NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2014 Subaru Forester. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
OIL LIGHT (YELLOW) CAME ON TO SIGNIFY OIL LEVEL IS LOW. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND REQUIRES APPROXIMATELY ONE QUART OF OIL EVERY 1200-1500 MILES DRIVEN. SUBARU WAS NOTIFIED FROM THE BEGINNING AND HAS MADE MANY EXCUSES OVER THE PAST 18-MONTHS. I HAVE NOW BEEN ASKED TO LEAVE THE CAR WITH THE DEALERSHIP FOR AT LEAST A WEEK, FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE. *TR
AFTER I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE, I NOTICED A HESITATION BETWEEN 20 - 40 MPH. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR FOR THE FORESTER'S TO HAVE A CVT ENGINE SO I THOUGHT IT NEEDED BROKEN IN. I ALSO WENT THROUGH 3 CYCLES OF FILLING UP MY GAS TANK FROM 3 DIFFERENT GAS STATIONS AND THE HESITATION CONTINUED. THE FIRST TIME I BROUGHT IT IN THE TECHNICIAN SAID HE OVERFILLED THE OIL A SLIGHT BIT, REMOVED IT, AND I SHOULD NOTICE A DIFFERENCE. NO DIFFERENCE. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ADDRESSING THE SAME ISSUE. THEY PERFORMED THE TESTS SUBARU OF AMERICA (SOA) SUGGESTED AND NOTHING WAS FOUND. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED, > MONTH AGO, I FEARED AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE IT HESITATED THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE WANTING ANSWERS. SUBARU SENT OUT THEIR OWN TECHNICIAN TO GATHER INFORMATION TO SEND TO FUJI AND WHAT I WAS TOLD WAS THAT THEIR EQUIPMENT DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND THAT IT WAS NORMAL FOR A CVT ENGINE. I TEST DROVE SEVERAL MORE FORESTERS AND THEY ALL HAD VARYING DEGREES OF HESITATION AND ALL HAD DIFFERENT MILEAGE ON THEM. *TR