2014 Subaru Forester Electrical System Problems

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Subaru Forester on March 5, 2026. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 77,000. At the time of the registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 166,000.

On 5/15/2024 and 5/21/2024 I had sudden uninteded acceleration. I had a auto shop try to solve the problem by replacing the air fuel ratio sensor and the mass air flow sensor. This seem to fix the issue until 11/27/2025 & 12/7/2025 when the sudden uninteded acceleration returned.

While I was driving to work, with Cruise control set at 65, I hit a deer head on. All airbags deployed and engine ceased and I was able to brake car to a stop on the shoulder of the road. Within minutes, the engine erupted in fire and thankfully I wasn't trapped inside and was able to get out, because by the time I got 4-500 feet from the car, it had been totally engulfed in flames. From the time I hit the deer to the fire starting was less than 10 minutes. Fire truck wasn't even on scene yet and I was still speaking with highway patrol on the phone. If I had been trapped or the vehicle had rolled i wouldn't be here today. It was that quick.

The key keeps getting stuck in the ignition.........

The driver window stopped working approximately November 2022 at about 40,000 miles. I was advised to try a reset procedure, which did not work. If there is flooding or any reason the driver needs to escape the vehicle through the window, they will not be able to. I found TSB 07-152-19R for my mom's car, yet the dealer expects us to pay almost $500 to fix this known problem.

Several warning messages appeared on the dash at the same time: Check engine, Check emissions control system, Hill start assist system needs to be checked. In addition, the pictures of a car climbing a hill and a car with swerving skid marks behind it lit up. (I don't know the official names of these icons.) The engine then either lost power and would not accelerate when I pressed the gas pedal or would rev and accelerate on its own, even when I had the brake depressed. I have taken my car into the dealership 4 times over the past two years for this same issue. I do not have the exact dates of the first two instances, but the last two were on July 7, 2021, and September 17, 2021. Each time the dealer has been able to verify the warning lights and unintended acceleration. They say the problem is with the brake pedal assembly and have replaced it with a new assembly 3 times. They're working on the 4th one right now.

I found that the horn did not work while I was driving. Later I found this to be an intermittent problem, which I looked up on line. Someone described turning the wheel to the extreme right or left made the horn work again. I tested this in my car; with the steering wheel straight the horn did not work, then when turned to the extreme in either direction, or using the panic button on the key fob the horn worked. Since I do not use the horn very often, I found out about this problem during a dangerous situation in which I both pressed on the brakes to avoid collision and used my horn to alert the other driver. I reproduced the problem myself, but it is possible that when I take it to the dealer it may not manifest because it is intermittent. The component has not been inspected by anyone, there were no warning lights or indicators of a potential malfunction. The problem first appeared last week. I will get the vehicle repaired and can make the component available for inspection upon request.

THE IGNITION CYCLINDER WILL NOT RELEASE VEHICLE KEY. UPON TURNING OFF VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION THE KEY WILL NOT TURN PAST ON TO THE OFF POSITION. IT CAN TAKE SEVERAL TRIES OF CYCLING ON AND OFF BEFORE THE KEY CAN BE REMOVED. ISSUE IS INTERMITTENT, MOVING SHIFTER FROM PARK TO DRIVE AND BACK EVENTUALLY ALLOWS KEY TO BE REMOVED.

THE HORN WOULD INTERMITTENTLY WORK THEN CEASED TO WORK AT ALL. IF YOU TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL THE HORN WOULD WORK BUT NOT WORK IF THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STATIONARY. THIS SYMPTOM MEANT IT WAS A HIGH PROBABILITY THE CLOCK SPRING/ ROLL CONNECTOR WAS BAD.

MY 2014 SUBARU FORESTER HAS RECENTLY STARTED HAVING WARNINGS ABOUT SRS. PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR OCCASIONALLY DOES NOT RECOGNIZE A PASSENGER IS SEATED AND THEREFORE THE AIRBAG IS 'OFF' EVEN IF SEAT IS OCCUPIED. BOTH FRONT SEATS ARE HEATED AND IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT LEAD TO A RECALL FOR 2015 SUBARU FORESTERS. PLEASE EXTEND THE RECALL TO INCLUDE 2014 MODELS. VERY UNSAFE AND COSTLY ($900-$1,200 ACCORDING TO OTHER COMPLAINTS) TO REPAIR THIS SENSOR IN ORDER TO HAVE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OPERATIONAL. PASSENGER SEATBELT WARNING ALSO OCCASIONALLY COMES ON EVEN IF THERE IS NO ONE SITTING IN SEAT.

THE HORN STOPPED WORKING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FLOW SUBARU (485 SILAS CREEK PKWY, WINSTON-SALEM, NC 27127), FOR AN INOPERABLE AIR CONDITION SYSTEM. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE COMPRESSOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THE IGNITION CYCLINDER WILL NOT RELEASE VEHICLE KEY. UPON TURNING OFF VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION THE KEY WILL NOT TURN PAST ON TO THE OFF POSITION. IT CAN TAKE UP TO 30 TRIES OF CYCLING KEY TO REMOVE KEY. MOVING THE SHIFTER AND STARTING THE CAR SEEM TO HAVE ANY EFFECT ON THIS ISSUE.

MY BACKUP CAMERA ONLY WORKS PERIODICALLY. WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE THE DASHBOARD SCREEN SOMETIMES JUST SHOWS A BLACK SCREEN WITH THE DISTANCE LINES DISPLAYED. OTHER TIMES IT WORKS FINE. DOESNT SEEM TO BE A PATTERN. MANY PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM IN POSTED MESSAGE BOARDS AND IT SEEMS LIKE CERTAIN OTHER SUBARUS WERE RECALLED FOR THIS ISSUE.

I HAVE 2014 SUBARU FORESTER XT AND PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THE KEY HAS BEEN GETTING STUCK IN THE IGNITION ON A REGULAR BASIS. I HAVE TO PLAY AROUND TURNING THE CAR BACK ON, PUTTING IT IN DRIVE AND THEN BACK TO PARK, SOMETIMES IT WORKS AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. SOMETIMES I HAVE TO MOVE THE CAR IN REVERSE OR DRIVE FORWARD A FEW INCHES AND QUICKLY PUT IT IN PARK AND IT RELEASES THE KEY. IT TAKES A WHILE FOR THE KEY TO COME OUT AFTER TRYING DIFFERENT THINGS AND/OR ALL OF THEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. WHEN THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE AND RELEASED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,000.

TAKATA RECALL: THE IGNITION SWITCH WILL NOT RELEASE THE KEY WHEN I TURN OFF THE MOTOR AND PUSH IT IN TO RELEASE THE KEY. THIS HAPPENS WHEN I PARK THE CAR, HAVE TURNED OFF THE MOTOR AND PREPARE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE.

REPEATED ISSUE WITH HEADLIGHTS FAILING AFTER VERY SHORTY PERIOD OF TIME FROM INSTALLATION. REPLACED HEADLIGHTS 3 TIMES IN THE PAST 11 MONTHS (HAVE REPLACED AT LEAST 1 ADDITIONAL TIME SINCE MAY 2017). BULBS INSTALLED CORRECTLY WITHOUT MAKING CONTACT WITH ANY PART OF BULB EXCEPT PLASTIC END WITH BULB GREASE APPLIED TO REAR CONNECTOR.

2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE SRS AIRBAG LIGHT HAS COME ON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALERSHIP AND THEY CLAIM THE CAUSE IS A SENSOR WITHIN THE PASSENGER SEAT BEING BROKEN. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND SHOULD BE REVIEWED.

WHEN TRYING TO CLOSE SUNROOF, NORMALLY THE ROOF WINDOW WOULD SLIDE BACK AND A SET OF PIN WILL PUSH THE REAR SIDE OF THE WINDOW UP TO SEAL THE GAP BETWEEN THE WINDOW AND ROOFTOP. HOWEVER THE DEVICE IS DEFECTIVE AND THE WINDOW WILL NOT GO BACK TO ITS SUPPOSED LOCATION. WATER MAY LEAK IN TO WIRING AND CAUSE FURTHER DAMAGE.