← New search

2014 Subaru Forester

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Forester years

Owner complaints for the 2014 Subaru Forester are substantially higher than the model-year median of 131.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

298 reports with mileage · 105 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Suspension. Review the 94 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 69 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

48 crash reports3 fire reports18 injury reports

Equipment Adaptive/mobility complaints

3 reports
Clear category filter
5,000 miles · Nov 19, 2014
Electrical SystemEquipment Adaptive/mobilityService 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 DIS…

Read full complaint

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 SUNLIGHT AND FAIL TO FUNCTION WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER SAID THEY CHECKED SYSTEMS OUT AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. GAVE ME PRINT-OUT FROM OPERATING MANUAL STATING IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DRIVER TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE SAFELY AT ALL TIMES AND THAT THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM IS NEVER A SUBSTITUTE FOR ACTIVE DRIVER INVOLVEMENT AND MAY NOT OPERATE OPTIMALLY UNDER ALL DRIVING CONDITIONS!!!!!!! SUBARU CORPORATE CUSTOMER RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVE SAID THERE WAS NO SOFTWARE UPGRADE/FIX AVAILABLE FOR THE FORESTER MODEL. CERTAIN SUBARU 2015 MODELS ARE ADVERTISED TO HAVE AN UPGRADED EYESIGHT SYSTEM THAT RECOGNIZES LIGHTED TAILLIGHTS, AMONG OTHER IMPROVEMENTS. I WAS TOLD THE 2015 SYSTEM WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE 2014 FORESTER. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. A RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10659181

300 miles · Sep 16, 2014
Equipment Adaptive/mobilityService BrakesVehicle Speed Control

WHEN SOMEONE DEPARTS ROAD ON AN EXIT AND THEY ARE DECELERATING EVEN IF THEY ARE CLEAR AND OUT OF THE LANE THE CAR WILL PRACTICALLY STOP ON THE HIGHWAY, SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES HARD. EVEN UNDER NORMAL USE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM DOES NOT ENGAGE THE BRAKES SLOWLY IN A PROGRESSIVE PATTERN IT HITS THEM ABRUPTLY. I …

Read full complaint

WHEN SOMEONE DEPARTS ROAD ON AN EXIT AND THEY ARE DECELERATING EVEN IF THEY ARE CLEAR AND OUT OF THE LANE THE CAR WILL PRACTICALLY STOP ON THE HIGHWAY, SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES HARD. EVEN UNDER NORMAL USE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM DOES NOT ENGAGE THE BRAKES SLOWLY IN A PROGRESSIVE PATTERN IT HITS THEM ABRUPTLY. I AM IN A CONGESTED AREA AND HAVE OFTEN HAD TO OVERRIDE THE SYSTEM BY HITTING THE BRAKES MANUALLY TO DISENGAGE THE SYSTEM OR FLOOR THE GAS TO PREVENT SOMEONE FROM REAR ENDING ME ON THE HIGHWAY. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION THEY SAY IT IS OPERATING AS IT SHOULD AND HAVE BROUGHT IT TO SUBARU CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE ATTENTION ON AT LEAST 3 OCCASIONS ASKING FOR A SOFTWARE UPDATE AND HAVE HAD NO RESPONSE. I BELIEVE THE SYSTEM IS GOOD BUT NEEDS REFINEMENT OF ITS SOFTWARE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED.

NHTSA ODI #10633778

205 miles · Jan 14, 2014
Equipment Adaptive/mobilityVehicle Speed Control

THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE HAS NOT RECOGNIZED STOPPED VEHICLES, AND DID NOT SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN THUS POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTING TO A CRASH AND INJURY. THE CAR HAS BEEN EVALUATED MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THIS BY THE DEALER AND HAS NOT FOUND A PROBLEM. THE DYSFUNCTION CONTINUES; THERE WERE 4 INCIDENTS TODAY WHERE THERE WAS FAILURE OF THE ADAPT…

Read full complaint

THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE HAS NOT RECOGNIZED STOPPED VEHICLES, AND DID NOT SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN THUS POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTING TO A CRASH AND INJURY. THE CAR HAS BEEN EVALUATED MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THIS BY THE DEALER AND HAS NOT FOUND A PROBLEM. THE DYSFUNCTION CONTINUES; THERE WERE 4 INCIDENTS TODAY WHERE THERE WAS FAILURE OF THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM TO INITIATE ANY SAFETY MANEUVERS TO AVOID A CRASH. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10559973

Official recalls

2

19V149000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch

Feb 28, 2019

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.

13V159000 · Equipment

Apr 24, 2013

Subaru is recalling certain model year 2014 Forester vehicles manufactured from January 2013 through March 2013. The backing for the carpeted floor mats was not manufactured to specification. As a result, the floor mats may curl when exposed to heat.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Curling of the driver side floor mat could distract the driver and/or interfere with proper operation of one or a combination of, the vehicle's clutch, brake, and accelerator pedals. Brake or accelerator pedal interference may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace each of the vehicle's four (4) carpeted floor mats with new ones. These services will be performed free of charge. Subaru issued an interim notification during April 2013. Notification that the remedy is now available was mailed to owners on June 5, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQH-44.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Subaru Forester problems