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2014 Subaru Forester Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 403 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Subaru Forester, most often about the suspension (23% of complaints, typically around 55,500 miles). It is 7th of 27 Forester model years by number of complaints and has 2 recalls.
Most common 2014 Subaru Forester problems
Suspension
94 complaints · 23%Half of these problems showed up before 55,500 miles. Parts named most often: front, rear.
Both rear coil springs are broken . The lowest coil has snapped off each spring and the left rear spring has fallen out of the lower pad so it is not functional at all one spring may have failed earlier, but the left failure made the problem apparent.
Rear coil spring failed after 56,000 miles. It was not a result of any incident. Car was well maintained and not driven off road, mostly highway miles.
Engine
72 complaints · 18%Half of these problems showed up before 36,000 miles.
On cold start the vehicle will rollover and over and not start. It happens in all temperatures. It does seem to start on subsequent attempts. This is a new car. It should start!
I got my regular oil change. One month later my indicator came in reading 'system detects low oil'. Took it back to the shop where I got my oil changed, they told me it was bone dry and that my car is burning oil. They said that I'm not the only Subaru owner who has that problem. They just top their oil off every…
Air bags
57 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 75,000 miles. Parts named most often: sensor.
Driving at 65 MPH on a 2 lane highway dry conditions in the early morning when I hit a deer in the front, causing major damage and the airbags did not deploy. This is a serious safety issue.
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while reversing, the back over prevention screen failed to display an image. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The contact also stated that after starting the vehicle or while driving at various speeds, the front passengerâs…
Other or unspecified
44 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 48,000 miles.
While parking this vehicle on the street, in front of our apt., smoke came from under the hood, once parked and hood opened, engine caught on fire, fire dept. Was called. The car is totaled.(I do not want to upload pictures, due to identifiable info. In the pictures.)
Both rear suspension coil springs broke and need to be replaced and so do the struts. Both broke while driving on a well paved rode going 35 MPH. I did not hit or run over anything. They completely snapped apart. This is clearly due to defective part as there are 100's of complaints for this happening to 2014-2015…
Speed control
42 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 27,500 miles. Parts named most often: accelerator pedal.
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. While exiting the car wash, the vehicle accelerated independently without warning and crashed into a pole. When the brake pedal was depressed, it failed to operate and the steering wheel seized. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries.…
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the vehicle independently accelerated, while attempting to park. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed however, the vehicle failed to stop. The contact was able to turn the steering wheel to avoid crashing into a building. The vehicle…
Electrical
42 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 61,000 miles. Parts named most often: wiring, instrument panel.
I was out of the country and didn't start my car few about ten days. When I come back the battery was dead. I had it jump started. As I was leaving the lot and going up a slight incline the car stalled while in drive - the battery was dead again. I could not move the transmission from drive to park with a dead…
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. Upon taking the vehicle to don miller Subaru (west 5822 odana rd, madison, wi 53719) for an inspection, the dealer diagnosed that rodents had chewed the soy-based wiring in the electrical harness and damaged the wiring. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not…
Transmission
41 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 64,500 miles.
I was out of the country and didn't start my car few about ten days. When I come back the battery was dead. I had it jump started. As I was leaving the lot and going up a slight incline the car stalled while in drive - the battery was dead again. I could not move the transmission from drive to park with a dead…
Stopped for red light, when I tried to acceleration heard a loud thump and the car would not move. Abs, transmission light came on. I thought I lost my transmission. Had to be pushed off busy highway and then called triple a to have car towed. Was on route 113. After researching internet found that Subaru extended…
Brakes
31 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 42,000 miles.
July 6, 2018 driving on city street when my foot had the brake depressed and the auto suddenly accelerated so much that I had to turn into a curb to avoid a collision with another vehicle - I hit a curb with one tire to avoid accident and had to get four new tires because it is AWD. Today my brake was depressed and it…
I reported this incident on august 19, 2018 -complaint number 1120961. I had SUV towed the following day to dealer where I purchased it brand-new. The dealer service dept is trying to tell me there is nothing wrong with the SUV, but that is impossible. The dealer has arranged for Subaru of america from nj to contact…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2014 Subaru Forester recalls
Lights: switch
Risk: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began april 15, 2019. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is wue-90.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 forester, 2008-2016 impreza sedans, 2012-2016 impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 wrx sedans (including sti), and 2013-2017 crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of park.
Equipment
Risk: Curling of the driver side floor mat could distract the driver and/or interfere with proper operation of one or a combination of, the vehicle's clutch, brake, and accelerator pedals. Brake or accelerator pedal interference may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace each of the vehicle's four (4) carpeted floor mats with new ones. These services will be performed free of charge. Subaru issued an interim notification during april 2013. Notification that the remedy is now available was mailed to owners on june 5, 2013. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is wqh-44.
Full defect summary
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2014 forester vehicles manufactured from january 2013 through march 2013. The backing for the carpeted floor mats was not manufactured to specification. As a result, the floor mats may curl when exposed to heat.
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 2014 Subaru Forester
- What are the most common problems with the 2014 Subaru Forester?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: suspension (94 complaints, typically around 55,500 miles); engine (72 complaints, typically around 36,000 miles); air bags (57 complaints, typically around 75,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2014 Subaru Forester have?
- 2 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from February 28, 2019 (lights). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2014 a bad year for the Subaru Forester?
- It is 7th of 27 Forester model years by number of complaints, with 403 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.