Home · 2016 Subaru Forester · 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.
5 of 405 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters
I had my foot on the brake, opened the garage door with my garage door opener, and before I took my foot off the brake the car surged, jumped, and smashed into the brick wall next to the garage. I did not put my foot on the gas.
NHTSA ODI 11726168
Vehicle self-accelerated abruptly while parked and crashed into another vehicle causing damage to both vehicles
NHTSA ODI 11684309
Was Backing up and car started excelling and the throttle stuck hitting 2 cars It was out of control I got it in drive and it took off forward running full throttle up over the pavers around a tree and ran up on the side of a BMW which was sitting on the side of The hostess paved driveway coming down the side of the car My car was on 2 wheels . Came off the BMW and slammed into a tree trunk which stopped it. I got out of my car in disbelief . It happened on private property and We did call the police. But since it happened on private property They did not come but told us to get each others info for insurance Purposes
NHTSA ODI 11466929
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE NEIGHBOR NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. MOMENTS LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE NEARBY MOTOR HOME AND HOUSE ALSO CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WERE DESTROYED ALONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.
NHTSA ODI 11209233
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A FENCE AND A POLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE BUMPER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT BODY SHOP AND THEN TO SUBARU OF ENGLEWOOD (135 SOUTH DEAN STREET, ENGLEWOOD, NJ 07631, (201) 816-6000). THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY FAILURES. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED AND LEARNED OF MANY SIMILAR OCCURRENCES, WHICH WERE DUE TO ELECTRICAL FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS AN EVENT DATA RECORDER THAT THE DEALERS DID NOT HAVE AND THEY WERE INVESTIGATING THE MATTER. THE MANUFACTURER FURTHER STATED THAT THEY WOULD CALL THE CONTACT IF THEY DECIDE TO SEND THE EQUIPMENT TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS HAD TO INCIDENTS OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION THAT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO OTHER VEHICLES CAUSING DAMAGE.*JS
NHTSA ODI 11123166
Working with the data? Download all 405 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026