NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Subaru Forester. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED AND BEGAN INDEPENDENTLY SHIFTING GEARS. THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY WHEN DRIVING AT 35 MPH OR LESS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FIVE TIMES BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR LOCATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE FOR A REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 15,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 5 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD EITHER NOT RESPOND OR WOULD ABNORMALLY ACCELERATE AT A RAPID PACE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED VIA MAIL BUT HAD NOT YET RESPONDED TO THE CONTACT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000. UPDATED 05/13/11 *BF UPDATED 12/30/11 *CN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO TRAVEL THROUGH AN INTERSECTION AND TWO RESIDENTIAL BACKYARDS BEFORE TRAVELING OVER A THICK PATCH OF SNOW WHICH STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 4500.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE ENGINE RPM'S INCREASED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
I PURCHASED A 2010 SUBRAU FORESTER IN AUGUST 2009,,I BOUGHT THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER CITY SIDE SUBRAU FOR THE 3500 MILE CHECKUP, AND TO HAVE E.C.M. ADJUSTED UNDER A RECALL. THIS WAS DONE ON 1/14/2010 THE NEXT DAY I WAS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION CAR BACK TO DEALER ON1/16/2010 THE FACT THAT I HAD NO PROBLEMS BEFORE ADJUSTING THE E.C.M.TELLS ME THAT THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION IS COMPUTER BASED PROBLEM NOT FLOOR MATS OR STICKING GAS PEDALS. *TR
I HAVE A 2010 SUBARU FORESTER AND THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS FOG UP CONSTANTLY. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE 3 WEEKS AND LESS THAN ONE HUNDRED MILES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN BACK TWICE SINCE I PURCHASED IT, ONLY BECAUSE OF WORK OTHERWISE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BACK EVERY DAY. ON THE LAST VISIT THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED ON 12/17/2007 DUE TO A DESIGN CHANGE THE HEAD LENS AND TAIL LENS FOG UP AND WILL NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY ,AND WON'T BE FIXED. THE BULLETIN DOES NOT MENTION YEAR 2010. *TR
THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT STORAGE SPOOL WILL NOT RELEASE. THE SHOULDER PART OF THE BELT WAS ACROSS THE FRONT SIDE OF THE BACK REST AND THE LAP PART OF THE BELT WAS FLIPPED TO THE BACK SIDE OF THE BACK REST AND THEN BUCKLED TO KEEP THE WARNING LIGHT FROM FLASHING WHILE MY DOG WAS RIDING IN THE SEAT. THE BELT WAS LEFT IN THIS POSITION AFTER THE DOG VACATED THE SEAT. LATER, MY FATHER SAT IN THE SEAT , UNBUCKLED IT, AND SLIPPED UNDER THE SHOULDER PART OF THE BELT ONLY AS THE LAP PART WAS STILL AROUND THE BACK OF THE SEAT. HE THEN BUCKLED IT. AFTER A SHORT DRIVE HE RELEASED THE BUCKLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. THE RATCHETING SPOOL FOR THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE ANY STORED BELT. HE TRIED MOVING THE SEAT FORWARD AND BACK.ALSO TRIED MOVING THE BACK REST UP AND DOWN. THE BELT ONLY TIGHTENED. EVENTUALLY HE GOT OUT FROM UNDER THE BELT . I THEN TRIED TO GET THE STORAGE SPOOL TO RELEASE. STILL IT ONLY WOULD TIGHTEN.. I TOOK IT TO SUBARU SANTA MONICA WHERE THEY INFORMED ME IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE LIFETIME WARRANTY BUT THAT I COULD PROBABLY FIX IT MYSELF BY REMOVING A COUPLE OF BOLTS. THE BELT IS CURRENTLY STUCK VERY TIGHTLY AROUND THE SEAT REST. *TR
WHEN I START MY 2010 SUBARU FORESTER 2.5L NON-TURBO IN THE MORNING, THERE IS A DISTINCT SMELL OF GAS. IT ONLY HAPPENS AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING OVERNIGHT. I CALLED THE DEALER TO ASK ABOUT THIS AND HE SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL PEOPLE ASKING ABOUT IT. HE SAID THAT IT WAS DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER WHICH AFFECTED THE METAL FUEL LINE TO ALLOW A SMALL AMOUNT OF VAPOR TO BE RELEASED, AND I SHOULDN'T WORRY ABOUT IT UNLESS IT GETS WORSE THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, THE MORE I REALIZED THAT I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED THAT IN ANY OTHER CAR I HAD OWNED, EXCEPT WHEN THERE WAS SOME LEAK IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. HAVE YOU HAD ANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FROM SUBARU OWNERS? IF SO, WHAT WAS THE SOLUTION RECOMMENDED TO THEM? *CN
I BOUGHT A 2010 SUBARU FORESTER IN SEPT. OF 2009. AFTER PURCHASE I NOTICED THAT THE LEFT OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR HAD A DISTORTION IN THE GLASS WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT IN PASSING AND BACKING UP. THE BEST WAY I CAN DESCRIBE IT IS LIKE LOOKING INTO A "FUN HOUSE MIRROR" AT AN AMUSEMENT PARK. I TOOK MY FORESTER BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT HE NOTICED THE DEFECT ALSO AND HE HAD ME COME IN TO HAVE THE MIRROR REPLACED. AFTER THE REPLACEMENT THE DEFECT IS STILL THERE, AND THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT SUBARU IS HAVING WITH THEIR MIRRORS AND THERE IS NO FIX FOR IT AT THIS TIME. I CONTACTED SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE WEB SITE AND AFTER SOME CONVERSATIONS BACK AND FORTH I'VE BEEN TOLD IT'S MY PROBLEM NOW THAT THERE IS NO FIX FOR THE PROBLEM, AND THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE MIRROR. IF THERE IS NO PROBLEM THEN WHY DID THEY REPLACE IT TO TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM? IN MY OPINION IT IS A SERIOUS DEFECT BECAUSE IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AND UNSAFE WHEN TRYING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY OR WHEN TRYING TO BACKUP USING A MIRROR THAT YOU CAN'T SEE A GOOD VIEW TO THE REAR. AFTER A FEW EMAILS BACK AND FORTH ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REQUESTING THEM TO LOOK AT THIS FORUM SINCE THEY SAID THERE IS NO PROBLEM, THEY BECAME RUDE AND NOW, ME AND ALOT OF OTHER SUBARU OWNERS ARE STUCK WITH A DEFECTIVE AND UNSAFE MIRROR. I WILL GIVE YOU A WEB SITE FORUM WITH OTHER SUBARU OWNERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT.: WWW.SUBARUFORESTER.ORG/VBULLETIN/F88/2010-LIGHT-ASSEMBLY-CONDENSATIONN-MIRROR-67147/ THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR
I HAVE A NEW 2020 SUBARU FORESTER THAT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO START----I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER 2 TIMES AND THEY TELL ME THIS IS THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO START DUE TO THE NEW EMISSIONS ON THE CAR--I HAD A FORESTER BEFORE AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM--BUYER BEWARE--I CALLED THE HEAD OFFICE AND THEY PROMISED TO RETURN MY CALL--AS USUAL NO ONE CALLED--I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND LEFT 4 MESSAGES AND NO ONE CALLED. *TR
ON ICY DOWNHILL GRADES WHEN BRAKING OR SLOWING ABS SYSTEM WILL CAUSE A "ROCK HARD" PEDAL AND COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES. ALL FOUR WHEELS WILL LOCKUP. THIS CAUSES LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND LOSS OF BRAKING. THIS FAILURE OCCURS WHEN ABS FAILS TO PREVENT WHEELS FROM LOCKING UP ON SLICK SURFACES. CONSEQUENCES INCLUDE REAR END COLLISION, LOSS OF CONTROL, UNEXPECTED EXIT FROM THE ROADWAY AND LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE ATTITUDE. VEHICLE WAS TAKE TO DEALER AND BRAKES WERE INSPECTED. NOTHING WAS FOUND TO BE WRONG. BRAKES WERE OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM IN THAT THE SYSTEM CAUSES UNEXPECTED DRASTIC CHANGES IN THE FEEL OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, ALLOWS THE WHEELS TO LOCK AND DOES NOT GIVE THE DRIVER CLEAR EXPECTATION OF HOW TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. ON LOW COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION SURFACES THE ABS SYSTEM CANNOT DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE VEHICLE MOVING WITH WHEELS LOCKED AND VEHICLE STATIONARY WITH BRAKES ENGAGED. VEHICLE MUST BE ACCELERATED TO START WHEELS TURNING IN ORDER FOR THE ABS TO RELEASE THE PEDAL. *TR
ENGINE OIL WAS BELOW DIP STICK AFTER 5500 MILES ODOMETER AT 23566. SUBARU DID AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST, USES 1/2 PINT PER 1000 MILES ON CLEAN OIL. SUBARU MECHANIC SAID THAT 1 QT PER 1000 MILES ON ENGINE IS NORMAL. OIL CHANGE RECOMMENDATION IS 7500 MILES. ENGINE HAS LESS THAN 29000 MILES AND IS IN DANGER OF SEIZING UP IF OIL IS NOT KEPT UP. SUBARU IS AWARE OF PROBLEM IN ENGINE, BUT REFUSES TO FIX THE OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM. *TR
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026