2015 Subaru Forester Engine Problems

This has now happened twice to my daughter, both times on the highway. One time the car shut down completely and the 2nd time the car just started slowing while pressing the gas and coasted to a stop. Luckily she was able to avoid other cars and get to the shoulder. The car restarted both times...1st time after about an hour wait and 2nd time within minutes. Both incidents happened when the gas gauge was at 2 bars. I am terrified of this thing right now. No warning signs at all prior to the incident. I took it to the dealer after the first incident but they could not figure out what the problem was as they were not able to recreate the issue. This is an extremely unsafe issue and I am not sure what I should do next.

Oil consumption issue starting within the first 3 years of owning the vehicle. Oil light comes on generally after driving 2,000 miles or less from the last oil change or oil fill up, but prior to the light turning on there are acceleration issues. Vehicle bucks and lunges when accelerating. Lunging seems to occur after vehicle seems to loose power to accelerate and then lunges forward shuddering as power returns. These issue worsen after oil light has come on. Vehicle feels very unsafe when trying to merge if acceleration is needed. Also almost hit from behind when car seems to lose power when trying to accelerate after stopping for a red light. Vehicle has been serviced repeatedly at dealership and oil consumption issues documented. Vehicle’s make/model with known oil consumption issues, but this vehicles VIN has not been included in recalls.

The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a cracking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway. The low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the engine seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was sold to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the repair would not be covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

After driving for about 15 minutes, I was stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of 2 hilly and curvy roads with poor visibility. When I stepped on the accelerator to go, all of the lights on my dash lit up and the car died. I tried several times to restart the car and it wouldn't start. We managed to get the car pushed into someone's yard and had it towed to my mechanic. When my mechanic tried to start it the next day, it started right up. In looking at the codes, it showed a code for an air flow meter sensor, so they replaced that. I got the car back 2 days later. Drove for about 20 minutes, parked my car in my driveway, and when I went to restart it about 30 minutes later the same thing happened. The lights on the dash lit up and the car died. After waiting about another 30 minutes I was able to start the car, and moved it out of the way so it could be towed. Since I live in a very hilly area with 2 lane curvy roads, it's just not safe for me to drive it anywhere with the possibility of it stopping again. The car started up for the tow truck driver, and again for my mechanic. This time there was no error code when my mechanic checked.

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle was shifted into drive however, the steering wheel failed to turn as intended. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the ECU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,739.

Retailer failed VSI due to a defective cracked catalytic converter under warranty. Part is still in use because retailer refuses to service vehicle forcing me to operate my unsafe vehicle endangering myself and family including my then [XXX] son. Dealer confirmed defect and warranty coverage yet still refuses to address the issue. The vehicle has become notably louder as a result of the exhaust leak. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The engine on my 2015 Subaru Forester consumes oil at a very high rate. I use fully synthetic oil and within 1,000-2,000 miles, I have to top it off due to excessive "burn off". I have done on-line research, and this seems to be a common problem for this year/make/model. I have been unable to get any action but wanted to report the issue to support a general recall, if applicable. I recently took a road trip of just over 2,000 miles and changed the oil the day before we left. I checked the oil at every fuel-up and could watch the oil level fall. By the end of the trip, I had to top off the oil level to keep it within acceptable range.

The vehicle engine revved higher and would not stop even while applying the brakes. I was stopped in a parking lot waiting to take a left. As I took the turn, a mother and her two children exited the store quickly in my path. I took my foot off the gas and pressed on the brakes. The engine continued to accelerate and did not slow with the brake being applied. I slipped it into neutral while pressing harder on the brakes to avoid striking the family in front of me. The problem was not able to be confirmed or duplicated by the dealer service center. No other inspections have been made. A similar incident happened two weeks prior. There were no warning lamps or messages.

My 2015 Suburb Forester accelerates by itself.

I was driving into the sunlight, and was slowing down due to utility pole work ahead. The car stalled, and engine shut off. The dash light indicated the eyesight was disabled. I was able to restart, but the incident was very concerning.

Cam carrier/front cover seal failed on our 2015 Forester with the 6 speed MT. This oil leak has ruined the O2 sensor, the drivers side VVT solenoid and according to the dealer has caused oil to run down the wiring harness which will cause further sensor failures if not corrected. All told the dealer wants over $3700 to fix the issues and will not warranty any parts unless the oil leak is fixed. The car currently has ~105k miles on it, out of warranty, but we had mentioned oil loss issues to our mechanic and local Subaru dealer when the car was serviced for the 2019 airbag sensor recall. The car was 4 yrs old, had ~65k miles and was "consuming" about 1 qt per 2500 miles at which time the low oil light would come on, but not the check engine. The concern was dismissed by the dealer as minor and likely oil consumption common on this engine. This is concerning as I now know that a service bulletin for this leak was issued in 2019. Now the car "consumes," leaks, about 1 qt every 1500 miles with no visible signs under when parked, but does have a distinct smell of burned oil in the car when idling in the driveway or stopped in traffic. The check engine light is no on constantly and cruise control does not function.

Sudden, without any warning, complete engine failure. Luckily I was in the right hand lane while ascending a major mountain pass. We were in the midst of a "atmospheric river" with rain coming from all directions when the engine just stopped. I muscled the car onto a very narrow shoulder and called for help, I knew we were in a very dangerous situation as this was the Saturday after Thanksgiving 2021, and the highway was full of cars and semi trucks whizzing past our Forester, we stayed put in the car. The State Patrol eventually appeared behind my Subaru, we conversed, and the officer used his front push bumpers to move my car up the remaining 2.5 miles up the the pass summit and onto a parking lot away from the freeway. Eventually AAA tow truck driver arrived, loaded our Subaru onto the platform carrier, with my wife and me in the cab, he drove 157 miles to our dealership parking lot. When we arrived, he again checked the battery, it was dead. He then proceeded to use an external storage to charge up our battery, and after a short time he successfully started our Subaru. I chose to leave the car at the dealership lot so they could check the systems the next morning. They could find no problem whatsoever with the engine, drive train, fuel system, or electrical system. The told us to report any problem to them, but stated our Forrester was safe to drive. The next day our trusted mechanic confirmed they could find no problem in our car. We have been driving our Forester per normal since this incident happened, the problem has not repeated. In summary no warning lights appeared on our dashboard before the incident; we used our lights to warn other drivers while we waited for help and eventually all lights went off; the problem has not been reproduced by dealer, mechanic, or us. What I believed occurred is: Driving through the "atmospheric river" the volume and intensity of the rain caused an electrical short, that was removed during the tow

I have done research and noticed that the engine is a problem with the 2015 Subaru Forester. The engine consumes oil at a very high rate. I get my oil changed (fully synthetic) every 5,000 miles. However, at about 3,000 miles of use, my oil light comes on at the dash. I then have to take my vehicle to the dealership to get the oil "topped off" to hold me over until my oil change date. This engine burns off oil at a very high rate. Also, the vehicle has consistently smelled like a burning or burnt oil type smell in the cabin of the car after driving it. After I park the vehicle in the garage and get out, you can smell the "burning/hot" smell of the engine or oil. This has been an issue for over 2 years and I have notified the dealership where I bought the vehicle. They said there is nothing that they can do, because there is no recall and that these cars just burn oil fast. The dealership also stated they don't know what the "burning" smell is. I feel that this is an insufficient engine and can be dangerous. I'm not sure how toxic the fumes are from the engine to be smelling it on a consistent basis, but also burning oil at a fast rate could cause more expensive and dangerous issues with other parts of the vehicle.

The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving 70-75 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The engine revved and made an abnormally loud sound. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact engaged the hazard lights and veered to the side of the road. The vehicle then lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated; however, the dealer advised that the failure could be caused by condensation and moisture in the fuel lines. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle failed to start and was towed to a second dealer West Herr Subaru (3559 Southwestern Blvd, Orchard Park, NY 14127). The dealer informed the contact that they had test-driven the vehicle for 80 miles; however, the mechanic could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered the contact a coupon for the purchase of another vehicle; however, the contact declined and traded the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

I WAS TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY GOING 65MPH, WHEN WITH NO WARNING MY CAR'S ENGINE STOP. I TOUGH IT WAS OUT OF GAS, BUT THE COMPUTER WAS TELLING ME I HAD 30 MORE MILES OF FUEL. AT THE TIME OF THIS ACCIDENT THERE WAS NO SHOULDER TO PARK BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION ON THE FREEWAY. THIS UNFORTUNATE EVENT CAUSE 3 OTHER CARS TO BE INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT. SOME HOW MY CAR WAS OK, I DROVE THE CAR BACK TO MY HOUSE PRAYING THAT IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. MY HUSBAND DROVE IT FOR A LITTLE TO SEE IF IT WILL BE OK TO DRIVE. SAME THING HAPPEN TO HEM, BUT THIS WAS IN A MUCH CONTROLLED WAY.

CAR BURNS OIL. NO LEAKS AND OIL LIGHT COMES ON EVERY 2,000-3,000 MILES WHEN IT SHOULDN'T BE CHANGED BUT EVERY 5000. AC MAKES HORRIBLE NOISE AND INTERMITTENTLY WORKS BUT HARDLY EVER. WILL RUN FOR A COUPLE MIN THEN NOT WORK THE REST OF THE DRIVE TIME

VEHICLE HAD 82,401 MILES WHEN ON JANUARY 19, 2021 THE "ENGINE LOW LEVEL WARNING LIGHT" ILLUMINATED. OIL LEVEL ON DIP-STICK MEASURED AT VERY END OF STICK. ADDED 1QT 0-20W SYNTHETIC OIL, SCHEDULED A COMPLETE "LEAK-DOWN TEST" AT DAN O'BRIEN SUBARU IN VERMONT. THE SERVICE ALSO PERFORMED A 2K MILE "CONSOLIDATED ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION TEST". THE RESULTS MEASURED NO OIL CONSUMPTION BUT THE "COMPRESSION & LEAK-DOWN TEST" MEASURED: CYLINDER #1 = 160PSI & 5%, #2 = 148PSI & 25%, #3 = 165PSI & 5%, #4 = 153PSI & 20%. THEY REPORTED MOST OF "LEAKAGE WAS GOING INTO BLOCK PAST PISTONS AND SOME WAS "LEAKING" BY INTAKE VALVES. RECOMMEND REPLACING SHORT-BLOCK". TO DATE, DUE TO THE "OIL CONSUMPTION TEST" AND NOT THE "COMPRESSION AND LEAK-DOWN TEST" RESULTS, THE DEALER IS NOT WILLING TO REPAIR AND/OR REMEDY THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH, THE COMPRESSION AND LEAK-DOWN TEST INDICATES A "SEVERE" DEGRADATION TO THE ENGINE WITH ONLY 84,770 MILES. THIS IS WELL BELOW SUBARU'S ADVERTISED 100,000 MILE DRIVE-TRAIN WARRANTY PUBLICIZED. NOTE: THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY BY ONLY SUBARU DEALERSHIPS SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED IN 2017, AND THE CARFAX REPORT STATED IT WAS ONLY USED BY SUBARU DEALERSHIP AS A CORPORATE PERSONNEL RENTAL BEFORE THEN. ADDITIONALLY THE CURRENT CARFAX REPORT SHOWED NO INCIDENTS OR ACCIDENTS AND ALL VEHICLE SERVICES MAINTAINED PROPERLY.

CAR ACCELERATES BOTH WHEN IN MOTION AND STATIONARY. SOMETIMES WHEN STARTING THE CAR IT SHOOTS STRAIGHT UP TO 2 ON IT'S ON. CAR HAS ACCELERATED WHEN EASING IN AND OUT OF PARKING SPACES, I HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSE TO HITTING OTHER CARS BECAUSE OF THIS.

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ROUGHLY 70 MPH, ENGINE SUDDENLY REVVED AND THEN CAR ESSENTIALLY WENT INTO NEUTRAL. ENGINE DIDN'T SEEM CONNECTED TO THE TRANSMISSION. COASTED TO THE SHOULDER, THEN ENGINE DIED. SHIFTED BACK TO PARK AND TRIED TO RESTART, ALL LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD LIT UP AND ENGINE TURNED OVER, BUT WOULD NOT START. HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER. FOUND MANY SIMILAR EXPERIENCES ONLINE. SOME FOUND FUEL PUMP AND PUMP RELAY FAILURE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A DIAGNOSIS FROM THE DEALER YET. THIS WAS A POTENTIALLY DEADLY FAILURE.

AT THE MOMENT TO STOP ON A PARKING SPOT, PRESS BRAKES AND ENGINE RPM IDLES UP AND RUNS, CAUSING ME TO PRESS BRAKES HARDER AND SO I DON'T HIT WHATEVER IS IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. *TR