What 613 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Subaru Forester Wilderness

THIS MODEL VEHICLE HAS A SAFETY DEFECT. THE SPEEDOMETER IS LOCATED UNDER A VISOR WHICH LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT FALLING ON THE INSTRUMENT, AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DOES NOT HAVE ANY BACK LIGHTING UNDER DAYLIGHT DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE RESULT IS THAT UNDER MOST DAYTIME DRIVING CONDITIONS IS IMPOSSIBLE TO READ THE SPEEDOMETER AND DETERMINE THE SPEED THAT THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING AT. THIS IS A UNIVERSAL PROBLEM AS DEALER STAFF HAS TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE HAS NUMEROUS CUSTOMERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS SAFETY DEFECT. I HAVE CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA TO DISCUSS THIS DEFECT, AND WAS TOLD THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY SOLUTION.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE DURING THE DAYTIME AT 25 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER WAS NOT AS VISIBLE AND FAILED TO ILLUMINATE PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TO TAKEN THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT IT WAS STANDARD FOR THOSE MODELS OF VEHICLES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,200.

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WHILE DRIVING EASTBOUND ON I-80 IN IOWA JUST EAST OF EXIT 220 (WILLIAMSBURG) OUR CAR LOST POWER BUT, BECAUSE IT HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, I WAS ABLE TO DEPRESS THE CLUTCH AND COAST TO THE LEFT ROAD MARGIN. THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR HAD COME ON A FEW MILES BEFORE BUT THE DISPLAY INDICATOR SHOWED THAT WE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL TO DRIVE 60 MILES AT THE DISPLAYED AVERAGE OF 30.5 MILES PER GALLON. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECT AS THE MANUAL STATES THAT WHEN THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR COMES THERE ARE 2.6 GALLONS REMAINING. I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR AS THE INDICATOR CONTINUED TO SHOW ONE INCREMENT IN THE GAS GAUGE AND A RANGE OF 60 MILES ON THE DISPLAY. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT GETTING FUEL. WE EVENTUALLY WERE ASSISTED BY AN IOWA STATE PATROL OFFICER WHO TOOK ME BACK TO THE CASEY'S STATION IN WILLIAMSBURG WHERE I BOUGHT A GASOLINE CAN AND ABOUT 3.5 GALLONS OF FUEL. WITH HIS ASSISTANCE I WAS ABLE TO FUEL MY CAR (THE TRAFFIC AT THAT TIME AND PLACE WAS VERY HEAVY AND FAST), AND THE CAR STARTED IMMEDIATELY. IT IS BE IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR DID NOT COME ON AFTER I STARTED THE CAR. I HAD NOT PUT ALL OF THE GAS IN THE CAN INTO MY CAR, AND THE MANUAL STATES THAT THE INDICATOR WILL NOT COME ON WHEN THE TANK IS HOLDING 4.5 GALLONS OF FUEL, SO THERE WAS CLEARLY A GALLON OR MORE OF FUEL IN THE TANK WHEN IT DIED. ALSO, THAT SECTION OF EASTBOUND I-80 IS SLIGHTLY UPHILL. IT SEEMS THEN THAT EITHER THE ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE READING FUEL LEVELS ARE VERY INACCURATE, OR THE GAS TANK IS BUILT IN SUCH A WAY THAT WHEN THE TANK IS LOWER ON FUEL AND GOING UPHILL GAS IS NOT GETTING TO THE ENGINE. HAD I NOT BEEN DRIVING A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND ABLE TO ROLL ONTO THE MARGIN UPHILL BUT SIMPLY SLOWED TO A SUDDEN STOP IN THAT TRAFFIC WHEN THE ENGINE DIED, I BELIEVE IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED A VERY SERIOUS SERIES IF COLLISIONS.

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THE ELECTRONIC SCREEN ON THE 2015 SUBARU FORESTER THAT INCLUDES THE BACK-UP DISPLAY REFLECTS A SOLID BLACK BAR DOWN THE MIDDLE IF YOU ARE WEARING POLARIZED SUNGLASSES. I'VE ALMOST BACKED OVER WALKERS IN PARKING LOTS WHO WERE IN THE OBSCURED AREA OF THE SCREEN BECAUSE OF THIS. I CHECKED AT THE DEALER, AND OTHER 2015 FORESTERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THE OUTBACK DOES NOT. SINCE I FIRST NOTICED THE PROBLEM I HAVE DRIVEN A NUMBER OF CARS, INCLUDING TOYOTAS AND BMWS THAT DO NOT HAVE THE PROBLEM. SUBARU'S SUGGESTED SOLUTION IS THAT I DON'T WEAR POLARIZED SUNGLASSES. I WEAR CORRECTIVE LENSES, AND IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO BUY CORRECTIVE SUNGLASSES THAT AREN'T POLARIZED. THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO WEAR NON-CORRECTIVE LENSES THAT ARE NOT PARTICULARLY GOOD FOR MY EYES, AND THROUGH WHICH THE WORLD IS BLURRED. I DON'T THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO GO SPEND $300+ TO BUY SUNGLASSES TO CORRECT A PROBLEM THAT SUBARU COULD HAVE CORRECTED BY PUTTING A DIFFERENT DISPLAY SCREEN IN THE CAR, SINCE BASED ON OTHER SUBARUS I'VE BEEN IN AND CARS FROM OTHER MANUFACTURERS, THEY HAD THE OPTION TO DO SO. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ODI 10716932

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500. UPDATED 03/30/15*LJ UPDATED 6/23/2015*JS

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WITHIN ONE HOUR OF GETTING THIS NEW VEHICLE, THE EYESIGHT WARNING AND BRAKING SYSTEM TURNED ITSELF ON AND OFF REPEATEDLY. THIS CONTINUES AFTER TWO DEALERS HAVE MADE REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE SYSTEM. SUBARU HEADQUARTERS FORCED ME TO PAY FOR A NEW WINDSHIELD, BECAUSE THEY SAID I HAD PUT A NICK IN THE WINDSHIELD. AFTER REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM STILL CONTINUES TO TURN ITSELF ON AND OFF APPROXIMATELY 3 TIMES PER HOUR OF TRAVEL. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, BECAUSE YOU ARE EXPECTING THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM TO WARN YOU OF UNUSUAL LANE CHANGES AND YOUR PROXIMITY TO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF YOU. ALSO WHEN YOU ARE USING THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM WITH CRUISE CONTROL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN WHENEVER THE SYSTEM TURNS ITSELF OFF. SINCE NO BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLES BEHIND YOU DO NOT GET A SIGNAL THAT YOU HAVE REDUCED YOUR SPEED. THIS IS ALSO A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. IT IS ALSO IMPOSSIBLE TO REACTIVATE THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM YOURSELF, UNLESS YOU STOP, TURN OF THE ENGINE AND RESTART THE CAR. SUBARU HEADQUARTERS CANNOT MAKE THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM FUNCTION CORRECTLY AND THEREFORE IT SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE MARKET. *JS

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I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR AND CANNOT BELIEVE THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS. THEY PRAISE THIS CAR FOR RELIABILITY, SO THAT IS WHY I PURCHASED THIS CAR. HOWEVER THE SPEEDOMETER AND ALL THE OTHER LIGHTS ARE SO SMALL YOU CAN'T READ THEM. ALSO, WITH THE RUNNING LIGHTS ON THE LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD TURN PINK ON BLACK. WITHOUT THE RUNNING LIGHTS THE NUMBERS ARE A PALE GRAY ON BLACK. WITH THE DIAL TO BRIGHTEN...THAT IS A JOKE. I AM WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS OVERSIGHT. I WISH I HAD REALIZED THIS BEFORE I PURCHASED THIS CAR. I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN, BUT I HAVE PRETTY GOOD EYESIGHT. *TR

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