Subaru Forester

"Apple CarPlay stopped working about a month ago. But a software update from Subaru fixed the issue."

""Lately it just doesn't work, won't link with phone. even after the latest software updates.""

"Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. That's a particularly difficult when relying on GPS in an unfamiliar area."

""Sometimes Apple CarPlay stays grayed out on the screen, even when my phone is on and plugged in correctly. It's possible this is an issue with the cord; however, usually if I turn the car off and open the door, then close it and restart the car, it will work. I don't use CarPlay too often, but the times that I do it's usually for navigation, so having to mess with it before I can get on the road is irritating.""

"Apple car play requires Apple phone to be plugged in to establish connection"

"iPhone failed to connect to dashboard display. Problem was intermittent and NOT caused by connecting cable."

"Siri doesnt work properly"

"Sometimes it just doesnt work. I depend on Waze for my work and plenty of times the phone just doesnt connect at all hard wired or blue tooth. I often have to restart the car several times to make it work."

"I believe this is related to the previously noted emergency brake application problems."

"This was a recall for screen problems and software issues"

"Similar to the pairing issue, screen would sometimes freeze, and freeze my iPhone screen. Very annoying and potentially dangerous"

""Display froze. Had it replaced. Last month, I learned it wad a manufacturing defect. Was reimbursed for ALL expenses""

""Head unit has multiple problems. Sometimes it is just blank. After a while it will start. Unpredictable. Volume on SXM is much louder than for over the air radio. Cannot change stations without constantly adjusting the volume. Recent update stopped some functions from working. Even changing the clock is difficult, and there is no AM PM indicator. I know folks who never change the clock because they they cannot figure out how to do it. There are plenty of other things wrong with this unit. It is just NO GOOD.""

""Forester computer often has issues with going blank, and when the iphone is connected, it still does not play the music/podcast from the iphone. It also has an issue with the garage door opener button(s). The button will often not work in cold weather.""

""The whole screen/IT system is glitchy....in many cases everything works fine. But then suddenly, out of the blue, something stops working, or does not start when I turn the car on. For example, sometimes when I turn the car on, the radio does not come on...sometimes it will come on in 1-5 minutes...other times I have to shut the car off and turn it back on, then the radio comes finally comes on. Another example is when I have my phone connected and am using Android Auto with Google maps navigation from my phone....everything will be working fine, then suddenly it freezes or goes blank, and unplugging and plugging the phone back in multiple times does not solve it, then I have to hold my phone instead of using the screen. I did recently get a letter from Subaru that they are extending the warranty for 2019 to 2023 Foresters (and other models) for this issue (Gen 3.1 Infotainment Audio Head Units), so at least they are acknowledging it and trying to fix it. The letter states I have 1 year to bring it in and they will do a series of fixes, but if those don't fix the problem that's all they will do. I have not taken my car in for this yet, but will soon.""

"One day, upon starting the vehicle, the display screen started up as it normally did, and suddenly went blank as it quit working completely. I took it to the dealer, and they replaced/repaired it free of charge. The dealers service department was not honest with me, but it seems there was a lawsuit regarding display screen (and related components) failure."

"they ran a computer update and solved it for no charge"

"On occasion, the smartphone connection drops/gets "stuck" after i make a phone call and doesn't "hang up". Then it won't pair the phone again unless I turn the engine off to restart it."

"Even when plugged into the car will often not work. And on long road trips will quit working after several hours."

"Touchscreen has become somewhat desensitized. Mfr letter suggests it may be due to a hardware technical service bulletin but we have not taken it in for this."

"Head unit went bad the first month. CarPlay never worked out even after the head unit replaced"

"First the radio head got an updated software load. The problem of occasional audio loss on Car Play functions still came back. After Subaru Corp decided to extend radio head warranties the radio head box was ordered. The radio head unit was replaced by a new unit and the problem appears to be corrected. Local dealer maintenance services were excellent during this ordeal."

""Couldn't get state inspection because of bad wiring. Cost $3,000 to fix""

"Windshield fluid icon stays on constantly. Will not go off. Ca not figure out how to change clock. Many have tried, all have failed."

"Intermittently seemed to not display driving directions. Also intermittent no sound for driving instructions."

"GPS failed, under warranty, dealer replaced head unit."

"Radio stations entered do not remain after shutting car off"

"The Thermal Control Valve trouble caused numerous operational fault lights to incorrectly appear. Very scary & troubling to the driver when it occurs. This was also fixed under an extended warranty but it took almost a week to get parts & special techs to do the repair. Got a complimentary loaner vehicle during that period."

"clock wont set correctly after daylight time change"

""The system many times registers an obstruction and either warns of an automatic brake application or, in some cases, does indeed apply the brakes automatically even though there are no vehicles or other obstructions actually in danger of causing a collision. I have reported it to the dealership but they tell me Subaru has not provided any recalls or reported any other problems that can be repaired or otherwise addressed. VERY ANNOYING!""

"display screen too slow. Needs faster CPU, and touch screen does does not repond well. Ofter have to re-tap"

"Car advises firmware update needed but constantly fails. Dealer reprogrammed but still occurs."

"Vehicle must be taken to a dealership to get the software updates and they charge you for the service. My Tesla is free and OTA update always works"

""Periodically will not pair with phone, bkth Apple and Samsung.""

"Phone doesn't stay paired and clock doesn't change time along with phone"

""It happens sometimes when the phone is plugged in and i receive or place a call. It rings, or you can hear it ring. But when i speak, they cant hear me. When this happens, it doesnt fix itself, until I actually turn off the car, and then start it again.""

""When got new GalaxyS24 phone had trouble sinking to car and some car screen functions like text notifications stopped working even through phone says synced. Cannot get Android Auto to work, and ever since had the car it stops phone from allowing GPS traffic and map apps from working so difficult to follow directions while driving unless someone else is in car to tell you what phone app is showing since blocks the audio.""

"Phone pairing works fine for months then sometimes just seems to go away. Phone has to be paired again."

"the phone system just doesn't recognize my voice when I give it commands and the sound quality sucks"

"The phone and car often fail to pair or they pair and then lose the pairing. Subaru has replaced the head unit twice (i.e., this is the third one) and it has only partially resolved the problem."

"It randomly will not pair with my phone, same phone I've had for 3+ years. Sometimes turning off the engine and re-starting would help, but really?"

"Radio will not retain set stations at all"

"volume control doesn't work correctly when turned left or right."

""radio goes almost dead in tunnels now, and it didn't use to""

"Does not keep memory of radio stations."

""Radio would not retain saved stations. Software update from Subaru fixed it. Subaru extended the warranty on the radio,""

""Every now and then, my radio goes "wonky." It almost sounds like a CD skipping, it goes "ka-chunk ka-chunk ka-chunk" for a few seconds and then goes back to normal, then a few minutes later the issue repeats. It hasn't happened for months, but it just comes out of the blue sometimes. I also have more frequent issues with no sound from the radio even though it's on and volume up. In this case, I usually need to flip to AM or Sirius, then back to FM and magically the sound will work again.""

"Radio turns itself on randomly. Will not save preset radio stations."

"About 1 yr ago the rear speakers quit working."

"The microphone for voice to text often misses words, especially when the fan is running."

"Audio system goes out at times"

"Radiator bypass valve failed"

"have had problems with tire air pressure sensors and with tires losing air pressure very slowly like over a couple of weeks losing 6 to 8 pounds. Had it at dealers twice... finally learned that Subaru has been having problems with faulty valve stems on tires."

"The defective battery had to be replaced suddenly."

"A leak in the AC line that was fixed the next day."

"The thermal control valve failed. All the warning lights came on. Subaru fixed the problem free of charge. Apparently, a lot of Subarus starting having this problem, so they extended the warranty on it."

"a problem with broken front windshield and replacement requiring $2000 cost in part to recallibrate eyesight cameras."

"Thermal thermostat for in cabin circulation. Was fixed by Subaru because of recall."

"The auto start stop failed causing vehicle to stall"

"Replaced windshield in first 15000 miles"

"pulling to the left during abrupt hard braking occurred about 3 times, dealer unable to find a problem. Have not noted problem lately."

"The TCV set a diagonistic trouble code while on vacation. a local repair shop ran the code and reset it. we call a local dealership and scheduled an appointment for 5days later when convenient for us. Repair was under a extended warranty and was fixed at a dealership in hours."

"Weak battery needed replacement"

"Drivers side window switch failed and was replaced at cost."

"The radio is a recall item as it starts late or cuts out while driving"

"Passenger side mirror is stuck in down position."

""Thermal switch cause check engine light yo go on. Subaru repaired it under their extended warranty for this problem; otherwise, $1,700 repair estimate.""

"Cars with automatic transmissions shut down upon braking to a full stop; the shutdown is activated by pressing the foot brake pedal .It now stops and sometimes doesnot restart"

"60K maintenance technician dropped piece of spark plug in the engine ; in the last 23,000 miles weve had 3 short blocks replaced (all warrantied)"

"Thermal control valve. This item was under warranty. However, this part failed as I was on vacation 100s of miles from home. Car was towed to nearest Subaru Dealer (1.5 hour ride), I had to spend an overnight in hotel at dealership town until car was repaired following day. This unforeseen incident impacted subsequent scheduling problems for the next leg of my travels."

"Am unsure what actual problem was. Airflow to the engine? Needed a new chip. I was driving a Outback on loan for 5-6 months while waiting for it."

"Battery was replaced again . This was the third one. Subaru has extended the warranty to 8 years, so, it didnt cost anything. However, it creates a sense of insecurity, (when will it happened again) so I have Installed a permanent slow charger, that I plug everything 4-5 days."

"battery needed to be replaced"

""The Starlink security module went out three times. Also, this model's software was 2017 in our 2019 Forester so we had to drive an elapsed 5 hours to get to the dealer to update the software for which they charged us a service visit which included labor to download the software. The low tire indicator kept coming on although there was nothing wrong with the tire.""

""Battery dies overnight, need to be jumped. Occurs 3-4 times a month. Subaru foes not respond to complaint.""

"The "Thermo Control Value" caused my car to shut down. It was fixed with a recall so no charge to me. I also had to have a wheel bearing replaced but my extended warranty coved that at no charge for me."

"Thermocontrol sensor car was undriveable"

"The rear door speakers stopped working. Replacing them will cost around $850"

"Hilll Descent Control is supposed to switch off at 18mph. On an icy hill where I was relying on it completely, it switched off at 10mph, resulting in a crash. This failure is easy to replicate."

""Thermo Control Valve (TCV) failure. Subaru extended the warranty for this unit in April 2024, and my failure occurred 04/2025!""

""A problem with the auto-start/stop feature. In heavy traffic, after the vehicle turned off, it wouldn't restart. Apparently, the battery was about to die but there were no other warning signs. It did restart eventually after cars began honking at me and I panicked a moment but I would think there would be a way to avoid this issue in the design of the auto-start stop feature. I just turn it off now when I drive because it still makes me anxious.""

"thermo control valve assembly internal circuit fault. Required removal and replacement. procedure done the following morning a day after problem was analized 3 / 27/ 25 problem was covered by a new warranty on this issue as well asa a car to use over nite. very accomodating."

""The automatic driver seat adjustment does not function, and they have had trouble diagnosing it""

"Windshield cracks very easily."

"Front wheel bearing failure at 65000 miles"

"Stuck power mirrors and issues with stereo speakers cutting out"

"Bearings"

"Windows would get stuck down. The auto shutoff started malfunctioning so the engine didnt start back up when I tried to accelerate."

"That vehicle is known for problematic AC When compressor fails it puts the whole system in jeopardy. Should change both condenser and compressor plus all lines"

"WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY CALLED THE "THERMOSTAT" FAILED AND CAUSED THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS TO GO CRAZY."

"Blower/rotor started making rattling sounds and would not blow cold air"

"For the second time since Ive owned this vehicle the blower motor failed"

""Condenser in front of the radiator is very exposed and is unshielded from rocks and debris from the road. Something whacked it resulting in a leak and a $1,400 replacement bill. Car didnt even have 50k miles on it.""

"I had to replace it because of a leak. The problem was solved because I had to replace it."

"I think it was the evaporator, as this is the third time I have had trouble with the A/C unit since I bought it and I can't remember what the problem was this last time. Currently having another issue with A/C but haven't taken it in for repair yet."

"vehicle was 4 1/2 years old, had 21,900 miles on it. Lost freon. Evaporator was leaking. Cost about $3600 to replace. Subaru reimbursed me $2000."

""Heater quit working. Had to replace thermal control valve ($1400). A week later heater stopped working again. Shop thought I had a head gasket leak. After 3 days of testing, mehanics found a pinhole leak in a coolant hose under the insulation for the fuel pump.""

""After repair, heat not working""

""It happened randomly but I was expecting the TCV to fail at some point in my cars life. There was a service bulletin released that stated Subaru will replace it for free if the TCV fails within 150,000 miles. I just turned the engine on and it failed. I have a car scanner attached to my OBD, read the code and confirmed it myself before I went to the dealership. I can see the engine temperature is cold, so it probably failed open, so I was able to drive the car to the dealership myself.""

"2019 Subaru was 4 1/2 years old. Had 21,900 miles on it. Repaired at a cost of $3600. Subaru reimbursed $2000."

""No more air conditioned in the car. The problem is not resolved. It will cost in the $1,000. just for the leaked part before labour.""

"AC stopped working and the dealer needed to replace seals in the compressor"

""My 2019 Forester has 33000 miles on it. AC was fine May 25, 2025 but blew only hot air the morning of May 26. Never had any warning that the AC was failing. Took car to dealer May 27, 2025. Dealer said both the compressor and evaporator are dead and must be replaced due to an evaporator refrigerant leak. Cost is $4300 (the entire dashboard must be pulled to replace the evaporator). Dealer said to call "Subaru Customer Advocacy" and report this premature AC failure. I called and they 'opened a case number' for my situation. It is supposed to take 1-2 days to 'resolve' the issue. By 'resolve', they mean Subaru might step up and pay for some or all of the repair. Subaru will discuss the problems with the dealer on the phone and then inform me of their decision to help or not. It may just be false hope for me but the dealer gave us a loaner car to use for two days until this is resoled. Very disappointed to have such a significant/expensive failure with only 33000 miles.""