2017 SUBARU FORESTER

AIR BAGS

SRS AIRBAG LIGHT continuously switches on in the car with a passenger present. The seat has been replaced, light is still coming on and issue is not resolved. The dealer is refusing to resolve the issue with the sensor/ wiring harness and saying it is not applicable for recall repairs. This is a Safety issue that Subaru of America is refusing to address that directly impacts the safety of passengers and consumers.

AIR BAGS

On 8/14/25, a diagnostic fee was charged by White Bear Lake Subaru in Vadnais Heights, MN for an issue that was later confirmed to be part of an open Occupant Detection System (ODS) recall on a 2017 Subaru Forester. When the recall repair was completed on 8/27/25, the dealership refused to refund the diagnostic fee, saying reimbursement had to come from Subaru of America. Subaru of America then stated that diagnostic fees are determined by the retailer and would not be reimbursed. This left the consumer with an out-of-pocket charge directly tied to an open safety recall affecting the airbag system. Recalls are supposed to be performed at no cost, including any diagnostics required to confirm the recall issue.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

Lately, Airbag warning light comes on intermittently often. Sierra subaru would not fix without charging me for inspection for $240 and then cost of rapair. Also cruise control is malfunctioning where it gets disengaged near the vehicle in front where I have to apply brake hard to avoid serious accident. Also the EyeSight NOT working warning has started showing lately. My forester 2017 at 44K miles showing airbag light at times along with cruise control disengaing near front car and eyeSight not available mentioned above. Detail on airbag fix at Sierra Subaru in Monrovia, California. On August 12, 2025, I want to get this intermittent error fixed under warranty. on August 12, 2025 Alexander in service told me that it will be $240 approximately of charge to inspect. Kindly let me know if the airbag warning light at such low milage not going to be covered for warranty. Please Note that I bought the Forester at Sierra Subaru Monrovia Ca and had every single service done there. Lately I have been charged in thousands of dollars at such low mileage to own the 2017 Subaru Forester

AIR BAGS

Lately, Airbag warning light comes on intermittently often. Sierra subaru would not fix without charging me for inspection for $240 and then cost of rapair. Also cruise control is malfunctioning where it gets disengaged near the vehicle in front where I have to apply brake hard to avoid serious accident. Also the EyeSight NOT working warning has started showing lately. My forester 2017 at 44K miles showing airbag light at times along with cruise control disengaing near front car and eyeSight not available mentioned above. Detail on airbag fix at Sierra Subaru in Monrovia, California. On August 12, 2025, I want to get this intermittent error fixed under warranty. on August 12, 2025 Alexander in service told me that it will be $240 approximately of charge to inspect. Kindly let me know if the airbag warning light at such low milage not going to be covered for warranty. Please Note that I bought the Forester at Sierra Subaru Monrovia Ca and had every single service done there. Lately I have been charged in thousands of dollars at such low mileage to own the 2017 Subaru Forester

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The passenger airbag sensor often, but not always, malfunctions in my 2017 Subaru Forrester. Often it says PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF when there is a passanger. Occording to KBB Kelly Blue Book there IS a current RECALL in place for 2017 Subaru Forresters for EXACTLY this issue, including for my car - but when i typed in my liscnese plate in the NHTSA website, no unrepaired recalls showed up for my car.

SEATS

The passenger airbag sensor often, but not always, malfunctions in my 2017 Subaru Forrester. Often it says PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF when there is a passanger. Occording to KBB Kelly Blue Book there IS a current RECALL in place for 2017 Subaru Forresters for EXACTLY this issue, including for my car - but when i typed in my liscnese plate in the NHTSA website, no unrepaired recalls showed up for my car.

AIR BAGS

The passenger airbag sensor often, but not always, malfunctions in my 2017 Subaru Forrester. Often it says PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF when there is a passanger. Occording to KBB Kelly Blue Book there IS a current RECALL in place for 2017 Subaru Forresters for EXACTLY this issue, including for my car - but when i typed in my liscnese plate in the NHTSA website, no unrepaired recalls showed up for my car.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

the car driven to work from 6:05 to 6:25am and parked in a parking lot. when my wife went out to eat lunch around noon, she noticed a crack running from the mirror to the bottom center of the windshield. upon further inspection we noticed the damage could be felt from the inside of the car, and was NOT caused by any stone chips or other damages from the outside of the car.

WHEELS

REAR WHELLS BEARINGS DAMAGED AT ABOUT 59 000 MILES DRIVEN ON FLAT SERFACES. CAR PARKED IN GARAGE. DEALER STATED THAT BEARINGS HAVE TO BE REPLACED.

AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the passenger’s side air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the occupant detection system (ODS) had failed and needed to be replaced. The part was ordered 9 months ago; however, the part was on back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and two cases were opened. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

SEAT BELTS

The right passenger airbag sensor is malfunctioning. When a passenger rides in the front seat, the air bag turns off and the air bag warning goes on. I believe this could be related to the earlier Subaru recall for the seatbelt harness. I have been quoted $1,900 by Subaru for the repair. I've read on Subaru forums that this can be a problem for model years affected by the earlier recall. I have a video showing my husband is the passenger seat, the air bag warning light is on and the air bag is off. The problem happens intermittently.

AIR BAGS

The right passenger airbag sensor is malfunctioning. When a passenger rides in the front seat, the air bag turns off and the air bag warning goes on. I believe this could be related to the earlier Subaru recall for the seatbelt harness. I have been quoted $1,900 by Subaru for the repair. I've read on Subaru forums that this can be a problem for model years affected by the earlier recall. I have a video showing my husband is the passenger seat, the air bag warning light is on and the air bag is off. The problem happens intermittently.

AIR BAGS

Passenger airbag light comes on saying off while passenger is in the car

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I’m facing a really big issue here. I’ve been experiencing all the textbook issues in my vehicle for both of the recalls that did exist for my vehicle. I purchased my vehicle in [XXX], and I was just in to Walser Subaru in St. Paul MN where they said my recalls were completed in April 22, 2022. That is absolutely not true. I was at the dealership all day that day. So I called Miller hill Subaru in Duluth MN where it said it was done, and all they provided me with was the 2 dates I had brought it in for a general inspection and for an a/c issue. All I had done there was a transmission flush and both of those times were well after April 22nd. I purchased my vehicle from Anderson Auto in Rice Lake Township. So now I have my car with recalls that were falsified that they were done, but I am expected to pay for them. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I’m facing a really big issue here. I’ve been experiencing all the textbook issues in my vehicle for both of the recalls that did exist for my vehicle. I purchased my vehicle in [XXX], and I was just in to Walser Subaru in St. Paul MN where they said my recalls were completed in April 22, 2022. That is absolutely not true. I was at the dealership all day that day. So I called Miller hill Subaru in Duluth MN where it said it was done, and all they provided me with was the 2 dates I had brought it in for a general inspection and for an a/c issue. All I had done there was a transmission flush and both of those times were well after April 22nd. I purchased my vehicle from Anderson Auto in Rice Lake Township. So now I have my car with recalls that were falsified that they were done, but I am expected to pay for them. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

AIR BAGS

I’m facing a really big issue here. I’ve been experiencing all the textbook issues in my vehicle for both of the recalls that did exist for my vehicle. I purchased my vehicle in [XXX], and I was just in to Walser Subaru in St. Paul MN where they said my recalls were completed in April 22, 2022. That is absolutely not true. I was at the dealership all day that day. So I called Miller hill Subaru in Duluth MN where it said it was done, and all they provided me with was the 2 dates I had brought it in for a general inspection and for an a/c issue. All I had done there was a transmission flush and both of those times were well after April 22nd. I purchased my vehicle from Anderson Auto in Rice Lake Township. So now I have my car with recalls that were falsified that they were done, but I am expected to pay for them. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

AIR BAGS

The airbag warning light illuminates sometimes. I investigated the area under the passenger seat, related to the previous recall for the passenger seat occupancy sensor, and found that there were cut cable ties and no support for the wiring under the seat. I attempted to reseat the connectors and the warning light turned off for a while but turned back on later. It appears that either the previous recall didn't fix the issue or that the repair work was not performed correctly.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 88,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 88,223.

STRUCTURE

See attached document for complaint.

STRUCTURE:BODY

See attached document for complaint.

SUSPENSION

After a recent regular tire rotation and balance, my vehicle steering felt shakier than normal. Had rotation and balance checked again, but problem continued. Thought an alignment might rectify the problem but was informed this was not needed. Went to my regular mechanic and did notice the steering vibration. Found that it had to do with the forward bushings, and provided me a copy of a service bulletin issued by Subaru dated 6/20/18, #05-63-18R addressing this item, and also provided me with a video and picture of the problem to provide to Subaru repair. Since the Subaru dealer that I went to was not interested in repairing with the information provided, went back to my mechanic and had the work done. No more vibrating steering wheel.

STEERING

After a recent regular tire rotation and balance, my vehicle steering felt shakier than normal. Had rotation and balance checked again, but problem continued. Thought an alignment might rectify the problem but was informed this was not needed. Went to my regular mechanic and did notice the steering vibration. Found that it had to do with the forward bushings, and provided me a copy of a service bulletin issued by Subaru dated 6/20/18, #05-63-18R addressing this item, and also provided me with a video and picture of the problem to provide to Subaru repair. Since the Subaru dealer that I went to was not interested in repairing with the information provided, went back to my mechanic and had the work done. No more vibrating steering wheel.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Key Removal system is more occasionally failing to lock the steering wheel in position. When that happens. With the key turned to the completely ... off position. The key release remains locked in place and the key cannot be removed from the keyslot in the steering column. Restarting and moving the shift lever from park to drive and hard again into park, while twisting the steering wheel to its center position occasionally works the first, second or third repetition. This began with the vehicle at 36800 miles and continues occasionally today . vehicle has 39500ilrs currently

WHEELS

First was a control arm bushing and than a rear wheel hub assembly. At around 40000 miles. Both failures created unsafe control of the vehicle. Subaru has a tsb with updated parts, so they know the original are poor quality. It has been confirmed with dealer and independent shops. No warning lamps.

SUSPENSION

First was a control arm bushing and than a rear wheel hub assembly. At around 40000 miles. Both failures created unsafe control of the vehicle. Subaru has a tsb with updated parts, so they know the original are poor quality. It has been confirmed with dealer and independent shops. No warning lamps.

STEERING

Power steering failed. On January 6th 2025, night time with cold weather conditions, leaving a parking lot the power steering stopped working. Vehicle was very difficult to steer. Nearly all dash light came on. Took vehicle to dealership, they found the power steering control module at fault. Module was replaced with updated part number 34710SG102 per TSB# -04-24-18.

AIR BAGS

I have been in contact with Michael Hohl Subaru for the last 1 1/2 years or more regarding airbag turning off while seats are occupied. I have continuously been told that the part to fix it is on eternal back order. Contacted to Shalana at Subaru of America and was told there is nothing they can do. They cannot give us a rental car or loaner car. Steve Dix at Michael Hohl said they cannot help us either.

AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags); but the remedy failed to fix the vehicle. The contact stated that the air bag warning light had remained illuminated after the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The problem of a sticking ignition key . I park the car, skip the shifter into park position and the shifter often does not unlock the ignition release switch. That allows the engine shut down and removal of the key from the ignition. It often requires ramming the shifter home into park position , then removing the key. I have seen other notes with this particular problem. My vehicle has just 39,000 + miles . It is a problem.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being started, the contact heard an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 156,774.

SUSPENSION

While driving at 50 miles an hour or greater on the freeway the right front wheel began to shake violently and it felt like the wheel was going to come off. I checked online and found similar complaints that referenced a Subaru Service bulletin # 05-63-18R dated 6/20/2018 revised 7/10/2018. It effects 2014 -- 2018 Foresters. As it turned out my mechanic said I need to replace front two lower control Arms. The issue was the suspension. My car has 72,000 miles. The cost was $1200.00

AIR BAGS

A few years ago, our Subaru Forester had an open recall (WUM98-1) due to an issue with the passenger-side front airbag ODS, which caused the system to fail to detect a passenger, making it unsafe to drive. We had the recall repair completed at the time. However, about a month ago, the same airbag warning light came on again. After taking the vehicle in for service, we were informed that a different part (passenger front seat bottom assembly) now needs to be replaced due to code B1650. The dealership stated that this part is on a three-month backorder, leaving us with an unresolved safety issue. Since this appears to be the same underlying problem affecting the passenger airbag system, I am reporting it to the NHTSA to determine if other Foresters are experiencing similar failures. Additionally, this is an expensive repair, and I believe it warrants further investigation to determine if Subaru should take responsibility for addressing it.

VISIBILITY

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle after the vehicle had been parked in the parking garage for six days, the contact became aware that the front windshield had developed a 12-inch crack across the middle bottom. The contact stated that there were no objects that could have caused that crack near or around the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the failure with the front windshield was common for the year, make, and model, but had not provided a specific cause for the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,000.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Hello. Please explain the difference between the Subaru Exhaust Pipe (Front) Warranty Extension, (WI22-013) and the Subaru Exhaust Pipe Front (EPF) Bellows Cracking (WUJ-95). Please explain why Exhaust Pipe Front (EPF) Bellows Cracking (WUJ-95) is a NHTSA recall but Exhaust Pipe (Front) Warranty Extension, (WI22-013) is only a warranty extension. Please explain why Subaru has chosen to void warranty extensions for Rebuilt/Restored titled cars? If a recall is a mandatory action taken by a manufacturer to address a safety concern, and a service bulletin is a non-critical notification about a performance or reliability issue, isn’t exhaust fumes coming from cracks at the bellows section of the front exhaust pipe which includes the catalytic converter a safety concern? Isn’t a leak occurring at the front exhaust pipe which may result in deterioration of emission performance resulting in the vehicle’s failure to meet emission levels certified by the EPA and/or California ARB a safety issue? Why isn’t Exhaust Pipe (Front) Warranty Extension, (WI22-013) a recall like Exhaust Pipe Front (EPF) Bellows Cracking (WUJ-95)?

AIR BAGS

Over a year ago, the vehicle started reporting that the passenger side seat sensor was not working correctly, and would fail to register that the seat was actually occupied. The vehicle was taken to a Subaru dealer who told us that a replacement sensor was unavailable, and that the part would have to be made and shipped from Japan, and that it could take as a long as a year to be received. The sensor has intermittently worked or not since that time. When we had the vehicle in for service recently we were told that the part still was not available, and that it could still take a year for a replacement part to be available. This is a serious safety issue.

STRUCTURE:BODY

When closing the liftgate during the normal course of use, the liftgate support cylinder on the passengers (right) side failed (metal ball joint snapped where it connects to the liftgate), causing the support cylinder to fall between the liftgate and the rear tail light. Without this support cylinder in place, the liftgate did not receive enough support from the left side support cylinder and rapidly fell, smashing the right support cylinder into the right tail light, shattering the tail light assembly. Additionally, there was no way to secure the liftgate with the broken support cylinder still attached to the body of the vehicle. Fortunately, my wife had a ratchet set in the vehicle from the last time this happened and was able to remove the two bolts connecting the support cylinder to the body of the vehicle. Had she not had the ratchet set in the car, she would have had to drive the vehicle somewhere else with the liftgate unsecured. This was an extremely dangerous situation as the liftgate could have seriously injured someone who may have been underneath when the support cylinder failed. Additionally, the way the support cylinder is installed, when it fails, it WILL break the rear tail light assembly. The support cylinder has nowhere to go but across the tail light. The problem was not reproduced by a dealer, but the same thing happened to the support cylinder on the other side (driver, left side) of the car only 5 months earlier. We have only had the car 8 years. There is no reason this component should fail in 8 years when using the liftgate under normal operating conditions. There are no warning signs that this will happen. It simply just fails and the liftgate comes crashing down. I did not have a mechanic look at the issue as it simply requires a new support cylinder (OEM part at Subaru costs $138). I was able to replace the cylinder when the part arrived, but my tail light is still shattered. I will have to replace that as well ($289 at Subaru).

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT

When closing the liftgate during the normal course of use, the liftgate support cylinder on the driver's (left) side failed (metal ball joint snapped where it connects to the liftgate), causing the support cylinder to fall between the liftgate and the rear tail light. Without this support cylinder in place, the liftgate did not receive enough support from the right side support cylinder and rapidly fell down, smashing the left support cylinder into the left tail light, cracking the tail light assembly. Additionally, there was no way to secure the liftgate with the broken support cylinder still attached to the body of the vehicle. Fortunately, we were in the parking lot of a hardware store where I was able to purchase a ratchet kit to remove the two bolts connecting the support cylinder to the body of the vehicle. Had this occurred somewhere else, I would have had to drive the vehicle somewhere else with the liftgate unsecured. This was an extremely dangerous situation as the liftgate could have seriously injured someone who may have been underneath when the support cylinder failed. Additionally, the way the support cylinder is installed, when it fails, it WILL break the rear tail light assembly. The support cylinder has nowhere to go but across the tail light. The problem was not reproduced by a dealer, but the same thing happened to the support cylinder on the other side (passenger, right side) of the car not even 6 months later. We have only had the car 8 years. There is no reason this component should fail in 8 years when using the liftgate under normal operating conditions. There are no warning signs that this will happen. It simply just fails and the liftgate comes crashing down. I did not have a mechanic look at the issue as it simply requires a new support cylinder (OEM part at Subaru costs $138). I was able to replace the cylinder when the part arrived, but my tail light is still cracked. I will have to replace that as well ($289 at Subaru).

AIR BAGS

The WUM-98 recall fix did not address the problem with the front passenger occupancy detection system. We, and many other Subaru Forester owners are continuing to experience problems post recall repair with the SRS Airbag light on, indicating error code B1760 "Occupant Detection Sensor Mat" failure. Subaru is not covering the cost of addressing this problem, and the entire seat frame and bottom cushion (that includes the sensor mat) are required to be replaced at the consumer's expense, with bills for repair in excess of $1.700. And, due to the high demand for this repair, parts are not available to perform the repair for as much as 6 months! This is jeopardizing the safety of occupants in the front passenger seat for extended periods of time while waiting for parts, whereby the airbag is not active due to the sensor mat problem. The original recall should have encompassed not only the harness cable component, but also the sensor mat. This is a very obvious Subaru Problem and they should take responsibility and not pass this off to their customers

SEATS

The passenger seat sensor intermittently turns on and off as indicated by the warning light on the dashboard and the "passenger airbag on off" light indicating it is off when an adult passenger is sitting in the seat. This put the passenger at risk of serious injury if a collision would have occurred or could occur. I took my car to the dealership on January 1, 2025 where they inspected the vehicle and said that the seat sensor needed to be replace costing ~$1,700. The above warning first occurred on December 19, 2024 and then on December 26, 2024, which both occurred on a 250-mile trip. The passenger airbag wiring harness was replaced under recall in August 2020 but failed to correct the problem. Internet searches have indicated that this is a continuing safety issue, but currently there is no recall on the seat sensor.

AIR BAGS

The passenger seat sensor intermittently turns on and off as indicated by the warning light on the dashboard and the "passenger airbag on off" light indicating it is off when an adult passenger is sitting in the seat. This put the passenger at risk of serious injury if a collision would have occurred or could occur. I took my car to the dealership on January 1, 2025 where they inspected the vehicle and said that the seat sensor needed to be replace costing ~$1,700. The above warning first occurred on December 19, 2024 and then on December 26, 2024, which both occurred on a 250-mile trip. The passenger airbag wiring harness was replaced under recall in August 2020 but failed to correct the problem. Internet searches have indicated that this is a continuing safety issue, but currently there is no recall on the seat sensor.