What 70 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Subaru Forester Wilderness

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

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

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