2023 Subaru Forester Problems

I am writing to formally report a critical safety defect regarding the driver-side footwell design in my 2023 Subaru Forester Sport, which poses an immediate and severe risk of a crash. A hard plastic lower extension for the HVAC air duct sits dangerously low directly above the brake and accelerator pedals. For drivers with larger or longer feet, this duct extension acts as a physical obstruction that interferes with safe pedal operation in two specific, highly dangerous ways: Delayed Braking: When attempting to transition from the accelerator to the brake pedal, the toe of the driver's shoe frequently catches on the lip of the air duct extension, delaying the ability to depress the brake pedal in time-sensitive or emergency situations. Pedal Entrapment: When the brake pedal is depressed, the driver's foot can become completely wedged between the brake pedal arm and the air duct extension. This traps the foot, making it impossible to smoothly or quickly release the brake. The physical proximity of this hard plastic duct to the primary driving controls is a severe design flaw. The air duct should not protrude into the clearance space required for standard footwear, as it directly compromises the driver's ability to control the vehicle's speed and braking. I have photo and video documentation clearly demonstrating the lack of clearance and exactly how a shoe becomes caught and wedged during normal driving maneuvers. I am requesting that the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) review this hazard immediately, as this spatial interference requires a recall and physical redesign of the lower ductwork to prevent potential collisions, injuries, or fatalities. The component causing the issue is the physical HVAC ductwork extension, and the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Because this is a physical design flaw rather than an breakdown, there were no warning lamps or dashboard messages. I have photo and video documentation.

Eyesight collision braking system engaged as I was rolling up my driveway to go into garage. Garage door was rolling up and was about 5 feet off the ground when Anti Collision system engaged and slammed the brakes on. I was going under 1 mph and would not have hit the door. It beeped right before brakes engaged. This is the second time it has engaged when it shouldn't have. The first time was in a right lane, a car about 6 car lengths in front of me was and did turn right as I was driving down the road. It almost caused an accident with the car behind me. The brakes slammed on so hard my back and neck are now sore and it bent my fingernail backwards somehow on the steering wheel.

Windshield developed a crack during a week with wild temperature swings. There was no incident leading up to the development of the crack that would have caused an initial chip or point of failure. The initial crack appeared during the day where the temperature went from the mid-60s to below freezing with precipitation in a matter of hours. Crack was not present in warm AM and appeared during cold PM. It grew (initial crack ended where the scotch tape is) during a day later that week with another wild temperature swings. Clearly a failure in the tempering process and insufficient QA for the component.

Rear windshield burst for no apparent reason in car less than one year old while car was stopped at a stop light. Other traffic was also stopped around the car. There was no obvious cause (rock, etc.), plus the rear windshield appeared to shatter as much outward as it did inward. Fortunately car was stopped because it was very startling and could have affected driving. Also fortunately, there was no one in the back who could have been hurt by the glass. Reported it to Subaru, but they denied any coverage under warranty.

This vehicle has died 4 times in one week. when this happens, multiple lights have flashed in the dash board, including the "eye sight" warning. Then, it would not restart but continued to "turn over" when the ignition button was pushed. One instance was on a busy street at a stop light, another at a busy intersection in the inner left turn lane, the other 2 instances were in parking lots. The first 2 times the vehicle was able to be jump started and was not taken to the dealership. The 3rd, it was jump started and taken to the dealership. They said the battery was slightly low, but had sufficient charge. They changed the fob battery, and topped off the car battery. That was all. The next day was the episode where it died in the turn lane. I had it towed to the dealership. This time they changed the battery to a more high capacity battery, and admitted that these vehicles have a battery put in them at the manufacturer that is not strong enough for the systems it runs. I even found a service bulletin about it online, #TSB 07-218-23R. This should be a recall item, and they should have changed this battery at my first visit! A vehicle suddenly dying on a busy roadway puts those inside at risk, as well as everyone around them. Very disappointed in this 2023 Subaru Forester Premium.

Traveling at approximately 45 mph through a green light at a 4-way intersection a car making a right on red turn turned into the outside lane in front of me. I had no warning sounds or automatic braking, to avoid a collision I had to steer to the left after an on coming car passed. There were no chimes or auto braking.I have had several instances similar with no alerts. My eyesight system has been problematic for the life of the car and required many diagnosis and recalibration with many trips to the dealership and no permanent repair. Frequent software updates and days with no eyesight -see manual. Finally had a total eyesight replacement with the assurance this was a long awaited technology all under 60,000 miles. A few months later eyesight malfunctioned again and required another update. Eyesight still remains unresponsive and goes in and out a couple of times a day. The technology is defective and unreliable. Subaru has provided no lasting fix.

1. The passenger seat air bag turn on mechanism malfunctions in a 2023 Subaru Forester Limited. The seat mechanism can be tested (and has been tested) upon request. 2. An adult that weighs 104lbs is not detected when in the seat, so the air bag is not turned on. 3. The problem has been reproduced by two dealers. 4. No other parties have inspected the car seats or the mechanism. 5. The problem indicator is the status light that shows the air bag as off or on. 6. Testing of the car by the dealer found no problems with the setup of the SRS and seat detection technology. Employees weighing more than the customer getting into the seat turned on the air bag. 7. Testing with the customer reproduced the problem 100% of the time. Testing was done by having the adult get into the seat multiple times after a restart of the vehicle. The air bag light never turned on. 8. The same test was performed with the adult customer using a different Forester. The detection mechanism of the other Forester also failed to detect the customer 100% of the time.

Driver and passenger seats are collapsing to the point we are sinking into the seats unevenly and we can feel the hardware in the seats. We have bells that ding intermittently while driving. The dealership stated this is due to the airbag sensors located in the seats. Both seat manufacturer covers are splitting extensively. Due to the defective breakdown/collapsing seats the airbag timing in an accident and deployment in an accident can be affected and/or the airbags could spontaneously deploy. The passenger seat foam and cover was replaced once, vin specific, and is collapsing worse than before. Subaru of America will not acknowledge this defect as it is very expensive and will likely not be a lasting fix as it has happened previously. The seat quality is defective and poses a serious danger to occupants.

Vehicle caught fire after oil change. Oil leaked from engine onto catalytic converter and causes catastrophic engine fire

Vehicle had just received an oil change at the dealership and the car caught fire. Oil leaked onto the catalytic converter and ignited. Car was a total loss. After my own review, there are several instances of this happening and many customers have experienced similar fires. The oil filter is inverted which makes leaks more susceptible

I am writing to formally report a critical safety defect regarding the driver-side footwell design in my 2023 Subaru Forester Sport, which poses an immediate and severe risk of a crash. A hard plastic lower extension for the HVAC air duct sits dangerously low directly above the brake and accelerator pedals. For drivers with larger or longer feet, this duct extension acts as a physical obstruction that interferes with safe pedal operation in two specific, highly dangerous ways: Delayed Braking: When attempting to transition from the accelerator to the brake pedal, the toe of the driver's shoe frequently catches on the lip of the air duct extension, delaying the ability to depress the brake pedal in time-sensitive or emergency situations. Pedal Entrapment: When the brake pedal is depressed, the driver's foot can become completely wedged between the brake pedal arm and the air duct extension. This traps the foot, making it impossible to smoothly or quickly release the brake. The physical proximity of this hard plastic duct to the primary driving controls is a severe design flaw. The air duct should not protrude into the clearance space required for standard footwear, as it directly compromises the driver's ability to control the vehicle's speed and braking. I have photo and video documentation clearly demonstrating the lack of clearance and exactly how a shoe becomes caught and wedged during normal driving maneuvers. I am requesting that the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) review this hazard immediately, as this spatial interference requires a recall and physical redesign of the lower ductwork to prevent potential collisions, injuries, or fatalities. The component causing the issue is the physical HVAC ductwork extension, and the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Because this is a physical design flaw rather than an breakdown, there were no warning lamps or dashboard messages. I have photo and video documentation.

Eyesight collision braking system engaged as I was rolling up my driveway to go into garage. Garage door was rolling up and was about 5 feet off the ground when Anti Collision system engaged and slammed the brakes on. I was going under 1 mph and would not have hit the door. It beeped right before brakes engaged. This is the second time it has engaged when it shouldn't have. The first time was in a right lane, a car about 6 car lengths in front of me was and did turn right as I was driving down the road. It almost caused an accident with the car behind me. The brakes slammed on so hard my back and neck are now sore and it bent my fingernail backwards somehow on the steering wheel.

Driver and passenger seats are collapsing to the point we are sinking into the seats unevenly and we can feel the hardware in the seats. We have bells that ding intermittently while driving. The dealership stated this is due to the airbag sensors located in the seats. Both seat manufacturer covers are splitting extensively. Due to the defective breakdown/collapsing seats the airbag timing in an accident and deployment in an accident can be affected and/or the airbags could spontaneously deploy. The passenger seat foam and cover was replaced once, vin specific, and is collapsing worse than before. Subaru of America will not acknowledge this defect as it is very expensive and will likely not be a lasting fix as it has happened previously. The seat quality is defective and poses a serious danger to occupants.

The front passenger seat and the seat belt attached to that seat suddenly started making creaking noises as if the seatbelt or the seat itself are not properly secured whenever a passenger is sitting and seatbelt fastened while the vehicle is moving (no noise exists when the seat is empty). The noise is loudest and most prevalent when the weight of the passenger is lower, when outside temperature is cooler, when the vehicle is driven on roads that are not smooth, when the vehicle breaks and is going uphill. The vehicle has not been in any accidents and the noise appeared suddenly without any warning lights or any indications. the vehicle was bought brand new about a year ago and has just under 5000 miles. Since the noise first appeared it has been regularly occurring. The dealership has inspected the vehicle on three occasions but claims they cannot hear it or replicate it despite the fact that they agree that videos shown by the owner clearly point to this noise.

Factory installed headlights are dangerous as the low beam has a black line approximately halfway in the field of vision. Subaru states this is to keep from blinding oncoming vehicles. Driving in town not too bad, however in rural mountain areas with winding roads the headlights do not provide necessary lighting causing driving to be extremely dangerous. Low beams should not blind oncoming traffic. Dealer states these "projection" headlights cannot be replaced with traditional headlights. Complaint filed with Subaru who inform they can't take any action; however state in voice mail that "although not recommended" after market headlights could be installed when available. Dealer has previously informed that installation of standard headlights may void warranty. Mechanics consulted recommend driving with high beams, oncoming traffic will see why when low beams activated. Another recommendation has been to always drive with fog lights on and possibly install LED lamps in fog lights, to add additional brightness. This type of headlights should be investigated to prevent unnecessary accidents. (Another horrible idea with the Subaru headlights is that they "Swing" as the car goes around curves, this feature can be turned off though.)

I see black/gray spots on the headlights and sometimes I cannot detect if it is something in the road. Especially if it is raining. I called today for my maintenance and I am going to address this. Another issue that scared me to death. I was backing out of my garage, I was clear to continue backing but it kept beeping. Again I checked and nothing there, I began to continue and all of a sudden the car braked on its on hard. It was so alarming. I’m glad I was not in traffic. I am addressing this as well at my dealership. Another issue, I am feeling a hesitation when I accelerate, like it is not getting gas, then it starts going without hesitation. I am addressing this as well at my dealership. Another issue all of a sudden the eye sight crossed through came on. No reason for it to come on. I will address with the dealership.

Tires are wearing badly on the inside edge only. Suspension and drive train components make noise during normal operation.

The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while at a stop light, the brake pedal was released, but the vehicle failed to move. The accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle jolted forward. The contact was able to drive to a parking lot. After shifting to drive, the vehicle unexpectedly reversed. While in reverse, the vehicle would shift to drive erroneously. The vehicle jolted forward. The vehicle was shaking, jerking, and skipping gear. The engine and oil warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 11,426.

Tires are wearing badly on the inside edge only. Suspension and drive train components make noise during normal operation.

I checked on KBB.com and my car came up as having a recall for the drive shaft. The NHTSA Campaign ID - 23V754000 and when I called my dealership about it, I am being told that there is no recall. This is a serious issue and I am seriously concerned.,

See attached document for complaint.

Door garnish panel (Part Number 91112SJ570) came loose within about 2 weeks of delivery of the new vehicle. The date of the incident is uncertain as the missing part was discovered after the event. The missing part is not available as it was not clear when or where the part fell off the vehicle. The vehicle has been shown to a service centre at Subaru Serramonte who confirmed the part number of the missing part. No investigation was offered as the missing part was not available. No lamps, messages or symptoms alerted the problem.

Vehicle suffered a major oil leak at under 60k miles. My low oil light didn’t turn on but I was actually extremely low on oil. The dealer confirmed the issue and had to replace multiple components related to the oil filter, caps, etc. If I hadnt noticed/waited any longer I would have had no oil in my car at all.

The check engine light and a flashing 'S' and other lights stating the safety features such as Eyesight, lane departure, RAB, etc. are turned off. This started on 1/15/25, and I took the car to the dealership on 1/16/25. The dealership stated the EVap System Leak Detection Pump sensor indicated a leak, and the EvaporateLeak Check Module needs to be replaced but is back-ordered until mid-March 2025. They turned off all the lights and told me I could keep driving the vehicle. On 1/20/25, all of the lights were back on. The car lags to accelerate and is using gas at a rapid rate. I feel unsafe driving the car for another two months with the check engine light on and the acceleration capacity decreased. The dealership will not allow me a rental vehicle unless I leave it on their lot for two months until the part arrives. I cannot agree with that. The dealership informed me that multiple Forester and Crosstreks models have the same problem. This car was purchased brand new from the Olympia dealership and it currently has about 22,000 miles on it.

see attached

225/60R17 99T

The front passenger seat and the seat belt attached to that seat suddenly started making creaking noises as if the seatbelt or the seat itself are not properly secured whenever a passenger is sitting and seatbelt fastened while the vehicle is moving (no noise exists when the seat is empty). The noise is loudest and most prevalent when the weight of the passenger is lower, when outside temperature is cooler, when the vehicle is driven on roads that are not smooth, when the vehicle breaks and is going uphill. The vehicle has not been in any accidents and the noise appeared suddenly without any warning lights or any indications. the vehicle was bought brand new about a year ago and has just under 5000 miles. Since the noise first appeared it has been regularly occurring. The dealership has inspected the vehicle on three occasions but claims they cannot hear it or replicate it despite the fact that they agree that videos shown by the owner clearly point to this noise.

The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 15-20 MPH and attempting to make a right turn into the right lane, the steering wheel failed to respond as needed and pulled to the left direction, causing the vehicle to drive over the dividing lane concrete and hit an unknown object. The contact was able to pull into a driveway partially. The air bags did not deploy. A police officer later informed the contact that the vehicle had hit another vehicle, but the other driver did not sustain injury. Triple A transported both the contact and the contact's sister, who was occupying the front passenger's seat, to the residence, and the vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an autobody repair shop, where it was being repaired for body damage. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a swollen right foot, knee, and ankle, and the contact received medical assistance at the urgent care center. The contact's sister, who was occupying the front passenger's seat, sustained a heart-related injury and sought medical assistance at the ER. The dealer later informed the contact that several warning lights had flashed on the dealer's connected system. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.