What 577 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Subaru Forester

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

On May 20, 2022, I was attempting to back into a parking space when my car lunged forward and crashed into two parked cars. I suffered a cracked sternum. No one else was hurt but I was just a few feet from the ground-level windows of a motel. Much body damage to my car (in excess of $13,000) and the other two cars. Police report was filed. Insurance claim filed. No reproduction of problem sought from manufacturer or dealer. No warning signals from car. Assumption made of driver at fault accident. However, please refer to Detroit Free Press article printed 4/22/23: https://freep-mi.newsmemory.com/?publink=0dd2ac172_134ab3a

NHTSA ODI 11518420

I was pulling into a parellel parking space, braking to slow to a stop when my car surged froward inspite of increased and continued braking and hit the car in front of me. The collision is what stopped the car. My Subaru Forester is very damaged (bumper, lights, and frame rail) and the car in front also had extensive damage. My safety and the safety of the neigbhorhood cars, pedestrians and homes was at risk given my car was unstoppable despite braking. I couldn't understand what happened so I did an internet search for acceleration while braking and many articles came up reguarding several Subaru models (including mine) of "sudden unintended acceleration" issues. What was described was exactly what I experienced. There are several class action lawsuits in the works as Subaru has not taken any responsibility. No dashboard warning lights came on before or after the crash. I took the car to the Subaru dealer I purshased it from. At first they said there would be a 250. dollar diagnostic fee. When I picked it up they said there was an ECM (Engine Control Module) update and they performed it on my car. The update was designed "to address problems" like those I described. The clerk would not elaborate, was very vague and would say nothing beyond that except he didn't know if the update would fix the problem-that we would just have to wait and see. I explained that if it happened again it could have catastrophic consequences, he had nothing to say. He waived the service fee. I got the impression Subaru didn't want to say much because they would be responsible. By waiving the fee they hoped I would just go away. I am left with: a severely damaged car, as is my neighbor's, an accident that looks to be my fault-when in fact it is Subaru's fault, a large deductable to pay, a point on my lisence and increased insurance rates, and a car I have no faith in. This should not be on my driving record. Subaru should be found responsible.

NHTSA ODI 11433469

ON 9/29/18, 1:35 PM WHILE IN THE PROCESS OF PARKING THE VEHICLE AND INITIATING A TURN TO THE RIGHT THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FROM IDLE TO FULL THROTTLE UNINTENTIONALLY AND LAUNCHED ITSELF TOWARDS A 12' X 20' WOOD FRAMED OUTBUILDING ON OUR PROPERTY WHICH HAS AN ATTACHED DECK. BEFORE THE VEHICLE COULD BE SHUT OFF IT HAD JUMPED UP ONTO THE DECK AND SMASHED INTO AND PARTIALLY PENETRATED THE FRONT OF THE OUTBUILDING. FORWARD PROGRESS WAS HALTED WHEN THE REAR PORTION OF THE CAR HAD BECOME HIGH CENTERED ON THE EDGE OF THE DECK. PRESENTLY THE CAR IS STILL ON THE DECK AND PARTIALLY IN THE BUILDING. THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL IS I" OFF THE GROUND. THE LEFT REAR WHEEL DUG ITSELF 3" DOWN INTO THE GRAVEL. - NO ONE WAS INJURED DURING THIS ACCIDENT. THE CAR WAS OCCUPIED BY ONLY THE DRIVER. - THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH THE CAR EXPERIENCED TWO (2) SIGNIFICANT IMPACT EVENTS. 1ST WHEN IT HIT A TEMPORARY WOOD STEP AND THE EDGE OF THE DECK (18" ABOVE GRADE) AND 2ND WHEN IT STRUCK THE BUILDING. MOST OF THE BUMPER WAS TORN OFF THE CAR WHEN IT HIT THE DECK AND IS NOW PINNED UNDER THE CAR. THE IMPACT SHIFTED THE BUILDING APPROX. 3/8" ON IT'S POST & PIER FOUNDATION. - THIS REPORT WAS WRITTEN & SUBMITTED ON 10/1/18. - A WRECKER IS SCHEDULED TO EXTRICATE THE CAR FROM THE OUTBUILDING ON 10/2/18. - THE DRIVEWAY AND PARKING AREA WHERE THIS OCCURRED IS CRUSHED ROCK/GRAVEL. - THE DISTANCE FROM WHERE THE CAR INSTANTLY ACCELERATED TO THE EDGE OF THE DECK WAS APPROXIMATELY 22 FEET. THE FACE OF THE OUTBUILDING IS 8 FEET FROM THE EDGE OF THE DECK. THE DISTANCE COVERED BY THE CAR DURING THIS ACCIDENT WAS APPROX. 30 PLUS FEET. - DURING THIS EVENT AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO CONTROL/STOP THE CAR WITH EXTREME APPLICATION OF THE FOOT BRAKE AND HANDBRAKE AND ULTIMATELY THE STOP BUTTON. - IT WAS A DRY, SUNNY, EARLY FALL DAY IN THE WEST SIDE OF THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS IN WASHINGTON STATE.

NHTSA ODI 11132690