2015 Subaru Forester Fuel System Problems

UNKNOWN. Often when I attempt to accelerate after stopping at a stop sign, the car hesitates, sometimes lunges ahead and then sometimes practically dying before accelerating normally. There have been times when It simply feels like a fuel pump problem and I know that Toyotas with this same Denso fuel pump have had documented problems similar to mine. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

This is the fourth time we have had the same problem. We were on a long drive (more than 1 hour on the road) on the freeway going 65-70mph. The fuel gauge showed 2 or 3 bars left and the estimated mileage left was 40-70 miles left when the car lost forward power, the lights still worked and electrical systems were functional but it was as though there was not gas left. We had to call a tow truck to bring us gas. As soon as they put a couple gallons in the tank the car started and continued without issue to the nearest gas station. This was extremely dangerous as we had our children in the car and had a loss of power on the freeway and had to sit on the side of the freeway in a dangerous area waiting for gas to be delivered. We took it to our mechanic who could not detect any problems with the sensors, or other systems, there were no codes generated and no warning before it lost power, the low fuel light hadn't even gone on.

On six occasions since 2020, our Subaru Forester has lost engine power at highway speeds after being driven for 2 hours on an interstate. On each occasion, we had to pull to the shoulder of the road with no engine power and restart the car. On the last three occasions it has taken 15 minutes to restart. Losing engine power at highway speed could have endangered our family or nearby drivers. We have taken the car to multiple dealers who have not been able to reproduce the failure, but after the latest incident in August 2023 our local dealers now recommends replacement of the fuel pump.

I was on the MA Pike in the middle of three lanes going 70mph and all my red lights came on, the engine revved high RPM, then seemed to be getting no gas and next stalled out. The trip computer said I had had 60 miles of gas left until empty, and I still had a bar of gas left showing on the odometer. There were no warnings lights or messages prior to the failure. It was an extremely unsafe situation, as I had to pull into the “slow” uphill truck lane, lane one of three lanes. There was no shoulder to get on. Trucks were whizzing by me at 70mph. AAA was not able to assist me, as I was in an unsafe location. They called the MA State Troopers who showed up immediately, and frankly probably saved my life, while risking their lives. They ordered gas, as they indicated they had seen this problem before. Two gallons of gas and the car started right up even though it still had gas in the tank. The problem has not been reproduced by a dealer, but it has been written about my many other 2015 Forester owners. Others have reported the same exact problem, sometimes resulting in accidents. How has Subaru gotten away without a recall on this extremely dangerous problem. They definitely are aware of it.

Fuel gauge sending unit not functioning causing car to over report remaining gas mileage. Car runs out of gas though gas gauge still reports roughly 20% tank capacity remaining and ~60 miles or range left. This has happened to me multiple times,racing me stranded on highways at least 6 times.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 60MPH AND SUDDENLY THE GAS PEDAL SEEMED TO LOSE PRESSURE. THEN ALL OF THE LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASH AS THE CAR STOPPED. I HAD TO WAIT ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND TRY RESTARTING 10+ TIMES UNTIL IT FINALLY WOULD STAY RUNNING AND ALLOW US TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY. THIS OCCURED WITH 80 MILES LEFT UNTIL EMPTY. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME IT HAS HAPPENED ON A TRIP. WE HAD ONLY BEEN DRIVING 1.5 HOURS.

SAME PROBLEM AS NHTSA ID#'S 11299582, 11297748 & 11297188. DEALER FIRST DID DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. TWO WEEKS LATER SAME ISSUE. REPLACED THROTTLE PEDAL/POSITION SENSOR ($600) AND PROBLEM FIXED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70-75 MPH, THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR DISPLAYED APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES TO EMPTY AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HARVEY SUBARU (LOCATED AT 3351 BENTON RD, BOSSIER CITY, LA 71111, (888) 232-4109) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO RETRIEVE A FAULT CODE OR DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ONCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

SEVERAL TIMES WHEN I SLOW TO TURN OR SLOW IN TRAFFIC THEN TRY TO ACCELERATE, THE CAR DOESN'T RESPOND. WHEN I DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR AGAIN, IT BUCKS AND SURGES FORWARD IN A JERKING MOTION. ITS DANGEROUS BECAUSE SOMEONE FOLLOWING BEHIND ME IN A TURN COULD RUN INTO ME OR IN TRAFFIC , I COULD SUDDENLY SURGE INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S CAR. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THE ONLY REPORT I GOT WHEN I PICKED IT UP WAS THAT THEY HAD RE-PROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER AND TEST DROVE IT. THAT WAS 2 MONTHS AGO AND NOW I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. EVERY INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON CITY STREETS. I AM ALARMED ABOUT THE OTHER REPORTS I AM SEEING ON THIS AND SIMILAR LOSS OF CONTROL ISSUES.

ON 6/7/18 AFTER SIX HOURS BEHIND THE WHEEL, WHILE TRAVELING 78MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL SYSTEMS, AS IF IT HAD RUN OUT OF GAS, ON INTERSTATE 85 IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. MIRACULOUSLY GETTING ONTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER FROM CENTER LANE I SAT FOR 10-20 MINUTES IN SHOCK. THINKING I HAD RUN OUT OF GAS EVEN THOUGH NO LOW FUEL INDICATORS HAD SHOWN UP I TURNED THE KEY TO SEE IF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD TURN ON. IT DID, A QUARTER TANK OF GAS SHOWED ON GAUGE. I TURNED THE IGNITION KEY AND THE ENGINE STARTED. I SAW A SIGN FOR EXIT IN 2 MILES, PUT ON HAZARDS, WENT 50 MPH TO EXIT, STRAIGHT TO GAS STATION. 9 GALLONS WENT IN PROVING THE GAUGE TO BE CORRECT. I STOPPED FOR THE NIGHT AND GOOGLED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND FOUND MANY HITS INDICATING A POSSIBLE FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEM. I WAS STILL 5 HOURS FROM HOME SO CALLED NEAREST SUBARU REPAIR SHOP, THEY COULDN'T FIT ME IN FOR A WEEK. TOOK BACK ROADS HOME, NEVER GOING OVER 50 MPH. CALLED SUBARU DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT MY CAR AND THEY HAD A TWO WEEK WAIT FOR SERVICE. CALLED SUBARU OF AMERICA WHO INTERVENED AND LOCAL DEALER GOT ME IN THAT DAY. 6/11/18. THAT DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING ON THE COMPUTER AND SAID IT HAD BEEN WIPED CLEAN BY SOMEONE. REGARDLESS, I ASKED IF THEY WOULD LOOK AT FUEL SYSTEM BUT THEY WOULD NOT, INSTEAD OFFERING TO PURCHASE THE VEHICLE FOR FAIR MARKET PRICE AND SELL IT ON THEIR USED CAR LOT TO A NEW UNSUSPECTING CUSTOMER. TOOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER SUBARU DEALER WHO DID PULL THE FUEL SYSTEM AND FOUND FUEL TRANSFER PUMP FAULTY. THIS CAUSED MY CAR TO THINK IT WAS OUT OF GAS AS I TRAVELED. I ASKED SUBARU OF NA IF THEY HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM AND THEY REPLIED "THERE ARE NO RECALLS FOR YOUR VEHICLE", I KNOW FROM MY GOOGLE SEARCH THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED EVENT FOR MY VEHICLE. IN FACT WHEN I PICKED UP MY CAR THE MECHANIC SAID HE HAD ANOTHER SUBARU COME IN THE NEXT DAY WITH SAME PROBLEM.

WHEN YOU STEP ON THE GAS TO PASS ANOTHER AUTO, OCCASIONALLY THE AUTO SURGES FORWARD AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, NOT 5-10 MILES AN HOUR BUT MORE LIKE 25-30. TAKING YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS DOES NOTHING AS THE CAR CONTINUES TO GET FASTER AND FASTER. APPLYING THE BRAKE PRESSED ALL THE WAY DOWN BARELY SLOWS THE CAR. WHEN YOU LET UP ON THE BRAKE IT SURGES FORWARD AGAIN AT THE HIGH RATE OF SPEED. I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS THE 19 DEGREE WEATHER AS IT DID IT 3 TIMES ON THE WAY TO WORK ONE DAY THIS WEEK. LAST NIGHT IT WAS 41 DEGREES WHEN I DROVE HOME AND IT DID IT EVERY TIME. I ALMOST REAR ENDED SOMEONE AS I COULDN'T GET IT TO SLOW DOWN TO A NORMAL SPEED EVEN WITH THE BRAKE APPLIED. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR. HAPPENED ON A MAJOR FREEWAY AND ON RURAL COUNTY ROADS WHEN GOING STRAIGHT

LOST COMPLETE POWER AT 70MPH IN CENTER LANE OF EXPRESSWAY. SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL ROLLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. GAS GAUGE SHOWED 1/8 TANK, 70 MILES, NO FUEL LIGHT.. SUBARU SAID FUEL PUMP OVERHEATED AND THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER DRIVE WITH LESS THAN 1/4 TANK. COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WITH NO WARNING ALMOST CAUSED A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY AAA TO SUBARU DEALER. VEHICLE WAS UNRESPONSIVE TO AAA AFTER SITTING FOR 90 MINUTES WAITING. DEALER SAID FUEL PUMP IS COOLED BY FUEL AND RUNNING IT WHEN FUEL IS LOW CAUSES PUMP FAILURE. VERY CASUAL, WE ALMOST DIED!. REPAIR RECORD ATTACHED.

I WAS APPROACHING A LIGHT THAT TURNED GREEN, AND WHEN I TOUCHED THE ACCELERATOR, NO GAS. PULLED AROUND THE CORNER, AND PUT IN PARK, ENGINE REVVED HIGH RPM. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, XMODE LIGHT, AND ANOTHER 'CAR ON HILL' LIGHT CAME ON DASH'..MESSAGES ON DISPLAY WINDOW 'HILL START ASSIST SYSTEM' AND 'EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM' MESSAGES FLASHED. WE TURNED EVERYTHING OFF, STARTED ENGINE AGAIN, SAME THING, SAME MESSAGES. TURNED OFF AGAIN, RESTARTED, AND THIS TIME THE GAS PEDAL WORKED, BUT DASH LIGHTS STAYED ON WITH WARNING LIGHTS. WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE IT ABOUT 5 MORE MILES, THEN STOPPED FOR DINNER. AN HOUR LATER, THE CAR STARTED FINE, NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO GAS PEDAL ISSUES. TOOK TO SUBARU WEST 2/25/16 WHERE THE TECHNICIAN HOOKED UP HIS HAND HELD COMPUTER THING TO PLACE NEAR HOOD RELEASE. HE SAID THERE WAS JUST ONE SIGNAL THAT TOLD HIM IT WAS PROBABLY FROM THE FACT I HIT THE GAS AND BRAKE AT THE SAME TIME, AND THE VEHICLE SENSES THIS AND SHUTS OFF THE THROTTLE. SAFETY ISSUE? I AM A ONE FOOTED DRIVER, SO NOT SURE HOW THAT HAPPENS, BUT HE SAID HE CLEARED THE COMPUTER AND ALL SHOULD BE GOOD, BUT TO BRING IT BACK IN ASAP IF THE 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT GOES ON. HMM.

ON TWO OCCASIONS ABOUT A WEEK APART, AFTER SLOWING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER MID TURN FOR APPROXIMATELY 4 SECONDS. THIS CAUSED THE CARS BEHIND ME TO HAVE TO SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES & I WAS NEARLY HIT BOTH TIMES. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE DEALER & WAS TOLD THE CVT CAUSES PAUSES, HOWEVER THIS WAS WAY TOO LONG & EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME I COULD BRING THE CAR IN FOR A TEST DRIVE, BUT BECAUSE IT ONLY HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY IT WOULD BE HARD TO DUPLICATE. ALSO IF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DIDN'T COME ON THERE WOULD BE NO CODE.

I HAD MY NEW VEHICLE ONLY 4 DAYS WITH 120 MILES OR SO THAT I PERSONALLY PUT ON IT. I WAS OUT ONE DAY AND CAME TO A STOP SIGN AND STOPPED. THE CAR JUST POWERED DOWN TO NOT RUNNING AT ALL. I PUT IT IN PARK, RESTARTED, PUT IT IN DRIVE TO MOVE ON AND IT DID IT AGAIN. I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND HAD SOMEONE PUSH ME TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE I WOULD BE OUT OF THE WAY. THIS CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 5 TIMES WHEN FINALLY IT TOOK HOLD AND I MANAGED TO GET HOME OK. THE NEXT DAY I HAD TO GO OUT AND IT SEEMED TO BE OK AND HAD TO PUT GAS IN IT. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALERS ON FRIDAY AND TOLD THEM ABOUT IT SO THEY KEPT IT TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. GOT A CALL BACK TODAY ON MONDAY 2-9-15 AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A FAULTY FUEL PUMP. WOW, ON A NEW VEHICLE! SAID THE PART SHOULD BE IN ON THURSDAY DUE TO BEING THE ONLY FUEL PUMP ANYWHERE NEAR OUR AREA AND THE WEATHER BEING IFFY IT WOULD TAKE LONGER. THIS WAS SO UNEXPECTED OF A HIGHLY RATED VEHICLE. I HAD MY PONTIAC VIBE FOR 10 YEARS W/ ONLY A A/C PROBLEM ONCE. WITH 130K MILES ON HER I DECIDED TO UPGRADE TO ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES AND NOW THIS. I AM DISHEARTENING FOR SURE. LET'S HOPE THIS IS THE PROBLEM AND NOTHING MORE. THANKS FOR LISTENING. *TR