2020 Subaru Forester

While driving my girfriend's 2020 Subaru Forester on August 11, 2026 at approximately 65 to 70 mph, I struck a deer on a highway. The airbags deployed immediately, and I temporarily lost all forward visibility due to the airbag deploy, and smoke or steam coming from the front of the vehicle as it decelerated to a stop. Within moments of stopping, smoke transitioned to visible flames coming from the engine compartment. The fire spread extremely quickly, and the vehicle became fully engulfed in flames within minutes. The specific component or system that failed is UNKNOWN, but based on the sequence of events, it appears that a front‑end structural failure during the collision may have caused a rupture of one or more engine‑bay components (oil system, coolant system, or other fluid lines), leading to a rapid fire. The vehicle was completely destroyed and is not available for inspection, but the incident was documented by emergency responders and my insurance company. This fire created a severe safety risk, as the vehicle ignited shortly after coming to rest and burned intensely. I had no warning lights, messages, or symptoms prior to the collision. The problem has not been reproduced, but I have since learned of multiple similar fires involving Subaru Foresters after front‑end animal impacts, which raises concern about a potential design vulnerability.

NHTSA ID

11756381

Incident

Aug 11, 2026

My 2020 Subaru Forester Sport suffered catastrophic engine failure on 6/19/2026 at 156,322 miles, 15 days and 1,031 miles after a thermo control valve (TCV) repair performed at an authorized Subaru dealer on 6/4/2026. The TCV is a known defect covered under Subaru TSB 09-119-24 (extended coverage to 150,000 miles/15 years). I never received mailed notification of this TSB and therefore did not seek repair within the covered window; Subaru approved the repair as a goodwill exception. While driving on I-70 westbound near Genesee, CO, on a sustained mountain grade with my family in the vehicle, I heard a loud noise. The oil temperature spiked to approximately 280°F, warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle lost all power in highway traffic. Losing propulsion on a steep grade in mountain traffic created a serious risk to my family and surrounding vehicles. Post-failure condition: empty coolant reservoir, coolant-contaminated (milky, green-tinted) oil, and metal debris on the dipstick, consistent with cooling-system failure causing engine seizure. I have timestamped photos. The engine is locked and the vehicle inoperable. The vehicle was towed to the same authorized dealer on 7/9/2026. The dealer's technician confirmed the engine is seized and requires teardown ($3,302.95) for full diagnosis; the dealer states teardown proceeds only on authorization from me or Subaru of America. I opened a case with Subaru of America on 5/26/2026 and formally requested in writing that Subaru authorize the teardown, with a stated deadline. As of 7/17/2026, the dealer confirms Subaru has sent no authorization or any communication during the week the vehicle has been on their lot. My written deadline, follow-up call, and final written notice went unanswered. The vehicle and all components are preserved at the dealer and available for inspection upon request.

NHTSA ID

11751083

Incident

Jun 19, 2026

My car is violently shaking and completely stalling out in intersections when attempting to restart from an Auto-Stop.

NHTSA ID

11750109

Incident

May 28, 2026

The thermo control valve (TCV) failed on my Forester (2020 model year). The failure first manifested on 16 June, 2026, with two warning lights: Eyesight Off, and Check Engine. Next day a related failure occurred, described below. Based on my call to dealer, the service department told me the car could be driven if the check engine light was steady, not blinking. It was steady. I then attempted to drive 3 miles to a dental appointment, intending to take the Forester to the dealer next. During this trip, automatic front braking spontaneously began. I was able to cross one lane of city traffic and lurch into a parking lot. Tested around the parking lot the next day, the same automatic braking sequence spontaneously engaged. The word “brake” was constantly illuminated on the dashboard. The vehicle could not be driven and was towed to the dealer. Replacement of the TCV led to the disappearance of the warning lights and ended the continuous automatic braking. The critical point is that, had I not had a dental appointment, I would have tried to drive the vehicle to the dealer in heavy freeway traffic when the automatic braking engaged. This would have put me at great risk of being rear-ended, or, if a vehicle stopped behind me, of that person being rear-ended. Subaru never notified me of the pattern of TCV failure, and, instead, internally extended a warranty on the part for affected vehicles for 15 years or 150,000 miles. A recall and replacement is needed to prevent a potentially highly serious accident.

NHTSA ID

11746815

Incident

Jun 16, 2026

**Component or System:** Subaru EyeSight Driver Assist System (specifically the Pre-Collision Throttle Management system). **Incident Description & Warning Messages:** There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms of any problem prior to this failure. The incident occurred while I was stopped at a red light at a busy intersection. When the light turned green, I removed my foot from the brake and pressed the gas pedal to proceed, but the vehicle would not accelerate. The system had engaged a false-positive throttle cut. At that exact moment, the car began beeping repeatedly and the EyeSight logo flashed on the dashboard, incorrectly indicating an obstacle or imminent collision, even though the path in front of my vehicle was completely clear. **Safety Risk:** My safety and the safety of others were put at significant risk because the vehicle was unexpectedly immobilized in an active intersection during a green light. This sudden, unwarranted loss of acceleration created a high risk of being rear-ended by the drivers behind me who were expecting the flow of traffic to resume. **Reproduced, Confirmed, or Inspected:** Because this incident just occurred, the problem has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Furthermore, the vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives.

NHTSA ID

11746796

Incident

Jun 26, 2026

Vehicle entered limp mode at highway speed (approximately 70 mph) on [XXX] freeway in Washington State, it felt like I had rear ended a vehicle it shut down so hard. This was due to mis diagnosed inspection and service repair from a local Subaru Dealer. Vehicle lost power rapidly, creating a dangerous safety situation. Root cause traced to TCV/PCV system defects previously documented by authorized Subaru dealers. Previous Subaru authorized dealer replaced a torn PCV hose but did not diagnose the problem causing the tear. The dash warning lights were still illuminated after the diagnostic and repair when vehicle was picked up after service. I have attached a more detailed overview of the dangerous situation. The car finally lost power on the freeway while I was in the fast lane pushing 70 miles an hour. I was in the fast lane and with no power I had to cut across both lanes of traffic and get to the shoulder. I was 45 minutes from my home and it was dark, raining and the Subaru would not start. I called a mobile mechanic I found online who came out to the freeway, roadside, where I was stranded. He worked on the car for a couple of hours in the rain. He got the car to start but it would not stay running. I had the car towed to a friend's house in Vancouver, WA about 6 miles from where it had broken down. The same mobile mechanic came out and changed out one of the oil actuators and cleaned and replaced two of the OCVs then flushed the oil system and put new oil in the car. Cleared all the codes. The car starts, idles and will drive up to about 1500 rpm’s but any more than 1500 rpm’s and it dies. It's in limp mode and will move past those rpm’s. The warning lights and the PCV house splitting must have been signs of something else being wrong. That is the discussion I had with Wilsonville Subaru. They diagnosed the vehicle and let me know the PCV hose was the problem. Car was towed to [XXX] in Vancouver, WA sitting since April 15th, 2026 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF IN

NHTSA ID

11741723

Incident

Apr 13, 2026

I have owned this vehicle since 2019 and the auto start has ALWAYS stalled out when I stop at a light or stop sign. The vehicle needs to be put in park and restart the car. It is very dangerous

NHTSA ID

11739339

Incident

May 5, 2026

My Apple Car Play has never worked since I bought the car new in 2020. The dealership's solution each time I asked about it was for me to get a new plug in cord, update my iPhone settings, and then they can update the system manually. I have taken it in multiple times, and each time it has worked for 2-3 weeks before it no longer works again. This is dangerous because it usually happens mid-drive, and I no longer have the directions of where I am going, without stopping the vehicle. I also have to hold my phone and look at the directions since it does not display on the screen.

NHTSA ID

11724332

Incident

Mar 14, 2026

This bulletin announces the design change made to the high-pressure fuel pump developed to prevent DTC P0087 (Fuel Rail/System Pressure – Too Low Bank 1). (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)

This bulletin announces design changes made to the fuel injector in response to the DTCs listed. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)

This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel injectors and internal engine components (e.g. intake valves and / or manifold, and combustion chambers). (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)

This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel injectors and internal engine components (e.g. intake valves and / or manifold, and combustion chambers). (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)

This bulletin announces design changes made to the fuel injector and fuel pipe in response to the DTCs listed DTC P030* / Engine Knocking / DTC P219C-D-E-F. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)

This announcement is requesting retailer staff to retain the EyeSight protective hood covers from Generation 4 EyeSight cameras.