2012 Subaru Forester

The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard while attempting to shift out of park(P). A red brake warning light was illuminated with the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard. The contact notified her boyfriend of the failure. The boyfriend became aware that there was fluid leaking underneath the vehicle whenever the brake pedal was depressed. Upon further investigation, the boyfriend discovered extensive corrosion on the brake lines. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V830000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and associated the failure with the recall. The dealer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the recall repair was previously performed prior to the contact owning the vehicle. The failure mileage was 110,863.

NHTSA ID

11775603

Incident

Nov 3, 2026

Mileage

110,863 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was brake fluid leaking from the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact became aware that the two-way connector was severely corroded and the brake line had separated due to the failure. The contact stated that the brake warning light was illuminated after the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure by email, and a case was filed. The contact stated that the failure was associated with a previously repaired recall, which took an extended amount of time to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the dealer had improperly serviced the vehicle during the recall repair. The contact stated that the VIN was not associated with the second recall issued for the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 133,000.

NHTSA ID

11773064

Incident

Oct 10, 2026

Mileage

133,000 mi

I purchased the car Feb. 2026 from [XXX] in Seagirt. There were no problems with it. In Saturday April 18 , 2026 I was driving on Parkway north. As I paid toll at Tinton Falls toll I proceeded to go and the car made weird noises followed by a loud pop and black smoke and flames appeared under the hood. The car was engulfed in flames. I exited the car right away and starting walking away from it and called 911. They came and put out fire and towed it. I did not have comprehensive coverage therefore not getting anything back. The dealership sold it as is so they aren't doing anything about it. I do not understand why that happened to my car since it only had 73,000 miles INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11732983

Incident

Apr 18, 2026

The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the brake pedal was inoperative. The contact then discovered that there was brake fluid leaking underneath of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake lines needed to be replaced. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V311000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11655060

Incident

Apr 8, 2025

Mileage

80,000 mi

I checked my oil level, fluids, and tire pressure before a drive on the highway. Driving on [XXX] South, faint ticking started, then a louder tapping, and I immediately pulled off, luckily, off an exit ramp. AAA towed the Forester to a certified repair shop and the mechanic stated that the engine was blown. The 2.5 boxster engine used little to no oil, and the oil changes had been made always earlier than needed. The Forester had been maintained perfectly, driven cautiously and it had never been subject to any adverse conditions or accidents. After speaking with a number of certified mechanics, it is known that the engine needs to be replaced. But, how can the engine be replaced, especially with a used engine, when the boxster engines are very faulty and Subaru has not engineered corrective actions/new parts ? Subaru has a serious problem with these engines and now after there are hundreds of similar owners they should do some type of recall to compensate the owners. The Forester has less than 126,000 miles, and was cared for in every possible way. Subaru, you should contact us owners to get this corrected, and to provide updated boxster engines with thicker and better, pistons, rods, cylinders, cams etc. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11636357

Incident

Oct 1, 2024

my vehicle has 52460 miles and was in southern oregon subaru for an oil change, when i was informed the engine was leaking oil. the service advisor said the cam carrier reseal was needed and it would cost $3380.00. i checked youtube and found that subaru forester from 2012 to 2019 engines have this problem. why should i pay this if subaru's engines have this problem.

NHTSA ID

11565874

Incident

Jan 15, 2024

My 2012 Subaru Forester suddenly accelerated as I was making a right hand turn from a parking lot onto a major street. My brakes failed and I could only steer at high speed off the street, over a curb on to a parking strip between trees, and through a motel parking lot. The car finally came to a stop as I had blown the front right tire going over the curb. The car has been towed to my auto repair shop where the cause(s) of the mechanical failure(s) as well as any possible associated damage(s) are still unknown. It is available for inspection upon request at this point in time. Although no injuries, fatalities, or property damage resulted from this incident, the sudden acceleration and brake failure of the car could have resulted in major injuries or fatalities if pedestrians had been on the sidewalk or in the motel parking lot. I could have also hit staff and/or guests in the motel office if I had not been able to steer away in time. I, as the driver, and my dog, as my sole passenger, could also have been seriously injured or killed if my car had hit the motel office or if my car had collided with any cars in motel lot. At this point in time, the cause of my car’s mechanical failure(s) remains unknown so the problem has not been assessed or confirmed by my independent auto repair service shop. The car has not been been inspected by any representative of the manufacturer (Subaru). Because no other vehicle was damaged nor person injured (miraculously) , I did not initiate a police report. Because the accident co-incidentally occurred next door to my insurance agent, where I had just been, the agent's assistant visually inspected my car immediately following the accident. I did not see any control panel signs or other signs prior to nor during the failure (although during the failure I was so focused on where the car was headed that I was unable to look at the control panel at the same time). There were no signs of the failure when I came to a stop.

NHTSA ID

11557253

Incident

Nov 21, 2023

After purchasing the vehicle on July 25, 2023 at approximately 99,800 miles, I began driving across the country from PA to CA. I purchased the vehicle from a Subaru dealership, so it was certified pre-owned. Beginning on day 3 of the drive, the car began to make a ticking sound under the hood. The car still had oil on the dipstick, but I added half a quart to be safe. There were no dealerships nearby, so I proceeded to drive to the nearest town and went to a mechanic. They believed the sound was from the engine working hard. We proceeded driving the following day, and after a few hours (around 2,000 miles of the cross country drive) the sound became worse/louder. I was fortunately able to pull off at an exit in the middle of Wyoming, and immediately after driving down the exit ramp, the car stopped. I could not turn the steering wheel, the car would not move, and 3 lights came on. I was able to turn on the car to move it 20 feet out of the way, and checked the oil again as two oil lights came on the dash. There was essentially no oil in my car. I added the last half quart I had with me, but the location we were at did not carry oil for cars. We got a tow to the nearest dealership the following day and they informed me that my engine needed to be replaced and I had no oil in my car. There were no warning or indication lights the entire time we were driving. The engine seized without warning and there were never any leaks under the car indicating that I was losing oil. Had there not been an exit at the right time, the car would have given out on the side of the highway where people drive 80mph. The exact cause is still unknown as to why the engine burned through all the oil and why the engine needs to be replaced.

NHTSA ID

11538924

Incident

Aug 5, 2023

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