What 405 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru Forester

AROUND 75K MILES, THE "AT TEMP" LIGHT BEGAN TO APPEAR WHEN DRIVING THE CAR FOR MORE THAN 35-40 MINUTES ON THE HIGHWAY AT CONTINUOUS SPEEDS. NO CODE WAS STORED WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE PICTURES OF THIS LIGHT BEING ON NUMEROUS TIMES. THIS HAPPENED BETWEEN MAY 2019-AUGUST 2019 THEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHUDDER WHEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, WITH OCCASIONAL STALLS/SHUTDOWNS. NO LIGHTS WOULD COME OUT DURING SHUDDER OR STALL. THIS HAPPENED BETWEEN MAY 2019-FEBRUARY 2020 AT 98K, VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK AND SHUDDER DURING SHIFTING, AROUND 2500RPM UPON ACCELERATION. I HAD A TRANSMISSION SERVICE/ CVT FLUID CHANGE DONE AT 90K AT JOHNSTON'S SUBARU IN MIDDLETOWN, NY. TRANSMISSION SERVICE WAS DONE 2/3/2020

NHTSA ODI 11316297

THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHOWING SYMPTOMS OF A FAULTY "OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM". THE INDICATOR WOULD CHANGE FROM ON TO OFF RANDOMLY. THEN THERE WAS AN OFFICIAL RECALL, BUT NO FIX WAS AVAILABLE AND THEY INSTRUCTED TO WAIT UNTIL THE DEALERS CONTACTED US. A COUPLE OF MONTHS, TIRED OF WAITING TO BE ABLE TO USE THE FRONT SEAT OF THE CAR, I CALLED SUBARU OF AMERICA. THEY TOLD ME THE REPLACEMENT WAS AVAILABLE. DEALER HAD TO GET PARTS AND INSTALLED IT. IT SEEMS NOW IT STILL DOES NOT WORK UNDER OUR TYPICAL USE CASE. WE FOUND OUT WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE CAUSE. A DIFFERENT OCCUPANCY DETECTION SENSOR IN THE REPLACEMENT WORKS USING AN "ELECTROSTATIC" METHOD. MY WIFE WAS USING A STANDARD RELATIVELY THIN SEAT CUSHION THAT APPARENTLY PREVENTS THE NEW SENSOR FROM WORKING. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT LIABILITY TO AUTOMOBILE PASSENGERS WHO DRIVE IN CARS EQUIPPED WITH SUCH EQUIPMENT. NOWHERE IN THE MANUAL (OR THE RECALL PAPERWORKS) IS THERE A NOTE TO NOT USE A SEAT CUSHION OF ANY KIND. IT ALSO WOULD NOT BE INTUITIVE TO THINK THIS WOULD BE A HAZARD FROM A PASSENGERS PERSPECTIVE. YOU COULD HAVE AN IMPALE SETTING ON THE CAR THAT JUST ENDS IT FOR YOU (FOR THOSE NO HELMET BIKERS). IT WOULD SIMILARLY BE DEEMED ACCEPTABLE, SO LONG AS THERE IS AN INDICATOR LIGHT THAT SAYS "IMPALER ACTIVE" FOR PEOPLE GET TO IMPALED BY THE VEHICLE WHEN THE AI SYSTEM GATHERS THEIR PREFERENCE IS DNR IN AN ACCIDENT VIA THEIR MUSIC SELECTION. MANY PEOPLE WOULDNT THINK TO LOOK AT THE AIRBAG ON OR OFF LIGHT. ALSO YOU CAN USE A SEAT CUSHION ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WITHOUT ANY ISSUE WHICH FURTHER CONFUSES THINGS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN TERMS OF HAVING ANY IDEA THAT A CUSHION IS ENDANGERING THEM. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO PROTECT CHILDREN, BUT WHO PUTS THEIR KIDS OR BABY SEATS IN THE FRONT SEAT THESE DAYS? THERE SHOULD BE A WAY TO TURN THE BAG ON OR OFF, OR AT LEAST ON SO THAT YOU CAN OVERRIDE A FAULTY SENSOR

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED ACROSS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTOBARN SUBARU OF COUNTRYSIDE (6191 JOLIET RD, COUNTRYSIDE, IL 60525) HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

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ON 2/18/2020 A SPONTANEOUS WINDSHIELD BREAKAGE EVENT OCCURED ON MY 2016 SUBARU FORESTER WHILE STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT ON A CITY STREET. A CRACK DEVELOPED IN THE WINDSHIELD. THE POINT OF ORIGIN WAS THE EMBEDDED WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE DE-ICER ELEMENT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. A HORIZONTAL CRACK THEN SPREAD FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD TRANSVERSING THE AREA DIRECTLY ABOVE THE DE-ICER HEATING ELEMENT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON 2/19/2020 WHERE THE SERVICE MANAGER ASSESSED THE WINDSHIELD, DETERMINING THAT THERE WEREN'T ANY IMPACT MARKS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SPONTANEOUS WINDSHIELD BREAKAGE. HE TOOK PICTURES, COMPLETED AN ORDER ON RECORD AND FILED A REPORT WITH THE REGIONAL SUBARU OFFICE. CLAIM #TL1-53388627724. ON 2/21/2020 THE REGIONAL SUBARU OFFICE DENIED A CLAIM TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD AND PERFORM THE NECESSARY RECALIBRATION OF THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM BECAUSE THE WINDSHIELD IS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD OF THREE YEARS. MY CAR IS THREE YEARS AND TEN MONTHS OLD. MILEAGE WAS 31,122 ON 2/18/2020.

NHTSA ODI 11310940

THE WINDSHIELD ON MY 2016 FORESTER SUBARU CRACKED FROM THE PASSENGER BOTTOM SEAM THEN UP & ACROSS TOWARDS THE DRIVERS SIDE. IT HAS SO FAR STOPPED NEAR THE CENTER. I BELIEVE I HAVE A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD. THE PASSENGER SAW IT BUT SAID SHE DIDNT SEE IT THE DAY BEFORE. IT WAS SEEN WHILE DRIVING ON THE STREET. I WILL CONTACT MY INSURANCE COMPANY TOMORROW 2/24/2020 BUT I HAVE A HIGH DEDUCTIBLE SO I WILL HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR A REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT.

NHTSA ODI 11310963

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY IN LAS VEGAS WITH NOTHING OVERHEAD. CAME OUT TO GO TO THE STORE AND THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED ON DRIVER'S SIDE. HAD DRIVEN THE CAR EARLIER IN THE DAY AND THIS CRACK WAS NOT THERE. JUST READ ABOUT THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AND WONDER IF MY 2016 WITH EYESIGHT IS POSSIBLY IN THE SAME SITUATION.

NHTSA ODI 11310783

CAR SUFFERED 10 UNEXPLAINED ORIGINAL BATTERY DISCHARGES IN YEARS 2-3 OF OWNERSHIP. UPON JUMP START, AUTO WOULD START AND OPERATE NORMALLY FOR 2-5 MONTHS BEFORE NEXT DISCHARGE. SUBARU AUTHORIZED WARRANTY REPLACEMENT THROUGH DEALERSHIP WITH NEW LARGER POWERED BATTERY AT END OF YEAR 3 OF OWNERSHIP. REPAIR STATED FAILURE DUE TO BATTERY LEAKAGE ALTHOUGH NONE WAS OBSERVED BY OWNERS. 13 MONTHS AFTER REPLACEMENT BATTERY WAS INSTALLED, IT DISCHARGED TWICE IN SAME DAY AND WAS TAKEN TO ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP (SUBARU OF PORTLAND). SERVICE TECHNICIAN CHECK DETERMINED BATTERY COULD NOT BE RECHARGED, COULD NOT DETERMINE REASON FOR ITS FAILURE, COULD NOT FIND ANY ELECTRICAL PARASITIC DRAWS AND FOUND ALL SOFTWARE WAS UP TO DATE. OWNER WAS CHARGED FOR NEW BATTERY AND INSTALLATION AS FAILED BATTERY WAS NOW OUT OF 1-YEAR SUBARU REPLACEMENT POLICY. BRIEF INTERNET REVIEW SHOWS THIS HAS BECOME A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2016-2017 SUBARU'S. SUBARU U.S. CORPORATE CUSTOMER CARE DEPARTMENT DEMONSTRATED NO INTEREST IN TAKING COMPLAINT OR LOGGING IN ANY DETAIL INFORMATION, DIRECTING OWNER BACK TO REPAIRING DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILED BATTERIES.

NHTSA ODI 11309279

THE EYESIGHT HAS TURNED OFF SEVERAL TIMES RECENTLY AND WON'T TURN BACK ON UNTIL I STOP AND RESTART CAR. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR 3.5 YEARS AND THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. THERE WAS NO SUNLIGHT AND VERY LIGHT MIST THIS LAST TIME. THERE WAS NOTHING BLOCKING THE EYESIGHT CAMERA AT ALL. THIS IS NOT THE SAFETY FEATURE THAT I PAID EXTRA FOR.

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THE KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED AND IN "PARK," INTERMITTENTLY. I NEED TO RESTART THE CAR, READJUST THE SHIFTER OUT AND THEN BACK INTO "PARK," UNTIL THE VEHICLE SENSES THAT I AM ACTUALLY IN "PARK" AND ALLOWS ME TO REMOVE THE KEY.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V701000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11307297

WHEN DRIVING WITH NO ONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND SOMETIMES WHEN THERE IS SOMEONE IN THE SEAT I GET AN SRS AIRBAG FAULT BUT IT NEVER STAYS ON AFTER I SHUT DOWN THE SUV. SOMETIMES WHEN I RESTART THE SUV AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES IT WILL COME BACK ON AND IT STAYS ON UNTIL I SHUT OFF THE SUV. THEN NOTHING FOR WEEKS. I'VE WANTED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER BUT EVERY TIME I START TO HEAD OVER TO THEN THE FAULT GOES OUT OR NEVER COMES ON? I'M SURE IF I JUST HEAD OVER I'M JUST WASTING MY TIME. THE LAST TWO MONTHS IT'S BEEN MUCH MORE ACTIVE WITH THE FAULT HAPPENING. I'M LISTING THE LAST TIME IT HAS HAPPEN AS 01/10/2020. I KEEP NOTHING ON THE PASSENGERS SEAT AND I AM UNSURE IF THE AIR BAG LIGHT (YELLOW LIGHT ON THE DASH) SHOWS THAT IT IS ON OR OFF WHEN IT COMES ON. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ABOUT A WEEK AGO AND I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT (6' 225 LBS) AND THE SRS FAULT COME ON AND THE YELLOW AIRBAG LIGHT SHOWED IT WAS STILL ON. I HAVE A TRIP TO PITTSBURGH PA FROM ALLENTOWN PA AND I'M WORRIED THAT IF I'M IN AN ACCIDENT THEY WON'T GO OFF AND PROTECT US. THIS CAR IS JUST OUT OF WARRANTED AND I HAVE ABOUT 44K ON THE VEHICLE. PURCHASED IT NEW FEB 12 2016 STEVE MOYER SUBARU

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WHEN I WENT FOR MY INSPECTION STICKER,IT FAILED DUE TO A BROKEN RIGHT REAR SPRING,THEN WENT I BROUGHT IT TO BE REPAIRED I FOUND OUT THE LEFT SIDE WAS ALSO BROKEN.

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2016 SUBARU FORESTER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SAFETY RECALL. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME COMPLETING THE RECALL REPAIR. *JS

NHTSA ODI 11290532

RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE ABOUT SEAT SENSOR AND AIRBAG DEFECT. NEED TO,GET,THIS REPAIRED AS A RECALL, BUT PARTS SUPPOSEDLY NOT YET AVAILABLE. ERROR MESSAGES SINCE AUGUST WHEN DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT WAS AN AIR BAG ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11289210

VEHICLE FEELS AS THOUGH IT IS ABOUT TO STALL. THIS OCCURS SPORADICALLY WHEN STOPPING OR WHEN UNDER ACCELERATION ON THE FREEWAY. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE INTO TWO SEPARATE DEALERSHIPS, NEITHER COULD DIAGNOSE A PROBLEM. HOWEVER ONE DID SUGGEST IT MAY BE A PCV VALVE. THIS APPEARS QUITE SIMILAR TO THE RECENT RECALL (19V856) WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE THIS MODEL YEAR.

NHTSA ODI 11288945

MY CAR WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE AND HAD NOT BEEN STARTED FOR ONE DAY. THE BATTERY WOULD NOT START THE CAR, I HAD TO CALL FOR A JUMP. I WAITED APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR FOR SOMEONE TO COME THROUGH SUBARU ROAD SIDE ASSIST. THE BATTERY WAS RELATIVELY NEW, AS THE ORIGINAL WAS REPLACED 1/2019. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY TESTED THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR, WHICH WERE FINE. THEY RECHARGED THE BATTERY. I PAID FOR THE BATTERY INSPECTION.

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WEAK OR THIN WINDSHIELD THAT CHIPS/CRACKS EASILY CAUSING VISIBILITY ISSUES AT NIGHT/RAIN/SNOW ETC.

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WINDSHIELD RANDOMLY CRACKED

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NOTICED A CRACK IN MY FRONT WINDSHIELD ONE MORNING WHEN I GOT IN MY CAR AND BY THE END OF THE DAY THE CRACK HAD MOVED INTO MY LINE OF VISION AND WOULD HAVE IMPAIRED MY DRIVING, IF I WOULD HAVE NOT FIXED IMMEDIATELY I HAD IT IMMEDIATELY FIXED BY SAFELIGHT, WHICH COST $452.03

NHTSA ODI 11271328

FOR THE PAST MONTH, MY PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT WILL INDICATE IT IS "OFF" INTERMITTENTLY WHEN A PASSENGER IS SITTING IN THE SEAT, AND THE CAR'S IGNITION IS TURNED ON AND DRIVING. I BROUGHT MY SUBARU TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND THEY QUOTED ME A PRICE OF OVER $1,500 IN REPAIRS DUE TO THE NEED TO REPLACE THE SEAT. THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT UNLESS THE LIGHT IS ON CONTINUOUSLY. AT THAT POINT, HE SAID TO CONTACT THE SUBARU CORPORATION AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND TO FILE A CLAIM. AS OF YESTERDAY (10/26/19) MY PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS "OFF"CONTINUOUSLY WITH A PASSENGER RIDING IN THE SEAT. THE RED AIRBAG ICON IS LIT UP WHEN THE CAR'S IGNITION IS TURNED ON AND WHILE DRIVING. ON THE DASHBOARD IT INDICATES THAT MY PASSENGER AIRBAG IS "OFF". I HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM STARLINK STATING TO TAKE IT TO A SUBARU RETAILER TO HAVE IT CHECKED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SINCE I HAVE ALREADY DONE THIS, I WILL BE CONTACTING SUBARU TOMORROW. AFTER RESEARCHING, I SAW THAT THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION OPEN TO THIS PROBLEM AND WANTED TO ADD MY NAME TO THIS LIST.

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HAVING TROUBLE GETTING KEY OUT OF IGNITION. WHEN VEHICLE IS PLACED IN "PARK", I CANNOT TURN THE KEY ALL THE WAY TO THE "LOCK" POSITION SO IT CAN BE REMOVED. INSTEAD, THE KEY WILL STOP AT THE "ACC" POSITION, WHICH PREVENTS ME FROM TURNING THE CAR COMPLETELY OFF. EVEN WITH CONTINUALLY MOVING THE GEAR SHIFT BACK TO "NEUTRAL" THEN INTO "PARK", AS WELL AS TURNING THE KEY TO "ON" AND BACK, IT CAN TAKE SEVERAL MINUTES FOR THE KEY TO RECEIVE THE SIGNAL THAT ALLOWS ME TO TURN IT TO "LOCK" SO I CAN REMOVE IT FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. THIS STARTED ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO, AND NOW HAPPENS MOST TIMES WHEN I PARK THE VEHICLE.

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UNABLE TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION AFTER CAR IS TURNED OFF. REQUIRES SEVERAL ATTEMPTS OF JIGGLING THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER TO FINALLY FREE THE KEY. VEHICLE IS OFF AND NOT MOVING WHEN THIS OCCURS. A QUICK BIT OF RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THIS IS PROBLEM IS OCCURRING ON ALL SUBARU MODELS NOT JUST THE FORESTER. SUBARU SERVICE BULLETIN 16-112-18R ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE. ONLY 40K MILES MY VEHICLE, OUT OF WARRANTY REPAIR IS OVER 500 DOLLARS. I DON'T SEE HOW THIS IS NOT A RECALL IF IT HAPPENING ON ALL SUBARU MODELS, AN OBVIOUS DEFECT HERE.

NHTSA ODI 11268735

I TURNED MY VEHICLE ON IN THE MORNING AND A RED 'I' APPEARED AND A WARNING THAT SRS AIRBAG SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE CHECKED. THE PANEL ON THE DASHBOARD HAS AN AIRBAG LIGHT BLINKING. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT CONTINUES TO SAY 'OFF' DESPITE THERE BEING WEIGHT IN THE SEAT. THERE HAS BEEN NO DAMAGE TO THE SEAT INCLUDING MOISTURE OR ANYTHING TO DAMAGE THE SEAT. HAPPENED COMPLETELY AT RANDOM.

NHTSA ODI 11268238

WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY TO PERFORM BRAKE PAD MAINTENANCE, I NOTICED THAT THE SPRING ON THE REAR LEFT SHOCK WAS BROKEN AT THE BOTTOM. VEHICLE HAS 42660 MILES ON IT.

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ON OCTOBER 2ND 2019 I WAS TRAVELING ON THE EXPRESS WAY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. DAMAGES TO MY CAR WERE SO BAD THAT THE CLAIMS DEPARTMENT DEEMED IT AS A TOTAL LOSS. THE FRONT OF MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY SMASHED IN. NEITHER OF MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT SUBARUS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE SO THIS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING. I'M NOT SURE WHERE TO GO FROM HERE ABOUT THIS BUT IT IS SCARY THAT THIS HAPPENED.*DT*JB

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