2015 Subaru Forester Engine Problems
Owners have filed 131 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2015 Subaru Forester, 21% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 46,340 miles. The words owners use most often: “oil consumption” (7% of reports).
- 131engine complaints
- 46,340median miles at failure
- 10mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 61%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Oil consumption: mentioned in 9 of 131 complaints (7%)
- Happened twice: mentioned in 7 of 131 complaints (5%)
- Engine shut: mentioned in 7 of 131 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 100 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 131 complaints, 10 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 3 an injury.
Subaru Forester engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Forester | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2025 Forester | 4 | 4% | 15,000 |
| 2024 Forester | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2023 Forester | 5 | 7% | 200 |
| 2022 Forester | 10 | 10% | 5,000 |
| 2021 Forester | 33 | 16% | 30,000 |
| 2020 Forester | 81 | 13% | 29,300 |
| 2019 Forester | 106 | 13% | 18,253 |
| 2018 Forester | 32 | 6% | 20,000 |
| 2017 Forester | 47 | 8% | 17,650 |
| 2016 Forester | 60 | 14% | 42,000 |
| 2015 Forester | 131 | 21% | 46,340 |
| 2014 Forester | 69 | 17% | 36,643 |
| 2013 Forester | 27 | 35% | 82,000 |
| 2012 Forester | 27 | 26% | 86,000 |
| 2011 Forester | 60 | 41% | 73,500 |
| 2010 Forester | 34 | 13% | 85,000 |
| 2009 Forester | 27 | 15% | 92,000 |
| 2008 Forester | 7 | 14% | 113,000 |
| 2007 Forester | 9 | 12% | 102,500 |
| 2006 Forester | 11 | 13% | 80,000 |
| 2005 Forester | 3 | 3% | 153,000 |
| 2004 Forester | 23 | 11% | 110,000 |
| 2003 Forester | 12 | 6% | 133,000 |
| 2002 Forester | 1 | 1% | 160,823 |
| 2001 Forester | 2 | 1% | 127,358 |
| 1999 Forester | 3 | 2% | 125,700 |
| 1998 Forester | 1 | 1% | 120,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/supercharger
Problem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.
Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTA-62.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was parking at the dentist office in their parking lot going slow, turned into a parking space and thought i was slowly braking but my car lunged forward and hit a tree. I would normally be minimally braking, so I'm not sure what happened but it was sudden. I could have hit the gas pedal but i…
I was pulling into a parking spot almost stopped when the vehicle suddenly surged forward. I slammed on the brake and put the car in reverse since it had driven upon the walkway. This happened earlier today and I plan to have it checked out as soon as possible . Never have had this problem before…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2015 Subaru Foresters have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 131 owner complaints about engine for the 2015 Subaru Forester (21% of the 615 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2015 Subaru Forester engine?
Yes: 1 safety recall list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 46,340 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2015 Subaru Forester?
The most frequent phrase is “oil consumption”, in 9 of 131 complaints, followed by “happened twice” (7).
Other 2015 Subaru Forester problems
See all 2015 Subaru Forester problems or engine problems across all Forester years.