2014 Subaru FORESTER
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2014 Subaru FORESTER has 576 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 7.2x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is suspension problems (16% of all complaints), specifically: subaru corporate recently purchased my 2014 forester back under the lemon law. this was after i had 4 documented incidents of the vehicle veering sporadically out of control around 55 mph. it was inconsistent but the mechanic was able to determine that something was pulling it out of alignment/after. ⚠️ 5 fire reports filed.
576
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
7.2x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
SUSPENSION
95 complaints- • SUBARU CORPORATE RECENTLY PURCHASED MY 2014 FORESTER BACK UNDER THE LEMON LAW. THIS WAS AFTER I HAD 4 DOCUMENTED INCIDENTS OF THE VEHICLE VEERING SPORADICALLY OUT OF CONTROL AROUND 55 MPH. IT WAS INCONSISTENT BUT THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT SOMETHING WAS PULLING IT OUT OF ALIGNMENT/AFTER
- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SWAYED ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RE
- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SWAYED ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RE
“SUBARU CORPORATE RECENTLY PURCHASED MY 2014 FORESTER BACK UNDER THE LEMON LAW. THIS WAS AFTER I HAD 4 DOCUMENTED INCIDENTS OF THE VEHICLE VEERING SPORADICALLY OUT OF CONTROL AROUND 55 MPH. IT WAS INCONSISTENT BUT THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT SOMETHING WAS PULLING IT OUT OF ALIGNMENT/AFTER”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ENGINE
72 complaints- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR INSPECTION BUT HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE
- • AFTER I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE, I NOTICED A HESITATION BETWEEN 20 - 40 MPH. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR FOR THE FORESTER'S TO HAVE A CVT ENGINE SO I THOUGHT IT NEEDED BROKEN IN. I ALSO WENT THROUGH 3 CYCLES OF FILLING UP MY GAS TANK FROM 3 DIFFERENT GAS STATIONS AND THE HESITATION CONTINUED. THE FIRST T
- • I STARTED THE VEHICLE, PUT IT IN REVERSE AND NOTHING!! IT DIDNT MOVE. STEPPED ON THE GAS, NOTHING! TRIED THIS 4 TIMES. AFTER ABOUT ONE HOUR IT STARTED AND WENT IN GEAR. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY TESTED IT , SAID NOTHING WRONG. SECOND TIME, WHICH WAS LATER THAT NIGHT, I HAD THE CAR OUT. START
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR INSPECTION BUT HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE”
— NHTSA complaint filing
AIR BAGS
68 complaints- • I WAS TURNING LEFT ON AN ARROW AND A CAR RAN THE RED LIGHT RESULTING IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH ME, I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 3MPH AND HE WAS DRIVING 45MPH. HIS CAR WAS TOTALLED, AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND ON FIRE. I HAD FRONT END DAMAGE AND MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY NOR DID THE SEAT BELT LOCK UP. AS A RESULT
- • WHILE DRIVING MY CAR ON THE HIGHWAY, (APPROXIMATE 65 MPH) I GOT A MESSAGE ON THE CONSOLE THAT INDICATED THAT SRS SYSTEM HAD SHUT DOWN AND THE RED AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON. I DROVE IT HOME AND THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF. WHEN I RESTARTED IT, THE RED AIR BAG LIGHT WENT AWAY. THE NEXT DAY WHILE I WAS RIDIN
- • THIS SUBARU OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM IN MY 2014 FORESTER IS DEFECTIVE. IT DOES NOT DETECT MY WIFE AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DOES NOT TURN ON. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SUBARU THAT THEY HAVE RECENTLY CHANGED TO AN "ELECTROSTATIC CAPACITANCE SENSOR" TO REPLACE THE PREVIOUS "WEIGHT SENSOR". MY WIFE NEEDS T
“I WAS TURNING LEFT ON AN ARROW AND A CAR RAN THE RED LIGHT RESULTING IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH ME, I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 3MPH AND HE WAS DRIVING 45MPH. HIS CAR WAS TOTALLED, AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND ON FIRE. I HAD FRONT END DAMAGE AND MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY NOR DID THE SEAT BELT LOCK UP. AS A RESULT ”
— NHTSA complaint filing
OTHER
50 complaints- • AFTER I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE, I NOTICED A HESITATION BETWEEN 20 - 40 MPH. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR FOR THE FORESTER'S TO HAVE A CVT ENGINE SO I THOUGHT IT NEEDED BROKEN IN. I ALSO WENT THROUGH 3 CYCLES OF FILLING UP MY GAS TANK FROM 3 DIFFERENT GAS STATIONS AND THE HESITATION CONTINUED. THE FIRST T
- • THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE HAS NOT RECOGNIZED STOPPED VEHICLES, AND DID NOT SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN THUS POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTING TO A CRASH AND INJURY. THE CAR HAS BEEN EVALUATED MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THIS BY THE DEALER AND HAS NOT FOUND A PROBLEM. THE DYSFUNCTION CONTINUES; THERE WERE 4 INCIDENTS TODAY WHERE
- • THIS INCIDENT IS NEARLY IDENTICAL TO AN EARLIER COMPLAINT: NHTSA ID NUMBER 10574697. I WAS TRAVELLING ON A STRAIGHT PORTION OF INTERSTATE AT REDUCED HIGHWAY SPEED DUE TO COLD WEATHER AND LIGHT SNOW WHEN I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE A WIGGLING SENSATION IN THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE. LIKE DESCRIBED IN
“AFTER I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE, I NOTICED A HESITATION BETWEEN 20 - 40 MPH. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR FOR THE FORESTER'S TO HAVE A CVT ENGINE SO I THOUGHT IT NEEDED BROKEN IN. I ALSO WENT THROUGH 3 CYCLES OF FILLING UP MY GAS TANK FROM 3 DIFFERENT GAS STATIONS AND THE HESITATION CONTINUED. THE FIRST T”
— NHTSA complaint filing
SPEED CONTROL
42 complaints- • AFTER I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE, I NOTICED A HESITATION BETWEEN 20 - 40 MPH. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR FOR THE FORESTER'S TO HAVE A CVT ENGINE SO I THOUGHT IT NEEDED BROKEN IN. I ALSO WENT THROUGH 3 CYCLES OF FILLING UP MY GAS TANK FROM 3 DIFFERENT GAS STATIONS AND THE HESITATION CONTINUED. THE FIRST T
- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ENTERING A PARKING SPACE AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO THE WALL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED A
- • THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE HAS NOT RECOGNIZED STOPPED VEHICLES, AND DID NOT SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN THUS POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTING TO A CRASH AND INJURY. THE CAR HAS BEEN EVALUATED MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THIS BY THE DEALER AND HAS NOT FOUND A PROBLEM. THE DYSFUNCTION CONTINUES; THERE WERE 4 INCIDENTS TODAY WHERE
“AFTER I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE, I NOTICED A HESITATION BETWEEN 20 - 40 MPH. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR FOR THE FORESTER'S TO HAVE A CVT ENGINE SO I THOUGHT IT NEEDED BROKEN IN. I ALSO WENT THROUGH 3 CYCLES OF FILLING UP MY GAS TANK FROM 3 DIFFERENT GAS STATIONS AND THE HESITATION CONTINUED. THE FIRST T”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 576 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐SUSPENSION: SUBARU CORPORATE RECENTLY PURCHASED MY 2014 FORESTER BACK UNDER THE LEMON LAW. THIS WAS AFTER I HAD 4 DOCUMENTED INCIDENTS OF THE VEHICLE VEERING SPORADICALLY OUT OF CONTROL AROUND 55 MPH. IT WAS INCONSISTENT BUT THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT SOMETHING WAS PULLING IT OUT OF ALIGNMENT/AFTER
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ENGINE: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR INSPECTION BUT HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐AIR BAGS: I WAS TURNING LEFT ON AN ARROW AND A CAR RAN THE RED LIGHT RESULTING IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH ME, I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 3MPH AND HE WAS DRIVING 45MPH. HIS CAR WAS TOTALLED, AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND ON FIRE. I HAD FRONT END DAMAGE AND MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY NOR DID THE SEAT BELT LOCK UP. AS A RESULT
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐OTHER: AFTER I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE, I NOTICED A HESITATION BETWEEN 20 - 40 MPH. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR FOR THE FORESTER'S TO HAVE A CVT ENGINE SO I THOUGHT IT NEEDED BROKEN IN. I ALSO WENT THROUGH 3 CYCLES OF FILLING UP MY GAS TANK FROM 3 DIFFERENT GAS STATIONS AND THE HESITATION CONTINUED. THE FIRST T
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Subaru FORESTER — Year Comparison
How does 2014 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 576
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 5
- Crash reports
- 66
- Injury reports
- 35
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2014 Subaru FORESTER