2016 Subaru Forester
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Air bags is the leading concern among 414 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 6th highest complaint count among 26 Forester model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 40 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 17 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, sensor, occupant classificationOct 3, 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.
If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUM-98.
Campaign 19V701000 on NHTSA.gov
Exterior lighting, brake lights, switchFeb 28, 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.
Campaign 19V149000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engine, gasoline, turbo/superchargerMar 21, 2016
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.
An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTA-62.
Campaign 16V162000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
414 reports, newest first.
Structure, Vehicle speed control, Mar 27, 2023, crash
Car unexpectedly accelerated when turning into a parking space. Gradually braking going in to the space and then car suddenly accelerated across the curb and hit a building. Car can be available for inspection. No one was hurt but only because of being lucky that no one was on the sidewalk by the building. Emergency services were called and police made a report and all is reported to the insurance company. There has been no inspection yet by manufacturer. Called Subaru and they said to get the body work done first and then bring the car in for inspection. No warning sounds or lights noticed prior to the problem.
Electrical system, Mar 16, 2023
Electrical system drains battery. Had battery replaced at dealer under lawsuit settlement guidelines.
Air bags, Mar 15, 2023
There was a recall for an airbag problem which would cause the front passenger airbag to not deploy because it did not sense there was a person in the passenger seat. The problem supposedly was repaired in 2021. Recently, the airbag light came on again and I brought it in to the Subaru dealer, who diagnosed an improper sensor under the passenger seat. They said that the airbag could not be fixed presently as a necessary part was on back order. They have no estimate for when it can be completed. Until the repair can be made, the front passenger has no airbag protection at all! When completed, the repair will cost me over $1300. Subaru of America has told me that I have to pay for this because the airbag system, supposedly fixed on the 2021 recall, is not on warranty. This is a hardship for us, retired senior citizens relying on Social Security. Even worse, until the part becomes available, the airbag system cannot be repaired! Subaru actually told me that no one should sit in the front passenger seat until this back ordered part becomes available at some unknown time in the future! It just is not possible in our family situation to have no one sit in the front passenger seat, as we frequently take our daughter and her two small children on outings and doctor visits. The man who told me this is named Grant and can be reached at 1-800-subaru3 with the case number 230314-1300095. Incidentally, I earlier spoke with "Sam" at that phone number and extension 119839, who told me that there is no expiration on this airbag recall and that he would recommend that I be given a loaner car until Subaru can finally fix the problem and make the car safe again. Apparently, Grant overruled Sam and Subaru is now taking a much more dangerous position.
Wheels, Mar 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic on four separate occasions to rotate the tires; and each time the contact was notified that one lug bolt on each wheel had fractured. The contact was notified that excessive force was needed to remove the bolts and that the mechanic was not responsible for any damages caused while removing each wheel. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they were unaware of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Power train, Feb 12, 2023, crash
When accelerator is slightly pushed after the vehicle has come to stop it accelerates in a jack rabbit manner. The driver stopped at beginning of driveway parking area, and decided to move slightly forward. A slight push on accelerator pedal caused vehicle to lurch forward and do $8,700 damage to the closed 2 car garage door, and $1,000+ to vehicle. Date of accident 02/10/2023
Air bags, Jan 31, 2023
The vehicle constantly shows a warning that passenger seat air bag is OFF while I am sitting in the car riding in that passenger seat. The issue was brought to manufacturer attention multiple times. Videos and pictures of the issue have been recorded for years. The manufacturer refuses to fix the issue and continues to ignore it which places my life at risk every time I drive in that passenger seat of the vehicle.
Electrical system, Dec 27, 2022
The battery drains constantly. I’ve had it replaced several times but it continues to die even when I jump it repeatedly. This may be a known issue but the Subaru dealership’s tech refused to admit their car’s electrical system caused the issue and attempted to have me continue to drive with a dead battery, then have AAA replace the battery under the AAA warranty (even though Subaru’s car was at fault, not AAA’s battery), which was really disingenuous. At the dealership, I was told that if I chose to have Subaru replace the battery (as they should given it has a class action settlement and has an extended warranty) I “may never get paid” if I submitted a class action lawsuit claim. My car has died multiple times, inconveniencing me again and again, even at gas stations. The way Subaru is handling their electrical system error is not professional at all.
Power train, Dec 13, 2022
The contact owns 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle hesitated to respond. The contact stated that she persistently depressed the accelerator pedal until the vehicle responded. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where she was informed that the vehicle was operating as designed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Steering, Power train, Dec 8, 2022
Aug. 12, 2022. Milage 124,028. Dealer (Serra Auto Park, in Akron, OH) had to replace faulty right front axelshaft. Parts and labor $812. Left axelshaft has already started making the same noises and we can expect it to be replaced soon as well. ARE WE THE ONLY ONES WITH THIS PROBLEM???
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Nov 22, 2022
Check engine light, service emissions, dash lights blinking and loss of power!!! I was pulling out into a busy intersection and warning lights started to flash and i lost power to cylinder #2 (per the technician at Van Subaru, he told me the alternator was sending bad info to the computer) and i was almost T-BONED as i limped through the intersection.
Power train, Oct 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, various warning lights were illuminated. After using a personal diagnostic reader, he retrieved two unknown failure codes. The vehicle was taken to an independent where it was diagnosed that the transmission and an unknown sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted and the contact stated that the various warning lights remained illuminated and that when coming to a stop at a stop signal, the vehicle was jerking and lost motive power. The vehicle was able to restart after shifting the gear into park(P) to turn off the vehicle and then restart. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
Electrical system, Oct 7, 2022
Multiple occasions of vehicle cranking and not starting, or not cranking at all. Had original battery replaced at 35 months, and had new battery tested on 10/06/2022. The manufacturer mandated test showed the new battery was rated as a Fail, not meeting industry standards for this battery type/configuration. Dealer confirmed that there is no known repair available, including a reflash of the engine control module (ECM). Subaru is involved in battery lawsuit, and will not work on any battery related issues without forcing owner to register in the class action and give up rights to getting problem fixed. These actions are forcing us to own vehicles that the manufacturer considers unrepairable and are guaranteed to fail to start due to battery issues.
Electrical system, Sep 28, 2022
Alternator failed about a year old 2017. Next year battery failed.
Electrical system, Sep 19, 2022
The horn does not respond when pressing the button on the steering wheel. The only works if the steering wheel is turned. This is a hazard as the horn is needed to prevent a collision. I have had near miss collisions due to this failure.
Seat belts, Sep 10, 2022
Passenger commented, asking why their seatbelt attachment point was not properly anchored and was hanging loose from front seat. Upon investigation, we noticed that the bolt holding the end of the LH portion of the passenger seatbelt had backed out. We were able to make a temporary field repair by tightening the bolt back in with our fingers, and later needed to use a 17mm wrench to further tighten the bolt to the point where it appeared to be reasonably tightened. When tightening the bolt, I did not notice any type of locking washer, or sense there was any type of chemical locking materials on the threaded portion of the bolt and wonder if it was improperly attached when the vehicle was built. In the case of an accident, I think it is reasonable to assume that the loose bolt would have failed and allowed the anchored end of the passenger seatbelt to come loose. The vehicle has approximately 27,000 miles, has never been in an accident, and has never had seats removed or repaired since we purchased it new.
Suspension, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 3, 2022
While driving N on I 24 near Nashville Tn my Eyesight assistant turned off illuminated warning light, as it cancelled my adaptive cruise control at freeway speeds in heavy traffic, while engageing my my brakes and illuminated my forward collision warning coming very close to causing serious accident to whereIended up on shoulder due to severe vibration from my defective passenger lower control arm deffectivecv axle. All of which were looked at and reported to Crown Subaru Service department. They had my vehicle for 2 days, repaired air bag and rearcoil spring recall told me my passenger lower control arm was bent and cv axle was defective the stayed my extended warranty didn't cover it when the warranty personnel said it would be covered. Never even checked my eyesight assist or other safety items associated with it even though I explained it shutoff and turns on and off sporadically. Is it going to take a death or deaths to get these people to do there job and repair and stand by the vehicles we purchase which employees them but a life isn't worth and hour inspection by Crown Subaru or Subaru corp start caring. It was in there shop 2 days prior to incident I could have at least been warned about operation of my vehicle
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 20, 2022
Since 2018 we starting noticing random power loss and every time we took vehicle to dealership for maintenance, they could never find an issue. The loss of power began at random as well went up hills. It felt as if there was something blocking the engine from preforming as intended. Maybe poor air flow or turbo lag. We would let go of accelerator because it felt as if the car was going to stall. This power lag or loss would last 5-10 minutes. Then more issues appeared during 2018-2022. The issues were always at random. Issues we witnessed were: loss of power (poor air flow/ bad compression), car seemed to want to stall at stops, weird metal clacking (which we were able to record), bopping car at stops (as a manual car would before stalling). A code was never available for dealership to know the problem at hand. Over the past years we continued to take in the vehicle for the issues we experienced. The dealership never found the root of the problem. The problem continued until 2022 and now the car is inoperable. 400 miles out of warranty and Subaru does not want to fix this issue that had been happening since 2018. I have been waiting for Subaru of America to contact me since 7/22/22. I could never get an answer from case worker. Subaru wants us to pay out of pocket roughly 4500 and then maybe they cover the rest.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Aug 20, 2022
I pulled into a parking space with a friend and as I turned the wheel to pull in and had the foot on the break, as soon as I let up on the brake the car lurched forward. Luckily, I slammed back on the brake since my foot has just come off it. This was very scary as I came close to ramming into the car parked in front of me. There is no way that I hit the gas and made it lurch like it did. The car is only a 4 cyl. Now I am scared to drive it. There were no warning lights at all. I have not taken the car in to the dealer as I suspect they will say there is nothing wrong and charge me for diagnostics. I saw there were 200 complaints about this, mostly with 2017 models, but there should be a recall. I had another problem where the power steering quit working after parking the car in the garage overnight. Again, no recall and when I called Subaru they said they could run diagnostics but if nothing is found, I have to pay. Nice racket they have going.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Aug 20, 2022
Our Subaru Forester is slow to respond on acceleration and then surges quickly. This problem just started to surface. Our concern is when stepping down on the accelerator the car is very slow to react and then surges forward quickly, creating a serious concern over a potential accident. On August 17, 2022 I was reversing up my driveway to the garage and as I depressed the accelerator the car failed to respond. I was reluctant to depress the pedal further over concern it might suddenly surge backward too fast. What was concerning is that the accelerator did not respond as normal. August 18th, I started the car, drove out of the garage and onto the street. When I stepped onto the accelerator the car showed no response, then suddenly without warning surged forward at high speed, catching me off guard. I stepped on the brake and the car immediately stopped. I carefully tried to drive forward, again the car surged forward. I drove back into the garage. Our neighbor’s nephew took it for a drive and experience the same unexpected surge of acceleration. It was towed to the Subaru Dealership. The Dealership has consistently maintained our Forester since purchased. I asked if the car had surged and the Service Advisor shared that the technician had noticed an irregularity in acceleration. However, Diagnostic tests found nothing. The shop manager said he put almost 40 miles on it but found nothing. The service adviser called and suggested we come in and ride with the shop manager, which we did. He test drove it for a few miles and the acceleration appeared normal. He did say after the test drive that he sensed something irregular about the acceleration when leaving a stop sign. We asked they keep the car and test the car after sitting over the weekend. I asked service advisor and the shop manager if he had ever heard of a Subaru with this issue of being slow to respond on acceleration and then surging quickly. They both said they had never heard of this issue
Power train, Aug 18, 2022, crash
Pulled into parking space in shopping mall. The car accelerated over the curb and ran into a store front knocking out a wall. The car was still in Drive when it came to a stop. No one was hurt in the car, on the sidewalk or in the store. There is a class action law suit on this model of Subaru for uncontrolled/sudden acceleration while coming to a stop, but Subaru does not acknowledge any problem. This was the first indication of a sudden acceleration for this car. It just had its 30,000 inspection from the Subaru dealer.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 12, 2022, crash
The accident with my 2016 Subaru Forester happened on 07-07-2022. It happened in daylight on our farm. I was the only person in the car and was wearing my seatbelt. I had slowly pulled into a parking spot, had my foot on the brake and had essentially stopped at the 6x6 piece of lumber that was marking the spot. As I was stopping the car accelerated out of control and sped down a very narrow path on a hill diagonally to the right of the parking spot. I struggled to control the car as I sped down the hill toward the gravel driveway. I was able to avoid hitting a large spruce tree and avoid turning over in the deep ditch on the hill. I was going so fast, I ran over a sapling and ran into a large apple tree, tipping it over, damaging my right front passenger side, pushing the wheel back into the wheel well. My brakes were not responding. When I reached the gravel driveway at the bottom of the hill, I lifted my foot slightly and stomped on the brake, skidding to a stop just before going down another steep hill which leads to a creek. I was parallel to a road/driveway which often has many cars driving on it that time of the day. It is also used as a walking path. Luckily I did not hit anyone. I was able to barely turn the wheel and move the car out of the road/driveway. Since it was on our farm there was no police report necessary. I hurt my ribs, shoulder, back and neck. The accident had potential for injuring me much more severely if I had rolled over, hit a tree head on or been unable to stop, continuing down another hill toward a creek. I could have hit another car or people walking on the road No warning lights, it surged slightly when slowing to turn a corner the day before. Unknown component failed The car is presently at Masters Auto Body in Charlottesville VA. They are completing the repairs and will take it to the Subaru dealer in Staunton, VA to have them check for the cause of the unintended acceleration.
Air bags, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 11, 2022, crash
My Subaru Forester is equipped with Airbags and Subaru's Eye Sight anti-collision braking system. On Aug 5th my wife met with an accident while trying to avoid a head-on collision side swiped a vehicle on the right lane which hit the car on the rear side and the impact further changed the direction of her car and she went and hit the steel fence stone pillar on the right side. The frontal collision with the stone pillar damaged the bumper and car engine is dislocated from its position as the frame is deformed and the front tires jammed. The car's famed anti-collision system did not prevent the collision and the Air bags failed to deploy. I suspect that there is a serious manufacturing defect that all the safety systems failed in the car, hence I request you to conduct an enquiry while the car is being sent to the repair center to ascertain the right cause of failure.
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 5, 2022
about a year ago all warning lights came on. Subaru fixed the "rodent" issue for $4000. today, 8/5/2022 same issue happened, i was driving home and forward braking, cruise control, check engine light, ATC TEMP and dynamic traction control lights came on. this vehicle has some issues.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 1, 2022
I have a 2016 Subaru Forester. One day I noticed the windshield of my 2016 Subaru Forester cracked in the garage. I do not recall any stone or point of impact while driving. It seems that the crack started from the right-side edge of the windshield extending to the midline. I have to repair this because the crack is getting worse. no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to this. I have seen this in 2015 or 2016 Subaru Outback or Legacy for which a recall was announced. However, I do not see this for the Forester yet. The dealer confirmed this, but I got the same answer (no recall).
Air bags, Jul 30, 2022
I’m 2016 Subaru Forester owner [XXX]. I know there was a recall for airbag. My passenger seat has Defective airbag sensor. The SRS lights comes ON even when the passenger is sitting on the seat. Hopefully there is a repair for the problem. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).