2017 Subaru Forester
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Air bags is the leading concern among 586 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 4th highest complaint count among 26 Forester model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 40 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 28 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
Representative owner complaints
586 reports, newest first.
Vehicle speed control, Jul 11, 2022, crash
Sitting in line to get gas and when I put car in Drive it went to full throttle and struck two vehicles in front of me. Car ended up on resting on driver's side and had to be towed.
Air bags, Jul 3, 2022
This is for a 2017 Subaru Forester. The passenger airbag sensor in the seat keeps turning off the airbag when a passenger is in the seat. The problem is intermittent. The dealer couldn't replicate the problem and it wasn't repaired. I believe this car had a recall about this, but the problem keeps happening. This car has had the issue dozens of times and the problem needs to be investigated. There are many, many complaints about this issue.
Air bags, Jun 30, 2022
2017 Subaru Forester - Passenger airbag seat sensor intermittent failure. Does not detect passenger when seated and thus does not arm airbag while in motion. Safety of driver, passenger, and other drivers at risk due to product failure. Problem has been confirmed by local Subaru dealer and Subaru of America, but part is back ordered with no timetable for fulfillment. Multiple owners facing same issue, should be investigated for a full product recall.
Air bags, Seats, Jun 23, 2022
Issue with passenger air bag. Issue was caught and detected by dealership as ods sensor error. Further research revealed recall in vehicles of the same year, make, and model as vehicle in question for that part. Dealership and corporate offices deny relation of problems with recall, claim no such recall exists for the vehicle.
Suspension, Wheels, Jun 18, 2022
46,000 miles and the lower control arm is broken. Causing the vehicle to shake and almost be undrivable.
Electrical system, Air bags, Jun 16, 2022
The SRS airbag light is on, airbags disabled while driving vehicle with passenger in front. Sensor within passenger seat cushion is defective. Dealer says to fix passenger seat cushion needs to be replaced. Previous recall for harness already complete. Quoted $1400 to repair. 2017 Forester Premium, 78,000 miles
Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 11, 2022, crash
2017 Subaru Forester- I had arrived to work and stopped at parking spot. Before I could put car in park position.. I heard a car high pitch revving sound. The car throttles forward and hit a building. Now I’m scared of the car.
Electrical system, May 14, 2022
Our battery continually dies if we don’t drive it for 2 days. At first we thought it was just the battery but it keeps doing it. Our mechanic tried to fix it but it still happens. We had to buy a portable jumper because it happens so much. I see this also happens to Outback’s and other Subarus.
Electrical system, May 7, 2022
Purchased July 2016. Battery has failed to start car several times requiring a jump-start. Battery has been replaced 4 times (09/'18, 01/'19, 06/'19 & 03/'20). Currently vehicle is in shop for extended attempt to find source(s) of "parasitic" drain. Dealer reported aware of problem with certain Subaru models. A class action lawsuit has been initiated. Computer updates have over the years have not helped. This problem has the potential of stranding us when on a trip.
Other or unspecified, Apr 17, 2022
The crack at the lower right side of the windshield spontaneously appeared and grew to 12 inches in 9 days & keeps on growing.
Electrical system, Structure, Wheels, Apr 16, 2022
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System module failed which also disabled the key fob remotes. I had the TPMS module replaced 3 times. The first occurrence was on August 26th 2021 and was confirmed by the dealership Subaru Service Center. During the failure and malfunction of the module, the dashboard warned about not to drive because there is problems with the tires and key fob not working. This worried me because of the potential safety to me and others if I continued to drive with defective tires. Eventually I found out my tires did not have any problems. After the module malfunctioned the second time, the service center replaced it stating that the first module was defective. Several months passed by and the module failed the third time. I started to research online and found that other Subaru owners experienced similar issues and figured out that water such as from heavy rain leaked through the roof railing gasket into the area where the TPMS module is kept and shorted out. When I went in to the service center the third time, I explained my investigation and eventually the associate agreed that was the cause. I think without me telling them this, they would have just replaced the module stating another defective unit. This discovery had them not only replace the TPMS module, reprogram my key fobs but also replace the roof railings and it's gasket which they made me pay $960.43.
Electrical system, Visibility/wiper, Mar 25, 2022
I have a 2017 Subaru Forester that I bought brand new with only 5 miles on it at the time. Within the first year my battery needed replaced twice! I am still having this issue 5 years later and have purchased sometimes 2 batteries a year depending! The windshield also cracked within the first year I bought the car. I had it fixed and it cracked again this time not under warranty and the crack is in front of my eyesight sensor which makes my eyesight turn off which is very dangerous. I have seen MANY complaints on the windshield issue online with 2021 foresters. This is unacceptable. I am very unsatisfied with the company for not fixing this issue or making it right. I would not buy another Subaru or recommend anyone to buy one until they fix these problems.
Electrical system, Mar 24, 2022
2nd Battery in two years is dying while car is off. 1st battery did the same, and the dealership replaced it under warranty. There is a parasitic drain somewhere, that bleeds the battery while not in use. Every start is sluggish, and if a week goes by without driving the battery is totally dead. All user related electronic possibilities have been accounted for, i.e. cabin lights, trunk latch, etc
Visibility, Mar 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 50 MPH, she heard an abnormal noise. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to park and noticed a crack on the passenger side windshield going horizontal to the roofline. The contact did not notify the dealer or manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on another occasion while the vehicle was at a stationary in the driveway, he noticed a second crack on the driver’s side windshield going horizontal to the roofline. The contact took the vehicle to local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the front windshield to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Electrical system, Mar 14, 2022
The battery is constantly dying and the car needs to be jumped often. The battery has been replaced and the connections have been cleaned multiple times. The battery can still be completely drained even if it is started every day.
Steering, Service brakes, Hydraulic, Mar 9, 2022
On 19 January 22 while driving approx 60mph on I-95N s/o exit 92 (at that point hwy is divided 2 lanes n/b), the steering wheel suddenly froze and decelerated to 20mph, sending my vehicle leftward into passing lane in the path of tractor trailers traveling at high speeds. I don't know how but I was able to wrestle car back into r/h lane and off hwy. It was towed to a repair shop where the alignment was severely off. They also found evidence that the r front brake had locked. They replaced calipers and realigned wheels. Within 20 miles after repairs the steering again became very stiff. I had the car towed to my mechanic who found "numerous" codes indicating failure of steering control module and rack and pinion assy. Since that time it has been realigned three times but I still feel the steering is erratic with vibration of both the steering cheel and chassis. After 2 attempts, a Subaru service shop seems to have eliminated the steering wheel vibration by dismounting the damaged front tires and switching the damaged outer treads onto the inside. This has now made the car feel like it wobbles under 20mph and over 55mph. They have pronounced the car safe to drive, despite my concern for the way the car feels while driving.
Air bags, Mar 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the "Air bag Off" warning light was illuminated on the passenger’s side of the instrument panel; indicating that the passenger’s side air bag was deactivated. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000. The VIN was not available.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 28, 2022
Windshield fractured from the right wiper heater embedded into the windshield while the car was parked. The incident happened on 2/28/2022. The car is scheduled for a windshield replacement as it should not be driven.
Engine, Feb 23, 2022
The exhaust pipe assembly for our 2017 non-turbo Subaru Forester has failed. Two other similar complaints for this model and year vehicle have been submitted to NHTSA (ID#’s 11429564 and 11395158). Exhaust fumes spread within the vehicle cabin and presents a significant safety and health issue for occupants. A similar problem has been reported for turbo charge vehicles for which Subaru issued a voluntary emissions recall on March 27, 2020. No such recall for non-turbo vehicles has been issued by Subaru. The vehicle will be inspected by the local dealer. I request NHTSA investigate this issue and request Subaru expand its voluntary emissions recall to non-turbo vehicles.
Electrical system, Feb 22, 2022
My 2017 Subaru Forester has had its battery replaced twice. There is obviously either a problem with Subaru batteries, or there is something inherent in the electrical system of the vehicle that drains the battery. For a senior citizen, a dead battery when travelling is not only an inconvenience, but could be a major problem, especially in the winter months. I understand there is a class action lawsuit against Subaru for battery problems. I just want to add one more log to the fire.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Feb 16, 2022
cracked front windshield for no known reason
Electrical system, Feb 7, 2022
Starting our 2017 Forrester has seemed sluggish recently, so we had the battery, starting system, and alternator checked. The starting system and alternator were in good working order. The battery's cold cranking amps (CCA) were below 400. The rated CCA for this battery is 525. It is less than 2 years old, but the check results indicated that it should be replaced. The check did reveal a "parasitic current drain" when the vehicle was turned off, which (most likely) has resulted in damage to the battery extensive enough to require replacement. To date, this has not left us stranded, but the potential for such an occurrence certainly exists. Further, there is a class action lawsuit concerning this issue currently making it's way through the court system. Originally, this lawsuit did not have any Forrester owners included. I plan to contact the law firm and be added.
Suspension, Power train, Feb 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving over 60 MPH, the vehicle would shudder and produce a loud noise coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the lower control arm bushing and transmission pan needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Electrical system, Feb 3, 2022
I filed a NHTSA report on 7/19/2021 about having to replace my 2017 Subaru Forester's battery for the 3rd time in a 4 year old vehicle. I now am submitting another Complaint as now that #3 battery (all installed by Subaru Dealers) has FAILED, with #3 battery only 10 months old with approximately 6,000 miles driven with that battery. At about 8 months after the new battery install (battery #3), I brought vehicle to Subaru saying problem with battery (told it was "good") to only have it FAIL approx. 6 weeks later. While at Dealership I telephoned Subaru Customer Care indicating that the statistical probability of 4 batteries FAIL in a 2017 vehicle (purchased NEW), is indicative of something WRONG WITH THE CAR. I'm exhausted of being told this happens to batteries. No, it doesn't. I bought a Subaru for reliability, but this battery failure rate is unacceptable. #FixTheBatteryProblemSubaru
Electrical system, Jan 26, 2022
Battery dies often