2025 Subaru Forester

These are unverified consumer reports filed with NHTSA, shown as submitted.

• 12/15/2025· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  This is the SECOND time in less than 9 weeks that my rear window (hatch) has shattered for no reason. The first time it was when I closed the hatch and this time it was when I shut the driver side door. Both times my car was in my garage and not running. I assume that all my windows were closed, I know they were this time. This would appear to be some defect. I have NEVER had such a thing happen, needless to say TWICE.

• 11/30/2025· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  Sirius XM popping up ads in the interior screen while driving is dangerous and ridiculous

• 11/29/2024· VISIBILITY

  Driver's side mirror vibrates when driving at highway speeds on freeways; vibration is so bad that it makes the image blurry when using the mirror to change lanes

• 11/28/2025· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS

  8/25/25: Seat Heater came on by itself on a hot day this Summer, it got so hot it burned my Right thigh. Seat Heaters are burning people. I drove directly to Subaru Dealership Service and the Service person, Dave confirmed the Seat heater was off and felt that the seat was hot and getting hotter as the heat began going up into the back of the seat. The service personnel inspected my car and could not duplicate the incident and everything tested "normal" ~ I requested they unplug the heater and they said they could NOT as it will effect the computer. Subaru Corporate connected me with a Customer Advocate who arranged inspection by a corporate service person. Scheduled 11/25/25: He did NOT drive my car -I dont know what he did besides remove my car seat covers, he left a message for me that everything tested normal he couldn't duplicate the issue and the seat covers were not allowed (Subaru sells the same type covers for my Forester :/ finding this odd I began researching and found others are getting burn by the SAME issue!! ) There were NO lights on- the Seat heater was in the OFF position ~Subaru Service personnel can confirm. I am requesting an emergency "Kill Switch" be installed in all vehicles with Seat Heaters to prevent further injury. Thank you

• 11/27/2024· EXTERIOR LIGHTING

  The low beam lighting on my 2025 Subaru Forester is dangerous. The beam is set so that it is flat on top and too low. When the car dips at all the beam does not allow you see straight ahead. This is very dangerous when you cannot use the high beam as with oncoming traffic. I have taken it to the dealer and they state that the low beam is set according to Subaru specifications. Contact with Subaru America offered no correction.This is a dangerous condition and needs to be corrected.

• 11/25/2025· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  I have a 2025 Forester. The new Forester has unexpectedly thrown on its brakes in a major way three times in 24,000 miles. The last incident was on a divided highway with a sweeping curve to the right. There were orange barrels closing off the lane to the left of me in the curve for maintenance work. In the middle of the curve to the right, the eyesight system saw the orange barrels in the other lane as a threat and unexpectedly threw on the brakes. I had concerns about being rear ended. I am reporting this because internet Subaru Forester blogs and facebook groups all have owners reporting the same dangerous issue.

• 11/12/2024· VISIBILITY/WIPER

  I believe there should be a windshield recall due to abnormally easy cracking. I purchased/took ownership of my 2025 Subaru Forester, Touring model, on September 3, 2024. The odometer was just 4 miles. Barely a month later I had 2 cracks in the windshield; the 1st happened on October 2, 2024 and the 2nd occurred on October 13, 2024. Both happened simply while driving on interstate roads and something hitting my windshield (nothing big, didn't see any object and didn't even hear the 2nd one, just noticed the crack when I got home) . Two different places on the windshield. It is now November 12, 2024 and I have still not had the windshield replaced because SafeLite is waiting for an OEM windshield (which is on backorder with no delivery date yet provided). I have had it parked since the 2nd incident. This is the 14th car I've owned and I have never had a cracked windshield before and I believe this must be a defective product!

• 11/05/2025· CHILD SEAT

  The contact owns a Chicco Keyfit 360 Convertible child seat installed in a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the harness strap had detached from the T-bar in the rear of the child seat. The contact stated that the child was in the seat during the failure. The contact was unable to reattach the strap after speaking to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a replacement chest clip would be sent for the repair. The cause of the failure was not yet determined; however, the contact stated that the child seat manufacturer had not sent a replacement child seat. The VIN was not available.

• 10/23/2025· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCECrash

  Vehicle suddenly lurched forward while vehicle was pulling into a parking space, causing a collision with a building.

• 10/21/2024· VISIBILITY

  I have noticed my new Suburu driver side mirror shakes during highway speeds and this causes cars and backgrounds to look blurry. I didn't notice this on my other mirrors. It makes it difficult to drive and is distracting.

• 10/16/2025· EXTERIOR LIGHTING

  After my purchase of my 2025 Subaru Forester, I finally drove it for the first time at night. I was driving on local roads which have no street lights and is very hilly and dark. My headlights were on and I was shocked to see how poorly they were operating compared to my former 2016 Subaru Forester which I never had a problem with. My headlights even had strange dark marks projected onto the road surface. My headlights in the low beam settings, appears to be too low on the road surface especially if there’s a hill up ahead. There is a very dark area above the lit road surface and you can not see if there is a road hazard there or not. It’s very scary, especially when there are many deer in my area. This leaves me to have to keep my high beams on which I never had to do on my 2016. But my vehicle has a feature where my high beams automatically go on and off during night driving. At first, I did not realize I had this feature until I saw it operating on its own one night while driving on a dark lever road surface. The high beams would go on automatically and then go off when another vehicle was approaching from the opposite direction. But when I turned off to drive on hilly local roads, that feature stopped working and I didn’t understand why. That’s when I had to use the high beams manually. Being frustrated by this, on October 15, I took my vehicle to the dealership and had one of the salesman explain to me why my high beams do not always work. He then looked at the vehicles settings and everything was in proper order. He told me that the service department could possibly raise the headlights, but he said that doesn’t always work. All in all, I feel that these headlights are a hazard when driving at night on dark hilly road surfaces. I try not to drive at night because of this, but now that it’s getting darker earlier, that’s going to be difficult.

• 10/14/2025· EXTERIOR LIGHTING

  I find that the headlights on my 2025 Subaru Forester pose a safety concern. When on dims there is a distinct black line above which you have no light and cannot see. There is also some black shadows in the line of sight that bounce up and down as the car moves causing a major distraction. I complained to the dealer who said there wasn’t much they could do, however they adjusted the lights on August 26, 2025. There is little improvement and now I get flashed on the dim setting all of the time. I called Subaru and registered a complaint on October 3, 2025. Subaru contacted me on October 13, 2025 and took down my information and said they would check further into the problem. They said they wanted to do some research and contact the dealer to see what can be done. They are supposed to call me back on October 20, 2025. I also have read hundreds of complaints the same as mine online. One person even said he almost hit some deer as they were not seen in the black area. I will not drive this car at night as I am afraid because of the horrible visibility issue. The car was purchased new this past February and has about 7000 miles on it. I cannot trade the car as I would lose so much money, yet I don’t feel safe driving at night.

• 10/08/2025· SEAT BELTS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  While there were no reported incidents, it appears there may be manufacturing defects with this vehicle. The rear seat safety belts are reportedly quite difficult to fasten, as the receptacle is positioned deeply within the seats, sometimes making it impossible to secure the belt. This then triggers an alarm, which can be quite bothersome for the driver. Furthermore, there seems to be an issue with the fuel gauge, as it may display an inaccurate reading. For instance, upon filling the tank, the meter might show 470 ml, but while still at the gas station, it could indicate 330 ml. Additionally, the reading can fluctuate after a trip. Finally, the air conditioning vent on the driver's side does not seem to be functioning correctly. In one instance, despite a minor road hazard that was not immediately noticed, the left rear tire was completely damaged. Despite multiple attempts to address these issues at the showroom and contacting Subaru headquarters, the problems persist. Note the purchase of vehicle forced upon me ,in addition Hallmark Subaru refuse to address the issues with vehicle. I have reported the matter to AL state Attorney general. Still no response made by state AG. Thank you.

• 09/22/2025· UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  [XXX] our 2025 Subaru Forester's eye sight stopped working. The screen went completely blue, no rearview camera of course and loss of the eye sight safety system, including radio. We only have approximately 4k miles on our vehicle. I tried a reset by holding the radio on and off button for 15 seconds (didn't work). I also removed the ground wire from the battery for a few minutes (approximately 5).....didn't work. SO I started doing research on this and it seems it's there is a lawsuit against Subaru that entails this. I believe it has been happening for about 10 years now. Having eye sight shut down and not having the safety options that we paid for is a terrible thing to happen on the road. Our dealership is taking care of it with a loaner tomorrow and hopefully fixing it forever, but my question is......WHY have they not been shut down until this is fixed? Ten years is a long time for this serious safety issue. Thank you for letting me vent. Sincerely, [XXX] & [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

• 09/22/2025· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES,BACK OVER PREVENTION

  The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid. The contact stated that the hatchback had opened independently while the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that the doors had opened unintendedly while the vehicle was being washed at the car wash. The contact stated that the door required to be slammed to close and to latch securely. Additionally, the contact stated that while reversing out of a 2-15 percent sloped driveway, the Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB) system's beeping sound engaged while there were no vehicles or objects in the proximity of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped abruptly, causing the driver's side seat headrest to hit the contact's head violently. The contact stated that the vehicle became inoperable. The contact exited and inspected the surroundings of the vehicle. The contact verified that the vehicle had not collided with an object. The contact returned inside the vehicle, and the vehicle responded as needed. The contact pulled into the driveway. The contact contacted the Doctor's office weeks later, and was referred to the ER. The contact went to the ER, where a CT scan, and other tests were performed, but internal bleeding was not found. The contact sustained a concussion and persistent headaches. Additionally, the contact underwent an MRI and was waiting for the neurologist to interpret the MRI test results. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was advised to deactivate the reverse automatic braking(RAB) system. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and sent a field technician who inspected and test-drove the vehicle. The manufacturer later informed the contact that the vehicle had operated as designed while reversing on the sloped driveway. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100.

• 09/20/2025· VISIBILITY/WIPER

  since new, driver side mirror becomes jiggly at hwy speeds, cannot focus on detail. Hard to focus on cars zooming up from behind

• 09/20/2024· POWER TRAIN

  Paddle shifter does not work appropriately—when shifting rapidly using paddle shifters, right shifter (up-shift) occasionally commands transmission to shift down.

• 09/19/2024· EXTERIOR LIGHTING

  Low visibility and dark (shadowy) spots on road surface when low beam LED lights are on, and you’re driving on a dark rural road. The cutoff of the visual field is uneven, with a shorter visual field and dark spots on driver side. Got the car on August 17th. I didn’t drive it at night until the morning of September 5th. That’s when I noticed the problem with the lights. Took car to Subaru dealer on September 10th. According to the dealer the lights are level and working as designed. On September 11th I called Subaru and reported the problem, and the dealer comments to them. The customer advocate told me that a specialist will contact me within a couple of days. On September 16th I called and I was told that the specialist was not in the office, and the next day when he would come in he would contact me. Today is September 19th and I still have not been contacted by the Subaru specialist. I live in a rural township that doesn’t have street lights or sidewalks. Due to the low visibility and dark spots I don’t feel comfortable driving the car at night.

• 09/12/2025· VISIBILITY

  The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that upon inspection, it was discovered that there were several dings and cracks on the front windshield of the vehicle. The contact stated that no objects had struck the windshield, and that the vehicle was mostly parked inside the garage. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.

• 09/07/2025· EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER

  Driving at night , headlights low beam were weak and did not project far enough for me to see objects, the headlights cut off with complete darkness above a certain height I feel the car is unsafe to drive at night in low light situations , also raining conditions make the weak headlights worse

• 09/02/2024· EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER

  The head lights are seriously defective in low beam. In low beam the car is not road worthy. It is dangerous! It is available for inspection upon request. We did not drive the car after dark until a week after taking delivery. We were at risk as was any other vehicle on the road at that time. We have not driven the car after dark since. The dealer who sold the car to us has been made aware of the problem. No one has inspected the car. There were on warnings or symptoms.

• 08/25/2025· VISIBILITY/WIPER

  A minor rock chip 4 weeks ago resulted in a cracked windshield with spider legs extending from the center point. My insurance carrier (USAA), two glass shops, and the Subaru service center said I should replace the windshield because the crack could extend at any moment without notice. They advised that this could compromise our safety due to obscured vision and the EyeSight system malfunctioning. Subaru parts, and the Subaru Customer Advocate departments, however advise that this part is back-ordered and there is no firm date when it will be available. It could be 6-8 weeks, or an undetermined time frame. I know that windshields are in fact available for I confirmed with Subaru dealers that this model Forester is continued to be produced on the assembly line in Gunma, Japan. All of the new vehicles have of course a windshield. The Subaru Customer Advocate department has refused to find out how to get a windshield shipped from the assembly plant to my dealer. This puts my wife and myself in continuous potential danger should the crack expand/shatter at any time.

• 08/20/2025· VISIBILITY

  The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the driver's side mirror vibrated abnormally. The failure caused the reflection in the mirror to become distorted. The contact stated that while driving faster than 40 MPH, the vibration of the mirror increased. The contact stated that the Blind Spot warning operated as needed; however, the distortion of the mirror caused visual eye strain while looking into the mirror. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer three times, and the mirror was replaced on the first visit. The vehicle was repaired; however, the vibration reoccurred and was more pronounced. The contact stated that after the last visit to the dealer, a technician wedged two pieces of rubber into the mirror. The vehicle was not repaired, and the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and advised the contact that there would be no further action taken. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.

• 08/18/2026· STRUCTURE

  Sunroof cracked completely on its own while vehicle was parked. No surface impact, chip, marking or exterior imperfection in the glass was present. There were small air bubbles in the pane mould around the corner where the crack appeared and spread across the pane. Dealership replaced it under factory warranty after Subaru of America approved the claim at no cost at 15,216 miles.

• 08/18/2026· WHEELS

  Noticeable noise after oil change and tire rotation that became progressively worse over time. Constant humming/growling noise from the rear that increases in volume and intensity with speed. Noticeable at 40 mph and higher and floor vibration present at highway speed, especially under the dead pedal. Droning propeller sound. Upon inspection, both rear hub bearing units were failing prematurely and were replaced at 29,240 miles at no cost under the factory warranty.

• 08/13/2026· UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  Purchased new 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid Sport on 01 May 2025 (owned 19 months). Approximately 156 DAYS (a little over 5 months) after purchase we began having trouble with an unknown fuel system defect which prevents the vehicle from being refueled, disables our hybrid system, disables safety features such as the vehicles eyesight system, cruise control, and RAB. Vehicle leaking strong gas smell. Issue has been increasing in frequency, occurring more often, and now escalating to leaking fuel all over the side of my car. I took my vehicle to the Subaru service center at the dealership for repairs on: 06 OCTOBER 2025 (~14,700 miles), 22 OCTOBER 2025 (17,394 miles), 09 MARCH 2026 (27,470 miles), 02 JULY 2026 (35,782 miles), 23 JULY 2026 (35,782 miles) To date, Subaru has been unable to identify the direct cause of the problem and replacing the gas cap is a bandaid on the unknown issue.

• 08/11/2026· Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness

  The harness was missing stitching on one side. They're supposed to be two levels to connect the harness for a smaller child. One side had two levels. The other side it only had one. Safety first is sending me a brand new harness.

• 08/04/2026· VISIBILITY/WIPER

  Two occurences of rear hatch window shattering spontaneously while vehicle was parked, powered off. No symptoms, warning lamps, or messages were present. First incident, six months after production/purchase, factory-installed window shattered spontaneously while owner was seated in the car, parked, and engine turned off. Second incident, two months later, OEE replacement window shattered while vehicle was parked, powered off, unattended. Currently having third window installed by dealer and submitting report to Subaru of America.

• 08/04/2025· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  My sight turn off when out side temperature in cold, or raining hard, fog on wind shield. Sony when the weather seem perfect all safety systems turn off. I have told my dealer about this event with no real positive answer. The pit system on compute and said it was working as designed so best auto and most reliable on road does not seem to be true

• 08/03/2026· ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  Engine is misfiring, causing in ability to accelerate properly and loads multiple error codes. Upon taking it to the dealership for services, we were told that there is a significant amount of carbon built-up inside the engine. The car has only 6,800 miles on it. The dealership stated that it is an issue that Subaru engineering is aware of but has yet to figure a way to resolve it. The dealership informed us that hybrid engines have had severe carbon build-up on the in-take valves that causes misfiring, loss of power, bucking and stumbling of the engine. Apparently this has been reported all over different on-line forums. The dealer informed us that they would need to order a valve cleaning kit as referenced un service bulletin 02-193-24 and the engine would require walnut blasting. The vehicle was dropped off for service on 7/22 the work was completed, but upon restarting the engine more codes fired up and they stated that the Electronic Communication Module failed and it would now require an escalation to the Subaru Engineers called TechLine, "they now say that the ECM now needs replacement, still misfiring and has become a more complicated issue"

• 07/28/2026· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROLCrash

  The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space, the brake pedal was slightly released to move the vehicle forward; however, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, failed to respond upon depression of the brake pedal, and crashed into a brick wall. The impact resulted in damages to the front bumper and caused a body panel to detach. No warning light was illuminated before or after the crash. The air bags did not deploy. There was no property damage, no reported injury, and no Police report was filed. The vehicle was driven to the dealer, where Subaru field technicians inspected the Event Data Recorder (EDR) and informed the contact that no data was recorded. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that data was not logged because the vehicle was traveling at a significantly slow speed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that a previously owned 2021 Subaru Forester had experienced the same failure, which also resulted in a crash, and a Police report was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 1,200.

• 07/27/2025· AIR BAGSCrash

  I was involved in an accident. My car was moving at less than 10 MPH and the other driver hit the front drivers side, at the driver side wheel area, at about a 90 degree (t bone direction) angle while traveling an estimated 30-35 MPH. The front end of my automobile was obliterated, grill was gone, and my vehicle was turned 90 degrees to the right after impact. The passenger front door could barely be opened due to the bend in the hood and front end, but no airbags deployed. Emergency response was quite surprised the airbags did not deploy due to the high rate of speed and area of impact. The accident just occurred and my car hasn't been looked at by insurance adjusters but it seems that airbags likely should have deployed and/or the car's Starlink system should have registered the impact. I'm highly concerned there may have been some kind of malfunction as my car is a 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid - available for sale only for the last handful of months.

• 07/19/2026· FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  the gas cap O ring recall was repaired previously by Casey Subaru of Newport News, VA. (I live in [XXX], purchased the vehicle in [XXX] at Ourisman Subaru) I filled my gas tank the night before this leak occurred. I noticed the smell of gasoline in my car at approximately 08 AM on the way to work. It was mild No obvious exterior leak. I drove my 25 commute to Williamsburg, Va. Upon leaving work I noticed a strong smell of gasoline inside the vehicle. Inspection of the exterior revealed an obvious gas leak (the fuel door to the gas cap was not opened at this time). the paint was wet and the paint adjacent to the plastic guard on the bumper side had bubbled due to the leak. The outside temperature was nearing 100 with a heat index of 105. I drove the vehicle to the dealership in Newport News (not aware I should have had it towed due to the leak). It has not been driven since. The fuel door was opened and there was an obvious leak as the well in the gas cap space was wet and the odor of gasoline was very strong. I twisted the gas cap and it did not close any farther. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

• 07/18/2026· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION

  I have been having problems with my 2025 Subaru Forester since I purchased it. It has failed multiple times to alert me of people and cars when I am backing up. I have RCTW on my vehicle .Sometimes it alerts me when there is a car or person is coming behind me ,sometimes it doesn't. I have a video dated June 4th 2026. Three times people walked right behind my car when I was backing up. I almost hit them! I decided to video tape it. The back up camera also doesn't always work and did not go off when I was backing into the curb until I hit it without an alarm going off. The lighting alert system was also messed up because the light was on green until I almost hit the curb. This also happened on June 4th and I have a video. I could have hit a small animal or child or damaged my car. I have brought this to the attention of my Subaru Service department and they claim they can not replicate this problem.This is of great concern for me and I have filed a Lemon Law Case as I am too fearful I will hurt someone or myself because of these issues. In addition to this, my headlights are aimed down at the ground and I live on curvy country roads. Hard to see at night. My service department said Subaru of America would have to approve the adjustment. They never got back to me on this issue. The tech specialist told the service department manager that I had electrical problems with my vehicle as she witnessed the HVAC working improperly. My radio, navigations, phone and sound systems also cause distracted driving. The Radio would blast on high volume randomly . The navigation, phone and radio volume would be blasting without being able to turn this down. There is no way to turn off the radio. If you do, the whole navigations screen won't work. My navigation system is not functioning properly and has blacked out . Subaru has seen my vehicle 6 times for these issues . They claim they can't replicate the problem. My car is sitting in the garage. It is too unsafe to drive.

• 07/18/2026· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION

  I have been having problems with my 2025 Subaru Forester since I purchased it. It has failed multiple times to alert me of people and cars when I am backing up. I have RCTW on my vehicle .Sometimes it alerts me when there is a car or person is coming behind me ,sometimes it doesn't. I have a video dated June 4th 2026. Three times people walked right behind my car when I was backing up. I almost hit them! I decided to video tape it. The back up camera also doesn't always work and did not go off when I was backing into the curb until I hit it without an alarm going off. The lighting alert system was also messed up because the light was on green until I almost hit the curb. This also happened on June 4th and I have a video. I could have hit a small animal or child or damaged my car. I have brought this to the attention of my Subaru Service department and they claim they can not replicate this problem.This is of great concern for me and I have filed a Lemon Law Case as I am too fearful I will hurt someone or myself because of these issues. In addition to this, my headlights are aimed down at the ground and I live on curvy country roads. Hard to see at night. My service department said Subaru of America would have to approve the adjustment. They never got back to me on this issue. The tech specialist told the service department manager that I had electrical problems with my vehicle as she witnessed the HVAC working improperly. My radio, navigations, phone and sound systems also cause distracted driving. The Radio would blast on high volume randomly . The navigation, phone and radio volume would be blasting without being able to turn this down. There is no way to turn off the radio. If you do, the whole navigations screen won't work. My navigation system is not functioning properly and has blacked out . Subaru has seen my vehicle 6 times for these issues . They claim they can't replicate the problem. My car is sitting in the garage. It is too unsafe to drive.

• 07/18/2025· POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKESCrash

  The contact stated that while pulling into a parking spot with the brake pedal pressed, the vehicle displayed unintended acceleration, crashing into the wall of the building in front of the parking space. The air bags did not deploy. The contact immediately placed the vehicle in reverse, with the brake pedal still pressed, and the vehicle accelerated at approximately 20 mph in reverse on its own. The vehicle suddenly came to a stop before crashing into a nearby tree. The contact immediately turned the vehicle off and exited the vehicle. The contact received no injuries, and no medical attention was needed. The police came and filed a police report. The vehicle was towed to an auto body shop. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.

• 07/17/2026· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  Rear hatch glass shattered on April 16th while parked in carport after my wife opened the right rear passenger door, had it replaced by Safelite on April 29th, on July 9th while driving it shattered again, Safelite says that this is a Subaru issue, Subaru says they will not warranty a replacement even if they do the replacement since the car does have a rebuilt title. So we can neither use the car nor sell it in good faith if we're just passing a problem and potential danger on to someone else.

• 07/08/2025· VISIBILITY

  Driver side mirror and rearview mirror vibrate, visibility affected - especially at night with vibrating headlights. Confirmed by dealer. Rearview mirror replaced and continues with same vibration issue (actually a little more vibration). Driver side mirror continues to be on back order. No warning lights or such - driver notices issue.

• 07/07/2026· FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

  The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that a few days after the dealer had serviced the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V106000(Fuel System, Gasoline), the contact refueled the vehicle at the gas station. The contact stated that upon entering the store and returning to the vehicle, the contact noticed both a strong fuel odor and fuel leaking from the fuel tank onto the ground. The contact used soap and water to clean up the area. The vehicle was driven and parked outside the residence's garage. The contact stated that if the fuel leak had gone unnoticed, the vehicle would have been parked inside the garage near a water heater's open flame, leading to a catastrophic fire that could have affected both the contact's family and nearby neighbors. The contact attempted to reach the dealer to report the failure, but had not yet received a return call. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and filed a case. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 2,700.

• 07/06/2026· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROLCrash

  The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving into a parking space and applying the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration, surged forward and drove over a parking bump before crashing into the hedges and a lamp post. No injuries were reported. A police report was filed at the scene. The vehicle was later towed to the local collision center. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 14,920.

• 07/05/2026· FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE

  Leading up to a windshield replacement, my eyesight cameras that help with adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist kept failing. This feature would turn on and off repeatedly. When I got my windshield replaced, it took longer than expected because of the camera calibration. The microchip(s) inside one of the three cameras was fried and they had to put in a new camera. This failed camera was an original to my car and the justification provided was that "this sometimes happens." For the fuel/propulsion system, I was topping off my car with gas one day when something went very wrong. My fuel tank was just shy of full, and when the gas pump handle tripped to stop pumping gas, a large amount of gasoline came flooding out as I removed the gas pump handle. This was scary and highly concerning because I have never experienced this with any previous vehicle before. The dealership, in cooperation with corporate, identified one other instance of this issue occurring somewhere in the midwest. Their best guess as to what happened is that the air relief valve of my gas tank somehow became blocked and that is what caused the overflow of gasoline. The solution was to turn the air relief valve around from facing the outside of my car to the inside metal frame. July 2026 marks one year since acquiring my car, and these experiences thus far make me question the safety and longterm viability of my car and the Subaru brand. This is ironic, because Subaru's legacy and strong reputation of safety and build quality was my primary incentive for getting one in the first place.

• 06/26/2026· BACK OVER PREVENTION

  While backing up into a parking space, my wifes car made contact with a dumpster, which started on the drivers side corner of the rear bumper. The backup sensor did not sound until it was too late. This was a low-speed maneuver that normally would allow for enough reaction time. I (husband) tried a similar maneuver when she got home and encountered a delayed backup sensor notification from both the drivers side and passenger side rear corners of the car. We have small children in our neighborhood, and fear this could have been a child.

• 06/20/2026· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  While driving wth adaptive cruise set to 50mph I attempted to adjusted the setting for distance between us and rage car in front of us. While the car in front of us was maintains a steady speed our Forester started to slow down dramatically to a near stop; pressing the accelerator had no effect on the slow-down. Fortunately there was a new, closed lane next to us so we were able to roll out of traffic into that lane. Brought the car to a complete stop and turned the adaptive cruise off. After testing that the accelerator worked ok, pulled back into traffic. All was well the rest of this trip. This happened again when I tried to increase the distance between our car and the one ahead of us. Same fix…pulled over, shut off adaptive cruise and successfully pulled out into traffic. Lesson learned…leave the distance setting alone when using adaptive cruise….

• 06/20/2025· SERVICE BRAKESCrash

  The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to stop. The vehicle crashed into a nearby residential garage. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned as a total loss by the insurance company. The contact's wife was the only occupant in the vehicle. The contact's wife was taken to the local hospital in a personal vehicle. The contact's wife sustained injuries to her pelvic area and right shoulder rotator cuff. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the damage to the residential garage had not yet been determined by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. In addition, the contact stated awaiting inspection of the vehicle. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,800.

• 06/16/2026· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE

  My new vehicle, with under 4,000 miles, has already suffered multiple chewed wires due to rodents attracted to the soy-based wire coatings used by the manufacturer. This is not a minor inconvenience — it is a serious safety issue. Damaged wiring can cause loss of power steering mid-drive, ABS and braking system malfunctions, airbag deployment failures, engine stalling on highways, and electrical fires — any of which can result in injury or death. The manufacturer knows soy-based coatings attract rodents, the consequences are safety-critical, and proven mitigations exist (capsaicin-infused coatings, hardened sheathing, metal conduit) yet are not implemented from the factory. If vehicles are engineered to withstand foreseeable environmental hazards like water intrusion, heat, and road debris, there is no justification for leaving critical wiring defenseless against a well-documented and predictable threat. A material choice known to invite damage, paired with insufficient physical barriers, is not an external cause — it is a design flaw.

• 06/13/2025· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  I purchased my 2025 Subaru Forrester from Ciocca Subaru in Flemington, New Jersey in October, 2024. In March, 2025, a rock hit my windshield and cracked it. I spoke with both Ciocca and Open Road Subaru about it and they informed me there is a back order on the windshield that could take 2 months and that I should file an insurance claim. I filed the isurance claim and was assigned to get a windshield from safelite, but safelite doesnt have any windshields for this vehicle either. Neither do any New Jersey dealers. I then contacted the manufacturer in March, but was told these matters were handled by the dealerships, and thus left with no remedy. I have since called again yesterday, but other than assigning me a new customer service rep named Brendan, Subaru has done nothing else. And now it's been over two months and I am stuck with a beautiful new vehicle that has a significantly cracked, ugly and unsafe windshield. I need a windshield replacement immediately or a new vehicle or a refund and forgiveness of any loan incurred in the purchase of this vehicle. If i had known this windshield would crack easily and that no replacements were available, i would not have purchased the vehicle.

• 06/09/2025· SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,WHEELS

  I purchased a brand new 2025 Subaru Forester Wilderness and immediately noticed a persistent vibration in the steering wheel, seat, and footwell area. The vibration is present at all times — while driving at various speeds and even while idling. It is very distracting and uncomfortable. This ongoing vibration creates a constant sensation of movement that affects my comfort and ability to stay fully focused on the road. I have arthritis in both hands, and the steering wheel vibration causes physical discomfort, pain, and fatigue, especially on longer drives. I previously owned a 2024 Subaru [same model], which did not have this issue. I have also spoken with other owners of the 2025 model who are not experiencing this problem, so I do not believe this is typical for the vehicle. Subaru of America sent an engineer to inspect the vehicle, but the evaluation was limited to measuring vibration levels. He did not place the vehicle on a lift or inspect any physical components, such as the suspension, wheels, or drivetrain. Despite this limited assessment, he concluded the vibration was “normal.” I respectfully disagree with this conclusion, as the vibration significantly affects the drivability, comfort, and confidence I feel while operating the vehicle. I am reporting this issue because I believe it may indicate a defect that deserves further investigation.

• 06/03/2026· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  While driving the head unit was connected to Google automotive with Google maps giving me directions and music through you tube music when a full screen sized ad for Sirius XM took over the entire screen. I could no longer see the map and directions, couldn't use the climate control. The entire screen was locked by this add until I removed my focus from the road to hit the small X icon in the top right corner of the add to close it out. Ads for a product I've never used taking over my entire head unit distracting my driving and following the directions from Google maps is unacceptable and unsafe.

• 06/03/2026· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  A commercial advertisement for SiriusXM took the entire infotainment screen until I could click the small X to close it. I was driving at about 35 mph on a road (this has happened at least twice since I bought the vehicle). It impacted my safety and others as it covered navigation information which is important to understand easily and quickly in unfamiliar areas. The annoyance and required fine motor skill reduce driver attention on the road and tie up one hand for an unimportant reason.

• 06/03/2026· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  Sirius add pop-up on the infotainment screen, locks you out of the system. Not allowing use of hands free calling, text or climate control. Recurring issue making vehicle unsafe.