2016 Subaru Forester Electrical System Problems
- 21
- 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.
Among these 21 stored complaint records:
- 1 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 1 indicate fire
What owners report
- passenger seat · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 30–60k mi | 11 |
| 1–30k mi | 8 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Electrical System
Car suffered 10 unexplained original battery discharges in years 2-3 of ownership. Upon jump start, auto would start and operate normally for 2-5 months before next discharge. Subaru authorized warranty replacement through dealership with new larger powered battery at end of year 3 of ownership. Repair stated failure due to battery leakage although none was observed by owners. 13 months after replacement battery was…
ODI 11309279
Electrical System
The key will not come out of the ignition when the car is stopped and in "park," intermittently. I need to restart the car, readjust the shifter out and then back into "park," until the vehicle senses that i am actually in "park" and allows me to remove the key.
ODI 11307806
Electrical System
My car was parked in my garage and had not been started for one day. The battery would not start the car, i had to call for a jump. I waited approximately one hour for someone to come through subaru road side assist. The battery was relatively new, as the original was replaced 1/2019. We took it to the dealer and they tested the battery and alternator, which were fine. They recharged the battery. I paid for the…
ODI 11282979
Electrical System
Unable to remove key from ignition after car is turned off. Requires several attempts of jiggling the transmission shifter to finally free the key. Vehicle is off and not moving when this occurs. A quick bit of research indicates that this is problem is occurring on all subaru models not just the forester. Subaru service bulletin 16-112-18r addresses this issue. Only 40k miles my vehicle, out of warranty repair is…
ODI 11268735
Air Bags · Electrical System
Airbag sensor for front passenger seat is defective. Srs warning light remains on most of the time that the car is running. Lights indicate airbag is off even with passenger in seat. Dealer has checked computer; told me that i may have caused damage to the sensor, usually with water. Seat has never been wet nor have we done anything that could damage the sensor. Google search brings up numerous cases of same issue,…
ODI 11255486
Electrical System
Intermittent ignition issue will not always release key when auto is turned off. The position of the steering wheel seems to affect it.does not allow rotation to the release key position.sometimes i have to turn auto back on, back out, and pull in with wheels and steering wheel in perfect straight alignment, which seems to allow me to turn key to release key position.
ODI 11229533
Air Bags · Electrical System · Seats
The airbag sensor in the front passenger seat randomly goes off when there's a passenger in the car or not. The seat belt alarm for the passenger side goes off without a passenger in the car. Airbag sensor says "off" with a passenger in the car. This is very unsafe, as i do not know if that airbag is truly functional, and also an annoyance, as the seatbelt alarm dings while i'm driving.
ODI 11221676
Electrical System
The rear hatch door has opened three times without my doing anything to open it.. Each time i have found the door up after the car had been parked overnight in my carport. I live alone and no one else has access to the electronic controls.
ODI 11220665
Electrical System
We've had the car from new lease the battery has died at least 4 times. After the 2nd time, we took it to the dealer to be checked. They said battery and charger were fine. It is not fine if the battery can't hold enough power to start car after leaving key on acc for 15 minutes with no lights, no radio, nothing knowingly drawing power. Even when the battery starts the car normally, cranking is slow, almost unable…
ODI 11196601
Air Bags · Electrical System · Occupant Classification
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 subaru forester. The contact stated that a red warning indicator icon flashed intermittently inside the vehicle. The contact drove to subaru of rochester ([redacted] se, rochester, minnesota 55904, [redacted]) and was informed that the occupant detection system sensor failed. The contact was provided a cost estimate for repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The…
ODI 11246651
Electrical System
My vehicle alarm system came on unexpectedly toward the end of a day-long drive, with the engine light, hill assist, eyesight, and other dash warning lights all illuminated. The problem disabled the eyesight system, which is a safety issue in clear weather when a driver expects it to work. The remainder of the drive was unnerving, late on a thursday night, on a highway in the middle of nowhere, when nothing was…
ODI 11141651
Electrical System · Unknown Or Other
Water is entering the interior of the car from underneath the dashboard near the glove compartment. The carpet is starting to smell of mildew. I am afraid of the reaction with the electrical components and water. I notified my dealership and awaiting a response. Meanwhile, i taking my car to be serviced.
ODI 11129391
Electrical System · Power Train
I drove from nj to me (bought in 2017). I noticed difficulty when trying to accelerate/pass cars from the left lane. I thought nothing of it. After 5 hrs i got off the highway & made a right onto a main st when i heard a loud noise, felt it pull back & my wheels lock up. I thought i hit something or got a flat & was riding on my rims. From the right lane i moved onto the shoulder-it jerked roughly but remained…
ODI 11123966
Electrical System · Vehicle Speed Control
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 subaru forester. While attempting to park the vehicle, it suddenly accelerated without the accelerator pedal being depressed. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a fence and a pole. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. There was extensive damage to the bumper. The vehicle was towed to an independent body shop and then to subaru of englewood ([redacted], englewood,…
Crash reported
ODI 11123166
Electrical System · Engine
Tl* the contact owned a 2016 subaru forester. The contact stated that the vehicle had been parked for approximately 5 minutes before the neighbor noticed flames coming from under the hood of the vehicle. Moments later, the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The nearby motor home and house also caught on fire and were destroyed along with the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not determined. The fire department was…
Fire reported
ODI 11209233
Electrical System · Engine · Fuel/Propulsion System
I've had this car for 1.5 years and it's already stalled twice times. Both times i was driving on the highway and without any warning my car just started to rapidly decrease speed. Both times, i my gas meter said that i had over 50 miles of gas left in my car. Its absolutely terrifying because when the car shuts off, i have about two minute to get to the shoulder before it's completely dead.
ODI 11048323
Electrical System
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 subaru forester. While driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle's power seized. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to fitzgerald toyota (907 n frederick ave, gaithersburg, md 20879) where the cause of the failure could not be determined. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
ODI 11022077
Electrical System · Engine · Steering
We got our 2016 subaru forester premium 2.5i from bay ridge dealer in brooklyn on june 7,2016.
ODI 10903443
Electrical System
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 perform any repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 300.
ODI 10896488
Electrical System · Engine · Unknown Or Other
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 six times since new; dealer has not fixed problem, but has seen video of the car stalling in traffic that my wife took…
ODI 10887453
Electrical System · Unknown Or Other
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 shoulder and explained to both operators on starlink after my first 4 attempts to reach emergency services failed after…
ODI 10849902