2019 Subaru Forester acceleration & cruise control problems

Related recalls

No recalls on file.

What owners say

1. Filed Aug 21, 202680,000 miNYCrashTowedBrakesDriver Assistance & Safety TechAcceleration & Cruise Control

   The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH with the adaptive cruise control engaged, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact depressed the brake pedal; however, the engine revved loudly, the vehicle continued to accelerate and collided with the rear of a minivan. The contact was able to steer the vehicle to the side of the bridge and stopped the vehicle. The side air bags deployed after the crash. No injuries were…

   NHTSA complaint #11758532 · source
2. Filed Dec 29, 2024WAElectrical SystemOther / UnknownAcceleration & Cruise Control

   [XXX], driving home, dark at [XXX] in Airway Heights WA. About 10 mins to home, lights in dashboard suddenly lit (brake, check engine, battery icon, water temp icon, 2 yellow colored pictures that had the word “off”, park, ABS, exclamation point next to a circle that had a symbol in circle like a Mercedes Benz, and another symbol colored yellow). I kept driving with very little power in the car and it was hard turning the wheels to left or right turns. I was so scared…

   NHTSA complaint #11632986 · source
3. Filed Oct 15, 202412,000 miIAAcceleration & Cruise Control

   The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and became inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or independent mechanic for diagnosis or repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,000.

   NHTSA complaint #11619846 · source
4. Filed Apr 24, 202434,000 miGACrash1 injuredTowedAirbagsBrakesAcceleration & Cruise Control

   The contact owned a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly accelerated to approximately 80 MPH unintendedly. The contact stated that she depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle spun several times, causing her to lose control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle hit several power generator boxes while spinning. The…

   NHTSA complaint #11585052 · source
5. Filed Sep 1, 2023PAElectrical SystemAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain

   When driving, ALL lights on the dash went on and vehicle safety features did not work- no cruise control, automatic breaking, automatic headlight adjustments, etc. We were over 500 miles from home and had the oil changed but it did not fix the problem. Had $72,000 miles on it, 4 years old. We had to drive home that distance to get it repaired over a 2-3 day period. No safety features were enabled as we drove. Thermo Control Valve was deemed faulty and replaced. Seeing after…

   NHTSA complaint #11542172 · source
6. Filed Jun 30, 2023NJDriver Assistance & Safety TechElectrical SystemAcceleration & Cruise Control

   2019 Subaru Forester Premier. 6/29/23 All ok while driving for 3 hours on highways. Never had any issues before. I stopped car to take a break, when I restarted the car. All the warning lights lit ou and eye-site was off and could not be turned on. Check engine light on along with many others. Had 30 minutes more to go, stopped a few more times to check on the engine compartment - all ok. Brought it to the dealer today, 6/30/23, they were going to need 4 hours to replace a…

   NHTSA complaint #11529846 · source
7. Filed Mar 15, 202329,000 miMABrakesAcceleration & Cruise Control

   The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly unintendedly accelerated. The contact depressed the brake pedal to regain control of the vehicle. The contact stated that approximately 10 minutes after the first failure, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,000.

   NHTSA complaint #11511977 · source
8. Filed Feb 21, 2023AKBrakesAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain

   Auto safety systems compromised with illumination of check engine light and engine temp warning light. Subaru dealership service department determined problem with Thermo Control Valve. Engine was not overheating as the vehicle was being driven in winter time, February in Alaska. Only indication of problem was indicator lights and reduced heat from cabin heat system. Vehicle went into "limp" mode as soon as warning lights illuminated, disabling advanced safety systems.

   NHTSA complaint #11508326 · source
9. Filed Oct 24, 202225,700 miNVCrash2 injuredAcceleration & Cruise Control

   The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space very slowly, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, and crashed into a concrete pole. The air bags had not deployed during the crash. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. The contact stated that his wife suffered a fractured sternum, and he had lower back muscle strain with severe spasm. A police report was not filed. The contact and his wife sought…

   NHTSA complaint #11490695 · source
10. Filed Aug 3, 2022ORAcceleration & Cruise Control

    2019 Subaru Forester 2.5L [VIN removed] I use cruise control most of the time in all of my cars. Tapping the inc/dec button in my Subaru changes speed in 5 mph increments. This is very dangerous because my other cars use 1 mph increments. My use case is on long climbs I like to slow down my car 1 or 2 MPH as it works harder. When I double tap the Subaru it drops by 10 MPH instead of the expected 2 MPH. I want Subaru the update the PCM firmware to allow the user to switch to…

    NHTSA complaint #11477350 · source
11. Filed Jun 21, 2022ILAcceleration & Cruise Control

    When parking the vehicle has experience unexpected acceleration. this issue has occurred 2 times in the last few months and thankfully I did not hit another vehicle or person. I called the dealer but unfortunately they informed me that unless this happens with a tech in the car they will not replace anything

    NHTSA complaint #11470242 · source
12. Filed Nov 16, 202121,000 miCOAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain

    The contact's wife owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that as his wife attempted to park her vehicle into a parking spot, the vehicle independently accelerated while her foot was on the brake pedal without warning. The contact's wife steered the vehicle to avoid hitting other vehicles as the acceleration continued; she was eventually able to stop the vehicle. Prior to the failure, the contact stated that while his wife was driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle…

    NHTSA complaint #11440621 · 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