Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2016 Subaru Forester submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 29 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 29, in the owner's own words
I had my foot on the brake, opened the garage door with my garage door opener, and before I took my foot off the brake the car surged, jumped, and smashed into the brick wall next to the garage. I did not put my foot on the gas.
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle and shifting into park with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle suddenly jerked forward and drove over the curb. The vehicle came to a stop after striking a fence. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.
Concerned driver stopped me and said I had no brake lights , only the lights atop the hatch showed breaking. After returning home I checked all settings on light controls and none made lower break lights work when pedal depressed. This could cause someone not watching top of vehicle crash into my vehicle. If light on top malfunctions I will not have any brake lights. Running lights work fine but do nothing when breaking. At first though it had to do with setting on light controls. I think I’ve been told I had no tail lights only front running lights and had to turn control at dusk to have taillights of any kind.
I arrived at work. I was placing my car in park with foot on the brake. The car took off and the brakes took time to stop the car. I tried to stop the car as we hit a fence and was headed through it it and into a pond. Pumping the brakes throwing car in reverse stopped us from ending up in the pond. Major car damage incurred. Thank goodness noone was seriously hurt. The car just accelerated with my foot on the brake and with me attemtping to put it in park.
The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving and approaching a stop sign, the brake pedal was depressed however, the vehicle failed to stop. The contact released the brake pedal and the vehicle slowed down. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 110,858.
SUBARU ACCELERATES OCCAISIONALLY WHEN ONE HITS THE BREAK AND THE MOTOR RACES UNTIL ONE PUTS CAR IN NEUTRAL .
'SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST 3 MONTHS THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY ACCELERATES USUALLY WHEN I BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN THE CAR. I HAVE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO STOP THE RACING OF THE ENGINE. IT HAPPENS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, 5,10,20, 60. IT IS SCARY AND I HAVE TO ALLOW EXTRA ROOM WHILE DRIVING.
KEY STUCK IN IGNITION WHEN CAR IS IN PARK.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN DEPRESSING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IT FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE ANY INJURIES OR SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT STATED HE HAD EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER GRAYSON HYUNDAI ( 8729 KINGSTON PIKE, KNOXVILLE, TN 37923; (865) 693-4550) AND HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE AS OF YET. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 16,000.
WHEN STOPPING/STOPPED IT WILL SUDDENLY ACCELERATE/SURGE FORWARD AND I NEED TO SLAM ON BRAKES
THE VEHICLE WAS MAINTAINED REGULARLY IN DEALER'S SERVICE CENTER. IT IS A LOCAL COMMUTE VEHICLE AND HAS LESS THAN 40000 MILES. IN NOV 2019, THE VEHICLE WAS FOUND OUT OF ALIGNMENT, FOUR TIRES WERE WORN OUT AND TWO BREAKS WERE OUT TOO. ALL FOUR TIRES AND TWO BREAKS WERE REPLACED. IN JUNE 2020, I REPORTED BAD SMELL TO THE SERVICE CENTER BUT NOTHING WAS FOUND. IN SEP 2020, BAD SMELL WAS NOTICED AGAIN. THE SERVICE CENTER FOUND OIL LEAK IN THE ENGINE FRONT AND BACK. THE ENGINE WAS OPENED AND SOME PARTS WERE REPLACED. SERVICE CENTER ALSO FOUND THE CONDENSER WAS LEAKING AND REPLACED IT. IN LESS THAN A YEAR, THREE DEFECTS HAPPENED AND TWO WERE RARE BUT MAJOR DEFECTS. DURING THIS TIME, THE CAR WAS ONLY DRIVEN AROUND 2000 MILES. I REPORTED TO SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY JUST TOLD ME TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT.
SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE PARKING. ALL LOW SPEED <5 MPH. CAR WAS IN DRIVE, BRAKING, MADE A HARD LEFT TURN THEN STOPPED. CAR WAS SHIFTED TO REVERSE, MOVED 25 FEET, BRAKE AND STOPPED. CAR WAS SHIFTED TO DRIVE (LOW), APPLIED ACCELERATION (LIGHT), HARD RIGHT TURN, BRAKE APPLIED, CAR ACCELERATED, JUMPED CURB, SHIFTED CAR TO PARK, TURNED OFF IGNITION. RESTARTED CAR, STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT ON, SHIFT WOULD NOT ENGAGE EVEN WITH BRAKE DEPRESSED. REMOVE SHIFT LOCK COVER (SMALL BUTTON NEAR SHIFT) DEPRESSED RELEASE AND MOVE SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND THEN REVERSE TO BACK OFF CURB. INCIDENT OVER, CAR FUNCTIONED AS DESIGNED AT THIS POINT. FLOOR MATS WERE NOT ANY WHERE NEAR PEDALS, MATS WERE IN THE RETAINERS TO HOLD POSITION. I AM SURE THAT MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AT THE TIME THE ACCELERATION OCCURRED. IT REMAINED THERE EVEN AFTER THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF BECAUSE I LOOKED AT MY PASSENGER TO SEE IF SHE WAS OK AND THEN LOOKED AT THE POSITION OF MY FOOT, STILL ON BRAKE. THERE WERE NO CODES FLASHING. I BRAKE AND ACCELERATE WITH ONLY MY RIGHT FOOT. CHECKED TO SEE IF THIS IS A PROBLEM AND SAW SEVERAL REPORTS AND ISSUED THIS ONE. TAKING THIS TO MY DEALER WOULD BE A WASTE OF TIME, THEY ALWAYS FIND NOTHING BUT THE MONEY IN MY WALLET. THIS IS SUBARU NUMBER 6 FOR ME.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT HAD TO REPLACE ALL FOUR BRAKE ROTORS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO #1 COCHRAN SUBARU BUTLER COUNTY (4520 WILLIAM PENN HWY, MONROEVILLE, PA 15146, (412) 245-4580), BUT COULD NOT BE SERVICED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
VEHICLE ONLY HAS 13888 MILES ON IT WHILE REPLACING ALL 4 BRAKE ROTORS (YES ALL 4 DUE TO WARPAGE AND DISHING) FOUND LEFT REAR COIL SPRING BUSTED REPLACED MYSELF DUE TO HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND DON'T HAVE TIME TO GET VEHICLE TOWED BECAUSE WE NEED CAR FOR WORK
MY VEHICLE IS SUBJECT TO A SAFETY RECALL (WUE-90). AFTER RECEIVING THE RECALL NOTICE, I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER AND REQUESTED AN APPOINTMENT TO ADDRESS THE SAFETY ISSUE. I WAS TOLD I COULD NOT GET AN APPOINTMENT UNTIL OCTOBER. HOWEVER, IF I SCHEDULED MY CAR FOR ANOTHER PAID SERVICE (A WHEEL ALIGNMENT) THEY WOULD FIX THE ISSUE WITHIN THREE WEEKS. MY QUESTIONS ARE: 1) CAN A DEALER POSTPONE A SAFETY RECALL FOR FIVE MONTHS? AND 2) CAN A DEALER REQUIRE A CUSTOMER TO PAY FOR ANOTHER SERVICE TO GET A TIMELY APPOINTMENT FOR A SAFETY RECALL?
PROBLEMS SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT WITH CARBONE SUBARU ON COMMERCIAL DRIVE, YORKVLLE NY. 1: COULDN'T GET THROUGH ON PHONE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. CALLED NUMEROUS TIMES AND LISTENED TO THEIR OBNOXIOUS PROMOTIONAL SPEECH TO MANY TIMES AND NEVER GOT A PERSON. TRIED LEAVING A MESSAGE AND NOBODY CALLED BACK. WENT IN PERSON AND THEY SAID THE EARLIES THEY COULD SCHEDULE ME IN WAS THE LAST WEEK IN JULY!
WHILE GETTING READY TO SLOW FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT RED SIGNAL THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON INCLUDING THE NEED TO TOW THE VEHICLE. I GOT THE VEHICLE TO A PARKING LOT ABOUT 1 MILE AWAY WITH THE WARNING LIGHT STILL ON AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED TO ABOUT 2 MILES PER HOUR UNTIL I STOPPED. I SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTED IT, THE ABS LIGHTS DID NOT COME BACK ON. THE BRAKES PERFORMED NORMALLY. I DROVE HOME. OVERNIGHT THE BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON AND I NOW HAVE A DEAD BATTERY. THE BRAKE LIGHT IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED ON A RECALL LAST WEEK ABOUT 150 MILES AGO.
BRAKE LIGHTS MAY NOT ILLUMINATE RECALL (WUE-90) WHEN I'M PARKED OR DRIVING, MULTIPLE ALERTS SHOW ON MY DASHBOARD (EYESIGHT OFF, ABS NEEDS TO BE CHECKED, VEHICLE DYNAMICS CONTROL SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CHECKED, HILL START ASSIST SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CHECKED). SOMETIMES WHEN I START MY CAR AND I'M ABOUT TO CHANGE TO DRIVE, IT WON'T LET ME SWITCH OUT OF PARK. I'VE ALSO NOTICED THAT WHEN THE ALERTS GO OFF, MY BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T ALWAYS ILLUMINATE. THIS BEGAN HAPPENING IN OCTOBER 2018. I WAS THEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND AFTER MY CAR WAS REPAIRED, THE PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE FIXED UNTIL THE LIGHTS BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE AGAIN AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH 2019. YOU CAN SEE THE WARNING LIGHTS THAT HAVE ILLUMINATED IN THE ATTACHMENTS.
BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR WHEN STOPPING WITH MAXIMUM LOAD WHEN STOPPING ON STREET OR HIGHWAY.
ABS WARNING LIGHTS COMES ON THEN AFTER I TURN OFF THE CAR IT DISAPPEARS. BOTHE TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS STOPPED THEN WHILE ACCELERATING THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. THE FIRST TIME I WAS PARKED THEN WHEN I BACKED UP LIGHTS CAME ON. THE SECOND TIME I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT WITH A SLIGHT INCLINE WHEN I STARTED THE LIGHTS CAME ON. THEN FOLLOWING TIME AFTER THE LIGHTS WERE OFF , I WOULD RESTART CAR AND THE LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE DRIVING
DURING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN, THE VEHICLE APPEARS TO SUFFER MAJOR ELECTRICAL ISSUES. SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2018, MY VEHICLE HAS REPORTED PROBLEMS AFTER A MAJOR STORM WITH THE EYESIGHT CAMERA SYSTEM, ABS, HILL ASSIST, AND FUEL GAUGE. FYI-EYESIGHT INCLUDES THE DYNAMIC CRUISE CONTROL, CRASH AVOIDANCE, AND LANE MONITORING SYSTEM. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED TO OUR SUBARU DEALER/MAINTENANCE TEAM BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DISCOVER THE SOURCE OF THE ISSUE.
THIS WILL BE THE SECOND TIME I'M BRINGING MY FORESTER BACK TO DEALER DO TO THE CAR WITH MY FOOT ON BRAKE WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF GEAR FROM PARK THREE LIGHTS SHOWED UP ON THE DASH ONE BEING TRACTION CONTROLL, SECOND WAS THE ABS LIGHT AND LAST ONE WAS THE CAR ON HILL LIGHT AFTER A FEW MINUTES IT SHIFT OUT OF PARK ALLOWING ME TO DRIVE BUT ALL THE LIGHTS REMAIN ON AND WOULD NOT GO OVER 40 THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP IT WAS IN DECEMBER 2017 THEY SAID IT WAS THE SENSOR BEHIND THE BRAKE PEDAL, WELL LITTLE BEHOLD FOR THE SECOND TIME I'M BRINGING MY FORESTER BACK TO DEALERSHIP FOR THE SAME ISSUE AS ITS ONLY BEEN 4 MONTHS. I BOUGHT THE CAR OF THERE LOT BRAND NEW IN MAY 2016 I ONLY HAVE 44,000 MILES ON IT NOW.
I WAS PARKING MY CAR. I HAD THE BRAKE APPLIED AND PUT IT IN PARK. THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN OVER A PARKING BARRIER, OVER A 1.5' STONE BARRIER, UP A SMALL GRADE AND INTO AND PARTIALLY THRU A CONCRETE PATIO WALL. THE CAR'S GEARSHIFT WAS IN PARK. I HAD TO MOVE IT BACK TO REVERSE TO GET IT BACK INTO THE PARKING SPACE. AND EVEN THOUGH THE IMPACT WAS SUBSTANTIAL THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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