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.
Right rear coin spring failed (broke). Appears to be rusted through the coil. Discovered when vehicle was stationary and on a lift. Part of coil fell out.
I took my car in for a recall on brake light switch and stohlman Subaru told me the right rear spring was broken, but the parts are out of stock. They reccommend replacing both rear springs at $700-800, when they are available. A hardship for me as I am a senior. I was not aware of when it broke, or that it was broken. They told me it probably rusted
I was pulling out of a parking spot yesterday when I heard a loud bang. I had difficulty driving home on the street with brakes & steering even at a very slow speed. Car had to be towed to Subaru today. The control arm was totally rusted through & broke apart.
At 40K miles, the rear suspension coil spring is found broken during a regular oil change and brake inspection. The spring is rusted inside out. Mechanics said it is rare that this part would break in the lifetime of a car. There are many similar broken spring cases among 2014 and 2015 Subaru Forester model cars. Please check https://www.cargurus.com/cars/discussion-T61866_ds789686. this is a safety concern that Subaru did not take prompt action. Even if one life lost as a result of this in the future is too little too late. Subaru values money over lives. It is now up to NHTSA to take further actions to protect public safety.
The car was wobbly and went in for service and they found one rear strut the technician took it for a drive and the other one broke on him. It costs me $1390 to fix it and I drove it on the highway and it still wobbly. Subaru does not want to acknowledge the fact there is a major issue with this vehicle. This should have been recalled by Subaru when they knew about this. This car also had rotors that needed to be replaced, the arm control, wheel bearings all under 60,000. This is a serious issue, I could get killed or have a major accident and Subaru does not want to hear about it. I am scared to drive this car. The consumer stated the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered to assist with the repairs.
- Monroe Twp, NJ, USA
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Both rear springs broken at the lower perch of the strut. Car has 9533 miles. Subaru replaced both springs for no cost because it was a safety issue. Owner did not notice any problem until car was brought to dealer for brake lamp switch recall. The dealer knew right away what the problem was before it went on the lift.
Car was not moving and sitting in my driveway. When I noticed the left rear body frame low, almost touching the tire. Looked under car and found broken spring pieces, that was totally rusted inside out. This should not happen to a 4 year old car with only 38K miles. I was very lucky not driving the when this failure happen or it could of lead to a major accident. I also found out though the internet this is not a one time problem Subaru is having with these springs breaking. I believe it's a manufactured material defect that should be recalled immediately before some one gets injured! also the cost should be be handled by Subaru..
On May 15, 2019 I approached my Forester in the parking garage and noticed that the left rear suspension was low (I am not sure if the left suspension broke when I was driving slowly of if the vehicle was static). As I drove down the ramps in the parking garage, I heard a loud noise from the back of the car. I stopped, inspected the rear suspension and found out that the right side was now as low as the left. It appeared that both rear suspensions had a similar problem (right suspension failed as the vehicle was moving a low speed). I dropped the vehicle off at a muller Subaru in highland park, il on May 17. I requested that the parts removed from my vehicle were made available for my inspection. On May 30 I went to the dealership to pick up the Forester and was able to inspect the rear suspension springs. Both of them were corroded to the core at the bottom end. The coating on the spring was ripped (see pictures). The dealership didn't mention of the front springs were inspected for the same problem. I think this could be a model/year problem, bad quality control and/or material used on the suspension springs, and it could break at anytime, low or high speed driving.
Coil spring of rear strut broke, only 53K miles and not taken offroad. Car was parked in our driveway and it just "popped" and I found a piece of the coil on the ground. There are multiple complaints about this exact issue for 2014 and 2015 Foresters and this can be dangerous if it snaps while turning. Subaru needs to correct this before someone gets killed. Https://www.cargurus.com/cars/discussion-T61866_ds789686
Rear passenger coil spring cracked. Vehicle only has 29800 miles. Never over loaded and only driven on paved roads. May have been factory defect. Told by dealer was safety related and needed to be replaced. Problem found when rear brakes were being done.
The cv axle joint went bad at 90K. Clicking noise. I thought that was an issue for down the road. Subaru Corp gave me a $500 coupon for the right front axle going bad. Approximately 5 months later, that axle had to be replaced. Also both back wheel bearings had to be replaced. Currently, the driver side cv joint sounds like it is going bad again. About 60K later. Weak parts. This is a progressive issue and not a sudden one.
Drivers side lower control arm have worn out twice with in 24 months. On any street or highhway was getting a knocking noise. First time my private mechanic stated it was bad. Took it to dealer their mechanic said there was no problem. Few weeks later went back to dealer for same reason. Then they admitted it was bad and repaired. Now on 2/18/19 I have the same problem. Went to the dealer their mechanic said everything was fine. Everything nice and tight. Took the vehicle which was still making the noise for state inspection he stated the lower control arm was bad. Now I must go back to the dealer for them to get warranty approval to repair. This is constantly making me do everything twice because the dealer mechanic fails ti be honest.
Excessive oil loss, 1 qt per 3,000 miles. Started around 90,000 miles. Mileage now 129,000 miles. At 129,000 miles, major engine and transmission issue. Found oil in coolant. At oil temperature light flashing. Evaluating cost of repair this week of Feb 12 2019. At 126,000 miles, both front axles were replaced. Heard clicking at 125,000 miles. At 100,000 miles, upper and lower front suspension arms replaced.
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- Montclair, VA, USA