2018 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

The battery went dead on Jan 14th 2022. This isn't totally unexpected as this was the first time the battery needed replacing since the car was purchased new. However, after the battery was replaced the same day, three days later Jan 17th the battery was again dead. Since then, the battery has been replaced once more and again died on both March 27th and April 1st. The car is driven weekly at least and has no warning lights on. After the most recent incident it was researched more heavily and found that there is a potential class action lawsuit against Subaru for this exact problem. Though it hasn't been dangerous for us it could be potentially dangerous should the car decided to fully shut off in the middle of traffic.

1. The car battery failed on six separate occasions within a 12 month time frame. First on May 8, 2021, August 21, 2021, September 9, 2021, November 5, 2021, February 5, 2022, and on March 28, 2022 2. The drivers safety was placed at minimal risk on one occasion since cars were lined up behind in a parking lot when the car would not start. 3. Yes, the problem has been reproduced due to the number of different times the battery died and the car would not start. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. 4. No, to date the vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. 5. No, there were not any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to failure. They first appeared on May 8, 2021.

We went it because the ODS (Occupant Detection System)/SRS (supplemental restraint system lit up on our dashboard. I took it in to Subaru of America after seeing that there were no VIN specific recalls on this issue. They immediately said they would cover the parts but we would have to pay for the labor. I then checked for recalls again and found that there was this exact same issue with 2015-2018 Subaru Foresters accounting for almost 370 thousand vehicles but apparently not ours. Obviously the car was no longer safe to drive as we weren't sure if the airbags would trigger in the event of the crash so we are paying out of our pocket to fix the issue but this seems like the old recall needs to be extended to cover other 2018 Subaru Foresters as well because from what I've seen on complaints here and on message boards, the problem is widespread. Hopefully, the NHTSA can investigate and see that the issue is further reaching than the initial 370 thousand vehicles. It's also important to note that 370 thousand subaru foresters between 2015-2018 is about half the amount sold in the US. If this issue affected that many vehicles on the road, it seems like the issue could be further widespread.

This is the latest time in a series of incidents where the SUV would not start due to a problem with the main battery. New batteries drain very quickly after a series of electrical problems. So far, we have noticed keyless entry FOB says battery in the FOB is low and stops connecting (but then connects if we remove the key from it without us holding it to the button that turns the car on and off), we replace this battery but continue to have the same issues, front passenger side window is not able to be rolled down or up from driver side, as the battery continues to drain, gas gauges stop correctly registering amount of gas in the car, different warning lights light up on control panel without any sense of rhyme or reason, and overhead lighting gets dim. For a few weeks, the SUV blames the problems on the battery in the key FOB being low, even though it was replaced on December 15, 2021. When replacing the FOB battery did not work, we learned it was the actual main SUV battery that had been drained. It is now March 19, 2022, and we are having the same issues despite having only a moderate amount of miles put on the SUV and only 3 months of time passing since we purchased and installed a brand new car battery. We will have to spend money on batteries again.

I took our 2018 Subaru Forester through a car wash. The usual washing procedure went just fine with me in the car idling in neutral as it went through. When it came to the end of the wash cycle, I coasted out and then shifted into drive. Instantly the car surged forward at an alarming speed and I could not stop it. The car crossed a busy street. I fortunately did not collide with cars. The car continued into a field next to a Ford dealer’s lot at a high speed and I was unable to stop it. I managed to swerve right to avoid crashing into the cars parked on the Ford lot. This sent the car back toward the road. Fortunately I hit a lone fire hydrant along the road, shearing the hydrant completely off. The hydrant was dragged along under the front left tire until it hit the curb stopping the car. The air bag did not deploy and I was not injured. This all occurred in a matter of seconds.

Battery continues to drain when car is parked/off causing a required jump start and then recharging of the battery. Dealer replaced battery one time in 2019 (with expense to owner) and recommended driving car every couple of days to ensure it does not draw down. This is not normal. Battery continues to drain down. Owner purchased aftermarket AGM battery (May 2021) of higher voltage/capacity to attempt to reduce number of issues yet vehicle continues to exhibit parasitic drain and battery dies after 3-4 days (faster when it's cold). Dealer has looked at car two more times and claims this is normal and need to not leave car for multiple days without starting. There are multiple class action lawsuits claiming this issue so I am registering this VIN as an affected vehicle.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 2 MPH while pulling into a parking spot, the vehicle lurched forward. The contact stated that she heard the engine revving but did not notice any warning lights. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the local dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start-up. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that rodents had eaten through the engine wiring harness. The contact was informed that the wiring harness was made of a soy-based material that was attractive to rodents. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact indicated that 2 weeks prior the windshield wiper fluid spray mechanism was inoperable due to a similar failure with rodents eating the soy-based tubing. The manufacturer was not yet notified. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 27,000.

Unknown system that failed but vehicle equiped with EyeSight and all of Subaru safety features. Air bag did not deploy. Pulling into curbed parking space at city park. Speed <10 mph while in parking lot. Applied brake while pulling in space to park and car accelerated jumping the curb. The car was out of control and luckily heading into the woods. Tried to apply brake again but car kept accelerating. Car went approximately 10-12 feet and crashed into a tree. I suffered only stiffness and sore muscles from the seatbelt. An accident report was filed with local police department. No warning lamps, messages or other messages appeared prior to the incident.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the windshield cracked without impact. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 39,591.