recall information for 2015-2018 Forester's.
1) OIL CONSUMPTION. My 2015 Subaru was purchased used in 2017 with approx 56k on engine. From the first oil change I had done one month later the car’s computer would say that the oil level was low. I would check the dip and it would be at least a quart low. From that point on the car would burn oil that I would keep the 5 gallon oil container in my car. 2) My Subaru is and has been driven consistently until one week I did not use it for a few days not more than 3. The battery completely drained water and all. Filled the battery with appropriate water and trickle charged it for about 5 days. I then was able to jump start the car just to drive to the auto parts store to buy a new one. Noticed the signal lights would not work but the car was driving fine. I thought it may be a fuse so I pulled the proper fuse out and replaced it with the proper fuse. I started the car and every single light on the dash board lit up. Oil temp, check engine light, the up hill etc. I drove the car back home from the auto parts store and it was jerking, revving, stumbling all over the place. Nearly drove into the car in front of me and just about made it home without it stalling. I was scheduled to have two recalls fixed but I had to have my insurance company tow it to the dealer. They said it could be a number of things. I paid them 149 to do a diagnostics check but said they needed an additional 500 to do a thorough check and it would not go towards any fix of any issue. He printed me a list of i
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.
The contact's wife owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while reversing into the driveway, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated while the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated he depressed the brake pedal all the way to the floorboard and he pulled up the parking brake to stop the vehicle from crashing into the wall. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 53,002.
There have been numerous instances of the battery being drained when nothing was left on or running. This has happened on at least four different occasions, with two of these leading to a need for calling for assistance. I am unsure of the cause of this problem.
Airbag warning light comes on when passenger is in seat. Information panel indicates that the passenger airbag is deactivated. This issue appears the same as NHTSA 19V701, but the VIN for my car does not appear to be included. When this occurs it is necessary for the passenger to move to the back seat. Currently this issue only happens occasionally. An appointment for the car has been made on Aug. 9 and a call has been made to Subaru of America.
Battery drains while parked. Battery needs to be replaced more frequently than it should
Unusual battery drain. Had battery replaced.
This vehicle currently has about 65,000 miles on it. I have had to replace the battery twice since owning it (new). The first replacement was at 50283 miles and then again at 57335 miles. I have recently been made aware that it is alleged that this Subaru model is defective in such a way to precipitate early battery failure. I want my experience added to that of others. I have documentation of these two battery replacements which I could supply upon request.
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.
Fuel gauge sending unit not functioning causing car to over report remaining gas mileage. Car runs out of gas though gas gauge still reports roughly 20% tank capacity remaining and ~60 miles or range left. This has happened to me multiple times,racing me stranded on highways at least 6 times.
Merging onto a a 70mph highway and vehicle stopped accelerating around 45 mph. RMPs kept increasing, black smoke-type substance was coming out of the exhaust pipes when I tried to accelerate. No lights, warning noises, or any other indication of anything wrong with the car. Vehicle kept lurching and rev'ing but no acceleration.
I HAVE HAD A SUDDEN BATTERY DRAIN. I HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY TWICE IN THE PAST YEAR. THE CAR HAD BEEN STATIONARY FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME DURING THE PANDEMIC.
THE BATTERY DRAINS OFTEN AND QUICKLY. IT HAPPENS LONG BEFORE THE WARRANTY IS UP ON THE BATTERY. THIS INTERRUPTS KEY SYSTEMS AND MAKE IT UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. EVEN CHARGING THE BATTERY DOES NOT HELP. IT HAS TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE GONE THROUGH THREE BATTERIES IN A LITTLE OVER A YEAR. EACH TIME I HAVE TO HAVE A MECHANIC RESET ALL SYSTEMS.
AUTO ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY AFTER LEAVING CAR WASH BAY. AUTO SPED THROUGH PARKING LOT INTO STREET AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER AUTO TRAVELING ON A ROAD.
I WAS TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY GOING 65MPH, WHEN WITH NO WARNING MY CAR'S ENGINE STOP. I TOUGH IT WAS OUT OF GAS, BUT THE COMPUTER WAS TELLING ME I HAD 30 MORE MILES OF FUEL. AT THE TIME OF THIS ACCIDENT THERE WAS NO SHOULDER TO PARK BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION ON THE FREEWAY. THIS UNFORTUNATE EVENT CAUSE 3 OTHER CARS TO BE INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT. SOME HOW MY CAR WAS OK, I DROVE THE CAR BACK TO MY HOUSE PRAYING THAT IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. MY HUSBAND DROVE IT FOR A LITTLE TO SEE IF IT WILL BE OK TO DRIVE. SAME THING HAPPEN TO HEM, BUT THIS WAS IN A MUCH CONTROLLED WAY.
PULLING INTO PARKING SPOT, VEHICLE STARTED TO STALL, GAVE A LITTLE MORE GAS AND VEHICLE LAUNCHED FORWARD AND HIT CEMENT POLE. NO DAMAGE TO POLE CAR DAMAGE AROUND 8K.AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC ALSO
SUDDENLY IT STARTED TO ACCURATE AND THE OTHER WAS ALL IN BORD CONTROL SYSTEM DEFAULT ARE LIGHTING UP
CAR BURNS OIL. NO LEAKS AND OIL LIGHT COMES ON EVERY 2,000-3,000 MILES WHEN IT SHOULDN'T BE CHANGED BUT EVERY 5000. AC MAKES HORRIBLE NOISE AND INTERMITTENTLY WORKS BUT HARDLY EVER. WILL RUN FOR A COUPLE MIN THEN NOT WORK THE REST OF THE DRIVE TIME
WHILE TAKING GROCERIES OUT OF BACK SEAT, I FOUND A 14MM SHINY NUT ON BACK FLOOR, LEFT BACK SIDE OF FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. IT FELL OFF THE BOLT HOLDING THE FRONT PASSENGER SAFETY BELT RETAINER (PART YOU CLICK BUCKLE INTO). AFTER PUTTING IT BACK ON, AND TORQUING THE HECK OUT OF IT, I FOUND THAT THE TWO BOLTS HOLDING FRONT PASSENGER SEAT DOWN, WERE LOOSE AND STANDING ABOUT 0.75" ABOVE BRACKET SURFACE. I ALSO TORQUED THOSE DOWN TO AVOID SEAT BECOMING LOOSE. I THEN CHECKED ALL OTHER BOLTS FOR FRONT SEATS AND FOUND NO PROBLEM. WE WERE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE HAD THE SEAT BELT NUT FALL WHERE IT DID, OR MY WIFE COULD HAVE BEEN HURT.
MY WIFE AND I WERE LOOKING SPECIFICALLY FOR THE 2014-2018 SUBARU FORESTER. WE LOOKED OVER 25 OF THE SAME CAR AND MOST OF THEM HAD THIS NOISE COMING FROM THE AC COMPRESSOR. THE ONE WE BOUGHT WAS 27000 MILES ONLY AND DID NOT HAVE THE LOUD NOISE ON THE AC COMPRESSOR WHEN WE BOUGHT IT, BUT ABOUT 2000 MILES LATER THE NOISE STARTED, AND AFTER A LITTLE RESEARCH WE FOUND THAT IS SUPER COMMON ON THOSE YEARS MODELS TO HAVE THE ISSUE, AND EVENTUALLY IT CAUSES AC COMPRESSOR TO FAILURE. I WOULD ATTACH A VIDEO IF POSSIBLE.
I'M WRITING EVERY OFFICE I CAN THINK OF. THIS IS ABOUT THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRIES DECISION TO PUT SOY IN THE PLASTIC OF ALL MAKES AND MODEL CARS AFTER 2012. WHO EVER THE GENIUS IS THAT THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA SHOULD START PAYING FOR ALL THE DAMAGE THE RATS ARE DOING TO THE WIRING SYSTEMS, WIRING HARNESS AND FUEL LINES. I BOUGHT A 2015 SUBARU FORRESTER IN JUNE OF 2015. BY SEPT. I HAD MY FIRST OF 7 VISITS TO THE DEALER TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE DONE BY RATS. I UNDERSTAND RATS HAVE BEEN CHEWING ON WIRING EVER SINCE CARS WERE INVENTED. BUT THE RATS HAVE NEVER CHEWED ON THE FUEL LINES BECAUSE THEY USE TO BE MADE OF STEEL BELTED CABLE COVERED IN THICK RUBBER. NOW, YOUR FUEL LINES RESEMBLE PLASTIC DRINKING STRAWS. I'VE HAD MY FUEL LINES REPLACED 3 TIMES, MY WIRING HARNESS 2 TIMES AND I'VE HAD A LITTER OF NEW BORN RATS BORN IN A NEST MADE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HINGE! I'VE PUT OUT EVERY RAT OR MICE TRAP KNOW TO MAN BUT THE RATS GO RIGHT AROUND IT AND GET INTO THE FUEL LINE BOX. I UNDERSTAND THE REASONING BEHIND THE SOY PLASTIC. MORE ECONOMICAL, MORE LIGHTWEIGHT AND COST LESS TO USE. THAT'S FINE BUT YOU SHOULD PAY FOR MY DAMAGE. YOU SEE WHAT'S HAPPENED??? WE, THE CONSUMERS ARE STUCK WITH YOUR BRIGHT IDEA. WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. THIS IS NOT FAIR AND I'M ANGRY. I CAN'T SELL MY SUBARU AND BUY A TOYOTA OR FORD OR NISSAN BECAUSE THEY ALL ARE USING SOY. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS AGAINST EVERY MAKER. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE. SOMEONE HAS TO PRESSURE THE CAR MAKERS TO
VEHICLE HAD 82,401 MILES WHEN ON JANUARY 19, 2021 THE "ENGINE LOW LEVEL WARNING LIGHT" ILLUMINATED. OIL LEVEL ON DIP-STICK MEASURED AT VERY END OF STICK. ADDED 1QT 0-20W SYNTHETIC OIL, SCHEDULED A COMPLETE "LEAK-DOWN TEST" AT DAN O'BRIEN SUBARU IN VERMONT. THE SERVICE ALSO PERFORMED A 2K MILE "CONSOLIDATED ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION TEST". THE RESULTS MEASURED NO OIL CONSUMPTION BUT THE "COMPRESSION & LEAK-DOWN TEST" MEASURED: CYLINDER #1 = 160PSI & 5%, #2 = 148PSI & 25%, #3 = 165PSI & 5%, #4 = 153PSI & 20%. THEY REPORTED MOST OF "LEAKAGE WAS GOING INTO BLOCK PAST PISTONS AND SOME WAS "LEAKING" BY INTAKE VALVES. RECOMMEND REPLACING SHORT-BLOCK". TO DATE, DUE TO THE "OIL CONSUMPTION TEST" AND NOT THE "COMPRESSION AND LEAK-DOWN TEST" RESULTS, THE DEALER IS NOT WILLING TO REPAIR AND/OR REMEDY THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH, THE COMPRESSION AND LEAK-DOWN TEST INDICATES A "SEVERE" DEGRADATION TO THE ENGINE WITH ONLY 84,770 MILES. THIS IS WELL BELOW SUBARU'S ADVERTISED 100,000 MILE DRIVE-TRAIN WARRANTY PUBLICIZED. NOTE: THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY BY ONLY SUBARU DEALERSHIPS SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED IN 2017, AND THE CARFAX REPORT STATED IT WAS ONLY USED BY SUBARU DEALERSHIP AS A CORPORATE PERSONNEL RENTAL BEFORE THEN. ADDITIONALLY THE CURRENT CARFAX REPORT SHOWED NO INCIDENTS OR ACCIDENTS AND ALL VEHICLE SERVICES MAINTAINED PROPERLY.
AFTER 4HRS OF DRIVING WITH 2 PIT STOPS IN BETWEEN, I WAS IN 3 LANE TRAFFIC AND DOWN TO 1 BAR ON FUEL GAUGE STATING I HAD 50MI LEFT OF DRIVING REMAINING IN TANK.. LOW FUEL LIGHT HADN'T EVEN TURNED ON YET, ONLY TO FIND THAT THE CAR HAD LOST POWER AND REDUCED SPEED AND WOULDN'T ACCELERATE WHEN I USED HAS PEDAL. HOWEVER THE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND POWER WINDOWS STILL WORKED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF ROAD AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. I LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND FOUND NOTHING TO BE OUT OF SORTS. NO DASH LIGHTS WENT OFF EITHER SUCH AS BATTERY OR CHECK ENGINE. I STARTED THE CAR BACK UP IN 5MINS AND FUELED MY CAR UP. ALSO, DURING THE TRIP MY FUEL MILEAGE WAS CONSISTENTLY GOING DOWN WHICH THE LOWEST READING DAYS 17MPG WHEN NORMALLY 30MPG. THIS HAPPENED THE DAY AFTER TAKING MY VEHICLE IN FOR NEW TIRES AT A CORPORATE TIRE COMPANY. 2 WEEKS LATER CAR HAVING TROUBLES STARTING. BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR CHECKED OUT GOOD, SO SUSPECTED FUEL PUMP. CAR DEALERSHIP STATES FUEL FILTER INSIDE THE PUMP AND EVEN IF THERE WAS A WAY TO TEST THE PRESSURE IT MAY NOT BE ACCURATE BECAUSE IT COULD BE INTERMITTENT FAILURE AND DOESN'T RECOMMEND ME REPLACING IT. THEY WANTED ME TO WAIT UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN BEFORE LOOKING INTO IT ANY FURTHER. THEY CHECKED FOR DTC CODES AND FOUND NONE. ALSO SUGGESTED I JUST UPGRADE TO A NEWER VEHICLE AND I STATED THAT AT 138,000 THE CAR SHOULD STILL BE REPAIRABLE AND DRIVEABILITY OTHERWISE WHAT'S THE POINT OF PURCHASING TO OWN THE VEHICLE. OBVIOUSLY THE SITUATION WAS DANGEROUS AN
DRIVER SIDE WINDOW SUDDENLY SHATTERED. NOBODY WAS NEARBY, NO ROCKS, CAR WAS JUST LEAVING GAS STATION ON SURFACE STREET, TURNING LEFT TO ENTER FREEWAY IN A QUARTER MILE WHEN THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED FOR NO EXPLANATION. TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH.
FUEL GAUGE MALFUNCTIONING, IT TAKES COUPLE MINUTES BEFORE IT GOES UP AFTER FULL TANK. SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO CRANK AFTER YOU TURN THE KEY. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE IT'S GOING TO STALL SCARY. ALSO LEFT SIDE DRIVER WINDOW MALFUNCTIONING, THE AUTO DOWN NOT WORKING AND WHEN YOUR PRESS UP THE WINDOW GOES UP 2 INCHES AT A TIME TAKES AWHILE TO GO UP.
AT 40,000 MILES THE EYE SIGHT CAMERAS HAVE FAILED, ACCORDING TO THE DEALER. THAT SYSTEM NO LONGER WORKS NOR DO I HAVE CRUISE CONTROL. THE COST TO REPAIR IS $2,306.58.
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2015 Subaru Forester → · Every Forester year → · How the figures are calculated →