2015 Subaru Forester: raw data

Every record we hold for this vehicle, as plain tables, with nothing added. The consumer page shows the same records with the maintenance schedule, price ranges and nearby shops around them.

vehicle	2015 / subaru / forester
known issues	8 clusters (reviewed 2026-08-10)
complaints	613 on file (2014-05-30 → 2026-07-13)
recalls	3
investigations	0
fars	57 occupant deaths, crash years 2010-2024 (legacy-code)
indexed	yes
license	CC BY 4.0 (derived)

Known Issues clusters all years →

CVT whine, hesitation, and loss of drivePOWER TRAIN19 complaints2021-05 → 2026-07forester-2015-cvt-failure

11728666 The vehicle developed a pronounced whining noise that increases with vehicle speed, consistent with internal CVT bearing or pulley failure
11510749 We were driving at 75 mph in the left lane when our car suddenly dropped in speed to 40 mph as though the transmission had dropped into neutral. There were no warning lights or any indication about what was happening
11606334 Immediately upon leaving the dealership, the car kept jolting and shuddering, but no maintenance lights were lit on the dashboard. Upon returning it to the dealership, we were notified that the whole transmission would need to be replaced

Rear wheel bearing failureWHEELS10 complaints2021-08 → 2026-06forester-2015-rear-wheel-bearing

11533929 Both Rear Wheel bearings failed and required replacement at 65,000 miles
11476429 Noticed an ongoing "humming" noise coming from the rear of our 2015 Subaru Forester which got considerably louder at highway speeds. This sounded like a bad wheel bearing BUT THE CAR HAD ONLY 46, 800 mi
11619479 My wife’s 2015 Subaru Forester is reported to have a bad rear driver side wheel bearing from our mechanic. She only has 58,464 miles at the time of the incident/ diagnosis. I believe this wheel bearing has prematurely failed

Battery drain and repeat battery replacementELECTRICAL SYSTEM10 complaints2021-05 → 2022-12forester-2015-battery-drain

11419658 This vehicle currently has about 65,000 miles on it. I have had to replace the battery twice since owning it (new). The first replacement was at 50283 miles and then again at 57335 miles
11425173 There have been numerous instances of the battery being drained when nothing was left on or running. This has happened on at least four different occasions, with two of these leading to a need for calling for assistance
11444421 I have had to replace my battery about every 16 months. Seems like something is draining the battery prematurely. I shouldn't have to keep buying new batteries every year

Horn failure from steering roll connectorELECTRICAL SYSTEM8 complaints2021-12 → 2024-08forester-2015-horn-roll-connector

11591422 Horn on steering wheel stopped working. Don't know when it stopped working, no lights, warnings on dash, nothing. You only use horn when you need it and when needed for safety concerns, it did not work
11508630 The horn became intermittently functional and now is no longer working and it has been diagnosed as the roll connector
11607153 The horn stopped working. Upon inspection at the Subaru dealership they confirmed that the steering wheel roll connector had an open circuit

Passenger airbag occupant detection system faultAIR BAGS46 complaints2021-02 → 2026-07forester-2015-airbag-ods-fault

11541759 The automatic occupant detection system sensor no longer registers if a passenger is sitting in the front passenger seat, thus the front passenger’s frontal airbag is not turned on when driving with a passenger in the front seat
11525565 Passenger seat airbag is disabled even when there is a passenger present. The passenger seat occupant sensor system appears to be faulty. Check airbag system warning light comes on even if the passenger seat is occupied. The problem is persistent
11663506 Starting towards the beginning of March, my vehicle stopped detecting if someone was sitting in that seat and permanently disabled the airbags

Unintended acceleration at low speedVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL25 complaints2021-02 → 2026-07forester-2015-unintended-acceleration

11715389 On 3 different occasions the car randomly accelerated at a high speed without stepping on the gas pedal. The first time was in a parking lot. The second time was on a busy road while traveling at 35 mph
11551532 As I applied the brakes preparing to stop, the car suddenly and without warning quickly accelerated and crashed into the building causing extensive damage to the building and the vehicle. The air bag did not react
11440210 I was braking with my right foot only traveling 5 miles per hour and suddenly the car accelerated over a parking stop and into the bank building

Engine power loss at highway speed with fuel in tankFUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM11 complaints2021-03 → 2026-03forester-2015-highway-power-loss

11548450 On six occasions since 2020, our Subaru Forester has lost engine power at highway speeds after being driven for 2 hours on an interstate. On each occasion, we had to pull to the shoulder of the road with no engine power and restart the car
11627992 The fuel gauge showed 2 or 3 bars left and the estimated mileage left was 40-70 miles left when the car lost forward power, the lights still worked and electrical systems were functional but it was as though there was not gas left. We had to call a tow truck to bring us gas
11495514 I was on the MA Pike in the middle of three lanes going 70mph and all my red lights came on, the engine revved high RPM, then seemed to be getting no gas and next stalled out

Engine oil consumptionENGINE7 complaints2021-03 → 2024-08forester-2015-oil-consumption

11491069 The engine on my 2015 Subaru Forester consumes oil at a very high rate. I use fully synthetic oil and within 1,000-2,000 miles, I have to top it off due to excessive "burn off"
11439452 The engine consumes oil at a very high rate. I get my oil changed (fully synthetic) every 5,000 miles. However, at about 3,000 miles of use, my oil light comes on at the dash
11606105 Oil consumption issue starting within the first 3 years of owning the vehicle. Oil light comes on generally after driving 2,000 miles or less from the last oil change or oil fill up, but prior to the light turning on there are acceleration issues

NHTSA complaints (summary) all years →

count	earliest_date	latest_date	crash_flagged	fire_flagged	top_components
613	2014-05-30	2026-07-13	53	7	ENGINE:131; AIR BAGS:101; POWER TRAIN:95; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:82; UNKNOWN OR OTHER:73

Recalls all years →

campaign_number	report_received_date	component	summary	consequence	remedy
19V149000	28/02/2019	EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH	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.	Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.	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.
19V701000	03/10/2019	AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION	Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.	If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.	Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUM-98.
16V162000	21/03/2016	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER	Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.	An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.	Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTA-62.

Investigations all years →

none listed

FARS occupant deaths all years →

crash_years	occupant_deaths	match_type	vpic_recovered
2010-2024	57	legacy-code	0

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road.

Cite this

Derived data is CC BY 4.0. Link back to the page you used. Text and BibTeX below.

Wrench.Pro (2026). 2015 Subaru Forester vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2015/subaru/forester

@misc{wrenchpro_2015_subaru_forester_2026,
  author = {Wrench.Pro},
  title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 2015 Subaru Forester},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2015/subaru/forester}},
  note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}

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