Home · 2012 Subaru Forester Wilderness · Complaints
These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.
2 of 105 complaints match · Engine · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters
WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING STALL AT APPROXIMATELY 2-3 MPH I WENT TO PRESS THE BRAKES WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE CAR ACCELERATED AT FULL SPEED WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR CAUSING ME TO HIT THE CONCRETE WALL IN FRONT OF ME. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND NEITHER ME OR MY PASSENGER WERE NOT HURT. DAMAGE TO THE BUMPER, FRAME, GRILL AND VARIOUS COMPONENTS JUST INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.
NHTSA ODI 11204536
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 69 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, FLAMES WERE SEEN COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE HOOD. THE CRUISE CONTROL INDEPENDENTLY DISENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT AND A FIRE REPORT WERE FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED AN UNKNOWN RECALL REGARDING THE RELAY SYSTEM AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE, WHICH ONLY INCLUDED TURBO BOOSTER ENGINE VEHICLES. HOWEVER, THE CONTACT'S NON-TURBO BOOSTER ENGINE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
NHTSA ODI 11109597
Working with the data? Download all 105 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026