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What 577 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Subaru Forester

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.

All (577)Crash / fire / injury (45)Airbags (159)Visibility & wipers (115)Electrical system (105)Engine (46)Transmission & drivetrain (44)Speed control (33)Seats (31)Steering (24)Body & structure (15)Brakes (14)

105 of 577 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters · page 5 of 5

May 29, 2018Electrical systemEngine

I HAVE A TOTAL OF ELECTRICAL POWER LOST FOR 7 TIMES. 2 TIMES WHILE DRIVING I EXPERIENCE ALL ELECTRICAL LOST WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE AND WAS ABLE TO JUMP STARTED THE CAR WITH A JUMPER BATTERY 5 MINUTES LATER. OTHER 5 TIMES IT HAPPENED WHEN I TRY TO START THE CAR AND I DID NOT GET ANY ELECTRICAL POWER AT ALL. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER TWICE AND THEY CHANGE/FIX THE CAR GROUND THE FIRST TIME THAT I LOST ELECTRICAL POWER. THEN THEY CHANGE THE BATTERY AFTER 5 ELECTRICAL POWER FAILURES. I AM ABOUT TO BRING IT IN FOR THE 7TH TIME FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT. I AM TOTALLY LOST CONFIDENT AND NO LONGER FEEL COMFORTABLE OR FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY TWO BOYS ON THIS CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11098426

Apr 3, 2018Transmission & drivetrainElectrical system

CANNOT TURN OFF DISTRACTION OF A NOISY STEREO WHILE GEAR SELECTOR IS IN REVERSE. I BELIEVE THIS IS AN INTENTIONAL DESIGN FEATURE THAT ALWAYS HAPPENS.

NHTSA ODI 11082663

Nov 20, 2017Electrical systemEngine

I WAS MERGING ON I-95 AT 4PM AND IT WAS RAINING, I WAS ACCELERATING INTO THE TRAFFIC PATTERN IN THE RIGHT LANE WHEN SUDDENLY THE ACCELERATOR WOULD NOT RESPOND, THE CAR PANEL WENT BLACK,NO LIGHTS OR INFO SHOWED. I COASTED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD,THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE,IGNITION ON. THE EMERGENCY LIGHT WOULDN'T GO ON, NOR THE BLUETOOTH OR SOS CALL LINE. I SHUT THE CAR DOWN AND INTO PARK AND WAITED A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE WITHOUT A PROBLEM. IF I HAD BEEN IN THE MIDDLE LANE OR NO WHERE TO PULL OFF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC . I TOOK IT TO THE SUBARU DEALER THE NEXT DAY AND THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. TOLD ME IT WAS PROBABLY A GLITCH, YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE A GLITCH AT 70 MPH. I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE MY GRANDKIDS IN THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11047382

Aug 14, 2017Electrical systemEngine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART ITSELF AFTER A FEW MINUTES. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PROFILE SUBARU (1323 NH-16, CONWAY, NH 03818 (603) 447-3845), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,500.

NHTSA ODI 11015101

Oct 17, 2016Electrical systemBody & structure

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CONTROL MODULE SCREEN REFLECTED LIGHT ONTO HER FACE WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT'S VISION WAS IMPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,200.

NHTSA ODI 10916632

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Working with the data? Download all 577 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2017 Subaru Forester verdict →