Subaru Forester Forward Collision Avoidance Problems
Owners have filed 187 complaints with NHTSA about forward collision avoidance problems on the Subaru Forester across 13 model years. The 2019 model year has the most (43). The words owners use most often: “safety features” (13% of reports).
- 187forward collision avoidance complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 24mention a crash
- 6mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 43%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.
- Safety features: mentioned in 24 of 187 complaints (13%)
- Thermo control: mentioned in 22 of 187 complaints (12%)
- Collision braking: mentioned in 17 of 187 complaints (9%)
- Eye sight: mentioned in 15 of 187 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do forward collision avoidance problems happen?
Based on 26 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 187 complaints, 24 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 6 an injury.
Subaru Forester forward collision avoidance complaints by model year
| Model year | Forward Collision Avoidance complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Forester | 6 | 21% | — |
| 2025 Forester | 12 | 12% | — |
| 2024 Forester | 4 | 13% | — |
| 2023 Forester | 13 | 18% | 15,000 |
| 2022 Forester | 15 | 15% | 11,625 |
| 2021 Forester | 17 | 8% | 24,000 |
| 2020 Forester | 43 | 7% | 5,200 |
| 2019 Forester | 43 | 5% | 14,450 |
| 2018 Forester | 8 | 2% | 4,150 |
| 2017 Forester | 8 | 1% | 54,000 |
| 2016 Forester | 8 | 2% | 8,000 |
| 2015 Forester | 8 | 1% | 73,504 |
| 2006 Forester | 2 | 2% | 200,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists forward collision avoidance for the 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.
Valve control assembly failure. A known TSB. Disables safety features of the car. Should be a recall.
The pre-collision breaking system activated while I was driving 35mph on a straight road with no cars or obstacles present. There was enough force generated in the abrupt stop that the seatbelt locked and unsecured items were thrown to the floor.
On October 7, 2026 at approximately 7:40 PM, the EyeSight system inexplicably stopped working with a warning light notification. Prior to the EyeSight failure, the touchscreen froze completely with subsequent inability to control the climate and other control options. After pulling over and…
I had made a right turn onto an avenue, then crossed another main avenue that breaks up the first avenue, and attempted to continue onto the original avenue. Suddenly, before I could continue to drive down the avenue and complete the maneuver, the pre-collision breaking system activated (I could…
Driving in middle lane on i-87 heading towards albany (around it), car alarmed (flashed a red box on dashboard) and then the AEB braked for shadows in front and caused cars to swerve behind us with semi trucks getting too close. Could not get the car to stop breaking and other drivers were very…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Subaru Foresters have forward collision avoidance problems?
No. NHTSA has 187 owner complaints about forward collision avoidance for the Subaru Forester. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Subaru Forester forward collision avoidance?
No recall currently lists forward collision avoidance for this vehicle.
What do owners say about forward collision avoidance problems on the Subaru Forester?
The most frequent phrase is “safety features”, in 24 of 187 complaints, followed by “thermo control” (22).
Other Subaru Forester problems
- Visibility/wiper problems (1,061)
- Engine problems (827)
- Air Bags problems (817)
- Electrical System problems (797)
- Power Train problems (556)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (532)
- Suspension problems (415)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (350)
See all Subaru Forester problems.