What 403 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Subaru Forester Wilderness

The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while his wife was driving and stopped in traffic, the steering wheel locked up. The contact stated the steering wheel warning light illuminated and the vehicle was towed. The dealer was contacted and notified of the failure, and the failure was diagnosed with rack and pinion and electrical power steering failures. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure after the repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.

NHTSA ODI 11743796

The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 mph, the steering wheel moved back and forth while on cruise control with the tires wobbling. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed that the front driver’s and passenger’s side tires were able to move 6-8 inches without effort. The steering gear and all four tires were replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

NHTSA ODI 11421275

THE 12-16 IMPREZA, 13-17 CROSSTREK, AND 14-18 FORESTER HAVE A KNOWN ISSUE OF THE ELECTRIC STEERING RACK BECOMING COMPROMISED, LEADING TO STEERING ISSUES. THE ISSUE IS DESCRIBED IN THE ISSUE BULLETIN AS JUST "UNEVEN STEERING EFFORT" AND THAT IT IS NOT UNSAFE AND SO IS NOT A RECALL ITEM, HOWEVER I CAME TO LEARN ABOUT THIS ISSUE WITH MY CAR AFTER IT SUDDENLY STARTING THIS PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING ME TO JERK WILDLY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH ONLY THE SLIGHTEST LEFT TURN OF THE STEERING WHEEL, WHICH COULD HAVE VERY DEFINITELY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT (THIS ALL BEING IN FRONT OF A POLICE OFFICER, OF COURSE). I AM 8 MONTHS PREGNANT AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN HAVE A POSSIBLE DANGEROUS ISSUE WITH MY CAR BUT CANNOT AFFORD THE FIX IMMEDIATELY- I AM HOPING THIS CAN BECOME A RECALL ITEM IN ORDER TO FEEL SAFE IN MY CAR AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI 11408228

14 SUBARU FORESTER AND IT HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY HAVING ISSUES WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION GETTING STUCK. STARTED WITH MOVING THE STEERING COLUMN AND JIGGLING THE KEY TO NOW IT'S BECOME A HUGE ISSUE. GETS STUCK ALL THE TIME! TAKES UP TO 30 MINUTES TO REMOVE THE KEY! SUBARU NEEDS TO FIX THIS! IT'S BECOMING A COMMON FAULTY ISSUE!! *TR

NHTSA ODI 11323881

STEERING DOESN'T RETURN TO A NEUTRAL STATE WHEN TURNING AT SPEED.

NHTSA ODI 11320470

THE POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON WHEN THE CAR TURNS ON. UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL UNLESS A TON OF FORCE IS APPLIED. TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN A FEW TIMES AND MESSAGES GOES AWAY. BUT DOES IT MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY.

NHTSA ODI 11233985

POWER STEERING APPARENTLY DEFECTIVE. A GRINDING NOISE WILL BE HEARD WHEN STEERING ON A FREQUENT BASIS WHEN MOVING.

NHTSA ODI 11219511

A GRINDING NOISE OCCURS WHEN THE CAR IS STEERED WHILE IN MOTION.

NHTSA ODI 11219529

THE STEERING WHEEL "LEATHER" COATING HAS BEEN DISINTEGRATING FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. THE SUBARU SERVICE SAID IT IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH 2014 SUBARU FOREST. & SHOULD BE RECALLED. EVENTUALLY, THE UNDERCOAT FOAM MATERIAL WILL ALSO DISINTEGRATE, HE SAID. ALSO, BOTH FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS, BUSHINGS,BAND DRIVE, (SOMETHING LIKE A DRIVE SHAFT), STRUT & AXEL JOINT HAD TO BE REPLACED AT ONLY 69K MILES. MY CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENT OR HIT ANYTHING. SUBARU PAID FOR FAILED CONTROL ARM REPLACEMENT. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE CAR!

NHTSA ODI 11208277

THE STEERING CONTROL MODULE HAS FAILED TWICE IN THE LAST 4 YEARS AND 2 MONTHS. THE POWER STEERING IS LOST AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE TWO TIMES THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED HAS BEEN IN COLDER TEMPERATURES AND DURING LOCAL DRIVING. THE CAR BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER, AND FOR A SMALL PERSON IT COULD BE DANGEROUS. THE STEERING MODULE CODE PER THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS 2532. BOTH TIMES WHEN I SPOKE TO THE DEALER, IN 2014 AND 2019, THEY ACTED AS THOUGH THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS ISSUE. I AM HAVING THE MODULE REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME.

NHTSA ODI 11173631

POWER STEERING FAILED. CAR WAS PARKED IN THE WA STATE FERRY LINE IN ANACORTES, WA. WHEN CAR WAS STARTED, A COMPUTER MESSAGE APPEARED THAT THE POWER STEERING NEEDED TO BE SERVICED AND A WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING AND HE COULD BARELY STEER THE CAR ONTO THE FERRY. HE TOLD ME THAT IT TOOK EVERYTHING THAT HE HAD TO GET IT ONTO THE BOAT. WE PARKED THE CAR. WHEN WE REACHED FRIDAY HARBOR, MY HUSBAND STARTED THE CAR, AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT NORMALLY - THE WARNING LIGHT AND MESSAGE WAS NO LONGER DISPLAYED. I TOOK IT TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP IN BURLINGTON, WA ON 2/20/18. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS DONE AND THE CODE WAS FOUND FOR THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. I WAS TOLD THAT THE POWER STEERING GEAR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED - $1,000 FOR PART AND AT LEAST $600 FOR LABOR PLUS TAXES. FIRST OF ALL, MY CAR ONLY HAD 30,000 MILES WARRANTY OR 3 YEARS (PAST THAT) AND IT SEEMS LIKE IF A GEAR WAS HAVING ISSUES, WHY WOULD IT WORK AND THEN NOT WORK AND THEN WORK. SAFETY CONCERNS, AND WONDERING WHY IT WOULD FAIL SO SOON. I HAVE APPROXIMATELY 24, 500 MILES ON THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11074134

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE EXITING THE CAR WASH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING AND CRASHED INTO A POLE. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, IT FAILED TO OPERATE AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000. *TT THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS. THE MANUFACTURER REIMBURSED THE COST OF THE RENTAL VEHICLE. *JS THE CONSUMER STATED THE FLOOR MATS COULD NOT HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE. *JS UPDATED 9/13/18*JB

NHTSA ODI 11052164

POWER STEERING FAILED ON WARM START. CAR WAS DRIVE-ABLE BUT STEERING TOOK CONSIDERABLE EFFORT AND MAY HAVE NOT BEEN POSSIBLE FOR PERSON WITHOUT SUFFICIENT STRENGTH.

NHTSA ODI 10948183

WE HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND CAR INSPECTED AT THE VISTA AUTOMOTIVE GROUP SUBARU OF SILVERTHONE, COLORADO ON DECEMBER 29, 2014. EVERYTHING ABOUT THE CAR WAS REPORTED TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION. UPON DEPARTING FOR CALIFORNIA ON JANUARY 2, WE WERE ON INTERSTATE 70 WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO YAW (PULL TO LEFT AND THEN PULL TO RIGHT) IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. THERE WAS SOME RESIDUAL SNOW IN THE CENTER OF AND ON THE SIDES OF THE LANE BUT THE PAVEMENT UNDER THE TIRES WAS DRY. AFTER ABOUT ONE HOUR OF THIS PHENOMENON, AND AFTER THE PAVEMENT WAS COMPLETELY CLEAR, THE YAWING CEASED. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MCCRAE SUBARU IN EUREKA, CALIFORNIA UPON OUR RETURN AND WERE TOLD THE FOLLOWING DAY THAT THE SPEED DIFFERENCE IN THE DRIVETRAIN WAS APPARENTLY CAUSED BY THE REAR TIRES HAVING LESS TREAD THAN THE FRONT TIRES. AFTER CONTACTING SUBARU NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, WE WERE TOLD THE REAR TIRE WEAR RESULTED FROM THE FAILURE TO ROTATE THE TIRES. SUBARU REFERRED US TO YOKOHAMA TIRES FOR REPLACEMENTS. WE PURCHASED TWO NEW YOKOHAMA TIRES AND WHEN MOUNTED BY TP TIRES IN ARCATA, CALIFORNIA, WERE ADVISED THAT THE REAR WHEELS WERE OUT OF ALIGNMENT. WE THEN HAD THE CAR ALIGNED BY SIMPLY PERFORMANCE AUTOMOTIVE OF ARCATA, CA AND THEY CONFIRMED THE REAR TWO WHEELS WERE OUT OF ALIGNMENT, CAUSING THE TIRES TO WEAR UNEVENLY. WE STILL ARE CONCERNED THAT THE YAWING COULD BE THE RESULT OF THE CAR'S COMPUTER SYSTEM, BUT HAVE NO CONFIDENCE THAT SUBARU WILL DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM HONESTLY, AS THEY CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN IT'S A TIRE ROTATION ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10683094

I STARTED THE CAR AND THE STEERING FELT LIKE IT WAS INCREMENTAL WHEN YOU ROTATED THE WHEEL. IT WAS COLDER THAN NORMAL OUT BUT NOT THAT COLD. THE TEMP WAS PROBABLY IN THE 40'SF. THIS HAS BEEN AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM SINCE THEN. I HAVE HAD IT AT THE SUBARU 4 TIMES AT TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS AND THE LAST THING THEY TOLD ME WAS CALL SUBARU. I BELIEVE IT IS THE CONTROL MODULE FOR STEERING. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10640393

SUBARU CORPORATE RECENTLY PURCHASED MY 2014 FORESTER BACK UNDER THE LEMON LAW. THIS WAS AFTER I HAD 4 DOCUMENTED INCIDENTS OF THE VEHICLE VEERING SPORADICALLY OUT OF CONTROL AROUND 55 MPH. IT WAS INCONSISTENT BUT THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT SOMETHING WAS PULLING IT OUT OF ALIGNMENT/AFTER THIS HAPPENED IT WAS ALWAYS OUT OF SPEC. IT WAS QUITE DRAMATIC. AS IN THE ENTIRE BACK-END WOULD START TO PULL OUT OF CONTROL. THIS OFTEN HAPPENED WITHIN ICIER CONDITIONS. WHILE SUBARU CORPORATE WAS RESPONSIVE IN GETTING ME A NEW SUBARU, I DO NOT FEEL THEY AT ALL ACKNOWLEDGED OR TOOK MY COMPLAINT SERIOUS. THEY KEPT REFERENCING MY INCONVENIENCE WITH AN ALIGNMENT ISSUE. IF IT WAS AS SIMPLE AS AN ALIGNMENT ISSUE, THEY COULD HAVE FIXED IT THE FIRST TIME. MY CONCERN IS THAT OTHERS ARE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE BUT SINCE IT IS DIFFICULT TO REPLICATE AND EXTREMELY INCONSISTENT, IT'D BE EASY TO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS ISSUE. SINCE MENTIONING MY FRUSTRATION TO RANDOM ACQUAINTANCES, TWO INDIVIDUALS HAVE CONTACTED ME FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECAUSE THEY ARE HAVING A COMPARABLE PROBLEM WITH THEIR FORESTER AND/OR CROSS TREK. I SENT A LENGTHY DESCRIPTION ABOUT MY SAFETY CONCERNS TO SUBARU CORPORATE WHICH THEY IGNORED. PERHAPS THAT IS AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMEBODY IS LOOKING INTO THIS/MAKING SURE IT IS NOT A MORE SERIOUS ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10574697