2016 Subaru FORESTER

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2016 Subaru FORESTER has 609 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 7.6x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is air bags problems (18% of all complaints), specifically: "takata recall" vehicle accellerated, brakes did not stop vehicle, accident took place injuring my wife, physically, emotionally & psychologically. air bags did not deploy. wife was trying to park, when vehicle sped up and her braking had no effect and she crashed into a parked vehicle.. ⚠️ 4 fire reports filed.

4 fire reports 54 crash reports 26 injuries

609

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

7.6x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

AIR BAGS

110 complaints

18%

• "TAKATA RECALL" VEHICLE ACCELLERATED, BRAKES DID NOT STOP VEHICLE, ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE INJURING MY WIFE, PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY & PSYCHOLOGICALLY. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WIFE WAS TRYING TO PARK, WHEN VEHICLE SPED UP AND HER BRAKING HAD NO EFFECT AND SHE CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE.
• FRONT END TOTAL COLLISION TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30MPH ON A RESIDENTIAL SECTION OF A MAIN STREET. HIT, AND BROKE, A TELEPHONE POLE. CAR DEEMED TOTALED. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.
• MY ACCIDENT INVOLVED HITTING A TREE HEAD-ON TRAVELING AT LEAST 10-15 MPH. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT AT LEAST 3 AIRBAGS WOULD HAVE DEPLOYED (SIDE CURTAIN, STEERING, AND DASH FOR KNEES) PREVENTING ME FROM HITTING MY HEAD.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 9 crashes

“"TAKATA RECALL" VEHICLE ACCELLERATED, BRAKES DID NOT STOP VEHICLE, ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE INJURING MY WIFE, PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY & PSYCHOLOGICALLY. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WIFE WAS TRYING TO PARK, WHEN VEHICLE SPED UP AND HER BRAKING HAD NO EFFECT AND SHE CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

94 complaints

15%

• MY 2016 SUBARU LOST ALL POWER 160 MILES FROM MY HOME ON INTERSTATE 40 IN LEXINGTON NORTH CAROLINA.....I WAS SOLD THIS STARLINK ENHANCED ROADSIDE ASSISTACE WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR.....WELL THIS SYSTEM FAILED MISERABLY AND I WAS ALMOST STRUCK BY A TRACTOR TRAILER....I WAS STUCK ON A BRIDGE WITH NO SH
• NON-TURBO MODEL STALLS IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT WARNING. FIRST AIR CONDITIONER SHUTS OFF, ALONG WITH ELECTRICAL, THEN ENGINE STALLS. NOTHING UNUSUAL PRIOR TO SHUTTING OFF. VEHICLE BECOMES NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL WITH LIMITED BRAKING AND STEERING. CAR WILL NOT IMMEDIATELY RE-START. THIS HAS OCCURRED S
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AFTER SOME TIME. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A COMPUTER GLITCH, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SUGGEST OR PER

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 4 crashes

“MY 2016 SUBARU LOST ALL POWER 160 MILES FROM MY HOME ON INTERSTATE 40 IN LEXINGTON NORTH CAROLINA.....I WAS SOLD THIS STARLINK ENHANCED ROADSIDE ASSISTACE WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR.....WELL THIS SYSTEM FAILED MISERABLY AND I WAS ALMOST STRUCK BY A TRACTOR TRAILER....I WAS STUCK ON A BRIDGE WITH NO SH”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

68 complaints

11%

• MODELS W/ MANUAL CLIMITE CONTROL: VERY HARD TO SEE SETTINGS, ESPECIALLY IN DAY TIME, AND IF NEED TO ADJUST WHILE DRIVING SUCH AS TO DE-FOG WINDOWS, MAY RESULT IN DRIVING OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WRECKING.
• EYESIGHT AND CRUISE CONTROL INTERMITTENT SHUTDOWN AND RESTART. ON AN INCREASINGLY FREQUENT BASIS, WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL AND EYESIGHT ARE ENGAGED, BOTH WILL DISABLE AND CAN BE A FEW SECONDS TO MINUTES BEFORE THE EYESIGHT RE-ENABLES AND THE CRUISE CONTROL CAN MANUALLY BE RE-ENGAGED. WHEN THIS HAPP
• IN A CLOSED PARKING LOT, I WAS GETTING READY TO PARK IN A SPACE. WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, I CUT THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND THEN EASED MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE TO MANEUVER INTO THE PARKING SPOT. I PUSHED THE BRAKE AGAIN IN PREPARATION TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEELS AND FINISH PARKING, NO SPEED REGISTERING O

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 7 crashes

“MODELS W/ MANUAL CLIMITE CONTROL: VERY HARD TO SEE SETTINGS, ESPECIALLY IN DAY TIME, AND IF NEED TO ADJUST WHILE DRIVING SUCH AS TO DE-FOG WINDOWS, MAY RESULT IN DRIVING OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WRECKING.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

60 complaints

10%

• MY SISTER AND I BOUGHT THIS CAR ON MAR. 25, 2016. ON APRIL 6, 2016 THE CAR STALLED ON HER TWICE. SHE WAS COMING OUT OF A STORE PARKING LOT, AND CROSSED THE INTERSECTION TURNING LEFT AND THE CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD IN THE INTERSECTION ON THE BROKEN YELLOW LINES. SHE HAD TO PUT HER CA
• THREE TIMES OVER THE PAST 2 WEEKS, MY VEHICLE HAS STALLED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ALL THREE TIMES THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN I WAS TRAVELING WITH 1/4 OR LESS OF GAS (BUT THESE INCIDENTS DID NOT OCCUR DUE TO HAVING RUN OUT OF GAS). ALL THREE TIMES I WAS ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE OR DRIVE UPHILL. THE VEH
• NON-TURBO MODEL STALLS IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT WARNING. FIRST AIR CONDITIONER SHUTS OFF, ALONG WITH ELECTRICAL, THEN ENGINE STALLS. NOTHING UNUSUAL PRIOR TO SHUTTING OFF. VEHICLE BECOMES NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL WITH LIMITED BRAKING AND STEERING. CAR WILL NOT IMMEDIATELY RE-START. THIS HAS OCCURRED S

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 4 crashes

“MY SISTER AND I BOUGHT THIS CAR ON MAR. 25, 2016. ON APRIL 6, 2016 THE CAR STALLED ON HER TWICE. SHE WAS COMING OUT OF A STORE PARKING LOT, AND CROSSED THE INTERSECTION TURNING LEFT AND THE CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD IN THE INTERSECTION ON THE BROKEN YELLOW LINES. SHE HAD TO PUT HER CA”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

48 complaints

• WHEN YOU GO FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE THERE IS A LAG TIME IN THE TRANSMISSION. OR IF YOU GO FROM PARK TO DRIVE ITS THE SAME. IF YOUR ON AN INCLINE IT MAKES YOU HIT THE GAS TO ACCELERATE. AND IF YOU WERE TO PULL A TRAILER AND YOU ARE ON A SMALL HILL IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS IN NEUTRAL WHICH IS VERY DANGE
• WHEN YOU GO FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE THERE IS A LAG TIME IN THE TRANSMISSION. OR IF YOU GO FROM PARK TO DRIVE ITS THE SAME. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS YOU RELY ON YOUR CAR MOVING WHEN YOU SHIFT FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE (E.G., WHEN YOU BACK OUT OF YOUR DRIVEWAY). WE WENT TO THE DEALER. THE SERVICE MANAGER T
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE, IT ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE FAILURE RECURRED, BUT ONLY WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT I

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 5 crashes

“WHEN YOU GO FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE THERE IS A LAG TIME IN THE TRANSMISSION. OR IF YOU GO FROM PARK TO DRIVE ITS THE SAME. IF YOUR ON AN INCLINE IT MAKES YOU HIT THE GAS TO ACCELERATE. AND IF YOU WERE TO PULL A TRAILER AND YOU ARE ON A SMALL HILL IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS IN NEUTRAL WHICH IS VERY DANGE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 609 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
AIR BAGS: "TAKATA RECALL" VEHICLE ACCELLERATED, BRAKES DID NOT STOP VEHICLE, ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE INJURING MY WIFE, PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY & PSYCHOLOGICALLY. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WIFE WAS TRYING TO PARK, WHEN VEHICLE SPED UP AND HER BRAKING HAD NO EFFECT AND SHE CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: MY 2016 SUBARU LOST ALL POWER 160 MILES FROM MY HOME ON INTERSTATE 40 IN LEXINGTON NORTH CAROLINA.....I WAS SOLD THIS STARLINK ENHANCED ROADSIDE ASSISTACE WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR.....WELL THIS SYSTEM FAILED MISERABLY AND I WAS ALMOST STRUCK BY A TRACTOR TRAILER....I WAS STUCK ON A BRIDGE WITH NO SH
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: MODELS W/ MANUAL CLIMITE CONTROL: VERY HARD TO SEE SETTINGS, ESPECIALLY IN DAY TIME, AND IF NEED TO ADJUST WHILE DRIVING SUCH AS TO DE-FOG WINDOWS, MAY RESULT IN DRIVING OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WRECKING.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: MY SISTER AND I BOUGHT THIS CAR ON MAR. 25, 2016. ON APRIL 6, 2016 THE CAR STALLED ON HER TWICE. SHE WAS COMING OUT OF A STORE PARKING LOT, AND CROSSED THE INTERSECTION TURNING LEFT AND THE CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD IN THE INTERSECTION ON THE BROKEN YELLOW LINES. SHE HAD TO PUT HER CA
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)