2016 Subaru Forester Power Train 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:
- 2 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- reverse drive · 4 records
- very dangerous · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 1–30k mi | 13 |
| 30–60k mi | 7 |
| 150–400k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Power Train
Cvt codes p0700 and p2764 came on. The dealership said that it needs a whole new transmission as fixing just the torque converter will not fix the issue. All warning lights came on and none of the safety features will work. The car was doing this from a starting point and stayed on no matter speed. Seems to be a known issue with cvt...$7,731.00 to replace
ODI 11265402
Power Train
My car is slowing down drastically while my foot is on the gas and rpm is increasing. I suspect that the cvt is slipping and causing the car to engine brake. This is the reason subaru extended the cvt warranty, but they have refused to replace my transmission because the dealer has not been able to duplicate the problem. There needs to be a recall on these cvts.
ODI 11246210
Engine · Power Train
On two different occasions 24 hours apart the car stalled (seemed to drop into neutral) at highway speeds ~80mph after greater than 1.5 hours of driving. The rpm jumped up and the car lost all acceleration despite pressing the accelerator. Once on the side of the road in park the engine died. Both times it failed to start again with multiple spaced out attempts over more than 2 hours. We had the vehicle towed to the…
ODI 11218540
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 subaru forester. The contact stated that the vehicle shifted out of park after the engine was turned off. The failure occurred every time the contact parked the vehicle and removed the key from the ignition. Also, the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to schomp subaru (580 s havana st, aurora, co 80012, [redacted]), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The…
ODI 11202977
Engine · Power Train
2 separate incidents of complete engine power loss while on highway at cruising speeds. First incident occurred while the vehicle was going about 70mph on a highway. We heard a loud bang then engine died and we lost all power to the car. There was a lot of smoke but we were able to coast it to the shoulder of the road. When we opened hood there was oil everywhere and a giant crack and hole in the engine. We had to…
ODI 11217750
Electronic Stability Control · Power Train · Steering
On semi-slick patches of road, the 2016 forester drivetrain wreaks havoc on the control systems and steering causing the vehicle to violently break right or left requiring hard steering to steer forward. Passengers suffer motion sickness; it is that bad. While other traffic (e.g., semi-trucks, gravel haulers, 20+ foot trailed vehicles) can pass the forester with no problem at much higher speeds, the 2016 forester…
ODI 11186271
Power Train
Safety concern regarding manual transmission coming out of gear while engine braking.this has happened on flat roads and while descending hills, and while in first or seconds gear. Issue easily duplicated when in first gear at low speed (between 1,500 and 3,000 rpm) going downhill with foot off gas pedal. As the vehicle descends the hill, the gear lever begins moving and eventually pops into neutral. Issue was…
ODI 11129115
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
Engine · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
On five different occurrences while the cruise control was on and we were driving at around 70 miles an hour on an interstate, our car would electronically put itself in neutral, the automatic gear shifter would physically remain in drive, the rpm's would go up to about 5500 rpms, because the car was slowing down and the cruise control was on. We would pull over to the side of the interstate and the engine will shut…
ODI 11129380
Power Train
While pulling into a parking lot spot at idle speed, i lightly depressed the accelerator when all of a sudden the vehicle surged forward colliding with the veh parked to my left. My veh jumped the curb with the front end coming to rest on the sidewalk. I have had continuing problems with this sudden surging especially when pulling up a slight incline to enter my garage or starting from a stop. I have brought this to…
Crash reported
ODI 11113183
Power Train
Broken transmission due to broken transmission belt at 43,000 miles. I was stopped at a red light, when the light turned green i took my foot off the brake and put my foot on the accelerator. Immediately, there was a huge bang, and my car rocked back and forth. I thought i had been rear ended but there was nobody behind me. My car begin to roll backwards. I tried to get the car to drive by turning the car off and on…
ODI 11083794
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 subaru forester. While driving various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate. Klamath falls subaru in klamath falls, oregon 97603 was made aware of the failure but the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,200. *tt *tr
ODI 11073912
Power Train
When making a right or left turn the vehicle will bog down and it will not move. The situation last about 5 seconds and during this time i am unable to get out of the way of oncoming traffic. The happens multiple times per day to none per day. I have brought this to the attention of my service rep and his answer was that this is normal for the transmission in this vehicle. This has been an ongoing issue for about…
ODI 10966681
Power Train · Steering · Suspension
While traveling at speeds above 25 mph in mild to moderate winter conditions, the rear end is fishtailing and pushing the front of the vehicle in an unsafe manner. My family and i were nearly thrown into a ditch several times in a 2 mile excursion on the interstate on christmas day. Even at very low speeds, the steering is unresponsive to the force that feels like it is coming from the rear end. The maximum speed at…
ODI 10945743
Electronic Stability Control · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
I've had the same issue happen on 2 separate occasions (october and november 2016) - while driving the car i bought brand new, and going appx. 75 mph down the interstate, driving approximately 2 hours straight on flat interstate, the rpm's all of a sudden shoot up and it feels like my car falls out of gear. The car essentially shuts down and fails to accelerate and slows down quickly, while totally unresponsive. We…
ODI 10957292
Power Train
Vehicle was parked on a level surface. I started the car, put my foot on the brake. Release the parking brake, put the car into drive, release the brake. The car started rolling backwards rather quickly. I stepped on the brake, released it again and the car started rolling forwards. The car was definitely in drive, it should not have gone backwards.
ODI 10926830
Power Train
When shifting from reverse to drive, there is a 3 to 4 second lag time in the transmission between shifting and getting power to the wheels. This is very dangerous when you back out of your driveway, especially if you live on a busy street (as we do). I took it to the dealer today and they said this is normal for the type of transmission (cvt) and they wouldn't even look at it. This is irresponsible and needs to be…
ODI 10928684
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 subaru forester. While the vehicle was in reverse, it accelerated and crashed into a parked vehicle without warning. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The air bags did not deploy. The failure recurred, but only when the contact attempted to shift into reverse. The failure was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that this type of…
Crash reported
ODI 10909317
Power Train
When you go from reverse to drive there is a lag time in the transmission. Or if you go from park to drive its the same. If your on an incline it makes you hit the gas to accelerate. And if you were to pull a trailer and you are on a small hill it feels like the car is in neutral which is very dangerous. We only have 3700 miles on the car. I have contacted subaru corp and they told me to go to the dealer, which i…
ODI 10896771
Power Train
When you go from reverse to drive there is a lag time in the transmission. Or if you go from park to drive its the same. This is very dangerous as you rely on your car moving when you shift from reverse to drive (e.g., when you back out of your driveway). We went to the dealer. The service manager told me that they have had a lot of complaints about this problem but he also said it was one of the characteristics of…
ODI 10904762
Power Train · Steering · Unknown Or Other
While vehicle was in motion on city streets and highways the rear-end shifts to the left when driving over a bump (dry or wet pavement). It also shifts to the left when driving on ice. I know cars perform poorly on ice, but i've had many driving careers and this problem is unique and not normal for any car. Also it hydroplanes easily. The rear tires (especially the right rear tire) wear unnaturally. I have to…
ODI 11170583