2017 Subaru Forester complaints

The exhaust pipe assembly for our 2017 non-turbo Subaru Forester has failed. Two other similar complaints for this model and year vehicle have been submitted to NHTSA (ID#’s 11429564 and 11395158). Exhaust fumes spread within the vehicle cabin and presents a significant safety and health issue for occupants. A similar problem has been reported for turbo charge vehicles for which Subaru issued a voluntary emissions recall on March 27, 2020. No such recall for non-turbo vehicles has been issued by Subaru. The vehicle will be inspected by the local dealer. I request NHTSA investigate this issue and request Subaru expand its voluntary emissions recall to non-turbo vehicles.

My 2017 Subaru Forester has had its battery replaced twice. There is obviously either a problem with Subaru batteries, or there is something inherent in the electrical system of the vehicle that drains the battery. For a senior citizen, a dead battery when travelling is not only an inconvenience, but could be a major problem, especially in the winter months. I understand there is a class action lawsuit against Subaru for battery problems. I just want to add one more log to the fire.

Cracked front windshield for no known reason

Starting our 2017 Forrester has seemed sluggish recently, so we had the battery, starting system, and alternator checked. The starting system and alternator were in good working order. The battery's cold cranking amps (CCA) were below 400. The rated CCA for this battery is 525. It is less than 2 years old, but the check results indicated that it should be replaced. The check did reveal a "parasitic current drain" when the vehicle was turned off, which (most likely) has resulted in damage to the battery extensive enough to require replacement. To date, this has not left us stranded, but the potential for such an occurrence certainly exists. Further, there is a class action lawsuit concerning this issue currently making it's way through the court system. Originally, this lawsuit did not have any Forrester owners included. I plan to contact the law firm and be added.

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving over 60 MPH, the vehicle would shudder and produce a loud noise coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the lower control arm bushing and transmission pan needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

I filed a NHTSA report on 7/19/2021 about having to replace my 2017 Subaru Forester's battery for the 3rd time in a 4 year old vehicle. I now am submitting another Complaint as now that #3 battery (all installed by Subaru Dealers) has FAILED, with #3 battery only 10 months old with approximately 6,000 miles driven with that battery. At about 8 months after the new battery install (battery #3), I brought vehicle to Subaru saying problem with battery (told it was "good") to only have it FAIL approx. 6 weeks later. While at Dealership I telephoned Subaru Customer Care indicating that the statistical probability of 4 batteries FAIL in a 2017 vehicle (purchased NEW), is indicative of something WRONG WITH THE CAR. I'm exhausted of being told this happens to batteries. No, it doesn't. I bought a Subaru for reliability, but this battery failure rate is unacceptable. #FixTheBatteryProblemSubaru

Battery dies often

Excessive battery drain/replacement. I have had to replace the car's battery five times since purchasing the vehicle new in 2017. The newest replacement battery has lasted 3 months. The vehicle was brought to Subaru dealership at least on two occasions to evaluate/diagnose the problem and Subaru was unable to detect any problem with the electrical system/battery.

When operating the vehicle at low and high speeds, the EyeSight system intermittently turns off with a "check owner's manual" message and the system remains off until at least the next vehicle restart. Additionally, after the EyeSight system disengages, when making turns at low speeds (turning corners), the steering shudders (quick violent turns to the left and right), the EyeSight warning light disappears and then re-appears after the vehicle turn is completed. At the same time the vehicle steering shudders, some portion of the internal electrical system appears to be reset (any radio / music system turns off temporarily, and the user-selected display in the main instrument panel resets to its default setting. This puts the vehicle occupant(s) at risk as it introduces an unsafe driving condition due to the vehicle shudder, which may result in a driver panic-reacting, or the vehicle failing to remain in the intended lane.

BACKED CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE AND WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL PROPERLY. THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING AND A LIGHT ON THE DASH INDICATED SAME. CALLED MY SON, WHO ASKED ME TO PULL FRONT, BACK, AND THEN PARK AND TURN OFF ENGINE AND RESTART. THIS CAUSED THE POWER STEERING TO WORK PROPERLY. APPT W SUBARU FOUND FAILURE OF GEARBOX. THEY STATE, WARRANTY ONLY COVERS IF BOX IS CRACKED DUE TO ROAD SALT. NO OUTSIDE DAMAGE SEEN. COST $1637.26 TO ME . ONLY 34,744 MILES ON THE CAR/GARAGE KEPT

Srs airbag system needs to be checked error. Airbag not going on sometimes when passenger is in seat

Battery will not start car.

Front Windshield has started cracking from the middle top by the rear view mirror and is steadily getting larger making it's way toward driver side of windshield, there is also a chip by the passenger side of windshield

The battery had died multiple times and we replaced it only to continue to have the problem. Dealer service says that we must be leaving the lights on or that we need to run the car more to recharge the battery. Being stranded in upstate NY with a dead battery in winter is a safety problem.

New battery and multiple replacement batteries fail to keep the electrical system charged when the vehicle is turned off. intermittent problem that happens unexpectedly, causing the consumer to be stranded and incur costs for alternate transportation, new battery, and roadside assistance. Multiple class action suits against the company are ongoing.

My 2017 Subaru Forester battery died in June 2019, leaving me stranded in a parking lot on a Sunday 50 miles from my home. The battery was still under warranty & was replaced by Subaru. I was told by the Service Manager that the batteries only last approximately 2 years. In early Oct 2021, my car sat idle for 10 days in the airport parking garage at JFK Int'l airport in NYC while I was away. When I returned home, the battery was dead, again stranding my approximately 50 miles from my home. I had to get a jump from a tow company who found that the red terminal on the battery was completely corroded. He advised that I would need to get a new battery when I returned home. I brought the car to Subaru the next day & was told by a tech in the service department that the battery was fine & was at 100% capacity but that the issue was a defective cable connected to the battery which they replaced. I had occasion to bring my Forester to Subaru for service yesterday (11/8/2021) and had the battery checked. This time a more thorough check was done & although the battery again tested at 100%, when it was checked for its capacity from a "cold start", it tested as weak. Again, Subaru replaced the battery.

Subaru OEM Windshield glass is too weak and prone to cracking / chipping / breaking. I've owned my car for nearly three years and the windshield glass has cracked three times now. More so than any other vehicle I've owned. I think it is a design flaw which makes the glass too thin / brittle.

When I try to turn off the vehicle, the ignition key gets stuck in the ignition switch, and does not turn to the off position; I cannot remove the key. This is a recurring problem that been happening every day for the past three weeks. According to YouTube, there are MANY other people having this same issue, with no fix being provided by Subaru. I’ve tried moving the steering wheel back and forth, tried spraying lubricant in the key hole, with the vehicle is in park, pulled the car up and back to park again, tried with my foot on the brake pedal and foot off the brake pedal while in park, etc., etc. —none of these things work. I’m still having the issue of removing the key from the key hole, and cannot turn the vehicle completely off. One “fix” being provided by consumers on YouTube, is to disengage a selinoid from the key switch. This selinoid prevents the key from being turned off while the vehicle is running—a safety feature, which is now being disengaged by people so frustrated with this problem, because there is no manufacturer documented fix.

Making a sharp turn going slightly uphill from a full stop, the car moves forward enough to enter the intersection and then there is no throttle response. The car does not respond at all to the accelerator peddle. The engine does not stall but rpm drop to idle speed. After a few seconds, throttle response returns. Very dangerous as you move onto a highway because the car lingers in the intersection while the car behaves as if it has totally lost power. This has happened repeatedly but at random times.

As far as I know, my vehicle is performing as designed, but I am quite serious in thinking this is a safety issue - the radio cannot be muted, or turned off, or the volume decreased, when the transmission in in Reverse, because of interference of its head unit with the backup camera. This is a hugely annoying distraction when trying to parallel park safely and quickly in dense urban settings. I want my backup lights on immediately, once I locate the parking spot I want, but time after time, I forget to turn off the radio before I start trying to park. I am the only owner of the car from new, and it now has about 69,000 miles on it.

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph the vehicle crashed into a second vehicle causing substantial front end damage to the vehicle. During the crash no airbags in the vehicle deployed. The driver sustained chest and rib injuries and was transported to the hospital. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified. The failure mileage was 33,000.

The contact owned a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph and making a turn, the vehicle hydroplaned as the contact lost control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle inadvertently accelerated while hydroplaning going across 3 lanes of oncoming traffic and hit a curve. The contact stated that the front driver's side tire detached from the vehicle. No one was injured, and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a local tow lot where it was deemed as a total loss. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,959.

Frequently, when I put the car in park and try to turn the key to off, it gets stuck. At this point you have to move the shifter into and out of gear many times to try to get the key to go to off. Sometimes the key will not go to off so you need to leave the key in the ignition. This is dangerous because the car can still be shifted into neutral and move at this point.

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while attempting to shift gear into reverse, the vehicle made a strange noise, then lunged forward inadvertently. The vehicle's front driver-side tire ran over the contact's daughter's upper legs. The contact's daughter received medical attention on the scene for injuries sustained to her legs and was now receiving physical therapy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was appraised by the insurance company for front-end damage and was repaired by an auto collision center. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. The VIN was not available.

Parasitic drag in Subaru Forester caused battery to die. Managed to get it jump started minutes before a downpour. Almost left my daughter and my wife stranded. A quick Google search showed this is a common enough problem amongst Subaru models so I decided to file a complaint as well

My vehicle was involved in a five car accident where is was completely destroyed and flipped upside and the two front airbags never deployed which caused head, back, and neck injuries to the two passengers that were in the two front seats. There was a recall on the the passenger front air bag which supposedly got fixed by Palm Springs subaru on July 13, 2020. This recall air bag never deployed during or after the major accident. I contacted the Subaru of America which they supposedly did an investigation on why the two front airbags did not deployed and they stated that there was not malfunction on either airbags which is hard to believe because my car was unrepairable because of the severe damages due to the accident. I would like this to be taken into consideration.

I was pulling into a parellel parking space, braking to slow to a stop when my car surged froward inspite of increased and continued braking and hit the car in front of me. The collision is what stopped the car. My Subaru Forester is very damaged (bumper, lights, and frame rail) and the car in front also had extensive damage. My safety and the safety of the neigbhorhood cars, pedestrians and homes was at risk given my car was unstoppable despite braking. I couldn't understand what happened so I did an internet search for acceleration while braking and many articles came up reguarding several Subaru models (including mine) of "sudden unintended acceleration" issues. What was described was exactly what I experienced. There are several class action lawsuits in the works as Subaru has not taken any responsibility. No dashboard warning lights came on before or after the crash. I took the car to the Subaru dealer I purshased it from. At first they said there would be a 250. dollar diagnostic fee. When I picked it up they said there was an ECM (Engine Control Module) update and they performed it on my car. The update was designed "to address problems" like those I described. The clerk would not elaborate, was very vague and would say nothing beyond that except he didn't know if the update would fix the problem-that we would just have to wait and see. I explained that if it happened again it could have catastrophic consequences, he had nothing to say. He waived the service fee. I got

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that she noticed that the air conditioner was blowing hot air. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the air conditioner refrigerant was empty. The contact was referred to the local dealer. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the condenser to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience failure. The contact stated she had to replace the condenser for the third time in 2021. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.

The battery of our Subaru Forester 2017 has died three times from June 26, 2021 through August 20, 2021. Simply put, from one day to the next, the battery is suddenly drained of all its power. From July 2017 when we first leased the car through May 2021, we had no battery problems. The safety issue is one of personal safety -- that we can't depend on the car, so we hesitate to use it. We don't want to be stranded somewhere unexpectedly because the battery suddenly dies, especially after dark. Our Subaru dealership ran diagnostic tests today (August 23, 2021) and claimed there is no problem, that the draw on the battery is within acceptable parameters. They will continue to test it tomorrow, but from conversations with the tech manager today, I feel certain they will claim there is no problem. The solution the technician suggested is that we drive the car more frequently. But our use of the car has been consistent since we first leased it. There must be a reason that the battery was fine for 48 months and now suddenly loses power unexpectedly and repeatedly. We understand from internet research we did today that this kind of battery problem is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit here in New Jersey against Subaru for several of their models from the years 2015-present. We think Subaru ought to be more forthright about the issue and do what's right for their customers. Please help us.

I started noticing exhaust fumes in the cabin while idling at a stop. I did some research and found that several Foresters have had an issue with their exhaust manifold bellows cracking on a flexi pipe. So I started looking for a leak. I took the plastic underbody engine cover off and took off the heat shield and located the crack on the flexi pipe. The flexi pipe have been replaced at approximately 60k miles. It lasted for approximately a year or another 30K miles and I had to replace it again. My vehicle currently has 160K and the same issue comes back. It is very frustrating because I feel very lightheaded when driving this vehicle and replacement of this part is very expensive. $1800 for the full manifold.

I'm having trouble removing the ignition key even with the car in PARK and pressing on the brake pedal, on level ground. It's intermittent and both keys are involved. The steering wheel still moves freely. The car is out of warranty and I have not asked a dealer about it. I belong to a Subaru Forester user group and it seems to be a fairly common problem. This could endanger me if I wanted to exit the vehicle quickly and couldn't remove the key. A carjacker could still start it just fine. No notices appear on the dashboard relating to this.

Battery Drain / Passive / When Vehicle is Parked The NEW battery drains passively when the car is parked. Will not start and needs a jump. This cycle has ruined a brand new battery.

When in PARK, the key will not pull out of the ignition. The car is not recognizing that it is in PARK and shoild release the key. I was told by a Subaru dealership that Subaru is aware of the problem but does not intend to recall it at this time. I was told that aggressive shifting is causing a plate to bend. My car only has 18000 miles on it and I'm not a kid and I don't shift aggressively. The only way I can get the key out is to shift it back-and-forth aggressively and then it will release. Although I have onky 18000 miles on the car, it's over 3 years old so now I'm out of warranty (hich does not please me at all) This is an expensive repair for customers. This can be a safety hazard if I must leave the iey in the ignition making it possible for a child to start the engine!

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while approaching the parked vehicle, she noticed the windshield was cracked. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the windshield to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

My 2017 Subaru Forester has 52,000 miles driven. Recently the ignition key will NOT turn to start the engine. The transmission was in park and all the doors were fully closed. After 15 minutes trying several times to no avail it did finally turn to the right and the engine started. Also, previously a few times, randomly, the key would not turn all the way to to the left to turn the engine off. Again, the car was in park and I kept my foot on the brake while trying. Each time this happened I had to move the transmission from Part to Drive and back to Park again, (while keeping my foot on the brake) and the key finally turned all the way to turn the engine off. I am now bringing the car to a Subaru dealer service shop (in Annapolis, Maryland) to try to have them repair this problem once and for all. Thank you, [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Spontaneous windshield crack occurred while car was parked (i.e., no collision or pebble impact). Crack originates at lower portion of passenger side in black-colored perimeter of windshield glass with windshield deicer and spread upward and across middle of entire windshield. Crack obstructs driving visibility and poses risk to integrity of entire window including adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning system calibration. No previous impacts to windshield. Suspect defect in windshield consistent with those found in 2015-2016 Subaru Outback and Legacy models related to materials used in deicer area of windshields in recent class action settlement against Subaru. Took to Subaru dealer who confirmed origin of crack in originates in deicer region of windshield, but denies any liability for weakened material at sight of deicer as determined for other models.

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the key remained stuck in the ignition after multiple attempts to shut-off the vehicle. The contact stated that he had to restart the vehicle or move the shift lever back and forth from the park position to release the key from the ignition. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the failure could be related to the shifter cable or the ignition switch. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated a day after purchasing the vehicle, he noticed a crack on the windshield of the vehicle while the vehicle was parked in the garage. The contact was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 11,938.

I've had to replace the battery three (3) times in a four (4) year old vehicle. I've had several calls to AAA for a jump start (to then get to Dealer to replace battery) and I had to purchase a rapid charger which I must carry in my car all the time in case the battery dies again. The problem with the battery began within the first year of purchase and has continued two times afterwards replacing the battery now 3 times Below I put the last time this happened. I've been stranded numerous times and I shouldn't have to keep jump starting my car. I've brought this concern to the Dealer (Sunset Subaru, Sarasota) and it is not taken seriously. In my opinion, this has been and continues to be a technical problem going back to the purchase of the vehicle in question.

The issue is sudden battery drain. The risk is being stranded. Unfortunately the drain happens randomly. The battery has been been replaced twice since 2017. Last battery replaced 11/19. I noticed this is an issue with this car and there are many complaints.

Since purchasing this vehicle in October, 2016, I have purchased two new batteries. It continues to die with no apparent reason. Even with a new battery that was installed this past spring, it died again on July 5th. Yes, it is available for inspection. Nobody was at risk. The mechanic who works on my car checked the battery before he replaced it a second time. He said there was nothing wrong with it; then, when he changed the oil and did some routine maintenance, it died. He replaced it a second time. This was in the spring. There were no warnings. I need to reset the automatic window feature each time this happens. I do not understand why the battery continues to be a problem. I have had to get it jumped multiple times, both in my garage as well as the parking lot at work.

My new battery completely drained over a weekend in my garage. I had AAA jump the battery and drove to their service center to check the battery to see if it was damaged. They said it was in great condition, no problems they could detect. A few days after the battery drain I found the passenger side window will not operate from the driver side console. I have an appointment with the Subaru dealership to investigate the problem. This is the second time I have had a complete battery drain on this vehicle. I am now on 2nd battery and there is only 18,867 miles on the vehicle. We could not find any reason for the drains.

My windshield is cracked. It is available for inspection. This could cause my whole windshield to break and possibly get a ticket and crash. Nothing has been reproduced or confirmed. It happened today. I noticed it when I was got in the car to leave work. It has not been inspected by anyone. No warning lamps or messages. Just happened today.

On July 12, 2021, I had an appointment for service at Subaru because 2017 Forester AC was blowing hot air. Was assured condenser would be replaced at no charge. While checking the car in, I mentioned the key sticks and cannot be removed without re-starting engine moving the car back and forth and trying again to remove key as many as 3-4 x. They were aware of the problem, but no recall on it. Shifter plate, etc., was replaced at approx. cost of $370. The Service Bulletin # is 16-112-18R dated 03/15/18 and revised 11/06/18. The mileage on this vehicle is 12,717.

I have a 2017 Subaru Forrester that has 60,000 miles. At least twice a week the past month my key gets stuck in the ignition. I put the vehicle in park and turn it off and the key wont come out. I have to turn the vehicle on and off a few times in order to get the key to release.

Battery drain. I've replaced the battery once around 30000 miles.

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle would not start due to battery drainage. The contact stated that the battery had to be connected to a battery charger after each use. The contact stated that the check engine warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,375.

The battery in my 2017 Subaru Forester was completely drained of power in 4 days of non-operation of the vehicle. The battery in question was installed on 10/4/2020 by my Subaru dealer to replace a battery that also had drained of power and would not take a charge. I presume the current battery was fully charged by my trip home to Arlington, VA from Philadelphia, PA on July 5, 2021. I tried to start this vehicle around noon on July 10, 2021 only to find that the battery was completely dead. The electronic key did not work. All internal screens are black. No response to key in ignition; not even a rattling noise. This is two dead batteries in less than two years of ownership. The current battery is only 9 1/2 months old.

Windshield cracked straight across. Looking to see if this is part of the class action lawsuit. We have replaced the windshield

I am writing to inform you of the following problems with the steering system of my 2017 Subaru Forester: 1) When turning or changing car lanes, the steering wheel does not engage the wheels until the steering wheel is turned to about a 90 degree angle in the direction of the turn, left or right, 2) After making a turn, it takes more rotations of the steering wheel to come out of the turn than it took to make the turn. At other times it takes more rotations of the steering wheel to make the turn than it does to come out of the turn, 3) Constant adjustments to steering have to be made in order to stay in a lane regardless of whether the lane is straight or curved. It's like trying to maneuver a boat on water or like driving on a frictionless surface. It feels like the car switches to a different control system, either void of any driver control, or delayed response to driver input, and 4) The steering wheel has to be turned to almost a 90 degree angle before it engages the wheels while the car is running and stationary. With the exception of item 4, the steering problems occur when there are other cars in the vicinity of our car. On secluded roads our car drives fine, so far. The steering issues occur during city and highway driving. The steering problems occur even when the following car assistive technologies are all set to off: automatic braking, hill assist, lane change assist, X-mode, Eyesight, and cruise control. On May 4, 2021, we took the car to the Subaru Superstore o