2016 Subaru Forester Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
Subaru Forrester was misfiring and sputtering as if it was going to stop running. The car was shaking. Had car towed to Subaru dealer for Service. At first we thought Spark Plugs and Ignition Coils but this did not fix the issue. Service determined a spring valve was broken which caused the issues. I have escalated the issue with Subaru Corporate, waiting for their response. Other Subaru models have had this issue with the spring valves.
My car has required multiple jumps and batteries, since I bought it new. I have records of the services for jumps, and new batteries. The car continues to have a parasitic battery drain, that has caused me to be stranded multiple times. The car is currently at the dealership, and they want to do a DCM test to see if this is cause. I was not informed of battery class action lawsuit, and extension of DCM warranty by Subaru. The dealership staff never discussed this with me as a possible cause, and that I may be eligible for warranty.
While driving my 2016 Subaru Forester about 70mph on [XXX] , the engine suddenly stalled and I was stranded on the freeway. The fuel tank was about 3/4 full and no warning light flashed in the dashboard prior to the incident. I tried to move my vehicle to the right lane but was unable because of the vehicle's loss of power. I almost collided by a speeding truck behind me. I shut off the engine, was unable to restart. After 3 minutes later, I was able to restart and everything worked again. I suspected the cause was due to a bad fuel pump, took the vehicle to my local Subaru dealer for inspection. The technician could not find anything malfunction or repeat my problem. I just learned there was a recent lawsuit settlement of bad fuel pumps on 2017-2020 Subaru Foresters that could cause engines to stall. It sounded similar to the problem that I had just experienced, except my Forester is a 2016 model not covered by the settlement. I believe the 2016 Forester fuel pump was manufactured by the same company as in the 2017-2020 models. It probably has the same defects. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My car accelerated on its own while I was driving slowly through a parking lot and had to slam on the brakes.
[XXX] driving on [XXX] at 70 MPH car stopped running. Engine died. Pulled over. No warning lights, it just died. Waited for a tow but after an hour, tried to start and it started right up. Had 1/4 tank of fuel left, but got more and got home ok. HIDEOUSLY DANGEROUS THING TO HAPPEN!!!!! I see there are at least 13 complaints already filed with you about this issue. Do SOMETHING, willya ? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The cam carrier seal was leaking oil into the car and potentially causing damage to the engine. It was a $3,806.20 repair cost.
The car caught on fire while in operation. A complete loss. It started in the engine
Engine oil and coolant were mixing. This caused coolant to drain and engine overheat. Resulted in several blown gaskets. Yes, available for inspection upon request. My safety was put at risk because of engine overheat while driving on highway. Problem has been evaluated by a car repair shop. Vehicle has been inspected by car repair shop, but not by manufacturer, police, or insurance. Red engine overheat warning light turned on only as the overheat occurred; no yellow check engine light turned on prior to overheating.
The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 80 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There were unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to pull over safely and restart the vehicle. The failure reoccurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Context: We were driving on the freeway at ~30-40mph when the car in front suddenly braked and stopped. We hit the breaks at the same time that the automatic brakes kicked in. The car stopped, as needed. Issue: After stopping, we pressed the accelerator to start the car moving again but the car revved instead of accelerating. We pulled off/slowly drifted to the side of the road and turned the car off and then back on before the accelerator started to function. This seemed like an engine problem. Safety risk: During this incident we were stopped on the freeway with no way to accelerate, which was very dangerous. We were lucky to be next to the shoulder lane. Otherwise, we would have been stuck in the middle of a freeway with a speed limit of 60mph. Inspection by Subaru result: "FOUND NORMAL OPERATION ON TEST DRIVE. NO CURRENT CODES OR RELATED HISTORY CODES. LIKELY A TEMPRARY FAULT UNDER EXTREME CONDITION. PLEASE MONITOR".
FORESTER ACCELERATES TOO FAST ON GOING FROM STOP TO MOVING TO NORMAL SPEED. THE CARS DOES NOT ACCELERATE SMOOTHLY. TOO MUCH POWER ON A LIGHT TOUCH TO SOFT ACIERATION. IF ON LIGHT SNOW IT SPINS THE WHEELS. GOING FROM IDLE ON A TURN IN SNOW IT SPINS THE TIRES. ALL ACTIONS ARE FROM A STOP OR NO ACCELERATION TO PLACING LIGHT PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR.FROM A STOP THE CARS JUMPS AHEAD WITH ACCERERATION.
VEHICLE STALLED IN INTERSECTION. CAR HAS A ROUGH IDLE, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS STALLED. DEALERSHIP HAS LOOKED AT THE CAR BUT NOT RESOLVED THE ISSUE.
RUNNING IN MY 2016 SUBARU FORESTER AT 70 MPH ON CROWDED INTERSTATE HIGHWAY IN TEXAS AND ALL POWER WAS LOST. NO WARNING, NO WARNING LIGHTS, NOTHING...JUST LOST ALL POWER AND SHOT OFF WHILE DRIVING. . CAR ROLLED TO A STOP AND THEN I HAD IT TOWED. RESTARTED AFTER A WHILE AND DROVE FINE. SAW A LOT OF COMMENTS ONLINE FOR A CURRENT SUBARU RECALL THAT HAS EXACTLY THE SAME SYMPTOMS, BUT FOR THE 2019 YEAR FORESTER. SUBARU RECALL ITEM: WUW-08 AND ALSO NOTES AS RECALL #: 19V856000 - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV). DEALER DOEN'T WANT TO TOUCH IT SR INCE IT'S A DIFFERENT MODEL YEAR. COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS.
2016 SUBARU FORESTER 2.5 PREMIUM WHILE DRIVING THERE ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 70MPH WITH 80 MILES LEFT PER THE VEHICLE THE CAR 'STALLED' ACTING LIKE IT WENT TO NEUTRAL AND PROVIDED NO RESPONSE TO THE ACCELERATOR BEING PUSHED. *BF CONSUMER STATED HAPPENED TWICE MORE WHILE DRIVING APPROX 70 MPH AND HAD TO PULL OVER, VEHICLE STARTED SHUTTING DOWN. CAR RESTARTED APPROX 30 MINUTES LATER. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, CONSUMER WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO ISSUES.*JB
VEHICLE FEELS AS THOUGH IT IS ABOUT TO STALL. THIS OCCURS SPORADICALLY WHEN STOPPING OR WHEN UNDER ACCELERATION ON THE FREEWAY. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE INTO TWO SEPARATE DEALERSHIPS, NEITHER COULD DIAGNOSE A PROBLEM. HOWEVER ONE DID SUGGEST IT MAY BE A PCV VALVE. THIS APPEARS QUITE SIMILAR TO THE RECENT RECALL (19V856) WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE THIS MODEL YEAR.
TODAY MARKS THE THIRD TIME WE ARE TAKING THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE ENGINE STALLS WHILE DRIVING WHEN ACCELERATING.
2 SEPARATE INCIDENTS OF COMPLETE ENGINE POWER LOSS WHILE ON HIGHWAY AT CRUISING SPEEDS. BOTH IN INCIDENTS OCCURRED WITH LOW FUEL ABOUT 1/8TH TANK (2-3 GALLONS) VERIFIED BASED ON AMOUNT REFILLED TO FULL. FUEL GAUGE WAS READING 2 BARS (1/8) AND LOW FUEL LIGHT ON BUT SHOWING 70 MILES OF FUEL REMAINING. BOTH INCIDENTS OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS GOING UP VERY SLIGHT INCLINE. SUDDEN NON-RESPONSE OF ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND SUBSEQUENT DECELERATION AS CAR WAS DRIVEN TO SHOULDER. ENGINE SHIFT DOWN COMPLETELY ON ITS OWN WHILE ON SIDE OF ROAD. IN FIRST INCIDENT ON INTERSTATE 78W IN PA, THE CAR COULD NOT BE IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED UNTIL AFTER APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES AFTER TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO LOCAL SUBARU DEALER AND INSPECTED BUT NO ROOT CAUSE FOUND OR REPORTED. THE CAR WAS OPERATED FOR ANOTHER ~20,000 MILES UNTIL SECOND EVENT ON NJ GARDEN STATE PARKWAY SOUTH WHERE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER AND THE CAR WAS COASTED TO THE SHOULDER. AFTER ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES THE CAR WAS RESTARTED AND DRIVEN TO NEAREST GAS STATION AND FILLED UP, REQUIRING 14.1 GALLONS. THIS EVENT OCCURRED ON NOV 28TH, 2018. AS OF THIS WRITING, THIS SECOND EVENT HAS NOT YET BEEN COMMUNICATED TO SUBARU YET WAS POSTED BY ME ON AN ONLINE FORUM IN RESPONSE TO OTHER USERS REPORTING SIMILAR ENGINE ISSUES AT HIGHWAY SPEED WITH SIMILAR LOW FUEL CONDITIONS IN ORDER TO EFFECTIVELY TROUBLESHOOT THE ISSUE. I AM REPORTING THE ISSUE HERE BECAUSE IT SEEMS MY INCIDENTS ARE NOT UNIQUE AND PRESENT SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARDS DUE TO SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR
I HAVE AN ISSUE WHERE THE ENGINE WILL FLUTTER IN IDLE AND WILL ALMOST SKIP AS IF IT'S NOT GETTING ANY GAS. THE FLUTTER CAUSES THE CAR TO SHAKE, IT HAS EVEN CAUSED THE CAR TO STALL. WHEN IT STALLED I HAD STARTED THE CAR, PUT IT IN DRIVE, TAPPED THE GAS AND THE ENGINE CUT OUT AND SHUT OFF. I BROUGHT THE ISSUE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY CLAIMED NOTHING WAS WRONG AND THEY COULDNT FIND ANY PROBLEMS.
I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY GOING UP A BRIDGE OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT ABOUT 65MPH WHEN A BUNCH OF LIGHTS CAME ON AND MY ENGINE COMPLETELY STOPPED. I COULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL AND I HAD TO SWITCH FROM THE LEFT-HAND LANE TO THE RIGHT -HAND LANE TO GET ONTO THE SHOULDER. THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE CONDITION.MY CAR SPEED AND WENT TO 65 MPH TO ABOUT 0 MPH IN THE MATTER OF A MINUTE. I DO YOU SEE THAT MANY PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SAME TYPE OF INCIDENT HAPPENING. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY BY SUBARU.MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON MY EMISSIONS CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON IN MY TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET TO THE SHOULDER WHILE 65 MPH CARS WERE ZOOMING PAST ME. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART MY CAR AND MAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. HOPEFULLY THEY WILL BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A RESOLUTION FOR THE ISSUE THAT I AM SEEING. UNFORTUNATELY IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF FOLKS ON THE INTERNET ARE HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES AND THEY ARE NOT BEING ADDRESSED.
WITH THE CAR COMPLETELY WARMED UP, EITHER A HOT DAY OR A COLD DAY, DOESN'T MATTER, THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE FOR A COUPLE SECONDS WHEN ENTERING TRAFFIC AFTER HAVING PARKED FOR A FEW MINUTES. IN OTHER WORDS, AFTER MAKING A STOP SOMEWHERE AND SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF, AND THEN STARTING IT UP AGAIN AND TRAVELING A BLOCK OR SO, SUDDENLY THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE. YOU MAY BE ENTERING TRAFFIC FLOW AND NEED TO SPEED UP, AND IT WON'T GO. THE DEALER STONEWALLS BY SAYING THE ISSUE CANNOT BE DUPLICATED AND THEREFORE IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM.
CAR ACCELERATES QUICKLY AND LURCHES FORWARD WHEN SLIGHTLY TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL. THIS HAPPENS AT ALL TIMES FROM START OF CAR AND DURING GENERAL DRIVING CONDITIONS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY SURGED FORWARD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE ACCELERATED VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. UPDATED 05/02/17*LJ UPDATED 11/17/2017*JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE ENGINE STALLED, MISFIRED, AND HESITATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE WAS PERSISTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 8,000.
CAR HAS 15000 MILES-USES ONE QUART OF OIL EVERY 2000 MILES-THIS MUCH OIL CONSUMPTION INDICATES A SERIOUS PROBLEM. CAR WAS PURCHASED ON 03/05/2016.
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 CAR ON 'PARK' AND RESTART. THE SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED THE SAME WAY, COMING OUT OF A PARKING LOT BUT DIDN'T REACH THE CENTER OF THE STREET, AND STALLED ON THE FAST LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. SHE DID THE SAME, PUT THE CAR IN 'PARK' AND RESTARTED. I THEN TOOK HER CAR TO THE DEALER ON THURSDAY NIGHT 4/7/16 AND LEFT THE CAR THERE WITH 382 MILES ON IT. THE SERVICE ADVISOR DID TELL ME THAT THEY DID HAVE ANOTHER INCIDENT SIMILAR....SOME PEOPLE WERE TEST DRIVING A FORRESTER AND AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER, AND THEY FOUND THAT A FUEL LINE WAS CRINKLED. SHE SAID, I HOPE THIS WASN'T THE CAR. THEY DID CHECK THE CAR WITH A LAPTOP, BUT DROVE IT FOR ONLY 1 OR 1-1/2 MILES AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. I BROUGHT THE CAR HOME AND HAVE 385 MILES ON IT NOW. MY CONCERN IS, THAT I DON'T WANT MY SISTER TO BE IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION, SHE JUST RECENT LOST HER HUSBAND OF 57 YEARS, AND I CONVINCED HER TO TRADE IN HER MINIVAN FOR A SMALLER SAFER VEHICLE.
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The 2016 Subaru Forester has 25 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.