2016 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

For a couple years I have been battling with the ignition and my key getting stuck. We have tried switching to the second key we received when we bought the car but that hasn't made a difference. It has gotten worse and I have been stuck a many times in parking lots, unable to remove my key so I can't leave my car safely. I have been late for appointments because of this problem. We did contact the local Subaru dealer today and was told this could be a $700.00+ repair but after seeing there were 17 complaints on the NHTSA site alone, it appears Subaru needs to do a fix/recall to address this faulty ignition system.

Subaru Forrester was misfiring and sputtering as if it was going to stop running. The car was shaking. Had car towed to Subaru dealer for Service. At first we thought Spark Plugs and Ignition Coils but this did not fix the issue. Service determined a spring valve was broken which caused the issues. I have escalated the issue with Subaru Corporate, waiting for their response. Other Subaru models have had this issue with the spring valves.

I own a 2016 Subaru Forester. Approximately eight months ago, I began noticing some concerning issues with the vehicle. When applying the brakes from higher speeds, the car experiences significant shaking. Additionally, when coming to a stop, the vehicle shifts down hard, causing a jarring lunge forward. This abrupt transition is quite noticeable and uncomfortable. Moreover, when accelerating from a complete stop, the car tends to lunge forward and exhibits a stuttering sensation accompanied by jerking. These issues have raised concerns about the vehicle's performance and safety.

We have had numerous problems with the wheel lug stems on this car. One issue was very serious. We were driving from New Jersey down to Florida, and two of the lug stems snapped off.. we had to have these replaced in South Carolina. I’ve looked on many websites and this is a well known problem with the 2016 Subaru Forrester. I don’t know why you do not think this is a big safety problem as losing a wheel driving at 70 miles an hour on [XXX] is very serious. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My car has required multiple jumps and batteries, since I bought it new. I have records of the services for jumps, and new batteries. The car continues to have a parasitic battery drain, that has caused me to be stranded multiple times. The car is currently at the dealership, and they want to do a DCM test to see if this is cause. I was not informed of battery class action lawsuit, and extension of DCM warranty by Subaru. The dealership staff never discussed this with me as a possible cause, and that I may be eligible for warranty.

While driving my 2016 Subaru Forester about 70mph on [XXX] , the engine suddenly stalled and I was stranded on the freeway. The fuel tank was about 3/4 full and no warning light flashed in the dashboard prior to the incident. I tried to move my vehicle to the right lane but was unable because of the vehicle's loss of power. I almost collided by a speeding truck behind me. I shut off the engine, was unable to restart. After 3 minutes later, I was able to restart and everything worked again. I suspected the cause was due to a bad fuel pump, took the vehicle to my local Subaru dealer for inspection. The technician could not find anything malfunction or repeat my problem. I just learned there was a recent lawsuit settlement of bad fuel pumps on 2017-2020 Subaru Foresters that could cause engines to stall. It sounded similar to the problem that I had just experienced, except my Forester is a 2016 model not covered by the settlement. I believe the 2016 Forester fuel pump was manufactured by the same company as in the 2017-2020 models. It probably has the same defects. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

When the car accelerates to around 70 mph, the right front side starts to shake and vibrate, giving the impression of driving on a bumpy road. The issue becomes noticeably worse when changing lanes to the right. Both wheel alignment and tire balancing have been checked and found to be fine. After researching online, many Subaru owners have reported similar issues caused by problems with the lower control arm or wheel bearing, leading to shaking at high speeds. However, when contacting Subaru of America about this, they declined responsibility, citing an expired warranty.

The windshield cracked without incident while parked. The is the exact same issue for which there is a class action lawsuit against Subaru for year models 2017-2020. The crack has spread to the drivers side and is obstructing the view. The dealer has reviewed the issue and provided a price quote but will not cover under the extended covered ordered as result of the class action lawsuit. There was no warning of this issue prior to noticing the cracking.

I called Subaru made an appointment for service. I was not aware of the recall, although the dealership said it was repaired. No water damage to the seat bottom, the airbag sensor in the bottom of my passenger side seat cushion was bad. It’s attached to the seat. They gave me a loaner for three months and then called to say the part is on back order until “sometime” in 2025. The part is not covered under the recall and it will be approximately $2000 to fix. This has been a complaint from many owners of the recalled airbag years. At this point it is being replaced so often the part is on back order with an undetermined in stock date.

When parked on a slope, driver attempted to back SUV out of parking space. Before starting car, with key inserted, ignition on and foot on brake, driver attempted to remove gearshift from park. Car drifted backward rapidly and uncontrollably. The brakes completely failed even with foot on brake. The car was a hazard to anyone in its path and could not be stopped. The emergency brake was attempted but failed to stop the car. Power steering failed. Gearshift could not be put back into park. SUV crashed heavily into a sign protecting the gas pump, but auto suffered major damage: REAR WRAP AROUND BUMPER, ENTIRE POWER LIFT DOOR, AND FRAME, were included in the damage. Driver was the wife of a couple. Very importantly, the husband had experienced the exact same uncontrollable roll-back in the same vehicle at the same place a few weeks earlier, but somehow missed the gas pump and sign. At that time, the car was uncontrollable and caused panic for both drivers in separate incidents. THAT'S NOT ALL--of key importance was a conversation we--as a couple--had with the salesman and the dealership's lead mechanic when the auto was purchased in 2017. We pointed out that when backing out of a space on a slight downslope and changing gears, the car drifted backwards uncontrollably a number of feet--at least three to six feet. At that time in 2027, we told them we did not like this feature, and it could be a danger to children playing in the driveway. They said that the manufacturers' engineering department knew about this. And were making improvements. Subsequently we investigated this engineering/design fault online, discussed it again with the dealership, then dropped the issue. THE BOTTOM LINE: THIS SEEMS TO US TO BE A GENUINE MANUFACTURING FAULT. WE BOTH EXPERIENCED THIS UNCONTROLLABLE DRIFT BACK WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE THE CAR. IT IS FRIGHTENENING AND DANGEROUS TO BE IN A VEHICLE WEIGHING TONS WITHOUT ANY ABILITY TO CONTROL IT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE.