What 70 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Subaru Forester Wilderness

The contact owned a 2023 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently accelerated, and the Forward Collision Avoidance system was inoperative, causing the front center of the vehicle to crash into five other vehicles while trying to stop the vehicle. The air bags deployed as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was deemed a total loss at the scene. A Police report was filed. No injuries were sustained, and medical attention was not needed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

NHTSA ODI 11749571

Vehicle caught fire after oil change. Oil leaked from engine onto catalytic converter and causes catastrophic engine fire

NHTSA ODI 11743185

Vehicle had just received an oil change at the dealership and the car caught fire. Oil leaked onto the catalytic converter and ignited. Car was a total loss. After my own review, there are several instances of this happening and many customers have experienced similar fires. The oil filter is inverted which makes leaks more susceptible

NHTSA ODI 11698669

The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 15-20 MPH and attempting to make a right turn into the right lane, the steering wheel failed to respond as needed and pulled to the left direction, causing the vehicle to drive over the dividing lane concrete and hit an unknown object. The contact was able to pull into a driveway partially. The air bags did not deploy. A police officer later informed the contact that the vehicle had hit another vehicle, but the other driver did not sustain injury. Triple A transported both the contact and the contact's sister, who was occupying the front passenger's seat, to the residence, and the vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an autobody repair shop, where it was being repaired for body damage. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a swollen right foot, knee, and ankle, and the contact received medical assistance at the urgent care center. The contact's sister, who was occupying the front passenger's seat, sustained a heart-related injury and sought medical assistance at the ER. The dealer later informed the contact that several warning lights had flashed on the dealer's connected system. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

NHTSA ODI 11696075

Currently suspected that the vehicle battery was installed incorrectly during assembly. Engine fire started at the battery wiring and vehicle was a total liss

NHTSA ODI 11657516

I was driving on a two lane highway in the mountains and came around a small right-veering turn in the road. I straightened out the wheel to resume traveling straight, and my car’s auto-steer kicked in and pulled left into the center divider, and then right across two lanes and crashed into the side of the mountain. The auto-steer has pulled me out of lanes prior to this incident as well.

NHTSA ODI 11625984

The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly and the RPMs were significantly high. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact shifted to park(P) and turned off the vehicle, and the vehicle decelerated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as needed. Additionally, the contact stated while his wife was reversing, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly and hit a chained gate. The contact's wife depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle went into the woods, hit several small trees, and then the vehicle crashed into a big tree and bounced 30 ft. away from the tree. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact's wife sustained a sore neck, but did not seek medical assistance. A police report was filed. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was towed to an auto collision repair shop, awaiting for a damage estimate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.

NHTSA ODI 11600803

The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while in a parking lot, the contact depressed the brake pedal and attempted to shift into gear and the vehicle accelerated inadvertently, jumped a curb, and crashed into a tree. The contact was able to put the vehicle in reverse; however, while the contact’s foot was on the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated backward independently. The contact was treated by a local urgent care for whiplash. No one else was involved in the crash. The Police were dispatched to the scene however, no Police report was filed. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, but the mechanic was unable to assist. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,500.

NHTSA ODI 11590008

Hit a deer the vehicle immediately was on fire and burnt to the ground. It had 3000 miles on it

NHTSA ODI 11552427

The contact owned a 2023 Subaru Forrester. The contact stated that while his wife was driving in reverse mode, the vehicle independently accelerated, which caused a crash. The contact stated that the vehicle simultaneously crashed into a parked vehicle and a concrete wall. The vehicle was towed to a collision center and then towed to a tow yard. A police report was filed. The vehicle was condemned as a total loss by the insurance company. The contact also stated that damage was caused to the parked vehicle and to the wall. The vehicle was diagnosed by Subaru Headquarters which advised the contact that they do not share the diagnosis details with the customer. The contact stated that the Subaru Headquarters representative advised him that all their systems for the vehicle worked as designed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 200. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11551364

The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle accelerated unintendedly, and drove over a concrete curb and uphill toward a building. The contact quickly made a right turn, however, the fender and driver's side of the vehicle crashed into the edge of the building and scraped it. The vehicle then drove downhill through the grass and stopped on a sidewalk. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not recall whether a warning light was illuminated. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer informed the contact that it could take approximately two months for a Subaru engineer to diagnose the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they would follow up with her in two days. The failure mileage was approximately 547.

NHTSA ODI 11513387