What 147 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Subaru Forester

WHILE PARKING IN A STORE'S LOT WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. I KEPT APPLYING THE BRAKES BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T STOP I ENDED UP CRASHING THROUGH A FENCE AND FALLING DOWN A 10 FOOT EMBANKMENT. *DT *TR

NHTSA ODI 11253025

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER:14V311000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT A DEALER, BUT THE REMEDY WAS NOT EFFECTIVE. WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHILE THE CONTACT'S FOOT WAS DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE DIAGNOSTIC RESULTS WERE UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 10681476

WHILE BACKING UP (CAR IN REVERSE) AT ABOUT 5 MPH, ACCELERATION OCCURRED MAKING THE CAR GO BACKWARDS VERY FAST. PRESSING THE BRAKE PAD TO THE GROUND HAD NO AFFECT. THE CAR, REVERSING OUT OF CONTROL, SIDE-SWIPED ANOTHER VEHICLE AND A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. CAR FINALLY BACKED UP INTO A HUGE FORKLIFT WHICH WENT THROUGH THE REAR WINDOW AND STOPPED THE CAR. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT BUT THE SUBARU FORESTER WAS TOTALED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10652155

MY CAR WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT BEHIND AT LEAST 2 OTHER CARS AT AROUND 4:45 P.M. ON 9-8-14. MY ENGINE SUDDENLY STARTED RACING AND PULLING MY CAR TOWARD THE CAR SITTING IN FRONT OF MINE. I ALREADY HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE BECAUSE I WAS STOPPED. I PRESSED EVEN HARDER ON THE BRAKE AS THE CAR TOOK OFF OUT OF MY CONTROL. THE BRAKES STOPPED WORKING AND MY CAR CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF MINE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10631997

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES HAVE MALFUNCTIONED FOR ME NUMEROUS TIMES AND I WILL NOW ONLY DRIVE MY SUBARU (DESPITE ALL WHEEL DRIVE, WHICH WORKS WELL) WHEN ROAD CONDITIONS ARE GOOD. ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN DRIVING MID-DAY ON PLOWED BUT SNOWY ROAD; DOWNHILL; I WAS NOT TURNING, BUT WANTED TO GO MORE SLOWLY AND TAPPED BRAKES. ANTI LOCK BRAKES KICKED IN AND CAR BEGAN TO SKID; SKIDDED OFF ROAD AND INTO A MAILBOX; NEEDED TO BE TOWED OUT. AFTER BEING PULLED OUT, AND CONTINUING DOWN HILL, AT 10 MPH, CAR BEGAN TO SKID AGAIN. FRIEND FOLLOWING ME SAID IT APPEARED FRONT BRAKES WERE WORKING AND BACK BRAKES WERE NOT. HAD TWO MECHANICS LOOK AT THE BRAKES (ONE I TRUST AND THE DEALER) AND BOTH TOLD ME THEY ARE FINE. DEALER SAID THE COMPUTER RECORD DIDN'T RECORD A PROBLEM BUT I THINK SOFTWARE THAT MANAGES THE ABS IS MALFUNCTIONING. I LOOKED ONLINE AND SAW NUMEROUS BLOG DISCUSSIONS ABOUT DISCONNECTING ABS ON SUBARUS IN WINTER SO I THINK OTHERS MUST BE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS - FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT GOING VERY FAST AND THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS/PEDESTRIANS SO NO ONE WAS HURT. I HAVE DRIVEN A SUBARU FOR 13 YEARS IN ALL KINDS OF CONDITIONS SO I DON'T THINK IT IS ME NOT BEING ABLE TO HANDLE ABS. ABS PROBLEM OCCURS IN CONDITIONS WHEN I THINK AWD IS HELPFUL BUT I NEED TO SLOW DOWN -- HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH AWD WHEN I AM GOING UPHILL OR NOT BRAKING. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10568027

MY HUSBAND PURCHASED A NEW SUBARU FORESTER IN MAY OF 2011 FOR ME WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 7 YEARS. IT WAS A BIG INVESTMENT FOR US AND I HAD HOPED TO DRIVE MY NEW SUBARU FORESTER 2011 FOR SEVERAL YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING IT, I NOTICED THE BRAKES TO BE DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE IN A TIMELY FASHION OR QUICKLY ENOUGH. I TOLD MY HUSBAND ALL THE TIME, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO DRIVE MY CAR, ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT ITS BRAKES. I HAD MY VEHICLE REGULARLY SERVICED AS PER THE COMPANIES WARRANTY REQUIREMENTS AND AT ONLY AUTHORIZED SUBARU SERVICE & DEALERSHIP CENTERS. I RECENTLY TOLD THE SERVICE DEPT AT MY 30,000 MILE SERVICING ABOUT THE BRAKES ISSUES I HAD AGAIN, TO THEIR ATTENTION BUT THEY SAID THAT- 'THAT WAS THE WAY THE FORESTER'S BRAKES WERE AND THAT I HAD TO PUSH THE PEDAL HARD TO THE FLOOR(PUMP THE BRAKES) TO STOP IT QUICKLY ENOUGH" AND MY BRAKES WERE FINE ACCORDING 30,000 MILE SERVICING, AND I WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH THEIR RESPONSE I WAS DRIVING ON A LOCAL ROAD 25 MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE SUDDENLY APPEARED IN FRONT OF ME TO STOP TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. I PUSHED THE BRAKES BUT MY VEHICLE JUST WOULD NOT STOP QUICKLY ENOUGH. I WAS INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. TO DISCOVER THAT MY FRONT BUMPER NOW HAD A HUGE CRACK IN IT. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING A VEHICLE WHOSE BRAKES ARE SO BAD THAT IT WILL NOT STOP THE VEHICLE QUICKLY ENOUGH AND NEEDS TO BE PUMPED TO STOP IT SOONER(WHICH MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE IN MANY CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS THE ONE ABOVE) , .AFTER THE CAR CAME OUT FROM THE BODY SHOP I HAD A RECENT OCCURENCE BUT THIS TIME IT WAS A RAINY DAY I STARTED TO SLOW DOWN PRESSING THE BRAKE TO TURN TO MY ROAD WHICH I HAD THE SAME ISSUE, INSTEAD OF STOPPING OR SLOWING DOWN THE BRAKES ARE ACCELERATING. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE BRAKES AT THE VERY LEAST TO PREVENT FUTURE ACCIDENTS. I AM DETERMINED TO TRADE IN MY VEHICLE FOR SAFE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 10567203

I HAD PURCHASED A NEW SUBARU FORESTER IN AUGUST OF 2011 WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 7 YEARS. IT WAS A BIG INVESTMENT FOR ME AND I HAD HOPED TO DRIVE MY NEW SUBARU FORESTER 2011 FOR SEVERAL YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING IT, I NOTICED THE BRAKES TO BE DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE IN A TIMELY FASHION OR QUICKLY ENOUGH. MY WIFE, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO DRIVE MY CAR, ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT ITS BRAKES. I HAD MY VEHICLE REGULARLY SERVICED AS PER THE COMPANIES WARRANTY REQUIREMENTS AND AT ONLY AUTHORIZED SUBARU SERVICE & DEALERSHIP CENTERS. I BROUGHT THE DEFECTIVE BRAKES TO THEIR ATTENTION BUT THEY SAID THAT- 'THAT WAS THE WAY THE FORESTER'S BRAKES WERE AND THAT I HAD TO PUSH THE PEDAL HARD TO THE FLOOR(PUMP THE BRAKES) TO STOP IT QUICKLY ENOUGH.' I WAS GREATLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THEIR RESPONSE TO MY CONCERNS AND AS A PRECAUTION I BEGAN TO KEEP AN EVEN GREATER DISTANCE FROM ALL OF THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME. RECENTLY, I WAS ENTERING A PARKING LOT AT ABOUT 10-15MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE SUDDENLY APPEARED IN FRONT OF ME. I PUSHED THE BRAKES BUT MY VEHICLE JUST WOULD NOT STOP QUICKLY ENOUGH. IF I WOULD LET GO OF THE BRAKE AND THEN PUSH IT AGAIN HARDER AND FASTER TO THE FLOOR( PUMP THE BRAKE) AS THE SERVICE CENTRE HAD PREVIOUSLY ADVISED ME THEN I WOULD HAVE HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. SO I SWAYED MY CARS STEERING WHEEL AND AVOIDED MEETING WITH AN ACCIDENT BUT MY VEHICLE ONLY STOPPED WHEN IT TOUCHED THE RAILING AT ABOUT 5MPH ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT MY FRONT BUMPER NOW HAD A HUGE CRACK IN IT. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING A VEHICLE WHOSE BRAKES ARE SO BAD THAT IT WILL NOT STOP THE VEHICLE QUICKLY ENOUGH AND NEEDS TO BE PUMPED TO STOP IT SOONER(WHICH MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE IN MANY CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS THE ONE ABOVE) , HAS DEFECTIVE BUMPERS AND ALSO HAS A REAR CENTER CHILD SAFETY SEAT SEATBELT WITH A RECALL ON IT .PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE BRAKES AT THE VERY LEAST. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10494780