This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Oil consumption - Subaru dealership confirmed there was an oil consumption problem over 1 qt per 1200 miles. Subaru of America would not repair under warranty or offer assistance as vehicle was just over extended warranty. 113K miles at time and the extended warranty was 8 years or 100K miles
On christmas eve, while driving on the garden state parkway in NJ, car engine started making loud tapping noises. As I tried to pull off the road, engine noise became louder and when I finally was off the road, the noise turned to banging. No warning lights.before I could turn off the engine, it stopped on it's own. From start of noise to stop was about 15 seconds. There was oil on bottom of vehicle and none in the engine. I check the oil frequently and have the car dealer serviced faithfully every 6000 miles, which is even less than Subaru recommended intervals.. I had the car towed to that dealer. They told me the engine was a total loss and it would cost $9000 to repair. The car had 117000 miles on it.
Failed consumption oil test. Engine had to be replaced.I was told by Subaru that their was no recall.my second Subaru Forester 2013 had same problem and its engine had to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Forester. While driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road with the help of a police officer. Subaru of gwinnett (2920 satellite blvd, duluth, Georgia 30096) was made aware of the failure and diagnosed that there was a hole in the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was also assessed. The failure mileage and VIN were not available.
Engine burned out on interstate highway, metal filings in case, no warning lights came on the dash at any time. Come to find out there is no low oil light in this vehicle! plus, there is a class action lawsuit against this year/make/model for excess engine oil use. Serviced this car at all recommended intervals and never let oil changes go beyond the recommended mileage. Have been very faithful with caring for this vehicle. The oil change was not due for another 1,000 miles when this occurred. Subaru dealership nearest to where the engine failed was unhelpful as was the national Subaru company. Very disappointed in Subaru's customer service as a whole. Did not receive communication regarding this problem and no warning from service managers at any time during servicing the vehicle.
- Rapid City, SD, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the vehicle consumed an excessive amount of oil. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 131,879.
I have a 2011 Subaru Forester 2.5 premium that had been consuming an exorbitant amount of oil ever since I got it. It requires that I add up to 1.2 qts every 2 months to stay above the empty line on the dip stick. My brother told me recently he heard that there was a recall on some Subaru vehicles during my year due to oil consumption issues. Therefore, I checked my VIN both on this website and dubaru's website, but it didn't return anything regarding the oil consumption. Can I get some help with this issue as my warranty had already expired and this issue may be getting worse.
Our Subaru Forester began ticking, like a lifter was sticking, and the oil level of the synthetic oil was perfect. Then the car began to have a burning smell from the engine compartment. We took the car to our dealer huebueger, colo. Springs, Colorado. The tech informed us that the car had technical service bulletins about these issues. The tech also said that a tsb is issued by an auto maker when there is a growing trend with an unanticipated problem, but does not warrant a recall. He said the irregular stamping of camshaft position sensor plates caused the eventual ticking and leaking from the camshaft carrier on both sides of the engine and this is what happened to our vehicle now warranting a $4,500 repair. Since the issue has been identified as a factory defect I called Subaru support expecting financial help to rid the car of the defect. The woman was very obtuse and pretended not to understand the issue of responsibility of Subaru. I don't understand the reason for technical service bulletins being released only to dealerships and mechanics. Isn't it logical and reasonable to alert the owners of vehicles that may develop oil leaks that could lead to a vehicle fire ? isn't Subaru admitting responsibility by issuing a tsb for a growing trend with an unanticipated problem. It seems irresponsible for the NHTSA and Subaru not to notify owners of identified problems that could lead to serious safety issues. Please respond as soon as possible, I am 69 years old and this issue and the financial strain is very important. The applicable communication #"S of the tsb is 02-131-12R of Oct. 2, 2012, 060000 engine (pws). Sb-11-100 hr, November 27, 2012, irregular stamping of camshaft position sensor plate. The burning smell became overpowering on the way to the dealership. The tech advises that an oil leak is coming from the cam carriers on both sides defects
There is an oil leak in the head gasket and camshaft seal. This causes oil to drip and burn smoke. There is a fire risk to this. The cost of repairing this is extremely high. This seems to be a faulty part of all Subaru Foresters of this time period.
The vehicle stalls in traffic and at a stops, problem began in December 2017 and the battery was replaced immediately. In January 2018 it was taken to an authorized Subaru dealer for repairs. The 60000 mile service was performed, it continued to stall and was returned to the dealer. The catalytic converters were replaced and it stalled in traffic when it was picked up from the dealership, it was returned. The wiring harness is now being replaced. Subaru field technicians and dealership technicians have tried to diagnose the issue.
After 1 yr purchasing car new noticed high oil consumption. I was told normal wear by dealer. Now catalytic convertor is gone due to burning oil. Over $1500 to be replaced. I have to replace the rings so I won't have to replace the cat next year. I am going through 2 + qts. Of oil per 1000 miles.
The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the tire pressure warning indicator illuminated. In addition, the contact noticed an abnormal knocking sound in the engine. During routine inspection, the technician informed the contact that the vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption. The technician added three quarts of oil to the engine. Mid-hudson Subaru (1715 U.S. 9, wappingers falls, NY) was contacted, but a diagnostic was not performed due to scheduling. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.
When I parking my car into the parking place, the car suddenly gave a roar and rushed into someone's backyard. Although I pushed the brake pedal as deep as possible, the car rushed around 10 meters(?) and fully stopped after the car hit the rods of wood staircase(two of the rods of staircase was boken by my car). At that moment I just want shift the car from "D" to "R" (but not yet), the unintended acceleration happened to this car. Time: It happened between 2:30 to 3:00 pm on Nov 30, 2017. Place: Rushed into the backyards of 8352 kavanagh rd, dundalk md 21222, this backyards located on sandy plains road. Consequence: 1. scratchs to front bumper. 2. front bumper became loose after collision happened to the rod of staircase. 3. I have stiff muscles on both thighs for two days after this accident.
I was driving on the highway in portland Oregon and stopped at a light, as I began to accelerate going up a slight hill I noticed an awful smell like burning oil or tranny fluid. I picked up a family members to go to an appointment and they smelled it also. It went away as I continued but then next hill and the smell came back pretty strong. I found a Subaru dealer/service dept. Near by and drove there. I was told that the front engine seal and cam carriers were leaking oil onto the exhaust. I asked if it was safe to drive and they said not too far because its leaking oil. Next day I took it to my normal Subaru service dept. And they verified what the other service dept. Had told me with the exception of saying it was ok to drive it. They couldn't get me in for at least a week. My Subaru Forester only has 61,738 miles on it and I have never missed a maintenance service. I'm afraid now because the warranty expired a few months ago and I lost my job of 10 years just before turning 62. I bought this car because I thought Subaru was a good long lasting car. I've looked and it appears that repairs could be as much as $2300. It also appears from my research that these engines have oil leak problems as well as other serious engine problems. I don't have the money for this repair. This shouldn't be happening. Why isn't there a class action law suit for these engines and all the money its costing all these folks because of failures. I am a quality rep for the aerospace industry and this just wouldn't be acceptable in any way, shape or form!
The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Forester. While driving approximately 55 mph, a ticking noise emerged from the engine compartment and the oil warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle started to slow down and then stopped. The contact coasted the vehicle to the shoulder of the road to a complete stop. The contact exited the vehicle, raised the hood, and observed smoke around the dipstick. The contact checked the oil and found that the reservoir was empty. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but it was closed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer advised the contact of a technical service bulletin related to the oil consumption issue, but the vehicle had to be evaluated and then driven 1,200 miles in order for them to replace the engine block assembly. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000.
My wife and I currently own a 2011 Subaru Forester we purchased new from hatfield Subaru in columbus, Ohio. We have always had it serviced at byers dublin Subaru in columbus Ohio. At the 25,000 mile mark both head gaskets were leaking so the mechanics at byers pulled the motor and replaced them. Just recently at the 33,000 mile mark I brought in my vehicle to byers for my 30,000 maintenance check also complaining of a strange noise. They informed me the head gasket was leaking again and the noise we heard was the transmission running low on fluid. They again pulled the motor and made repairs, however, when placing the motor back in the car a strange noise developed in the engine, they again pulled the motor adjusting the tensioning on the timing chain yet the noise was still present. They then contacted Subaru technical support asking for assistance. They are currently pulling the motor for the fourth time with the intention on replacing the cylinder heads and cam shaft. Up until now I have been in contact with both dealerships expressing my concerns. I have also spoken with customer service, a supervisor, and a manager at Subaru of America. The manager at Subaru headquarters said they could only offer me $2500 towards the purchase of a new vehicle the manager at hatfield where I purchased my vehicle from passed me off to a sales associate who only wanted to sell me a new Subaru at full price to meet his end of the month February sales quota. The manager at byers where my car is being serviced has been less then forth coming as to the true status of my vehicle and I have not heard from him as to the status of my vehicle as promised in the last four business days. What concerns me the most is my wife and I now own a Subaru with a long list of engine problems so early in its life and a transmission which has been
Abnormal oil consumption which is of the oil consumption lawsuit. The oil warning lights did not turn but the car was already out of oil in 3 months of use (supposedly 6 month window for oil changes). The car started to become jerky but still managed to get home and had it checked. If there are no warning signs, it is possible it can die in the middle of a busy highway, which is extremely dangerous.
The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the engine emitted a strong burning odor and smoke while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times for the failure where it was diagnosed that the engine was leaking oil on the manifold. The dealer replaced the engine intake manifold, valve cover gasket, camshaft, sparks plugs, and engine cover seals; however, the failure was not corrected. The engine oil continued to leak. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 74,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the vehicle was burning oil at a higher rate than normal. The contact stated that the vehicle was burning a quarter of oil every thousand miles, which caused the oil consumption to surpass suggested amounts by the manufacturer. The dealer diagnosed that the vehicle was leaking oil from the PCV valve, causing the vehicle to burn oil. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact returned the vehicle to the dealer where it was diagnosed other leaks were the cause; however, the locations were not specified. The dealer placed a short block engine into the vehicle, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who informed the contact of a pending lawsuit related to the failure. The failure mileage was 938.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Huntsville, OH, USA