What 577 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Subaru Forester

I was in an accident hit from left driver side and no deployment of airbags

NHTSA ODI 11554768

The bushings on both sides of the lower control arm were confirmed broken at Subaru dealership and replaced. This made the steering wobble over 55 mph. It was very dangerous because I could have lost steering control. There was no warning. My car only has 54,000 miles. I believe 2 weeks after the replacement of the entire lower control arm and both bushings the problem is starting again. Lots of other people have reported this problem and Subaru of America offers you money to help have it fixed if you call them.

NHTSA ODI 11554658

I was at an event for about 3 hours and was parked next to a trailer. When I started driving there was a crack in the lower right hand of my windshield. The event was private and the trailer was not used. I am unsure where this crack came from and am very confused.

NHTSA ODI 11551044

For the last few weeks on several occasions the ignition key remained stuck after parking and shutting off the engine. I was eventually able to release the key but was in a bit of a panic. I believe this should be a recall as I have read about this happening to many Subaru owners.

NHTSA ODI 11550606

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the passenger’s side air bag sensor showed that there was no passenger in the seat. The contact stated on other occasions while there was a passenger seated in the seat, the occupant detection system failed to detect a passenger seated in the seat. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but recurred several times. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the passenger’s air bag sensor needed to be replaced; however, the contact was advised that the sensors were on a national backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and advised the contact that the sensors were on backorder. The contact was recently advised that he would have to take the vehicle back and return the loaner vehicle to the dealer. The contact was advised by the dealer not to have a passenger sit in the front passenger’s seat until the air bag sensor was replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11546927

My passenger airbag light has been on for several months now. And another warning light comes on frequently, telling me to check the SRS airbag system. The first time I mentioned it at the Subaru dealership, they told me there was nothing wrong with it. But I took it in for an oil change, and had them check it again. Because I feel like my passenger is in danger, with the airbag off. This time, they told me I need a new lower seat on the passenger side, that the sensor inside the airbag is faulty. And it will cost almost a thousand dollars fix it. And it would come out of my own pocket. I found out this is a known issue with Subaru, and I don't understand why they don''t have a recall on this. My Subaru service department told me he'd replaced 4 in the last two weeks. That's a lot!

NHTSA ODI 11541176

After driving the vehicle I will arrive at my destination. I will stop, continue pressing the vehicle break while moving the shifter from drive to park. Then, I turn the key to the off position in an attempt to remove my key from the Ignition. About 40-50% of the time, the key can not be removed. In order remove the key I will have to do one of the following: Option 1. Let my foot of of the break, pause, then press my foot hard on the break peddle, move to shifter from park to drive, while continuing to press my foot down hard on the break peddle, move the shifter back from drive to the park position. Often I will have to repeat this process several times to remove the key form the ignition or attempt Option 2.. Option 2. When Option 1 above does not work, with the vehicle turned off and I park, I will release my foot from the break, pause, press down on the break, start the ignition, place my vehicle in drive or reverse (depending how I am parked) and drive the vehicle 2-3 feet, stop and repeat step 1 above. Again, I many have to try this procedure several times. Option 3. After 5-10 minutes and several attempts, I will give up, turn the vehicle off, place it in park, and leave the car unlocked with keys in the ignition. I'm not sure why this has not been addressed prior as I have found several articles from 2008 to 2020 on the same issue, specifically on Subaru's.

NHTSA ODI 11540854

On July 31,2023, approximately 8PM, I was driving my 2017 Subaru slowly as I made the 90degree turn into my driveway. Midway up the driveway, the car suddenly —on its own—spontaneously accelerated , burst through the half open garage door, across the garage, and crashed through the garage wall into my family room—bulldozing through two sheets of plywood and large pieces of firewood in the garage, and then destroying heavy antique furniture in the family room before coming to rest. The jagged remains of the wall prevented opening either the passenger or the driver’s side door. My adult son, [XXX] , was my passenger in the front seat. He climbed to the back, but the hatch has no handle on the inside, so we were trapped in the car. I called 911. Police and Fire departments arrived. Miraculously, we were not hurt, but had anyone been in the family room at the time, they would have been seriously injured or killed. I made an insurance claim with Allstate Insurance Company the next morning. They determined that the car is "repairable" but will not pay for it to be examined and repaired at a Subaru dealership or Subaru certified body shop . They tell me I have to use at shop in their "preferred network" and pay the extra cost that a Subaru facility would charge. A non-Subaru affiliated mechanic theorized that it was a computer problem that caused the malfunction. Doing a "google" search, I find that hundreds of drivers have had this sudden, unexpected acceleration problem,(Subaru Forester years 20120-2018) but that Subaru dealerships are unable to discover the cause. There have also been two "class action" lawsuitsI I called Groove Subaru dealership,(5300 S. Broadway, Englewood, CO, 80113, and the service department man that I spoke with seemed not at all concerned about the spontaneous acceleration issue, and casually recommended a body shop. The UNKNOWN cause needs to be found before someone is killed !!! PLEASE HELP INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11538950

Passenger air bag warning light on dash does not turn off. Other warning light says air bagis off.

NHTSA ODI 11537171

I noticed that the airbag light was continuously illuminated on the dashboard of my Subaru Forester. I promptly took my vehicle to a certified Subaru dealership to have the issue diagnosed and resolved. After a thorough inspection, it was determined that the passenger seat bottom occupant seat mat required replacement to rectify the problem. Otherwise, my airbags would not inflate in the event that I would need them. I would like to emphasize that I have always maintained my vehicle in excellent condition and followed all recommended maintenance procedures. I have never exposed the seat to moisture or allowed any foreign objects to be shoved under it. Furthermore, I am the primary driver of the vehicle and rarely have passengers, which makes it highly unlikely for any undue stress or wear to be placed on the seat mat. Considering the circumstances, it is evident that this issue is a result of a manufacturing defect or premature failure, rather than any negligence or misuse on my part. I find it disconcerting that a critical safety component such as the airbag system would fail within a relatively short period of time and with minimal use. There was a significant repair cost as well.

NHTSA ODI 11536604

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags); however, the failure recurred with the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front passenger’s Occupant Detection System (ODS) and seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the vehicle was out of warranty and offered a credit of $800 toward the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

NHTSA ODI 11533665

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that after the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags), the passenger’s side air bags experienced intermittent functionality failure. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the front passenger’s side seat needed to be replaced; however, the parts were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11530691

The rearview mirror detached from the windshield due to heat. When this happened, the metal button removed a chunk of glass from the windshield, so the surface is not able to be cleaned to reaffix the button that holds the mirror. The rearview mirror is currently dangling by the electrical cord. Note that nothing was hanging from the rearview mirror prior to this incident, so additional weight is not a factor in the incident.

NHTSA ODI 11530017

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, there was an abnormal cracking sound. The contact became aware that a crack had formed on the passenger’s side of the windshield at the bottom in a circular shape. The contact stated that the crack had expanded across the windshield in a spider web shape. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or glass shop. The windshield was not replaced. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.

NHTSA ODI 11528183

During the last few months, the steering wheel has been locking, and I am not able to remove the ignition key. This happen when I stop and park the car, and want to turn the ignition off. I have to move the steering wheel from right to left or vice versa, or drive the car back and forward, until unlocks the steering wheel and I can remove the key. I just found through a web search that other drivers had similar issues.

NHTSA ODI 11526680

I have a 2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i touring that seems to be plagued by a parasitic battery drain issue. I bought the car used in 2019 and successfully moved from Seattle to the Boston area in it shortly after the purchase with no issues. The dead batteries started during the pandemic, when the car was sitting undriven for extended periods of time. I’ve had the battery replaced multiple times, most recently in January of this year with a Diehard (3 yr warranty), and yet, once again, the car is dead and I had to call AAA yet again today. I'm at my wits end and cannot afford to continually purchase new batteries over and over again. My online research has produced dozens and dozens of stories about Subaru knowing about this parasitic drain and not admitting wrongdoing. I even found a class action lawsuit. Some folks online have reported having a mechanic who was able to diagnose which component was causing their drain … not always the same component all of the time, however. Most recently, I read it was the DCM causing the issue. At any rate, I don’t have the technical expertise to mitigate this, so I’m looking for a mechanic who can successfully diagnose where my particular parasitic battery drain is coming from.

NHTSA ODI 11526339

Key repeatedly gets stuck in ignition. Similar problem to other model years. Vehicle needs to be restarted and put in park several times to be able to remove key. Needing to start and move the car several times to remove the key puts pedestrians in the area at risk as visibility in parking spaces is often limited. It happens randomly, and is not regularly reproducible, but happens frequently. We have not yet had it serviced, and there are no warnings when it happens.

NHTSA ODI 11525422

Malfunctioned component is Start / Stop switch. It is a safety Issue since not able to remove the key after stopping and parking the car. This creates issues when we need to get out of the car quickly. This issue can be reproduced. There was no warning or message.

NHTSA ODI 11524755

Cam carrier leak-unreliable car-detected and confirmed by Subaru dealership-no warning lights-appears to be an issue for many Subaru vehicles

NHTSA ODI 11523736

While driving on the highway at 65 MPH another vehicle cut me off causing me to apply my brakes. Car came down to about 20 MPH. Then I attempted to accelerate and the car would not accelerate. I pulled off on the shoulder to check. Everything seemed okay. There was no error codes on the dashboard. I pulled back on the highway and the car accelerated fine. I went in to talk to Subaru service in Jersey City. He said maybe the computer needed to reset itself. Doesnt sound right to me. Something wrong if a defect exist where the computer needs time to reset itself in an emergency braking esp if you have to accelerate on the highwway

NHTSA ODI 11523381

Windshield cracker for NO reason. And rear/back window/glass again cracked for NO reason

NHTSA ODI 11523494

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags); however, the contact stated that intermittently, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred more frequently. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Occupant Detection System (ODS) sensor mat harness needed to be replaced again. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11522952

We heard a new rattle, not uncommon in a Subaru. However, it bugged me to the point I looked into it. I determined it was a loose bolt that holds the female end of the seat belt buckle. I called Subaru of America on 5/4/23 at 3:17pm and was told I would receive a call back within two business days. As of this moment I have not heard from Subaru whatsoever. I checked every seat belt buckle in my other seven Subaru's (including my 1978 Brat) and none or them were loose. I find it unacceptable that Subaru refuses to acknowledge this safety issue. Not to mention its the only vehicle my wife can drive (automatic) and we have a 5 day old child.

NHTSA ODI 11521398

Ignition key does not come out after I put the car in park.

NHTSA ODI 11520919

The windshield has failed without the vehicle suffering any collisions. The failure has led to the epoxy attaching the rear view mirror to detach with the glass from the windshield. Not only does the rear view mirror now hang from the electrical wire, the epoxy was able to remove a chunk of the glass. This has led to a significant safety issue as I’m unable to use my rear view mirror to no fault of my own. It is available for inspection. No dealer or further inspection with my insurance company has occurred.

NHTSA ODI 11521057