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2012 Subaru Forester Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 105 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Subaru Forester, most often about the engine (28% of complaints, typically around 86,000 miles). It is 15th of 27 Forester model years by number of complaints and has 15 recalls.
Most common 2012 Subaru Forester problems
Engine
29 complaints · 28%Half of these problems showed up before 86,000 miles.
Driver seatbelt buckle will not release. May take up to 10 firm pushes of release button before buckle releases. Engine oil was at 1 quart even after 1 quart of oil was added per month. Dealership diagnosed as rod knock. Second opinion LED to changing oil twice and checking pressures. Recommended change oil every 3000…
Purchased vehical 3-4 months ago w/ 86k miles. Oil leaks in head gasket ( quart every 6 weeks..researched this and turns out this is a very common problem from 1999- 2013. On all foresters. Manufacturer used more sealant and less gasket on that engine.why wasn't this recalled?? Easily verified via tube or internet.the…
Air bags
20 complaints · 19%Me and my 12 year old daughter were driving 20mph down a small hill,a lady pulled out in front of US,I hit the brakes,which locked up and we slid so I let off them immediately,the roads were icy and snowy,so we gained a lot of velocity,we missed hitting her but went sideways,a little airborn and hit a telephone pole.I…
"takata recall" received letter from subara of america, inc. 3/24/17 in reference to recall. Instructed to take vehicle to local dealership for repair. Took vehicle next day to dealership, which stated they had repair parts and made an appointment for repairs within a week. The day before scheduled appointment…
Speed control
18 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 29,000 miles. Parts named most often: accelerator pedal.
The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Forester. While driving 5 MPH, the accelerator pedal became stuck to the floorboard and the vehicle crashed into the garage door. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The…
The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while parking, he shifted into reverse with his foot on the brakes when the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. The contact engaged the emergency brake but it failed to stop the vehicle. As a result, the contact crashed into another vehicle and…
Brakes
15 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 29,500 miles. Parts named most often: foundation components.
The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Forester. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14v830000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The recall remedy was performed but, due to the incomplete repair instructions, the vehicle was not repaired correctly. While driving 10 MPH, the brake pedal was applied and sank…
Me and my 12 year old daughter were driving 20mph down a small hill,a lady pulled out in front of US,I hit the brakes,which locked up and we slid so I let off them immediately,the roads were icy and snowy,so we gained a lot of velocity,we missed hitting her but went sideways,a little airborn and hit a telephone pole.I…
Electrical
10 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 56,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Forester. While at a red light, the vehicle lost power and had electrical issues. The contact stated that the speedometer read 2 MPH over the actual speed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was unable to be restarted by the mechanic. The…
While idling in a parking lot, my Forester caught fire. The fire was put out quickly. So, the damage was fortunately isolated to the location where the fire started. It seems that the connector between the wiring harness and one of the o2 sensors on the front of the vehicle ignited. The fire burned the wiring harness…
Fuel system
8 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 3,500 miles. Parts named most often: delivery.
The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Forester. While coming to a stop, the vehicle made an intermittent clunking sound when the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle had a lot of electrical issues. While driving 5 MPH, all the electrical components in the instrument panel failed and a whining noise…
During cold weather starts, the vehicle cabin smells strongly of raw fuel, as if there was a fuel leak. The smell persists until the engine has reached its normal operating temperature. Loose fuel lines have been reported in previous model year foresters, and rare instances of this occurring in current generation…
Other or unspecified
8 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 93,500 miles.
Vehicle experienced an occurrence of sudden unintended acceleration. I had my foot on the brake and was easing into a parking space. All of a sudden, the engine revved, and the vehicle surged and began to move forward on its own accord. I was unable to stop it using the brake. The vehicle went over 2 parking curbs and…
While pulling into a parking stall at approximately 2-3 MPH I went to press the brakes when all of the sudden the car accelerated at full speed without touching the accelerator causing me to hit the concrete wall in front of me. Airbags did not deploy and neither me or my passenger were not hurt. Damage to the bumper…
Body and structure
5 complaints · 5%Parts named most often: body.
While opening the driver's side door, the top, right corner of the door struck my forehead, causing a gash just above my right eyebrow that required six stitches to close. A little lower and the sharp, pointed corner of the door frame could have caused the loss of my right eye. The problem is with the design of the…
While pulling into a parking stall at approximately 2-3 MPH I went to press the brakes when all of the sudden the car accelerated at full speed without touching the accelerator causing me to hit the concrete wall in front of me. Airbags did not deploy and neither me or my passenger were not hurt. Damage to the bumper…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2012 Subaru Forester recalls
Seat belts
Risk: The seat belt assembly may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed december 9, 2022. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is wrj-22.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 forester vehicles. The front seat belt assembly force-limiter may not operate correctly in the event of a crash.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General motors will notify saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began january 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the saab customer assistance center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is tkb-20.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 forester, 2003-2006 baja, 2004-2011 impreza, 2004-2014 wrx (including sti), 2003-2014 legacy and outback, and 2006 saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, virginia, and west virginia or "zone b." these vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General motors will notify saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began january 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the saab customer assistance center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is tka-20.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 forester, 2003-2006 baja, 2004-2011 impreza, 2004-2014 wrx (sti included), 2003-2014 legacy and outback, and 2005-2006 saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. Virgin islands or "zone a." these vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General motors will notify saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began january 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the saab customer assistance center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is tkc-20.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 forester, 2003-2006 baja, 2004-2011 impreza, 2004-2014 wrx (including sti), 2003-2014 legacy and outback, and 2005-2006 saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of alaska, colorado, connecticut, idaho, iowa, maine, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, new hampshire, new york, north dakota, oregon, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, washington, wisconsin, and wyoming or "zone c." these vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Electrical: switch
Risk: The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began may 10, 2019. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is wuf-91.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 forester vehicles, 2008-2011 impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 wrx vehicles, 2005-2014 legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 outback vehicles and 2006-2008 tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began january 25, 2019. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is tkb-19.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 tribeca, wrx, outback, and legacy vehicles, 2010-2011 impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, virginia, and west virginia. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began january 25, 2019. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is tka-19.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 forester, 2010-2014 tribeca, wrx, outback, legacy, and 2010-2011 impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. Virgin islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on january 25, 2019. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is tkc-19.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 tribeca, wrx, legacy and outback vehicles, 2010-2011 impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of alaska, colorado, connecticut, idaho, iowa, maine, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, new hampshire, new york, north dakota, oregon, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, washington, wisconsin, and wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on february 9, 2018. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is tka-18.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 legacy, forester, tribeca, wrx and outback vehicles, and 2009-2011 impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. Virgin islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began march 6, 2017. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is tka-17.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 subaru baja, 2006-2011 impreza (including wrx and sti models), 2006-2012 tribeca, 2009-2012 forester, legacy, outback, and 2012 wrx vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. Virgin islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Electrical: electrical system
Risk: If the air injection pump overheats, it may melt and increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began december 2016. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is wtm-73.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year legacy and outback vehicles, 2008-2014 impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines. The relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump to continuously operate and overheat.
Brakes: service brakes, hydraulic
Risk: Brake fluid may leak due to the brake line corrosion and may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will apply an anti-corrosion wax to the four-way joint connector area of the brake line system, free of charge. The recall began on january 27, 2015. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is wqq-52. Notes: this recall is specific to affected forester, impreza, wrx, and sti customers who had their car remedied under NHTSA recall no. 14v-311 prior to december 23, 2014. Subaru has determined that this remedy was inadequate due to incomplete repair instructions provided to dealers. Affected forester, imp
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 impreza, 2008-2014 wrx and sti, and 2009-2013 forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia that were remedied under recall 14v-311 prior to december 23, 2014. The brake lines may experience brake line corrosion due to salt water splashing on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector.
Brakes: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk: Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected areas will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began july 2014 and second notifications will run through november 2014. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is wqk-47. Note: this recall super
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 outback and legacy, 2008-2011 impreza and 2008-2014 impreza wrx/sti, and 2009-2013 forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines. Note that affected vehicles not currently, or formerly registered, in the salt belt states identified above are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.
Lights: exterior lighting
Risk: Over time, migration of the moisture into the circuit board and/or into the connector cavity, may result in a short circuit of the puddle light system. This may generate heat which may melt the plastic resulting in smoke or fire.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional fused-harness, free of charge. The recall began february 19, 2013. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783 for more information.
Full defect summary
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 legacy and outback vehicles, certain model year 2006 through 2012 tribeca vehicles sold before january 2012, and certain model year 2009 through 2012 forester vehicles sold before january 2012. Up to 78,650 of these vehicles may have been equipped with accessory puddle lights that, when illuminated, brighten the area under the doors of the vehicle. A short circuit can develop when either the puddle light or connector are exposed to an electrolytic moisture source (such as road spray that has road salt in it) and it penetrates the circuit board of the puddle light or the pins of the puddle light connector(s).
Seat belts: rear/other
Risk: An insecure installation of a child restraint can increase the risk of injury to a child during a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear center seat belt assembly with a newly modified automatic locking retractor, free of charge. An interim letter was mailed on march 26, 2012. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
Full defect summary
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 forester vehicles manufactured from november 26, 2007, through march 13, 2012. The automatic locking retractor in the seat belt assemblies located in the rear center seating of the affected vehicles do not meet lockability requirements and fail to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, âoccupant crash protection.â specifically, the assemblies may not permit proper installation and secure attachment of a child restraint in that seating position.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
Questions about the 2012 Subaru Forester
- What are the most common problems with the 2012 Subaru Forester?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: engine (29 complaints, typically around 86,000 miles); air bags (20 complaints); speed control (18 complaints, typically around 29,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2012 Subaru Forester have?
- 15 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from November 10, 2022 (seat belts). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2012 a bad year for the Subaru Forester?
- It is 15th of 27 Forester model years by number of complaints, with 105 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.