Wrench.Pro

2016 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.

vehicle2016 / subaru / forester
known issues8 clusters (reviewed 2026-08-15)
complaints413 on file (2015-10-14 → 2026-09-16)
recalls3
investigations1
fars45 occupant deaths, crash years 2010-2024 (legacy-code)
indexedyes
licenseCC BY 4.0 (derived)

Known Issues clusters all years →

Ignition key not releasing with shifter in ParkUNKNOWN OR OTHER17 complaints2020-09 → 2025-04forester-2016-key-stuck-in-ignition
  • 11434984 At least a couple of times a week, the key gets stuck in the ignition. I can turn the car off, but I can't remove the key. If I start the car back up and shift it into Drive, and then slam it back into Park, after several tries, I can remove the key
  • 11362183 WHEN VEHICLE IS PLACED IN PARK AFTER A TRIP, THE KEY BECOMES STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE IS ABLE TO BE TURNED OFF BUT THE KEY IS UNABLE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION
  • 11428820 Per Subaru's TSB 16-112-18R, it appears that my 2016 Subaru Forester XT is experiencing a failing Park-Range switch. Starting around July 26, 2021, I started having issues trying to take the key out while in Park
CVT hesitation and lurching when pulling away from a stopPOWER TRAIN10 complaints2020-11 → 2026-08forester-2016-cvt-hesitation-and-lurch
  • 11606047 5 different warning lights all came on at the same time. Before that I noticed occasionally there was a delay starting again at a stoplight. Reputable mechanic replaced the valve body of the transmission
  • 11597922 The transmission started to fail and each time i stopped at an intersection, it would start to idle roughly and try and lurch foreward even with the brake fully depressed
  • 11471298 The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started jerking and hesitating while attempting to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the transmission fluid was flushed; however, after retrieving the vehicle the failure persisted
Wheel lug studs stripping or fracturingWHEELS4 complaints2022-04 → 2025-02forester-2016-wheel-lug-stud-fracture
  • 11509834 The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic on four separate occasions to rotate the tires; and each time the contact was notified that one lug bolt on each wheel had fractured
  • 11461838 Vehicles wheel studs and nuts striped. Common complaint with Subaru's. Nuts won't come off and unable to completely put back on to contact with rim. Nuts also won't come off all together, frozen on stud, studs breaks when trying to remove
  • 11641195 We have had numerous problems with the wheel lug stems on this car. One issue was very serious. We were driving from New Jersey down to Florida, and two of the lug stems snapped off
Passenger occupant detection sensor turning airbag offAIR BAGS, SEATS36 complaints2021-10 → 2026-08forester-2016-passenger-ods-airbag-off
  • 11725381 I am reporting a safety-critical failure of the passenger-side Occupant Detection System (ODS) in my 2016 Subaru Forester, which deactivates the airbag while the seat is occupied. This issue was first documented at an authorized Subaru dealer on 11/15/2023
  • 11685559 Multiple times over the last 4 months the passenger airbag has turned off when there is a passenger occupying the seat and the SRS light turns on. The related code is B1650
  • 11676215 Sensor on passenger side airbag stays off at times when there is a passenger in the seat. The notification on the dash and above the GPS screen notifies the driver that the airbag is off
Parasitic battery drain and repeat battery replacementELECTRICAL SYSTEM29 complaints2021-02 → 2024-12forester-2016-parasitic-battery-drain
  • 11448232 The Controller Area Network ("CAN") did not enter sleep mode when the car was turned off, resulting in a "parasitic battery drain." I replaced 3 batteries over a period of 24 months of ownership, and just paid $1355 to have the manufacturer-installed computer chip replaced to…
  • 11450455 Parasitic drain after car left parked and locked for ~4 days. This has occurred since I purchased the car new in 2016. I have replaced the battery 4 times but it has not helped the issue. I am now forced to leave the car plugged in to a battery tender when parked
  • 11442143 Even with a new battery, car battery dies if car isn’t run at least every 2 or 3 days, meaning I can’t rely on car if I take a trip of any length and leave the car behind
Unintended acceleration while parking or brakingVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL29 complaints2020-09 → 2026-03forester-2016-unintended-acceleration
  • 11480344 I pulled into a parking space with a friend and as I turned the wheel to pull in and had the foot on the break, as soon as I let up on the brake the car lurched forward. Luckily, I slammed back on the brake since my foot has just come off it
  • 11468988 The contact stated while attempting to park in a driveway, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated causing the contact to crash into a building wall. There were no injuries sustained. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic
  • 11523588 While stopped at a “STOP” sign, the Subaru Forester unintentionally accelerated into a tree although the brake pedals were repeatedly utilized; it was totaled
Engine stalling and loss of motive power while drivingENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM16 complaints2020-10 → 2024-11forester-2016-stall-loss-of-power
  • 11362843 MY 2016 SUBARU FORESTER HAS TWICE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ENGINE STALL WHILE CRUISING AT APPROX. 70 MPH WHEN THE FUEL WAS LOW. IN BOTH CASES THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ON AND THE VEHICLE SHOWED FUEL IN THE TANK WITH FUEL RANGE OF 70-100 MILES
  • 11612794 Engine died. Pulled over. No warning lights, it just died. Waited for a tow but after an hour, tried to start and it started right up. Had 1/4 tank of fuel left, but got more and got home ok
  • 11383476 THIS CAR WILL SUDDENLY LOSE POWER WHEN UNDERWAY WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR PREDICTABILITY. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF ENTERING TRAFFIC OR EVEN WHEN MOVING ON CONGESTED ROADS. NO ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AT ALL, THE CAR JUST DIES WITHOUT WARNING
Horn failure traced to steering wheel clock springELECTRICAL SYSTEM6 complaints2022-09 → 2026-04forester-2016-horn-clock-spring-failure
  • 11520351 The horn does not work due to failure of the clock spring. This is a common problem among many Subaru vehicles. Without the use of a horn warning noises cannot be made to alert other drivers of potential hazards
  • 11532772 The Horn stopped working in the vehicle. This is a known issue with many Subarus. The horn is essential for safety reasons due to this the vehicle cannot pass a safety inspection. The culprit of this issue is the electrical coil spring component in the steering wheel behind the…
  • 11485198 The horn does not respond when pressing the button on the steering wheel. The only works if the steering wheel is turned. This is a hazard as the horn is needed to prevent a collision

NHTSA complaints (summary) all years →

countearliest_datelatest_datecrash_flaggedfire_flaggedtop_components
4132015-10-142026-09-16393AIR BAGS:99; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:93; UNKNOWN OR OTHER:69; ENGINE:60; POWER TRAIN:50

Recalls all years →

campaign_numberreport_received_datecomponentsummaryconsequenceremedy
19V14900028/02/2019EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCHSubaru 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.
19V70100003/10/2019AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATIONSubaru 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.
16V16200021/03/2016ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGERSubaru 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 →

action_numberstatussubjectcomponentsopenedclosedrecall_campaignsummary
PE19009closedOccupant Detection System (ODS) FailureAIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE2019-08-062020-01-2219V701000The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full-sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The complaints reported the ODS failed to operate properly, the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light illuminated, and/or the

FARS occupant deaths all years →

crash_yearsoccupant_deathsmatch_typevpic_recovered
2010-202445legacy-code0

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). 2016 Subaru Forester vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2016/subaru/forester
@misc{wrenchpro_2016_subaru_forester_2026,
  author = {Wrench.Pro},
  title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 2016 Subaru Forester},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2016/subaru/forester}},
  note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}

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