2015 Subaru Forester Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 95 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2015 Subaru Forester, 15% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 51,100 miles. The words owners use most often: “cvt transmission” (8% of reports).
- 95power train complaints
- 51,100median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 51%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.
- CVT transmission: mentioned in 8 of 95 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 66 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 95 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Subaru Forester power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Forester | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2025 Forester | 4 | 4% | — |
| 2023 Forester | 5 | 7% | 11,426 |
| 2022 Forester | 4 | 4% | 51,000 |
| 2021 Forester | 15 | 7% | 11,250 |
| 2020 Forester | 32 | 5% | 500 |
| 2019 Forester | 38 | 5% | 14,000 |
| 2018 Forester | 23 | 5% | 4,000 |
| 2017 Forester | 46 | 8% | 33,400 |
| 2016 Forester | 51 | 12% | 44,500 |
| 2015 Forester | 95 | 15% | 51,100 |
| 2014 Forester | 41 | 10% | 64,611 |
| 2013 Forester | 6 | 8% | 49,500 |
| 2012 Forester | 5 | 5% | 62,000 |
| 2011 Forester | 8 | 5% | 60,000 |
| 2010 Forester | 7 | 3% | 70,500 |
| 2009 Forester | 17 | 10% | 52,500 |
| 2008 Forester | 2 | 4% | 130,821 |
| 2007 Forester | 11 | 15% | 37,500 |
| 2006 Forester | 4 | 5% | 52,090 |
| 2005 Forester | 5 | 5% | 40,000 |
| 2004 Forester | 12 | 5% | 93,500 |
| 2003 Forester | 9 | 5% | 8,000 |
| 2002 Forester | 16 | 18% | 29,650 |
| 2001 Forester | 23 | 17% | 46,000 |
| 2000 Forester | 21 | 28% | 74,000 |
| 1999 Forester | 32 | 24% | 72,000 |
| 1998 Forester | 23 | 23% | 75,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2015 Subaru Forester. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact's spouse owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop or at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle hesitated and failed to accelerate as intended. The Hill Assist and Automatic Transmission Oil Temperature warning lights flashed, and…
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…
Vehicle: 2015 Subaru Forester Mileage at Failure: 85,000 miles Component: Powertrain â CVT Transmission My 2015 Subaru Forester is experiencing a premature safetyârelated CVT transmission failure at approximately 85,000 miles. The vehicle developed a pronounced whining noise that increases with…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2015 Subaru Foresters have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 95 owner complaints about power train for the 2015 Subaru Forester (15% 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 power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 51,100 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2015 Subaru Forester?
The most frequent phrase is “cvt transmission”, in 8 of 95 complaints.
Other 2015 Subaru Forester problems
See all 2015 Subaru Forester problems or power train problems across all Forester years.