Complaint volume
482 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Subaru Forester Complaints
482 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Subaru Forester, grouped by component category.
482 Total complaints
26 Crash reports
1 Fire reports
6 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are visibility/wiper, air bags, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 26 crash reports, 1 fire report, 6 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 240 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 20,699 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to visibility/wiper, air bags, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Subaru Forester?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Subaru Forester
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Subaru Forester complaints?
26 Crash
1 Fire
6 Injury
0 Fatality
21 Towed
3 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Subaru Forester complaint categories?
VISIBILITY/WIPER 123
AIR BAGS 55
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 51
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 47
VISIBILITY 19
AIR BAGS,SEATS 17
ENGINE 12
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 11
POWER TRAIN 10
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7
482 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2019 | STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | I WAS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. I DON'T REMEMBER IF I WAS TAKING FOOT OFF BRAKE, OR GAS PEDAL. THIS HAPPEN WITHIN SECONDS. CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE, I SLAMMED ON BRAKES STILL MOVING, I PULLED EMERGENCY BRAKE, STILL MOVING, I HIT BACK END OF PICK-UP TRUCK. BY THEN I HAD PUT CAR IN PARK AND TURNED OFF IGNITION. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | 37,242 |
| May 2019 | STEERING,STRUCTURE | I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP TO WAIT FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC BEFORE MAKING A LEFT TURN. I ONLY HAD ABOUT TWENTY FEET TO GO TO ACCESS THE ANGLED PARKING SPACE FOR THE BUSINESS ON THE CORNER. AS I TURNED INTO THE SPACE, MY FORESTER SUDDENLY JUMPED THE CURB, MOWED DOWN A SIGN POLE, AND CRASHED INTO THE BUILDING WINDOW. AFTER REPLAYING THIS INCIDENT OVER IN MY MIND, I TRULY BELIEVE THIS WAS A CASE OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS INJURED. I WAS ON A CITY STREET AND WAS TOTALLY SHOCKED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED LIKE IT DID. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | 3,010 |
| May 2019 | STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | [XXX] 05/19/2019 [XXX]- CLEAR DAY @ 10AM EST. WHILE IN MY LANE AND TRAVELING STRAIGHT AND WITHIN THE LANE LINES, TWO (2) VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS ACTIVATE AT THE SAME TIME: LANE KEEP ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE WARNING. THE LANE KEEP ASSIST WAS THE STRONGEST "PULL" I'VE EVER FELT AND PULLED/STEERED THE VEHICLE TO RIGHT CAUSING ME NEARLY CROSS INTO THE LANE ON MY RIGHT. MY HANDS WERE ALWAYS ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND WAS ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY CORRECT IT. THE DEPARTURE WARNING ALSO ACTIVATED AT THE INITIAL 'LANE KEEP ASSIST' FEATURE ACTIVATION. ATTACHED IS A PICTURE OF THE ROAD FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE WINDSHIELD HAS DRIED INSECT RESIDUE BUT NOTHING I CONSIDERED VISUALLY IMPAIRING. IF MY HANDS WERE NOT ON THE STEERING WHEEL OR OTHERWISE WAS DISTRACTED, I HAVE NO DOUBT I WOULD HAVE STEERED COMPLETELY INTO THE LANE NEXT TO ME. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT | Crash: No Fire: No | 11,200 |
| May 2019 | STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),VISIBILITY/WIPER | EYESIGHT SHUTS OFF , IN RAIN WHEN MOST NEEDED. DEALER STATES IT IS OK. | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,000 |
| May 2019 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED AND IS NOW HALF ACROSS FROM PASSENGER SIDE. NO KNOWN ROCK HIT SAME. GOOGLED AND NOTICED DOZENS OF WINDSHIELDS CRACKED FROM STRUCTURAL DEFECTS. SUBARU CLAIMS THIS IS WHY EYESIGHT CUTS OFF " EYESIGHT CANNOT SEE IT DON'T WORK." SO I GUESS IT DOESN'T WORK AT NIGHT? | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,000 |
| May 2019 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WITHIN 2 YEARS OF THE WINDSHIELD SUDDENLY CRACKING WHERE A SMALL CHIP WAS. WINDSHIELD CHIPS VERY EASILY. MONTHS LATER THE WINDOW WILL ALL OF A SUDDEN CRACK. ONCE WAS WHEN WE TURNED ON THE DEFROSTER; SECOND TIME WAS WINDOW WAS COLD AND TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS WARMER. FIRST TIME HAPPENED WAS 12/2017. SECOND TIME WAS 5/2019. | Crash: No Fire: No | 16,700 |
| Apr 2019 | STEERING,WHEELS | SINCE I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE IN 2018, WHEN I'M DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT A SPEED BETWEEN 65 TO 70 MY TIRES FEEL UNBALANCED. SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE MY CAR IS SWERVING AND IT FEELS LIKE IT'S HARD TO CONTROL THE CAR . | Crash: No Fire: No | 50 |
| Apr 2019 | SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN | WHEN ON AN INCLINE, AND OR ENTERING A HIGHWAY WHILE ACCELERATING THE CAR WILL GO INTO THE HILL DECENT MODE. EVERY LIGHT ON THE DASH WILL LIGHT UP! I AM FORCED TO PULL OVER BECAUSE THE ENGINE IS NOW SCREAMING!!! I THEN NEED TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON TWO TIMES IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE IT. NOW HALF THE LIGHTS ARE STILL ON. BUT THE CAR IS RUNNING NORMALLY. IT WILL TAKE TO MORE TIMES TURNING OFF THE ENGINE BEFORE ALL THE LIGHTS GO OFF. THE DEALER CLAIMED I WAS DRIVING TWO FOOTED. LEFT FOOT ON BRAKE AND RIGHT ON GAS. NOT TRUE I DO NOT DRIVE LIKE THAT. YOU CAN VERIFY THIS BEHAVIOR WITH STARLINK WHICH I HAD THE FIRST YEAR. STAMFORD SUBARU HAS HAD THE CAR A WEEK NOW AND I HAVE HEARD NOTHING! THE SECOND ISSUE IS THE FRONT END. WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP OR TURNING INTO A DRIVEWAY THERE IS A LOUD CLUNK. TO ME IT SOUNDS LIKE BALL JOINTS. STAMFORD SUBARU HAS TOLD ME IT IS THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM LIFTING ONE WHEEL OFF THE GROUND, THAT'S BULL. I'M DOING FIVE MILES AN HOUR. BOTH ISSUES HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER A YEAR. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN MY SUBARU. STAMFORD SUBARU HAS GIVEN ME AN IMPRESA AS A LONER AND I AM LOVING IT. I HAVE PUT SIX HUNDRED MILES ON IT AND NO PROBLEMS. PLEASE GET IN THEIR BUTTS TO FIX OR REPLACE MY FORESTER!!! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE... PS, THE COMPUTER CODE SAID INCORRECT GEAR RATIO FOR THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. IN ADDITION THIS HAS HAPPENED FIVE TIMES IN A YEAR AND FOUR MONTHS. VERY SCARY!!! | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,000 |
| Apr 2019 | AIR BAGS | 2018 SUBARU FORESTER: PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM FAILS & TURNED ITSELF OFF. HAPPEN 4-5 TIMES IN FALL 2018. 10/23/2018 I TOOK TO NORTHEND SUBARU SERVICE CODE B1650, PART BACK ORDERED. 04/05/2019 PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM FAILS & TURNED ITSELF OFF AGAIN. CALLED NORTHEND SUBARU SERVICE. PART STILL BACK ORDERED MORE THAN 5 MONTHS. THEY SAY 60+ ARE AWAITING PARTS IN NEW ENGLAND. IS SUBARU REPORTING TO YOU THIS TYPE OF SAFETY ISSUE? WILL I HEAR THAT YOU RECEIVED MY NOTIFICATION TO YOU? | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,000 |
| Apr 2019 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2018 SUBARU FORESTER WITH EYESIGHT. 16 INCH LONG CURVED CRACK ORIGINATING FROM DEFROSTER AREA AT BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD ON DRIVER'S SIDE, CURVING UP INTO DRIVER'S FIELD OF VISION. CRACK OCCURRED WHILE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, PARKED IN OWNER'S DRIVEWAY. NOTHING WAS SEEN OR HEARD STRIKING THE WINDSHIELD BEFORE THE CRACK SUDDENLY APPEARED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 16,000 |
| Apr 2019 | STEERING | ON STRAIGHT HIGHWAY SOMETIMES WILL GIVE A JERK TO THE RIGHT. HAD VEHICLE IN FOR ISSUE THEY FOUND STEERING SHAFT BOLT LOOSE. THEY RETORQUED TO SPEC. DROVE TO FLORIDA STILL HAS SAME ISSUES. WHEN IN A BANKED TURN DOES NOT HOLD TURN PROPERLY. WHEN ON ABSOLUTELY STRAIGHT HIGHWAY STEERING WHEEL APPEARS TO BE SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT OF 6:00. MAKING APPT WITH DEALERSHIP AGAIN. DON'T KNOW WHEN IT STARTED, WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING DUE TO MY MEDICAL ISSUE. *BF 'PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,773 |
| Mar 2019 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | OUR WINDSHIELD CRACKED SPONTANEOUSLY, STARTING AT THE WIPER PARK HEATER ON THE DRIVER SIDE. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN A PARKING GARAGE WHEN THE CRACK SPONTANEOUSLY APPEARED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 2,000 |
| Mar 2019 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I PURCHASED THIS CAR 7/31/18. ON 12/21/18 (ODOMETER 3,427 MILES), THE FIRST MORNING WITH A HARD FROST, I FOUND THAT MY 2018 SUBARU FORESTER (STATIONARY AND PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY) HAD DEVELOPED A CRACK OVERNIGHT FROM THE LOWER LEFT CORNER OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE UPWARD. (NO CRACK THE DAY BEFORE) I DROVE THE CAR 3 MILES TO WORK, CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT, AND SCHEDULED A SERVICE MANAGER EVALUATION APPOINTMENT THAT MORNING. I DROVE 12 MORE MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP. IN UNDER 3 HOURS, DRIVING TOTAL 15 MILES, SINCE DISCOVERING THE CRACK AND ARRIVING AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE CRACK HAD PROGRESSED UP AND ACROSS THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE SERVICE MANAGER AGREED TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD AT NO COST TO ME, "AS A ONE-TIME GOOD WILL GESTURE". HE POINTED TO THE BASE OF THE CRACK WHICH BEGAN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BLACK AREA BORDERING THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD, CLAIMED HE COULD SEE A CHIP, AND DUG HIS PEN INTO THE GLASS TO ENLARGE THE CRACK. TO ME, THIS ARE LOOKED MORE A FLAW IN THE GLASS WHERE BROKEN WINDSHIELD MAY HAVE HAD A FLAW HAD FLEXED DUE TO THE FREEZING WEATHER. HE DESCRIBED THE DAMAGE AS A CHIP ON MY REPAIR TICKET, WHICH IS MISLEADING IF AN ANALYSIS IS DONE ON THE CRACK, BUT IT SUPPORTS THE TICKET'S NOTE THAT THIS WAS A 1-TIME REPAIR AT NO CHARGE, WITH NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE SIMILAR REPAIRS. THE DEALER DELAYED THE REPAIR DUE TO CHRISTMAS, AND THE CRACK CONTINUED TO PROGRESS ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. REPLACEMENT INSTALLATION SCHEDULED FOR 12/26/18. ARRIVING FOR MY APPOINTMENT I WAS TOLD THE WINDSHIELD WAS ORDERED BUT THE DEALER FAILED TO SCHEDULE AN INSTALLER. THEY KEPT MY CAR UNTIL THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED ON 12/28/19. THEY PROVIDED A LOANER CAR. RESEARCHING SUBARU WINDSHIELD CRACKS ONLINE, I LEARNED THAT SUBARU WINDSHIELDS HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKING, BEGINNING WITH A 2016 OUTBACK RECALL, BUT FORESTER OWNERS ALSO ARE REPORTING CRACKS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,427 |
| Mar 2019 | AIR BAGS,SEATS | PASSENGER SIDE SEAT SENSOR DETECTS PERSON SITTING IN SEAT AND TURNS ON THE AIRBAG WHEN THE SEAT IS EMPTY. NOTIFICATIONS TURNS ON AT CAR STARTUP AND WILL TURN ON WHILE VEHICLE IS MOVING. CAR WAS BOUGHT MAY 31ST, 2018. THIS BEHAVIOR STARTED ON THE FIRST COLD DAY IN MY AREA (ROUGHLY LATE NOVEMBER/EARLY DECEMBER 2018). | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,000 |
| Feb 2019 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | THE EYESIGHT HAD BEEN MANIPULATED TO A WARNING EVEN WHEN THERE'S NO OBSTRUCTION WHILE DRIVING FORWARD, WHILE BACKING UP IT GIVES A WARNING THAT SOMEONE OR A VEHICLE IS ADJACENT TO MY CAR. THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE PROBLEMS I ENCOUNTER. I HAVE AN IDEA WHO'S BEHIND THIS. BUT I CANNOT PROVE IT. SOMEONE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE IN COMPUTER SECURITY WITHIN MY VICINITY. IT COMPROMISES THE SAFETY FEATURE OF THE CAR WHILE DRIVING AND EVEN BACKING UP IN MY GARAGE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 7,100 |
| Feb 2019 | STEERING,ENGINE | HAD SUBRA 2018 FOR 2 WEEKS OIL LIGHTS COME ON ALL LIGHTS BEEN HAVING THIS OIL BURNING FOR A YEAR. NOW THE STEERING FREEZE UP WHILE DRIVING IT LAST WEEK COULDN'T MOVE CAR AT ALL ON THE HIGHWAY TURNING. IT WOULDN'T MOVE GOOD THING WE WEREN'T GOING FAST ON A INTERSTATE. SAT ON SIDE OF ROAD WITH IT. READ BOOK TRYING TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON NO STEERING THAT CAR AT ALL. I DIDN'T BUY A BRAND NEW CAR WITH PROBLEMS LIKE THAT. THE OIL ISSUE BEEN GOING ON SINCE I GOT CAR IN 2017. BEEN BACK A FORTH TO DEAL SHIP NOTHING DONE WHAT SO EVER | Crash: No Fire: No | 14,771 |
| Feb 2019 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2018 FORESTER WITH 1100 MILES FIRST EPISODE (FEBRUARY 2 ,2019)APPROACHING A RED LIGHT AT LOW SPEED (10 TO 15 M/H) AT INTERSECTION WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC ; CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED , HAD TO BRAKE FORCEFULLY TO PREVENT ADVANCING INTO TRAFFIC SECOND EPISODE (FEBRUARUNUY 4,2019); IN PARKING GARAGE AT NO MORE THAN 10M/H) SUDDEN AND UNINTENDED ACCELARATION ; I WAS ABLE TO FORCEFULLY BRAKE ,CAR STOPPED JUST INCHES FROM CONCRETE WALL ' . NO DAMAGE TO DRIVER , CAR OR OTHER PEOPLE OR PROPERTY. CAR TOWED TO MULLER SUBARU ,HIGHLAND PARK IL I NOTIFIED SUBARU HEADQUARTERS. SECOND EPISODE (FEBRUARY 4,2019 | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 1,100 |
| Jan 2019 | SEAT BELTS | SEAT WARNING BUZZE WHEN THE DRIVER OR THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT IS NOT FASTENED THE BUZZER SOUNDS FOR APPROXIMATELY 8 SECONDS. HOWEVER, AFTER THIS INTERVAL, IF EITHER BELT IS STILL UNFASTENED BUZZER CONTINUES TO CHIME IN EVER INCREASING VOLUME. THE MANUAL STATES THAT THIS DISTURBING SECOND CHIME CAN BE DISABLED BY A SUBARU DEALER. I WENT TO TWO DEALERS ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND THEY REFUSED TO COMPLY. I CALLED SUBARU AND I WAS ADVISED THAT THE COMPANY HAS NO CONTROL OVER THE ACTIONS OF THEIR DEALERS WHO ARE INDEPENDENT ENTITIES. REFER TO PAGE 3-14 OF THE OWNER'S MANUAL. I WANT TO DISCONNECT THIS FEATURE AS IT IS A HAZARD TO SAFE DRIVING. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,800 |
| Jan 2019 | AIR BAGS,SEATS | MY 2018 SUBARU FORESTER IS EXPERIENCING FAULTY ACTIVATION OF THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG LIGHT SINCE JUNE 2018. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW IN AUGUST 2017. THE DASHBOARD READS THAT THERE IS NO AIRBAG ON FOR THE PASSENGER WHILE SOMEONE WAS SEATED THERE AND THE CAR WAS SITTING OR IN MOTION. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON AND OFF SINCE JUNE 2018. THE LIGHT READS PERIODICALLY THAT NONE OF THE AIRBAGS ARE ON. AFTER BRINGING IT TO MY SUBARU DEALER IN AUGUST 2018, I WAS TOLD THAT A PART WOULD BE ORDERED AND THAT IT WAS THE PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION THAT NEEDED REPLACED. AFTER WAITING A MONTH, I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THAT SUBARU HAS TO CREATE AND MANUFACTURE THIS SEAT CUSHION STILL, AND THEY HAD NO IDEA WHEN THIS WOULD BE DONE. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DRIVE MY FORESTER FOR ALMOST 6 MONTHS NOW DUE TO THE SAFETY ISSUES OF DRIVING WITHOUT THE GUARANTEE OF AIRBAGS DEPLOYING. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NO ANSWER AS TO WHEN SUBARU WILL EVEN START CREATING THIS NEW PART. I AM SURPRISED IT IS NOT A RECALL SINCE IT IS AN AIRBAG ISSUE, AND THE DEALERSHIP STATED THEY HAD AT LEAST 7 OTHER CUSTOMERS CURRENTLY WITH THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE NOW BEEN WITHOUT MY NEW VEHICLE AND DRIVING A LOANER CAR FROM THE DEALER. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO END IN SIGHT AS TO WHEN THIS ISSUE WILL BE FIXED OR EVEN ADDRESSED BY SUBARU. | Crash: No Fire: No | 9,000 |
| Jan 2019 | AIR BAGS | THE PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG HAS NOT BEEN WORKING FOR ABOUT 9 MONTHS MAKING IT DANGEROUS FOR A PASSENGER (OR NOT AVAILABLE FOR PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY). THE PARTS HAVE BEEN ON ORDER FOR MONTHS BUT STILL NOT DELIVERED. THERE ARE MANY OF THESE ON BACKORDER INDICATING TO ME A SIGNIFICANT SAFERY PROBLEM. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,000 |
| Dec 2018 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | VEHICLE WAS TURNING RIGHT INTO RESIDENTIAL GARAGE. DRIVER EXPERIENCED SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND STRUCK THE WALL OF THE GARAGE, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE STRUCTURE AND THE VEHICLE. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE STRUCK THE RESIDENCE WITH SUFFICIENT FORCE TO SHEAR SEVERAL 2X6 STUDS AND 1/2" OSB SIDING. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED APPROXIMATELY $15K IN DAMAGE THE DRIVER WAS WELL-RESTED AND HAD 20+ YEARS EXPERIENCE DRIVING A SIMILAR SIZE JAPANESE SUV WITH NO ACCIDENTS. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | 2,000 |
| Dec 2018 | POWER TRAIN | ON AUGUST 23, 2018, I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW SUBARU FORESTER (VIN # (XX)) FROM SOUTHERN STATES AUTOMOTIVE IN RALEIGH, NC. ON OCTOBER 30, 2018, I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM SUBARU OF AMERICA STATING THAT SUBARU OF AMERICA IS IMPLEMENTING A WARRANTY EXTENSION OF 10 YEARS/100,000 MILES (WHICHEVER COMES FIRST) FOR MY VEHICLE'S CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION (CVT). ON OCTOBER 31, 2018, AT 5:13 PM, I SPOKE TO ERIC IN SUBARU'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISION. I ASKED ERIC HOW LONG SUBARU HAD KNOWN ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CVTS. HE STATED "TWO WEEKS." I STATED TO ERIC THAT I BOUGHT A SUBARU BECAUSE OF ITS RELIABILITY. I ASKED ERIC TO OFFER ME A LIFETIME WARRANTY ON MY CVT. ERIC STATED THERE WAS NO WAY HE OR ANYONE IN HIS DEPARTMENT COULD DO THAT. AT 7:09 PM ON OCTOBER 31, 2018, I SPOKE TO VIRGIL - A SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPERVISOR. I ASKED VIRGIL TO PROVIDE ME WITH A LIFETIME WARRANTY ON MY CVT. VIRGIL OFFERED ME A $500 SERVICE VOUCHER WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF NOVEMBER 2019. I ASKED VIRGIL HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO REPLACE MY CVT. HE STATED "SIX OR SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS." HE STATED THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE CAPABLE OF REVIEWING MY CONCERNS. ON NOVEMBER 13, 2018, I SPOKE TO DONNIE (X) AND DERRICK (X) IN THE SALES DEPARTMENT AT SOUTHERN STATES SUBARU. BOTH INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ME A LIFETIME WARRANTY FOR MY CVT. I HAVE PAID SUBARU $11,200 TOWARD THE COST OF MY BRAND NEW 2018 FORESTER. I SPECIFICALLY PURCHASED IT BECAUSE OF SUBARU'S REPUTATION FOR RELIABILITY. PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2018 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BACKUP CAMERA'S PICTURE QUALITY HAD BECOME EXTREMELY POOR AND OBJECTS BEHIND THE VEHICLE WERE NOT VISIBLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WHEELING SUBARU (1 NATIONAL RD, WHEELING, WV) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,000 |
| Nov 2018 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE HESITATED BEFORE SUDDENLY LAUNCHING FORWARD. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER (FC KURBECK SUBARU, 200 W. DECATUR AVE, PLEASANTVILLE, NJ) WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4 |
| Nov 2018 | POWER TRAIN | OCCASIONALLY WHEN I SLOWLY ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, AS WHEN I PULL INTO A DRIVING LANE FROM A PARKING LOT A STOP SIGN, THE CAR WILL MOVE A FEW FEET AND THEN STOP. THE ENGINE WILL STILL BE TURNING APPROX. 2000 RPM BUT THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE . WHEN I APPLY THE ACCELERATOR THE RPM DOES NOT CHANGE AND THE CAR STILL WILL NOT MOVE. AFTER ANYWHERE FROM 3-5 SECONDS THE CAR WILL ACCELERATE NORMALLY. OTHERWISE THE CAR PERFORMS NORMALLY AND THERE IS NO HESITATION AT HIGHER SPEEDS. AS A RESULT, I AM SITTING HELPLESS IN A TRAFFIC LAND WITH CARS BEARING DOWN ON ME. S FAR WE HAVE NOT BEEN HIT. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO REPLICATE THIS PROBLEM AND IT MAY OCCUR A FEW TIMES IN ONE DAY OR NIT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM ON A TEST DRIVE. HOWEVER, A SERVICE WRITER WITH THE SAME MODEL DID DESCRIBE A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE. THE SERVICE DEPT. RAN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND SAID THAT EVERYTHING IS NORMAL. SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THAT UNLESS THEY CAN DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. WHEN I GOOGLED THIS PROBLEM I FOUND SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS INVOLVING SEVERAL SUBARU MODELS AND ALSO THAT SUBARU IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT APPARENTLY HAS NOT FOUND A SOLUTION. | Crash: No Fire: No | 9,300 |