2020 Subaru Forester Electrical Problems

Smoke and fire occurred in the engine and spread into the car while the car was being driven. The car has not been inspected yet.

NHTSA ID

11765530

Incident

Sep 14, 2026

24th February 2020 - Bought the car from Subaru dealer. Couple of service records prior to May 24, 2022. - May 24, 2022 (9,037 miles) | RO# 806326: The lower oil pan leaked prematurely and had to be completely replaced under warranty. During the same visit, explained LONG BRAKE PEDAL issue, and was given an estimate. - - June 1, 2022 (9,039 miles) | RO# 806767: Just 2 miles after that repair, the oil pan had to be torn apart again because the internal oil level sensor failed and got stuck. - January 19, 2024 (18,854 miles) | RO# 838995: The vehicle suffered a dangerous engine shutdown in the middle of traffic due to the factory Thermo Control Valve defect (TSB 09-80-21). While resolving this safety defect under warranty, the dealer used scare tactics to upsell me $794.23 out of pocket for unrelated maintenance. - July 3rd, 2025 - You can see from invoice records that indicate, customer requesting a quote on repairing the windshield chips, as I learned on 26th August 2026 (during call with Subaru corporate) that it was under extended warranty, dealership offered me a quote and did not volunteer to repair at no cost nor conveyed information on extended warranty. This damage happened twice due to poor quality of Windshield in my car. - 23rd August, 2026 - This 2020 Subaru Forester has experienced repeated failures involving the Auto Start/Stop system. When stopped in traffic, the system shuts the engine off as designed, but on multiple occasions the engine has failed to restart normally when the driver needed to proceed. This has left the vehicle unable to move in active traffic and created a serious risk of collision. The failures have occurred in highly dangerous situations. - 24th August, 2026 - Similar incident happened the next day. - 25th August 2026 (39,000 miles) | Present Day: The lower oil pan seal has failed yet again. Dealership is suggesting a battery replacement. Shared inspection video shows, rusts on bolts, very unusual for a car driven only 39000.

NHTSA ID

11760087

Incident

May 20, 2022

This 2020 Subaru Forester has experienced repeated failures involving the Auto Start/Stop system. When stopped in traffic, the system shuts the engine off as designed, but on multiple occasions the engine has failed to restart normally when the driver needed to proceed. This has left the vehicle unable to move in active traffic and created a serious risk of collision. The failures have occurred in highly dangerous situations, including a busy [XXX], a major [XXX] intersection, and most recently while entering a freeway. In these incidents, surrounding drivers had to brake hard to avoid striking the disabled vehicle. The occupants reasonably feared a serious collision, and the events were potentially life-threatening. The battery was replaced, but the Auto Start/Stop no-restart condition later occurred again, so battery replacement did not resolve the problem. Subaru issued Technical Service Bulletin 16-147-24 on XXX for 2019-2021 Foresters. The bulletin addresses TCM reprogramming related to engine behavior during Auto Start/Stop restart and instructs technicians to reprogram the TCM when the described symptom is reported. However, the bulletin’s warranty section provides reimbursement under the Basic New Car Limited Warranty. For a 2020 vehicle, the original 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty would ordinarily have expired before this 2024 bulletin was issued. The vehicle is now being evaluated by an authorized Subaru dealer. The condition is intermittent and dangerous because the driver cannot know whether the engine will restart when movement is required. The vehicle is available for inspection. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11758094

Incident

Feb 20, 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

**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

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

stalling/shutting down at stoplights with the auto start-stop feature has occurred continuously for the last 2 years I’ve taken to dealer, and multiple mechanics and they can’t find a problem

NHTSA ID

11722571

Incident

Mar 6, 2026

My son, [XXX] is currently driving this car. The car only has 29,200 miles so far. Last week, while at the stop light on the hill, he had near fatal accident! Forester suddenly completed shut down. The only functioning part was the brake. My son had to put the car in park and restart the engine. I reported the incident to customer advocate at Subaru and taking the car in for inspection. We never skip any scheduled maintenance. My next maintenance not due until April. I also purchased Subaru safety monitoring software. The car never shows any malfunction. It’s a very serious issue. We strongly suspect it’s related to the start-stop system on this car. We strongly support to override the system at consumer level giving their unreliability. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11720770

Incident

Feb 19, 2026

The airbag system has a sensor issue and I keep getting warnings from Subaru to get it fixed because it affects the seatbelts. The garage where I take my car says they are unable to get the part needed for the passenger sensor. And, Subaru says they need to replace the whole harness for $6000. Makes me wonder why a safety issue like this one seen in other Subaru’s have been recalled but not my model… Also the start stop feature drains the battery excessively. I have had to replace the battery twice in less than a year. I push the button to stop this feature the minute I get into the car.

NHTSA ID

11719471

Incident

Jan 5, 2025

While driving on public roads, all dash warning lights illuminated simultaneously. The instrument cluster displayed “EyeSight OFF.” At the same time, the electronic parking brake engaged / the vehicle would not accelerate and required me to stop and shift to Park. The only way to restore drivability was to turn the vehicle off and restart. This has occurred intermittently, including in traffic, creating a serious safety hazard for myself and surrounding drivers.

NHTSA ID

11695397

Incident

Oct 23, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while his wife was stopped at a red traffic light in the middle lane and surrounded by other vehicles, the auto START/STOP system engaged; however, when the brake pedal was released, the vehicle failed to restart. After several attempts, the vehicle eventually restarted, allowing the driver to safely pull over. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a dead battery. The dealer advised the contact about turning off the auto START/STOP system. The battery had been marked as good on two separate occasions. The battery was replaced. The contact reached out to the manufacturer, who opened a case but confirmed there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,585.

NHTSA ID

11693825

Incident

Sep 9, 2025

Mileage

36,585 mi

Car frequently dies and won't want to start. Have changed the battery already. Will come to a stop and it will just randomly shut down. Have had to shift to park and restart the car. This is unsafe.

NHTSA ID

11690444

Incident

Sep 28, 2025

2020 Subaru Forester periodically will stall out at a light or stop sign in heavy traffic. It then takes several attempts to restart. (Sometimes completely dead) My mechanic hasI changed the battery and checked the alternator, all in working order. It’s hard to figure out what is wrong because it doesn’t happen all the time.

NHTSA ID

11689081

Incident

Sep 22, 2025

We were traveling in rural California, 1 hour north of Bishop, CA on [XXX] when our vehicle's "Check Engine" light, "Parking Break" light, and several other lights lit up on our dashboard. Our car began to stall out immediately. We were able to pull off to the side of the road as best as we could as we were towing a camper at the time as well. We waited for 4 hours to get our vehicle and camper towed 1 hour away to a mechanic. The mechanic couldn't fix our car, but we were able to get an engine code reader to clear the codes as they came up. The closest Subaru dealership was 4 hours away in Las Vegas, NV. We had to drive through mountains and Death Valley. Despite using the engine code reader to clear codes every 30 seconds, our car stalled out 6 times on the way. The problem was the thermo control valve for P26A6, a known problem with Subaru vehicles like ours. We had our vehicle serviced in July 2025 for 60,000 miles and the dealership did not say anything about this known issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11688379

Incident

Sep 15, 2025

I, the owner of a 2020 Subaru Forester am writing to you in regards to an issue with my vehicle’s Eyesight program. Over the past month, there have been several instances where the Eyesight program fails and caused the vehicle to suddenly stop without warning. This prevents me from safely moving the vehicle to the side of the road as the car stops. In other words, the car abruptly stops on the spot. This creates an immediate danger to life and health to myself and to other motorists. This issue must be addressed immediately and the necessary steps taken to ensure the safety the driver, passengers and other motorists on the road. Thank you for understanding.

NHTSA ID

11688017

Incident

Sep 12, 2025

When stopped at an intersection the car stalled. It would not restart for three minutes and caused a dangerous situation for my family and children in the car while traffic was moving. There were no warning signs, lights, or engine codes. The problem is random and cannot reproduced. The car is available for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11687479

Incident

Sep 15, 2025

Parasitic battery drain

NHTSA ID

11684678

Incident

Aug 28, 2025

I was stopped at a red light and the engine stalled. It read "FOR SAFETY, AUTO RESTART DISABLED". All warning lights on the dashboard lit up. I had to put the car in park and restart it in order to drive. I was honked at and put in a dangerous position. This has happened at least twice now.

NHTSA ID

11675358

Incident

Jul 22, 2025

This has happened 8 times in a month span. The car is currently being looked at by the dealership and so far they can’t find anything wrong. When I’m stopped in traffic, my car’s engine turns off. Once the light turns green and I press on the accelerator I hear a beep and the car doesn’t move . The dashboard shows a few error messages and a message stating that the eyesight has been turned off. In order to get the car to work again I have to put it in park, turn it off, and turn it on again. It is particularly dangerous because the car won’t move when the light is green.

NHTSA ID

11669484

Incident

Jun 23, 2025

While driving, the vehicle's Automatic Stop-Start System Engaged as usual when the car came to a stop (e.g., at a red light or in traffic). However, when releasing the brake, the Automatic Stop-Start System failed to restart the engine. Not only it failed to restart the engine, but multiple attempts of manually start the engine all failed. And the car became stranded in the middle of road with heavy traffic. Had to call 911 and tow truck to get the vehicle out of the road. No dashboard warning or error message appeared prior to the failure. Never had issues with engine cold start prior to the failure. Basically, the battery was good to cold start the engine prior to the incident, but while driving when the car came to a stop at a red light for few seconds, the Automatic Stop-Start System's engagement somehow suddenly cause the battery not able to start the engine anymore. The issue poses a serious safety hazard, particularly if it occurs in traffic, at intersections, or on highways, as it may leave the car stranded in a dangerous location.

NHTSA ID

11660101

Incident

Apr 20, 2025

the [S] is constantly blinking, the check engine light On, the temperature light is on as cold, and the eye sight and anti collision is off.

NHTSA ID

11645898

Incident

Feb 25, 2025

Numerous times when using the "gas saving feature" when the engine stops after the brake is pressed, the car has stalled and I have had no control over the vehicle. I have had to turn on my emergency flashers and restart my car in order for it to move again. Luckily whenever it has happened for me I have been stopped on a flat surface, and not on a hill, but if this ever happened while I was trying to turn I would be T-boned, or if it ever happened while I was stopped on a hill I would roll backwards. This also increases the chances of me being rear ended, because the person behind me has to be paying attention that my car has stalled. My Apple Car Play has also not worked since I purchased the vehicle in 2020. Their only suggestion was that I needed to swap out my iPhone cord every few months, and then it may or may not work. Also what if I was not an Apple user?

NHTSA ID

11640598

Incident

Jul 22, 2024

I am writing to express serious concerns about the Auto Start-Stop feature, which poses a significant safety risk when it causes shutdowns in critical situations. Recently, my vehicle shut off due to Auto Start-Stop while in the express lane of a highway. A depleted battery prevented it from restarting, leaving me stranded without the ability to shift to neutral or activate brake lights and hazard signals. For 30 minutes, I was stuck in a vulnerable position, forcing high-speed traffic to swerve dangerously close to my vehicle. While the battery issue was a factor, the car would have remained running had I been able to turn it off manually once parked. Reports from other drivers indicate similar issues, including stalling, hesitation, and complete system failures. Given these risks, I urge the NHTSA to investigate this feature and require manufacturers to provide a permanent disable option rather than a temporary one that resets.

NHTSA ID

11640085

Incident

Jan 16, 2025

Periodically, the vehicle stalls at stop lights, stop signs, and in other situations when coming to a complete stop. Once the vehicle comes to a complete stop and turns off due to the auto-stop/start function, it stalls immediately after the car re-starts and you press the gas pedal. This leaves the vehicle stalled in intersections and in potentially dangerous conditions. You must engage park and restart the vehicle while stopped in the middle of traffic, which poses a significant safety risk. I believe this issue is related to the auto-stop/start functionality. The vehicle has been inspected by a Subaru dealer several times, but they claim they cannot reproduce the problem and there are no diagnostic codes or warning lights. No other mechanic has inspected the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11634379

Incident

Jan 4, 2025