What 577 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Subaru Forester

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags); but the remedy failed to fix the vehicle. The contact stated that the air bag warning light had remained illuminated after the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11650315

The problem of a sticking ignition key . I park the car, skip the shifter into park position and the shifter often does not unlock the ignition release switch. That allows the engine shut down and removal of the key from the ignition. It often requires ramming the shifter home into park position , then removing the key. I have seen other notes with this particular problem. My vehicle has just 39,000 + miles . It is a problem.

NHTSA ODI 11650020

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being started, the contact heard an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 156,774.

NHTSA ODI 11647044

While driving at 50 miles an hour or greater on the freeway the right front wheel began to shake violently and it felt like the wheel was going to come off. I checked online and found similar complaints that referenced a Subaru Service bulletin # 05-63-18R dated 6/20/2018 revised 7/10/2018. It effects 2014 -- 2018 Foresters. As it turned out my mechanic said I need to replace front two lower control Arms. The issue was the suspension. My car has 72,000 miles. The cost was $1200.00

NHTSA ODI 11644691

A few years ago, our Subaru Forester had an open recall (WUM98-1) due to an issue with the passenger-side front airbag ODS, which caused the system to fail to detect a passenger, making it unsafe to drive. We had the recall repair completed at the time. However, about a month ago, the same airbag warning light came on again. After taking the vehicle in for service, we were informed that a different part (passenger front seat bottom assembly) now needs to be replaced due to code B1650. The dealership stated that this part is on a three-month backorder, leaving us with an unresolved safety issue. Since this appears to be the same underlying problem affecting the passenger airbag system, I am reporting it to the NHTSA to determine if other Foresters are experiencing similar failures. Additionally, this is an expensive repair, and I believe it warrants further investigation to determine if Subaru should take responsibility for addressing it.

NHTSA ODI 11643722

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle after the vehicle had been parked in the parking garage for six days, the contact became aware that the front windshield had developed a 12-inch crack across the middle bottom. The contact stated that there were no objects that could have caused that crack near or around the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the failure with the front windshield was common for the year, make, and model, but had not provided a specific cause for the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,000.

NHTSA ODI 11640454

Hello. Please explain the difference between the Subaru Exhaust Pipe (Front) Warranty Extension, (WI22-013) and the Subaru Exhaust Pipe Front (EPF) Bellows Cracking (WUJ-95). Please explain why Exhaust Pipe Front (EPF) Bellows Cracking (WUJ-95) is a NHTSA recall but Exhaust Pipe (Front) Warranty Extension, (WI22-013) is only a warranty extension. Please explain why Subaru has chosen to void warranty extensions for Rebuilt/Restored titled cars? If a recall is a mandatory action taken by a manufacturer to address a safety concern, and a service bulletin is a non-critical notification about a performance or reliability issue, isn’t exhaust fumes coming from cracks at the bellows section of the front exhaust pipe which includes the catalytic converter a safety concern? Isn’t a leak occurring at the front exhaust pipe which may result in deterioration of emission performance resulting in the vehicle’s failure to meet emission levels certified by the EPA and/or California ARB a safety issue? Why isn’t Exhaust Pipe (Front) Warranty Extension, (WI22-013) a recall like Exhaust Pipe Front (EPF) Bellows Cracking (WUJ-95)?

NHTSA ODI 11640215

When closing the liftgate during the normal course of use, the liftgate support cylinder on the driver's (left) side failed (metal ball joint snapped where it connects to the liftgate), causing the support cylinder to fall between the liftgate and the rear tail light. Without this support cylinder in place, the liftgate did not receive enough support from the right side support cylinder and rapidly fell down, smashing the left support cylinder into the left tail light, cracking the tail light assembly. Additionally, there was no way to secure the liftgate with the broken support cylinder still attached to the body of the vehicle. Fortunately, we were in the parking lot of a hardware store where I was able to purchase a ratchet kit to remove the two bolts connecting the support cylinder to the body of the vehicle. Had this occurred somewhere else, I would have had to drive the vehicle somewhere else with the liftgate unsecured. This was an extremely dangerous situation as the liftgate could have seriously injured someone who may have been underneath when the support cylinder failed. Additionally, the way the support cylinder is installed, when it fails, it WILL break the rear tail light assembly. The support cylinder has nowhere to go but across the tail light. The problem was not reproduced by a dealer, but the same thing happened to the support cylinder on the other side (passenger, right side) of the car not even 6 months later. We have only had the car 8 years. There is no reason this component should fail in 8 years when using the liftgate under normal operating conditions. There are no warning signs that this will happen. It simply just fails and the liftgate comes crashing down. I did not have a mechanic look at the issue as it simply requires a new support cylinder (OEM part at Subaru costs $138). I was able to replace the cylinder when the part arrived, but my tail light is still cracked. I will have to replace that as well ($289 at Subaru).

NHTSA ODI 11637135

When closing the liftgate during the normal course of use, the liftgate support cylinder on the passengers (right) side failed (metal ball joint snapped where it connects to the liftgate), causing the support cylinder to fall between the liftgate and the rear tail light. Without this support cylinder in place, the liftgate did not receive enough support from the left side support cylinder and rapidly fell, smashing the right support cylinder into the right tail light, shattering the tail light assembly. Additionally, there was no way to secure the liftgate with the broken support cylinder still attached to the body of the vehicle. Fortunately, my wife had a ratchet set in the vehicle from the last time this happened and was able to remove the two bolts connecting the support cylinder to the body of the vehicle. Had she not had the ratchet set in the car, she would have had to drive the vehicle somewhere else with the liftgate unsecured. This was an extremely dangerous situation as the liftgate could have seriously injured someone who may have been underneath when the support cylinder failed. Additionally, the way the support cylinder is installed, when it fails, it WILL break the rear tail light assembly. The support cylinder has nowhere to go but across the tail light. The problem was not reproduced by a dealer, but the same thing happened to the support cylinder on the other side (driver, left side) of the car only 5 months earlier. We have only had the car 8 years. There is no reason this component should fail in 8 years when using the liftgate under normal operating conditions. There are no warning signs that this will happen. It simply just fails and the liftgate comes crashing down. I did not have a mechanic look at the issue as it simply requires a new support cylinder (OEM part at Subaru costs $138). I was able to replace the cylinder when the part arrived, but my tail light is still shattered. I will have to replace that as well ($289 at Subaru).

NHTSA ODI 11637139

Over a year ago, the vehicle started reporting that the passenger side seat sensor was not working correctly, and would fail to register that the seat was actually occupied. The vehicle was taken to a Subaru dealer who told us that a replacement sensor was unavailable, and that the part would have to be made and shipped from Japan, and that it could take as a long as a year to be received. The sensor has intermittently worked or not since that time. When we had the vehicle in for service recently we were told that the part still was not available, and that it could still take a year for a replacement part to be available. This is a serious safety issue.

NHTSA ODI 11637164

The WUM-98 recall fix did not address the problem with the front passenger occupancy detection system. We, and many other Subaru Forester owners are continuing to experience problems post recall repair with the SRS Airbag light on, indicating error code B1760 "Occupant Detection Sensor Mat" failure. Subaru is not covering the cost of addressing this problem, and the entire seat frame and bottom cushion (that includes the sensor mat) are required to be replaced at the consumer's expense, with bills for repair in excess of 1.700. And, due to the high demand for this repair, parts are not available to perform the repair for as much as 6 months! This is jeopardizing the safety of occupants in the front passenger seat for extended periods of time while waiting for parts, whereby the airbag is not active due to the sensor mat problem. The original recall should have encompassed not only the harness cable component, but also the sensor mat. This is a very obvious Subaru Problem and they should take responsibility and not pass this off to their customers

NHTSA ODI 11635517

The passenger seat sensor intermittently turns on and off as indicated by the warning light on the dashboard and the "passenger airbag on off" light indicating it is off when an adult passenger is sitting in the seat. This put the passenger at risk of serious injury if a collision would have occurred or could occur. I took my car to the dealership on January 1, 2025 where they inspected the vehicle and said that the seat sensor needed to be replace costing 1,700. The above warning first occurred on December 19, 2024 and then on December 26, 2024, which both occurred on a 250-mile trip. The passenger airbag wiring harness was replaced under recall in August 2020 but failed to correct the problem. Internet searches have indicated that this is a continuing safety issue, but currently there is no recall on the seat sensor.

NHTSA ODI 11635084

The air system has gone out in the car completely, you can hear it run or try to and then kick off, i have checked and it has not been recalled. there were no accidents prior to the air system giving out. it started around the june 2024, but it didn’t affect vision at that time. it started affecting vision as winter approached (nov 2024). My vision is now completely affected as the weather is hitting temps as low as 10° and the heating system doesn’t work at all. all the defoggers/defrosters nor actual vents. it has been out for a bit, but now it is becoming dangerous as my vision is highly affected, i even bought a heater for in the car and my vision is still affected. i haven’t gotten it looked at as it’s not something im sure is affordable, so it’s a work in progress, but this isn’t the only time i have hear of this same brand car’s defroster/defogger has gave up. my vision is almost completely affected at times due to this.

NHTSA ODI 11633996

The WUM-98 recall fix did not address the problem with the front passenger occupancy detection system. We, and many other Subaru Forester owners are continuing to experience problems post recall repair with the SRS Airbag light on, indicating error code B1760 "Occupant Detection Sensor Mat" failure. Subaru is not covering the cost of addressing this problem, and the entire seat frame and bottom cushion (that includes the sensor mat) are required to be replaced at the consumer's expense, with bills for repair in excess of 2,000. And, due to the high demand for this repair, parts are not available to perform the repair for as much as 6 months! This is jeopardizing the safety of occupants in the front passenger seat for extended periods of time while waiting for parts, whereby the airbag is not active due to the sensor mat problem. The original recall should have encompassed not only the harness cable component, but also the sensor mat.

NHTSA ODI 11633282

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and several safety features failed to function as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the check engine warning light had been illuminated intermittently for over a month prior to a diagnostic test. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where DTC code: P0420 was retrieved, and the vehicle was diagnosed with catalytic converter failure. The contact was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was scheduled to be repaired. The contact researched Warranty Extension: 09-84-22; however, the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under any warranty programs. In addition, the contact stated that the case manager provided false information and stated that the Warranty Extension document did not exist. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11628507

Wheel lug nuts are frozen and cannot be removed without breaking the stud in many cases. TSB 05-79-20 mentions that Subaru was aware but offers no warranty for this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11628536

The control arms on my 2017 Subaru Forester started malfunctioning at a relatively low mileage (~48K miles) and need to be replaced. This seems to be a common issue with Subaru Forester and Outback models manufactured between 2014 and 2019: - [XXX] - [XXX] - [XXX] - [XXX] There are many similar complaints and discussions online. My family has used our car in the San Francisco Bay Area exclusively for commuting. The roads here are in decent condition, and the climate is far from severe. The fact that these parts wore out so quickly suggests a possible manufacturing defect. I wonder why there hasn’t been a recall on these parts, given the potentially fatal implications. The car begins shaking on highways at speeds of 55–65 mph, making it feel as though the wheels might fall off. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11626788

My subaru forester started smelling and rattling loud. My mechanic told me it could be the muffler. I took it to the muffler shop and it was the catalytic converter. I had to pay $800 to fix it but my friend who had the same exact car had it replaced at Subaru for free. My car is under 8 years old and 100,000 miles. I read that it should be covered by Subaru. I called them and they never replied and wanted to charge $299 just for a diagnostic check. There should have been a recall notice on the Subaru Forester 2017. It's catalytic converter is faulty. I had to smell the fumes and so did my grandson.

NHTSA ODI 11623867

When I park my car, I have to press extremely hard on the brake pedal before I move the gear shift into park. If I do not, it will not let me remove my keys from the ignition and the car stays on. It seems as though the keys get stuck and the car will not turn off. I have not taken it in for servicing yet. It started happening after I got it inspected. Sometime in July/August. It happens almost every time I drive unless I press really hard and down on the brake pedal. I am going to use today’s day, see below.

NHTSA ODI 11616987

Hello, RE: Recurring Occupant Detection System problem, 2017 Subaru Forester The occupant detection system for the front passenger seat is intermittently failing. The symptoms are exactly the same as before 2020 repairs of wiring harness were made for recall WUM-98R. Despite having a passenger in the front passenger seat, the warning lights will sometimes show that the airbag is off. I have had the problem verified by my local Subaru dealer, Fitzgerald Subaru in Rockville, MD, on [XXX]; they simply reset the warning system. But the problem comes back, putting my passenger at risk. And I have contacted the Subaru Customer Advocacy Department, representative Abie on [XXX], who assigned a case number [XXX]. However, there has been no follow-up, despite my four additional calls in an effort to recontact Abie, who fails to return calls or make other contact efforts. I am unsure based on Fitzgerald Subaru's inspection if the issue is caused by the wiring harness again, or a different component in the occupant detection system. Thank you for any help. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11616846

Hello. Subaru has a recall: WUJ-95R for cracked exhaust bellows. It turns out, these bellows crack as a result of the materials used in manufacturing and have issued a Service Bulletin: 09-84-22R. My question is why is 09-84-22R a Service bulletin and not a recall like WUJ-95R? My cabin fills with exhaust fumes at low speeds when the fan is blowing and I'm not using recirculation. Subaru refuses to extend the warranty through the Service Bulletin on a branded title vehicle. It's still an unsafe condition, regardless of the branded title. It's the same issue that spans multiple models and production years. Subaru of America has refused repairing my vehicle and local dealerships won't service with a warranty.

NHTSA ODI 11615077

The Occupant Detection System (ODS) has failed in this 2017 Subaru Forester. The dealership tried replacing the wiring harness under a previous recall but it did not fix the problem. The ODS does not correctly identify when a passenger is seated in the passenger seat and therefore will not properly activate the passenger airbag. I ordered a replacement seat assemby in October 2023 but to date the dealership has been unable to obtain the part, and has been unable to fix the ODS malfunction in any other way.

NHTSA ODI 11614619

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while operating the vehicle and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle wound not properly accelerate. The failure also occurred while accelerating from a complete stop. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11612354

Passenger air bag light on dash coming on, started off dinging even with no one sitting in the passenger seat. Now the Air bag light stays on constantly. I was told by the Subaru dealership near me that they found a B1650 in the system for occupant detection malfunction. Tested the seat with a human and the scan tool and they found the sensor is not picking anything up. The mechanic told me the seat appeared to be wet, which it was not and has never had water damage. The vehicle is garage kept and has low mileage so minimal exposure. The dealership told me I would have to pay 160 for diagnostic and 1200 before tax to have the seat base replaced. I know there was a recall for the passenger air bag in the past which I did take into the same dealership who says the replaced the defective part. I feel the Subaru company should stand behind their product and correct this issue. I was told they would not guarantee the airbag would work, which is a HUGE safety issue.

NHTSA ODI 11606645

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the contact stated that all four wheels seized. The contact stated that the transmission had seized. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving on a busy highway. The contact stated that the driver of a big truck assisted by stopping the oncoming traffic. The contact stated that a tow truck and the Police arrived on the scene. The contact stated that the tow truck driver was unable to load the vehicle onto the tow truck. The tow truck driver had to drag the vehicle onto the tow truck. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

NHTSA ODI 11604364