2014 Subaru Forester Problems

LOW CONTRL ARM BUSHINGS DISTROYED,LOUD NOISE AND VIBRATION UNDER THE CAR.

Basically, as I was driving on the freeway with my son and his brother, I got 5 lights flashing on dashboard. Abs at temp check engine cruise control hill assist vss etc.. the code were for cut but before I could check them everything shut down. Car went dark, no brakes and burning smell as well as burns oil. Front end damage on car with passenger side damage. Car started back up next day called Subaru and because it’s 2014 forester, may not qualify but it only has 126k on the dash. Well maintained and had no issues besides the oil consumption.

On 5/15/2024 and 5/21/2024 I had sudden uninteded acceleration. I had a auto shop try to solve the problem by replacing the air fuel ratio sensor and the mass air flow sensor. This seem to fix the issue until 11/27/2025 & 12/7/2025 when the sudden uninteded acceleration returned.

I have a 2014 Subaru Forester that I purchase in 2023 from a dealership in Yonkers N.Y. I been noticing oil consumption at 1qt. a week at 300 miles. I investigated it on the internet and found out that there was a recalled for oil consumption to replace the short block on it. I emailed Subaru on this matter and they told me that they stopped repairing three years ago. When I purchase this back in 2023 the dealership did not tell me any open recalls on this vehicle. I was told by D.M.V. in New York that the dealer has to tell the buyer for any open recalls. I feel now that I was sold a Lemon. Is there any thing that could been done by repair by Subaru or the dealer. Thanks...

Airbag warning light came on 1/25, took to Subaru dealership for diagnostic service. Was told the Passenger Front Seat Occupant Detection Sensor Assembly needs to be replaced, airbag system is not functional. Item has been on backorder, unable to replace as needed and told this is a known issue for Subaru. Have since contacted Subaru National Consumer Advocacy for assistance (case #250418-1700639). We have been waiting for 4 months to remedy this situation. Through no fault of our own, our 2014 Subaru Forrester does not meet safety standards of functioning airbags. This is a known problem for other Subaru owners and the part is in high demand due to inability to secure them. This has limited our use of the vehicle.

The contact owned a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, a vehicle coming from oncoming traffic was attempting to make a left, causing the contact to crash into that oncoming vehicle. The contact mentioned that during the impact, the front passenger side wheel was pushed into the radiator. The contact spouse sustained injuries, and medical attention was provided, and the contact was taken to the local emergency room. The contact stated that the steering wheel and the knee air bags were deployed during the incident, which caused the contact to be injured. The contact sustained an upper chest injury and contusions to both of their legs, and the contact's left leg was also burned. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and destroyed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.

I was driving my 2014 Subaru Forester (about 148,000 miles) behind a minivan at a safe distance and speed. Without warning, my vehicle accelerated uncontrollably. Despite applying the brakes, shifting into low gear, and using the emergency brake, I was unable to slow it down. After impact, the car then hit a telephone pole, spun me around and rolled the car over. There is major damage to the car and we looked at it at the tow yard but the salvage adjuster is moving it shortly.

The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while reversing, the Back Over Prevention screen failed to display an image. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The contact also stated that after starting the vehicle or while driving at various speeds, the front passenger’s side seat belt and air bag warning lights would illuminate without an occupant seated in the seat. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The approximate failure mileage was 72,500.v

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Subaru Forester on March 5, 2026. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 77,000. At the time of the registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 166,000.

On 5/15/2024 and 5/21/2024 I had sudden uninteded acceleration. I had a auto shop try to solve the problem by replacing the air fuel ratio sensor and the mass air flow sensor. This seem to fix the issue until 11/27/2025 & 12/7/2025 when the sudden uninteded acceleration returned.

The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would independently accelerate without warning. Due to the failure, the contact stated that they had hit a building while attempting to park in a parking space. The air bag did not deploy during the accident and the contact suffered stiffness to the left side of their neck. The contact was given a ticket by the police as a result of the incident; however, a police report was not filed. Due to the crash, a window was shattered and a few bricks fell off from the building. The contact also mentioned that while attempting to park the vehicle in their driveway, the vehicle jolted forward while the brake pedal was depressed and hit a stone wall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was given a case number. The contact was then referred to a local dealer who gave the contact an estimate for a diagnostic. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

When cruising about 25mph the car gave a jolt, stalled, and then would speed back up again. All lights then flashed on. I brought it to the dealer and they did a diagnostic check coming back for CVT transmission. They also confirmed it is a known problem and had extended the warranty to when 100,000 miles or 10 years which is around or prior to when most people confirm the issue. There was no warning signs I was aware of leading up to the failure of the transmission.

I was driving my 2014 Subaru Forester (about 148,000 miles) behind a minivan at a safe distance and speed. Without warning, my vehicle accelerated uncontrollably. Despite applying the brakes, shifting into low gear, and using the emergency brake, I was unable to slow it down. After impact, the car then hit a telephone pole, spun me around and rolled the car over. There is major damage to the car and we looked at it at the tow yard but the salvage adjuster is moving it shortly.

Brake line junction, just in front of rear passenger wheel, rusted and failed catastrophically losing all braking while driving. This is similar to the previous recall in 2014 when "more than 600,000 vehicles in the United States due to a potential issue with brake line corrosion" for many Subaru vehicles. "The recall affected vehicles built between 2005 and 2014 that were registered in states that use road salt in cold weather." SOA claims that the 2014 Forrester is not included in the recall and refuse all responsibility for repairs.

Liftgate arm (or support) broke while the liftgate was in the raised position, and the liftgate came crashing down to the closed position, while my sister-in-law was very close by. I believe a serious injury could have resulted if someone had been under the liftgate at the time. We also own a 2016 Forester, and I now expect to replace the liftgate supports as a matter of safety and peace of mind. From what I see, checking the liftgate supports is not on the maintenance schedule. I assume other SUVs are also subject to this issue.

While I was driving to work, with Cruise control set at 65, I hit a deer head on. All airbags deployed and engine ceased and I was able to brake car to a stop on the shoulder of the road. Within minutes, the engine erupted in fire and thankfully I wasn't trapped inside and was able to get out, because by the time I got 4-500 feet from the car, it had been totally engulfed in flames. From the time I hit the deer to the fire starting was less than 10 minutes. Fire truck wasn't even on scene yet and I was still speaking with highway patrol on the phone. If I had been trapped or the vehicle had rolled i wouldn't be here today. It was that quick.

On 5/15/2024 and 5/21/2024 I had sudden uninteded acceleration. I had a auto shop try to solve the problem by replacing the air fuel ratio sensor and the mass air flow sensor. This seem to fix the issue until 11/27/2025 & 12/7/2025 when the sudden uninteded acceleration returned.

I was driving my 2014 Subaru Forester (about 148,000 miles) behind a minivan at a safe distance and speed. Without warning, my vehicle accelerated uncontrollably. Despite applying the brakes, shifting into low gear, and using the emergency brake, I was unable to slow it down. After impact, the car then hit a telephone pole, spun me around and rolled the car over. There is major damage to the car and we looked at it at the tow yard but the salvage adjuster is moving it shortly.

The passenger side seat airbag sensor has quit sensing when someone is seating in the seat and turns off the airbag. After taking it in to the dealership and them running diagnostics they said, “it isnt working.” They quoted me a repair of $1182 to replace the whole seat. I know Subaru has issued a recall on certain models, but my car was not one of them. It seems like the same problem though. There appears to be a lot of people having the same faulty sensor system and having to pay high repair costs that only the dealership can do.

The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the tailgate was in an upright position and then the tailgate closed unexpectedly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to repair the vehicle. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V135000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 174,944.

The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while his wife was driving and stopped in traffic, the steering wheel locked up. The contact stated the steering wheel warning light illuminated and the vehicle was towed. The dealer was contacted and notified of the failure, and the failure was diagnosed with rack and pinion and electrical power steering failures. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure after the repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 mph, the steering wheel moved back and forth while on cruise control with the tires wobbling. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed that the front driver’s and passenger’s side tires were able to move 6-8 inches without effort. The steering gear and all four tires were replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

Heard deep rumble while driving In May 2021 Thought it may be start of muffler or exhaust problem but Subaru service said it is rear hub bearings. Service says there may be danger of tire falling off while driving.

WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED TWICE

The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 mph, a small crack appeared on the front windshield without impact. While driving, the crack expanded from the passenger’s side of the windshield to the driver’s side. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED TWICE

While driving the seatbelt above the driver side shoulder came disconnected and fell into the driver lap. There was no warning, no alarms nothing. The casing and everything came off with it. I was able to screw the bolt back in, but thought Subaru needed to take a look because I’ve never had this happen nor did I think this was common. I thought they would want to Loctite the bolt down as a permanent solution. They initially told me to bring the car down and they would take care of it right away. They said they’d secure it in place and fix it but when I arrived they did not fix it, instead they wanted me to pay for it. They will only warrantee the seatbelt material and nothing more. No one has inspected it. I had a friend tighten the bolt down and of course now I’m worried and I am checking the other seatbelts. I would never think it would rattle loose. Driving 55 miles an hour to have your seatbelt suddenly nonexistent is very scary and still makes me extremely paranoid to drive the vehicle.

The contact owns a Maxi Cosi Pria 85. The car seat was being utilized in a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21C003000 (Child Seat) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

I HAVE MY BACK LIGHT ON BY ITSELF WITHOUT HIT BREAKS AND BACK DOOR POTON DOES NOT WORK AND I HAVE LIGHT ON MY BOARD ALWAYS LIGHT UP

REPEATED ISSUE WITH HEADLIGHTS FAILING AFTER VERY SHORTY PERIOD OF TIME FROM INSTALLATION. REPLACED HEADLIGHTS 3 TIMES IN THE PAST 11 MONTHS (HAVE REPLACED AT LEAST 1 ADDITIONAL TIME SINCE MAY 2017). BULBS INSTALLED CORRECTLY WITHOUT MAKING CONTACT WITH ANY PART OF BULB EXCEPT PLASTIC END WITH BULB GREASE APPLIED TO REAR CONNECTOR.

Two tires on our car developed the same problem two weeks apart: a large bulge in the sidewall near the rim. On 10/5/21 we noticed a bulge on the rear driver’s side tire which looked like a tennis ball was emerging. We took it to our mechanic here in Ohio. He said not to drive on it and replaced the tire. It had less than 13,000 miles on it and I thought it should be covered under warranty. We were told the bulge was due to “road hazard” and so wasn’t covered. They said a chuckhole could do this. We have no recollection of anything like that. And a chuckhole would usually affect the front tire, not the rear. Moreover, the mechanic looked at the rim and said it was not dented. So they suggested I contact Cooper Tire. I paid for the tire and called Cooper. They had me bring the tire to a different shop for evaluation, recommending a Conrad’s Tire nearby. I took it there and the mechanic called Cooper and told them he saw no evidence of road hazard. Cooper then asked me to send the tire to them. Two weeks later we were in Connecticut and heard a low sound from the tires. We took the car to a local shop 10/19/21 where the mechanic showed us a bulge in the sidewall of the front passenger's side tire near the rim that looked exactly the same as the prior defect albeit somewhat smaller, maybe golf ball size. He said it was dangerous to drive on it and he replaced it. I have a photograph of the second tire but unfortunately not the first. Except for the noise the second tire made, there was no noise or warning light or other symptom to alert us to either problem. I sent both tires to Cooper by UPS on their dime three weeks ago and have not heard back. Tire size: M&S 225/60R17 Both tires are DOT U941 1CW 4619 C07R Both were purchased 5/19/20 Thank you in advance for looking into this. I still have two tires on our car purchased at the same time as the two that failed. If there is truly a defect ,either could fail suddenly at any time. Thank you.

YOKOHAMA G-91 TIRES- ON A SUBRAU FORRESTER 225-60-17 WITH LESS THAN 30K MILES THE TIRES WERE BALDING. ROTATIONS WERE DOWN BETWEEN 6000 AND 7000 MILES- LIKE CLOCKWORK. I WROTE YOKOHAMA. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER OWNERS, (SUBRAU USING G91) AND THEY HAVE NOTICED THIS PROBLEM,TOO. I HAVE PURCHASED ANOTHER BRAND OF TIRE AS THESE ARE DANGEROUS-

AIR CONDITIONING WORKS ONCE TURN ON CAR THEN AFTER DRIVING FOR 1ST FIVE TO TEN MINUTES, AIR CONDITIONING STOP WORKING, THIS ISSUE STARTED HAPPENING IN 2018. *TR