What 207 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Subaru Forester Wilderness

While driving this car on April 4, 2026 at around 6PM, I experienced the distinct smell of gasoline. I had driven for about 5 minutes on our way to a local restaurant that is approximately an 8 minute drive from our residence. My wife said that she had just filled the gas tank that afternoon. After arriving at the restaurant, I checked the gas cap to ensure it was tightly sealed. I also checked to ensure no fuel was leaking from the car. After finishing dinner, we I drove the car back to my residence and once again, 5 minutes into the drive, I smelled gasoline. After we arrived home, I check the vehicle exterior for leaks and found no liquids under the car. The following day, April 5, 2026 at approximately 1115 AM, having once again found no liquids or gasoline under my car, I drove the car to my local repair shop; an 8 minute drive. About 5 minutes into the drive, I smelled gasoline again. I parked the car at the repair shop, but while adjusting the parking to fit better between the painted lines, I saw and heard a large puff of smoke from the hood area. I immediately put the car into Park, shut off the engine and ran from the car. After exiting, I saw that the car ignited with visible fire under the engine compartment. I called 911 to request fire department help. No damage to any structures or other cars occurred. Q1 Above: No the car is totaled and unavailable for inspection as far as I know. Q2 Above: I had to run from a burning car. Q3 Above: No. Q4 Above: Yes, the car was inspected by my insurance company, USAA. Q5 Above: No, there were no warning lights or any indictor that there was trouble. I would like to note that the car was brought in to my Subaru dealership service station (Hyman Brothers in Midlothian, VA) for a heater element safety recall several months ago.

NHTSA ODI 11731868

The contact owned a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 4 MPH and slowing to park, the vehicle accelerated on its own. The contact stated that the vehicle drove out of the parking lot and crashed into a wall. The contact stated that the air bags deployed and that the vehicle had then shifted into reverse (R) and driven out away from the wall and crashed into a parked vehicle and stopped. The contact stated she was unaware of any warning lights. The contact stated that she had 1 passenger in the front seat and 2 passengers in the rear seat. The contact stated that everyone was shaken and achy, but no cuts or other injuries. The contact stated later that the passengers went on their own to seek medical attention. The contact stated that the passenger front bumper, hood, and wheel well were damaged, and the rear bumper on the passenger side had damage from the crash with the parked vehicle. The contact stated that the other vehicle had minor damage to the right rear quarter panel. The police were called and issued a report. The vehicle was towed to a collision repair shop, but had not been repaired. The vehicle had not been diagnosed for the independent acceleration and reverse failures. The contact stated that her insurance provider had not yet declared the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 11723858

Vehicle was parked and idling unoccupied for under 5 minutes when an extremely noxious, hot blast of fumes came from underneath the back. Black smoke immediately entered the passenger cabin through the vents and flames were visible in the engine compartment and running onto the ground. Entire vehicle was burned beyond recognition in a matter of minutes. Ten days earlier the TCV, a known problem, had been replaced at a dealership per TSB 09-80-21. The vehicle had been driven under 300 miles since the replacement. Afterwards, a manufacturer rep inspected the vehicle, indicated the fire started in right rear of the engine compartment, could have possibly been a fuel leak, but damage was too extensive to determine the exact cause. The referenced TSB explicitly requires a new fuel line for every TCV replacement.

NHTSA ODI 11573729

The 2021 Subaru Forester had been functioning normally with no warning lights. About 25 minutes into the drive I had come to a stop light on an upward incline. When the light turned green I moved from the brake to the gas as usual. However the auto-start function on the car failed, causing the engine to stall. A loud clunking sound was heard and the dashboard lit up with multiple lights, although I do no recall which ones were illumined. I attempted to press the gas again and the car did not respond. During this short time my foot was pressing on the gas the car rolled backwards and collided with the vehicle behind me. I continued attempting to press the gas pedal and still no acceleration was made. After parking and restarting the car it has resumed normal function. I have not yet visited the dealership so this issue has not yet been reproduced, nor has the offending system been inspected. I'm summary, the automatic engine start failed at a critical location, putting myself and others in serious danger and ultimately caused a crash.

NHTSA ODI 11571429

on 7/9/22 @ 6:00p I was with my wife & 2 grandsons going into a diner parking lot. as I was slowly going into a spot the car suddenly and without warning accelerated causing the car to drive over a cement parking stop, over a 1foot high cement wall, through a chain linked fence which had privacy covering, down into a 12 deep ravine. after shutting off the car my grandsons, wife & myself had to crawl out through the rear hatch. when things quieted down we realized that none of the safety features were activated (anti-collision warning, anti-collision braking) I thank God no one was hurt. Subaru needs to look into this so in the future no one ever experiences this.

NHTSA ODI 11473641

The contact owned a 2021 Subaru Forester Sport. The contact stated while driving at 75 MPH, the front end of the vehicle crashed into a small deer. The air bags did not deploy. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact's friend who was occupying the front passenger seat exited the vehicle and inspected the front end of the vehicle. The contact's friend then advised her to immediately exit the vehicle as there were flames underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated while she was exiting the vehicle and letting her three dogs who were occupying the rear seats out of the vehicle, the fire expanded to the entire front end of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle burned significantly. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of the fire department. A fire department report was filed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was totaled. The contact sustained a soreness on the right knee but did not seek medical assistance. The dealer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11469060