2014 Subaru Forester Electrical System Problems
- 22
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
What owners report
- lift gate · 6 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 1–30k mi | 11 |
| 60–100k mi | 8 |
| 30–60k mi | 2 |
| 100–150k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Brake Lights · Electrical System
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 subaru forester. When the contact parked the vehicle and released the brake pedal, the rear brake lights remained illuminated. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
ODI 11287842
Electrical System · Engine · Power Train
Driving 65 mph on highway. Car suddenly no longer responsive to accelerator and speed drops. Recovered in a few seconds. Dealer examined and states it was due to defective condition in brake light switch that was installed 6 months earlier due to recall. Dealer states car went into "limp" mode. Switch condition resolved without replacement according to dealer.
ODI 11271249
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Repeated issue with headlights failing after very shorty period of time from installation. Replaced headlights 3 times in the past 11 months (have replaced at least 1 additional time since may 2017). Bulbs installed correctly without making contact with any part of bulb except plastic end with bulb grease applied to rear connector.
ODI 11228853
Air Bags · Electrical System · Seats
2014 subaru forester. The srs airbag light has come on. I took the vehicle to the local subaru dealership and they claim the cause is a sensor within the passenger seat being broken. This is a safety concern and should be reviewed.
ODI 11244791
Body · Electrical System
When trying to close sunroof, normally the roof window would slide back and a set of pin will push the rear side of the window up to seal the gap between the window and rooftop. However the device is defective and the window will not go back to its supposed location. Water may leak in to wiring and cause further damage.
ODI 11182899
Electrical System · Electronic Stability Control · Engine
January 2019. The issue started as cel came on. Rough idle, surge of power and then cam timing became issue. Was at a stop sign idling when surge occurred lurching vehicle forward. Took to dealer waited weeks for a technical representative to give advice to dealership. Took to other dealer to confirm. They replaced timing chain., cam phasers and other required. Didnt solve issue. Next step was internal oil filters…
ODI 11252410
Electrical System · Electronic Stability Control · Service Brakes
The stop light switch failed which rendered the car inoperable due to not being able to move from park. The stability, hill decent and abs warning lights came on.
ODI 11073548
Electrical System · Service Brakes · Unknown Or Other
I have a 2014 subaru forester 2.0xt touring with push start and eyesight. My car wouldn't start with the push start button and the brakes were locked. I couldn't push the brake pedal all the way down. When this first happened months ago, the dealer said it was the battery and that was replaced in november of 2016. At that time the vehicle was parked in a shopping center parking lot and i had the radio on for 30…
ODI 11039341
Electrical System
I noticed that (while in cruise control mode) the system does not account or compensate for downhill travel at all. While set to ~60mph, the vehicle accelerated in a moderate downhill incline to reach 70mph. As i began to notice and correct this technical error, i was stopped by a police officer and written a ticket for speeding 70mph in a 55mph zone.
ODI 11122687
Electrical System
Fuel gauge registers 3/4 full even when filled to capacity. I drove 50 miles on may 8, 2017 and it still registered the same when i returned. I tried adding additional gas but the gas pump shut off as it will do automatically when the tank is full.
ODI 10984934
Electrical System
When parked for a two week period, the battery goes dead. Has left us stranded at a parking garage at the airport. This has happened multiple times. Subaru service claims that it is "normal" for a car battery to go dead when it hasn't been run for two weeks.
ODI 10967424
Electrical System · Power Train
I was out of the country and didn't start my car few about ten days. When i come back the battery was dead. I had it jump started. As i was leaving the lot and going up a slight incline the car stalled while in drive - the battery was dead again. I could not move the transmission from drive to park with a dead battery. Fortunately i was able to get the car restarted with another jump. In the meantime the car rolled…
ODI 10919749
Electrical System
Lift gate: the lift gate button on the dash when depressed does not always open the lift gate. Several parts have been replaced by the dealer, and it still fails occasionally. Using the key fob opens the the lift gate 100% of the time, but not using the button on the dash.
ODI 10918974
Electrical System · Engine · Power Train
Safety problems from summer 2014. The car abruptly loses power when accelerating. This is dangerous when overtaking log trucks and other slow traffic on steep two-lane highways. We have taken the vehicle to dealerships several times for repair and except for updating the engine control unit firmware; they have been unable to isolate the cause. In february 2016, subaru of america (soa) mailed us recall wqw-58r. The…
ODI 10873983
Electrical System · Electronic Stability Control · Service Brakes
Upon starting the vehicle or while driving it the following warning messages appear (it has happened multiple tines over the past few months, they will go away and ten reappear days or weeks later): vehicle dynamic control system needs to be checked abs system needs to be checked hill start assist system needs to be checked took car to dealership for normal maintenance in july (bay ridge subaru) they could not find…
ODI 10766301
Air Bags · Electrical System · Seat Belts
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 riding on the passenger side, the red airbag light went off and a note on the console said that the front passenger side…
ODI 10712377
Electrical System · Engine · Fuel/Propulsion System
This problem has been getting progressively worst. The car has been having troubles turning over on cold starts, and has experienced a loss of propulsion and stall going up hill including a loss of brakes since i bought it a year ago. On 9/6/2014 the car was started and was idling high (approximately 4000rpm), check engine light was on, speed control light was on, incline alert light on, sport mode light was on and…
ODI 10631329
Electrical System · Engine · Fuel System, Gasoline · Vehicle Speed Control
This vehicle is a forester xt turbo. I was operating on cruise control at 78 mph, approximately 900 miles from home, when a sudden loss of propulsion occurred. Dashboard had multiple warning lights. Engine was still operating, though at very low rpm so i was able to maintain steering and braking control. After maneuvering to the side of the road, i noticed the tachometer was fluctuating between 500-800 rpm. I turned…
ODI 10574609
Electrical System · Equipment Adaptive/Mobility · Service Brakes
The eyesight, adaptive cruise control and pre-collision braking systems do not recognize stopped vehicles - hard braking is required to stop vehicle in time. When systems do function they do not gradually slow vehicle and come to a stop, but do so suddenly and dangerously, causing me to brake hard to come to a stop at a safe distance behind stopped vehicle. Same systems are also dangerously affected by bright…
ODI 10659181
Electrical System · Engine · Fuel System, Gasoline
At cold starting, approximately one time out of 20, the car is very difficult to start. It cranks for up to 10 seconds before starting. I don't know if it's a fuel delivery or an ignition problem. It has happened at ambient temperatures from 35 to 65 degrees. If i didn't continue cranking the engine to an extent that i think is harmful to it, it wouldn't start. I consider that a safety issue, if i needed to get the…
ODI 10607527
Electrical System · Seats · Unknown Or Other
I was driving my 6 month old 2014 subaru forester at about 50 mph at night and my driver's seat began reclining. I almost lost control of the car and had an accident because the mechanism to stop it was not working. It happened three more times after that occurrence. Also, the power lift gate was inoperable. I had to crawl into the back cargo area to try to open the rear lift gate. It would not open, even from the…
ODI 10586411
Electrical System · Engine
Starting from a cold or warm temperature the vehicle cranks excessively and will not start until a second or third attempt. This has happened at random and about a dozen times in the past five months. *tr
ODI 10611204