Unintended acceleration while parking /braking in front of a Verizon store leading to crash into store
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 →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Forester years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
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.
Unknown Or Other complaints
44 reportsI was on the freeway when the check engine light came on with an alert I couldn't read in time before it disappeared. Then the gas pedal stopped working. I got to a safe place and shut off the car. My brother-in-law then drove the car the 5 miles back home on local roads - he videod the throttle ramping up when he was either bra…
Read full complaint
I was on the freeway when the check engine light came on with an alert I couldn't read in time before it disappeared. Then the gas pedal stopped working. I got to a safe place and shut off the car. My brother-in-law then drove the car the 5 miles back home on local roads - he videod the throttle ramping up when he was either braking or the foot wasn't on the gas pedal, which happened 4-5 times. Subaru service pulled fault code P2138.
The key gets stuck when trying to remove it from the ignition while the car is in park. It can not be fully rotated to the off position and removed, which prevents the driver from leaving the car. The key only comes out after repeated starting of the car and moving it back and forth. The issue is intermittent and unpredictable. …
Read full complaint
The key gets stuck when trying to remove it from the ignition while the car is in park. It can not be fully rotated to the off position and removed, which prevents the driver from leaving the car. The key only comes out after repeated starting of the car and moving it back and forth. The issue is intermittent and unpredictable. Subaru has issued a bulletin report #: 16-112-18R
The vehicle had 2 dangerous incidents on the interstate, once in 2021 and 2024. After longer 3+ hours of driving, and low on gas, the vehicle lost power, forcing me to coast to the shoulder. Once shut off and restarted, it was perfectly fine. The first time it was on cruise control, driving from Illinois to Texas. The most r…
Read full complaint
The vehicle had 2 dangerous incidents on the interstate, once in 2021 and 2024. After longer 3+ hours of driving, and low on gas, the vehicle lost power, forcing me to coast to the shoulder. Once shut off and restarted, it was perfectly fine. The first time it was on cruise control, driving from Illinois to Texas. The most recent time it was not on cruise control, driving from Houston to Dallas and back. The dealer service center has not found the issue, and I recently traded it in for a newer 2024 model.
I had 2 accidents with this car. The first was on October 10, 2023. I pulled into a parking space and braked. I move forward a little more and braked again. The car suddenly accelerated and hit 2 vehicles parking across from me. My car was damaged, and one of the cars I hit was badly damaged, and the other had less damage. My…
Read full complaint
I had 2 accidents with this car. The first was on October 10, 2023. I pulled into a parking space and braked. I move forward a little more and braked again. The car suddenly accelerated and hit 2 vehicles parking across from me. My car was damaged, and one of the cars I hit was badly damaged, and the other had less damage. My 93 year old father was not injured. I had an injury on my hand, where the skin split between my right hand and forefinger. Fortunately there was no one in either of the other cars. I do not know if the vehicle was inspected by anyone. There was no warning light. It all happened in seconds. I had no idea what happened, so I thought my foot must have slipped and hit the gas pedal. I had my car repaired at the Apple Subaru's body shop in York, PA. It was in the shop for about a month. I drove it aroung for a few weeks then started noticing some lurching forward after braking. I still assumed my foot my foot must be slipping. On December 1, 1923, I decided to go to our local farmer's market for apples. The car lurched a few times causing me to run a stop sign. I decided it was unfit to go on to the market and decided to take it to my service station. The service station is located on a ridge. There office and some of the garage bays are on the upper level on the ridge. The property goes downhill around that. There is an entry next to the office that is marked as a handicapped space. I was not thinking clearly when I decided to park there. I pulled partway into the space, braked, and then moved forward a bit. When I braked the car took off at a high speed, through a railing, over the edge, and landed sideways on the ground below. I was trapped in the car and had to be removed by firefighters. When they pulled me out I was taken to the ER. My car was totalled. My son did some research and sent me some links. I am now sure that the cause was the sudden acceleration problem with Subaru. I have reported this to Subaru.
Once the car is turned off, the key cannot be removed from the ignition. From my internet search, this appears to be a common problem with 2014-2018 Subaru vehicles. Can a recall be initiated? Thank you.
Child locks on both rear doors are stuck. Based on the online forums, this is a common issue that Subaru is charging a $300 repair per door. It is a safety concern now that my children are old enough to not need safety locks.
Right trunk tail gate broke at pivot point due to rust. I had lifted the rear trunk door up to remove packages when the trunk door suddenly came down on my head. Subaru had issued a warning about this but this should be a recall!! I was thankful a child was not standing next to me! The dealer replaced both gates when I complaine…
Read full complaint
Right trunk tail gate broke at pivot point due to rust. I had lifted the rear trunk door up to remove packages when the trunk door suddenly came down on my head. Subaru had issued a warning about this but this should be a recall!! I was thankful a child was not standing next to me! The dealer replaced both gates when I complained.
I reached inside the back lift gate of the car when it dropped on my head. I went to the ER where they did a CT and MRI of my head and spine to rule out a fracture or head bleed.There was no warning message on the dash or problem noted from the dealership. I have owned the car since April 2021 and had no problem with it before t…
Read full complaint
I reached inside the back lift gate of the car when it dropped on my head. I went to the ER where they did a CT and MRI of my head and spine to rule out a fracture or head bleed.There was no warning message on the dash or problem noted from the dealership. I have owned the car since April 2021 and had no problem with it before that day. The car dealership has replaced the hydraulic lift struts on the back lift door. So I don't know if they still have the defective parts. I have contacted my insurance company but no representative came out to see it. A video of what the door did was sent to the car dealership and the insurance company.
Several warning messages appeared on the dash at the same time: Check engine, Check emissions control system, Hill start assist system needs to be checked. In addition, the pictures of a car climbing a hill and a car with swerving skid marks behind it lit up. (I don't know the official names of these icons.) The engine then e…
Read full complaint
Several warning messages appeared on the dash at the same time: Check engine, Check emissions control system, Hill start assist system needs to be checked. In addition, the pictures of a car climbing a hill and a car with swerving skid marks behind it lit up. (I don't know the official names of these icons.) The engine then either lost power and would not accelerate when I pressed the gas pedal or would rev and accelerate on its own, even when I had the brake depressed. I have taken my car into the dealership 4 times over the past two years for this same issue. I do not have the exact dates of the first two instances, but the last two were on July 7, 2021, and September 17, 2021. Each time the dealer has been able to verify the warning lights and unintended acceleration. They say the problem is with the brake pedal assembly and have replaced it with a new assembly 3 times. They're working on the 4th one right now.
Official recalls
219V149000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
Illustration