2015 Subaru Forester fuel, hybrid & EV propulsion problems

Related recalls

No recalls on file.

What owners say

1. Filed Oct 6, 2026CAFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   I started to have problems with my Forester, and reading upon what could be the issue, I ran across recall 16V162000, on which describes exactly what my car simptoms are. I went into different sites, and my car does not show to be part of the recall. Can you help me with the reason on why my car is not part by the recall, when in fact is the same car, same engine, and having the same problem. Thank you so much for your time.

   NHTSA complaint #11769468 · source
2. Filed May 2, 2025NCFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   UNKNOWN. Often when I attempt to accelerate after stopping at a stop sign, the car hesitates, sometimes lunges ahead and then sometimes practically dying before accelerating normally. There have been times when It simply feels like a fuel pump problem and I know that Toyotas with this same Denso fuel pump have had documented problems similar to mine. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

   NHTSA complaint #11658428 · source
3. Filed Nov 29, 2024CAFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   This is the fourth time we have had the same problem. We were on a long drive (more than 1 hour on the road) on the freeway going 65-70mph. The fuel gauge showed 2 or 3 bars left and the estimated mileage left was 40-70 miles left when the car lost forward power, the lights still worked and electrical systems were functional but it was as though there was not gas left. We had to call a tow truck to bring us gas. As soon as they put a couple gallons in the tank the car…

   NHTSA complaint #11627992 · source
4. Filed Oct 5, 2023MDFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   On six occasions since 2020, our Subaru Forester has lost engine power at highway speeds after being driven for 2 hours on an interstate. On each occasion, we had to pull to the shoulder of the road with no engine power and restart the car. On the last three occasions it has taken 15 minutes to restart. Losing engine power at highway speed could have endangered our family or nearby drivers. We have taken the car to multiple dealers who have not been able to reproduce the…

   NHTSA complaint #11548450 · source
5. Filed Jul 6, 202390,000 miNYTowedEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11530710 · source
6. Filed Nov 30, 2022NYFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   I was on the MA Pike in the middle of three lanes going 70mph and all my red lights came on, the engine revved high RPM, then seemed to be getting no gas and next stalled out. The trip computer said I had had 60 miles of gas left until empty, and I still had a bar of gas left showing on the odometer. There were no warnings lights or messages prior to the failure. It was an extremely unsafe situation, as I had to pull into the “slow” uphill truck lane, lane one of three…

   NHTSA complaint #11495514 · source
7. Filed Sep 25, 2022MAElectrical SystemEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   We had driven up Mt Washington in NH (about 6000ft high) and were returning back. We had used the X mode (hill assist) intermittently on the way down. Had driven almost 150 miles back to home, when the car suddenly lost power and started to shudder. We were able to coast to the side. We tried to start again and again the same problem. We noticed that the brakes seemed quite warm. After about 5 minutes we tried again and were able to drive slowly to a gas station, but no one…

   NHTSA complaint #11486328 · source
8. Filed Sep 25, 2022MAFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionAcceleration & Cruise Control

   Suddenly lost acceleration and engine stopped - without any dashboard signal of low gas or engine issue. Car was able to start after couple of minutes. At the time of losing acceleration and stopping gas indicator was showing two bars - and car was not running with low fuel indicator. My whole family was in the car and stopping in the middle lane of a busy national highway of 65 miles speed limit on a Saturday late in night was very scary!

   NHTSA complaint #11486260 · source
9. Filed Aug 4, 2022CAFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain

   I was driving with cruise control going around 70 when the car started slowing down suddenly. Not wanting to slow down even more, I turned off the cruise control by hand using the cancel button on the steering wheel (rather than tap the brake) but when I then hit the accelerator, the engine felt like it was in neutral, revving past 6000 rpm on the tachometer. At that point, I realized I had no control over the drive train so I pulled off the road onto the center median of…

   NHTSA complaint #11477675 · source
10. Filed Feb 28, 2022PADriver Assistance & Safety TechEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

    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.

    NHTSA complaint #11454586 · source
11. Filed May 26, 2021MNCrashTowedEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionAcceleration & Cruise Control

    The 2015 Subaru Forester accelerated unexpectedly while slowly turning into a a Walgreens parking lot. The acceleration could not be stopped by stepping on the brake, and the car crashed into the brick building. The vehicle is at Phil's Auto Body Shop in Rosemount, MN. The estimate on the car is complete, and waiting on State Farm insurance to approve. The police were at the scene of the accident. Walgreens has video of the accident from their security cameras.

    NHTSA complaint #11418574 · source
12. Filed May 24, 2021NYFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

    Fuel gauge sending unit not functioning causing car to over report remaining gas mileage. Car runs out of gas though gas gauge still reports roughly 20% tank capacity remaining and ~60 miles or range left. This has happened to me multiple times,racing me stranded on highways at least 6 times.

    NHTSA complaint #11418265 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology