2016 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHOWING SYMPTOMS OF A FAULTY "OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM". THE INDICATOR WOULD CHANGE FROM ON TO OFF RANDOMLY. THEN THERE WAS AN OFFICIAL RECALL, BUT NO FIX WAS AVAILABLE AND THEY INSTRUCTED TO WAIT UNTIL THE DEALERS CONTACTED US. A COUPLE OF MONTHS, TIRED OF WAITING TO BE ABLE TO USE THE FRONT SEAT OF THE CAR, I CALLED SUBARU OF AMERICA. THEY TOLD ME THE REPLACEMENT WAS AVAILABLE. DEALER HAD TO GET PARTS AND INSTALLED IT. IT SEEMS NOW IT STILL DOES NOT WORK UNDER OUR TYPICAL USE CASE. WE FOUND OUT WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE CAUSE. A DIFFERENT OCCUPANCY DETECTION SENSOR IN THE REPLACEMENT WORKS USING AN "ELECTROSTATIC" METHOD. MY WIFE WAS USING A STANDARD RELATIVELY THIN SEAT CUSHION THAT APPARENTLY PREVENTS THE NEW SENSOR FROM WORKING. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT LIABILITY TO AUTOMOBILE PASSENGERS WHO DRIVE IN CARS EQUIPPED WITH SUCH EQUIPMENT. NOWHERE IN THE MANUAL (OR THE RECALL PAPERWORKS) IS THERE A NOTE TO NOT USE A SEAT CUSHION OF ANY KIND. IT ALSO WOULD NOT BE INTUITIVE TO THINK THIS WOULD BE A HAZARD FROM A PASSENGERS PERSPECTIVE. YOU COULD HAVE AN IMPALE SETTING ON THE CAR THAT JUST ENDS IT FOR YOU (FOR THOSE NO HELMET BIKERS). IT WOULD SIMILARLY BE DEEMED ACCEPTABLE, SO LONG AS THERE IS AN INDICATOR LIGHT THAT SAYS "IMPALER ACTIVE" FOR PEOPLE GET TO IMPALED BY THE VEHICLE WHEN THE AI SYSTEM GATHERS THEIR PREFERENCE IS DNR IN AN ACCIDENT VIA THEIR MUSIC SELECTION. MANY PEOPLE WOULDNT THINK TO LOOK AT THE AIRBAG ON OR OFF LIGHT. ALSO YOU CAN USE A SEAT CUSHION ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WITHOUT ANY ISSUE WHICH FURTHER CONFUSES THINGS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN TERMS OF HAVING ANY IDEA THAT A CUSHION IS ENDANGERING THEM. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO PROTECT CHILDREN, BUT WHO PUTS THEIR KIDS OR BABY SEATS IN THE FRONT SEAT THESE DAYS? THERE SHOULD BE A WAY TO TURN THE BAG ON OR OFF, OR AT LEAST ON SO THAT YOU CAN OVERRIDE A FAULTY SENSOR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED ACROSS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTOBARN SUBARU OF COUNTRYSIDE (6191 JOLIET RD, COUNTRYSIDE, IL 60525) HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

THE WINDSHIELD ON MY 2016 FORESTER SUBARU CRACKED FROM THE PASSENGER BOTTOM SEAM THEN UP & ACROSS TOWARDS THE DRIVERS SIDE. IT HAS SO FAR STOPPED NEAR THE CENTER. I BELIEVE I HAVE A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD. THE PASSENGER SAW IT BUT SAID SHE DIDNT SEE IT THE DAY BEFORE. IT WAS SEEN WHILE DRIVING ON THE STREET. I WILL CONTACT MY INSURANCE COMPANY TOMORROW 2/24/2020 BUT I HAVE A HIGH DEDUCTIBLE SO I WILL HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR A REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT.

ON 2/18/2020 A SPONTANEOUS WINDSHIELD BREAKAGE EVENT OCCURED ON MY 2016 SUBARU FORESTER WHILE STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT ON A CITY STREET. A CRACK DEVELOPED IN THE WINDSHIELD. THE POINT OF ORIGIN WAS THE EMBEDDED WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE DE-ICER ELEMENT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. A HORIZONTAL CRACK THEN SPREAD FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD TRANSVERSING THE AREA DIRECTLY ABOVE THE DE-ICER HEATING ELEMENT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON 2/19/2020 WHERE THE SERVICE MANAGER ASSESSED THE WINDSHIELD, DETERMINING THAT THERE WEREN'T ANY IMPACT MARKS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SPONTANEOUS WINDSHIELD BREAKAGE. HE TOOK PICTURES, COMPLETED AN ORDER ON RECORD AND FILED A REPORT WITH THE REGIONAL SUBARU OFFICE. CLAIM #TL1-53388627724. ON 2/21/2020 THE REGIONAL SUBARU OFFICE DENIED A CLAIM TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD AND PERFORM THE NECESSARY RECALIBRATION OF THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM BECAUSE THE WINDSHIELD IS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD OF THREE YEARS. MY CAR IS THREE YEARS AND TEN MONTHS OLD. MILEAGE WAS 31,122 ON 2/18/2020.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY IN LAS VEGAS WITH NOTHING OVERHEAD. CAME OUT TO GO TO THE STORE AND THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED ON DRIVER'S SIDE. HAD DRIVEN THE CAR EARLIER IN THE DAY AND THIS CRACK WAS NOT THERE. JUST READ ABOUT THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AND WONDER IF MY 2016 WITH EYESIGHT IS POSSIBLY IN THE SAME SITUATION.

CAR SUFFERED 10 UNEXPLAINED ORIGINAL BATTERY DISCHARGES IN YEARS 2-3 OF OWNERSHIP. UPON JUMP START, AUTO WOULD START AND OPERATE NORMALLY FOR 2-5 MONTHS BEFORE NEXT DISCHARGE. SUBARU AUTHORIZED WARRANTY REPLACEMENT THROUGH DEALERSHIP WITH NEW LARGER POWERED BATTERY AT END OF YEAR 3 OF OWNERSHIP. REPAIR STATED FAILURE DUE TO BATTERY LEAKAGE ALTHOUGH NONE WAS OBSERVED BY OWNERS. 13 MONTHS AFTER REPLACEMENT BATTERY WAS INSTALLED, IT DISCHARGED TWICE IN SAME DAY AND WAS TAKEN TO ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP (SUBARU OF PORTLAND). SERVICE TECHNICIAN CHECK DETERMINED BATTERY COULD NOT BE RECHARGED, COULD NOT DETERMINE REASON FOR ITS FAILURE, COULD NOT FIND ANY ELECTRICAL PARASITIC DRAWS AND FOUND ALL SOFTWARE WAS UP TO DATE. OWNER WAS CHARGED FOR NEW BATTERY AND INSTALLATION AS FAILED BATTERY WAS NOW OUT OF 1-YEAR SUBARU REPLACEMENT POLICY. BRIEF INTERNET REVIEW SHOWS THIS HAS BECOME A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2016-2017 SUBARU'S. SUBARU U.S. CORPORATE CUSTOMER CARE DEPARTMENT DEMONSTRATED NO INTEREST IN TAKING COMPLAINT OR LOGGING IN ANY DETAIL INFORMATION, DIRECTING OWNER BACK TO REPAIRING DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILED BATTERIES.

THE KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED AND IN "PARK," INTERMITTENTLY. I NEED TO RESTART THE CAR, READJUST THE SHIFTER OUT AND THEN BACK INTO "PARK," UNTIL THE VEHICLE SENSES THAT I AM ACTUALLY IN "PARK" AND ALLOWS ME TO REMOVE THE KEY.

THE EYESIGHT HAS TURNED OFF SEVERAL TIMES RECENTLY AND WON'T TURN BACK ON UNTIL I STOP AND RESTART CAR. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR 3.5 YEARS AND THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. THERE WAS NO SUNLIGHT AND VERY LIGHT MIST THIS LAST TIME. THERE WAS NOTHING BLOCKING THE EYESIGHT CAMERA AT ALL. THIS IS NOT THE SAFETY FEATURE THAT I PAID EXTRA FOR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V701000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHEN DRIVING WITH NO ONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND SOMETIMES WHEN THERE IS SOMEONE IN THE SEAT I GET AN SRS AIRBAG FAULT BUT IT NEVER STAYS ON AFTER I SHUT DOWN THE SUV. SOMETIMES WHEN I RESTART THE SUV AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES IT WILL COME BACK ON AND IT STAYS ON UNTIL I SHUT OFF THE SUV. THEN NOTHING FOR WEEKS. I'VE WANTED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER BUT EVERY TIME I START TO HEAD OVER TO THEN THE FAULT GOES OUT OR NEVER COMES ON? I'M SURE IF I JUST HEAD OVER I'M JUST WASTING MY TIME. THE LAST TWO MONTHS IT'S BEEN MUCH MORE ACTIVE WITH THE FAULT HAPPENING. I'M LISTING THE LAST TIME IT HAS HAPPEN AS 01/10/2020. I KEEP NOTHING ON THE PASSENGERS SEAT AND I AM UNSURE IF THE AIR BAG LIGHT (YELLOW LIGHT ON THE DASH) SHOWS THAT IT IS ON OR OFF WHEN IT COMES ON. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ABOUT A WEEK AGO AND I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT (6' 225 LBS) AND THE SRS FAULT COME ON AND THE YELLOW AIRBAG LIGHT SHOWED IT WAS STILL ON. I HAVE A TRIP TO PITTSBURGH PA FROM ALLENTOWN PA AND I'M WORRIED THAT IF I'M IN AN ACCIDENT THEY WON'T GO OFF AND PROTECT US. THIS CAR IS JUST OUT OF WARRANTED AND I HAVE ABOUT 44K ON THE VEHICLE. PURCHASED IT NEW FEB 12 2016 STEVE MOYER SUBARU