2012 Subaru Forester Brakes Problems

Your brake pedal became unresponsive while the vehicle was parked, and you noticed brake fluid leaking underneath. Even after the dealer replaced the brake lines as part of a recall service, the problem happened again. This is a serious safety issue since your brakes may not work when you need them.

A STUCK BRAKE CALIPER PISTON EXTENDED FAR ENOUGH TO RELEASE BRAKE FLUID RESULTING IN COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES.IT FAILED A FEW BLOCKS FROM HOME ON CITY STREETS AND NO DAMAGE OCCURRED.REQUIRED TOWING TO A REPAIR SHOP.NO PHOTOS BUT ATTACHED IS A RECEIPT FOR REPAIRS.

ON JUNE 9, 2015 I BROUGHT MY 2012 SUBARU FORESTER (MILEAGE 41184) INTO THE SUBARU DEALER FOR A "BRAKE PIPE INSPECTION RECALL" AND TO REPLACE A BROKEN PLASTIC MOLDING IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR. INSPECTION BY THE MECHANIC AT THIS TIME STATED THAT ALL THE BRAKES WERE IN GOOD SHAPE ACCORDING TO THEIR RATING SYSTEM. ONE MONTH LATER, ON JULY 8, 2015, I BROUGHT MY 2012 SUBARU FORESTER (MILEAGE 42513) BACK TO THE SUBARU DEALER BECAUSE OF VIBRATION AND NOISE EMANATING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. INSPECTION BY THE SERVICE MECHANIC SHOWED THAT THE FRONT BRAKES HAD LOCKED UP, WERE NOT RELEASING, AND HAD WORN OUT THE BRAKE PADS AND SCORCHED THE FRONT ROTORS FROM THE HEAT GENERATED BY THIS MALFUNCTION. IT WAS NECESSARY FOR THEM TO REPLACE THE ROTORS AND PADS. IN A PERIOD OF 30 DAYS AND 1329 MILES THE AUTOMOBILE WENT FROM GOOD BRAKES TO WORN-OUT BRAKES WITH SCORCHED ROTORS FROM THE HIGH HEAT GENERATED. SUBARU IS FORTUNATE THAT I WAS AWARE SOMETHING WAS WRONG -- SOMETHING WHICH IF NOT FIXED COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE OR BRAKE FAILURE WHILE ON BUSY HIGHWAY AND POTENTIALLY RESULTED IN BODILY INJURY OR DEATH TO THE OCCUPANTS. THIS IS NO WAY "NORMAL" BRAKE WEAR. THE PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED AND CORRECTED BY SUBARU BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL STIFFENED AND FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKE HOSE WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE MALFUNCTION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,600.

TL* 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 TO THE FLOORBOARD FAILING TO STOP THE VEHICLE. A CRASH OCCURRED AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED RIB CAGE BRUISING, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,055.

2012 SUBARU FORESTER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED FROM THE DAY SHE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKES DID NOT SEEM RIGHT. THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMED TOO SOFT AND THERE WAS EXTENDED PEDAL TRAVEL. SHE HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO STOP IN TIME. ALSO, WHEN SITTING AT A LIGHT WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE PEDAL WOULD SUDDENLY JUST SINK DOWNWARD AN INCH. ALSO, AT APPROXIMATELY, 17,000 IN MAY 2014, THE BRAKES BEGAN PULSATING. THE DEALER MACHINED THE ROTORS AND STATED IT WAS NORMAL. THE CONSUMER EVEN THOUGH THE HER YEAR, WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, SHE STILL EXPERIENCED THE SAME SYMPTOMS. *JB

TL* I RECEIVED AN IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL NOTICE (1ST NOTICE) FOR MY 2012 SUBARU FORESTER REGARDING POTENTIAL BRAKE LINE CORROSION. IT COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID IMPAIRING THE DRIVER'S ABILITY TO STOP THE CAR BY INCREASING BRAKING DISTANCE. IN THE 1ST NOTICE SUBARU AGREED TO INSPECT AND REPAIR THE BREAK LINES FREE OF CHARGE. SUBARU STATED THAT IT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF ACQUIRING ANTI-CORROSION MATERIALS AND REPLACEMENT PARTS TO PERFORM THE NECESSARY REPAIR. THEY WOULD RE-CONTACT THE OWNER BY MAIL WHEN THE MATERIAL WERE AVAILABLE. WHEN THE 2ND WAS RECEIVED THE OWNER WAS TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE LOCAL DEALER FOR THE INSPECTION AND ANY NECESSARY REPAIRS. UNTIL THEN THERE WERE SEVERAL IMPORTANT PRECAUTIONS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN INCLUDING, MONITORING BRAKE FLUID LEAKS, BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL AND PRESSURE, STOPPING DISTANCE, AND BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT. SHOULD ANY OF THESE CONDITIONS BECOME APPARENT THE OWNER SHOULD CONTACT THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY. THE DRIVER SHOULD MAINTAIN SAFE BRAKING DISTANCE AND TAKE EXTRA CARE WHEN PARKING AND IN TIGHT SPACES. THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED IT WOULDN'T BE UNTIL NOVEMBER 2014 UNTIL THE 2ND NOTICE WAS TO BE RECEIVED (3 MONTHS AWAY FROM THE 1ST NOTICE). THE OWNER THEN CALLED THE DEALER WHO, WITHIN A WEEK, INSPECTED, CLEANED, AND APPLIED ANTI-CORROSION MATERIALS TO THE BRAKE LINES. THE OWNER HAVING TO TAKE THE PRECAUTIONS IS UNACCEPTABLE IN MY OPINION. SUBARU SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS AND INSPECTION. THE BRAKING SYSTEM SHOULD BE INSPECTED IMMEDIATELY TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS A RISK OF A BRAKE MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE DOES HAVE DUAL BRAKING SYSTEM, BRAKELINE MATERIALS AND EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS IS LIKELY THE SAME FOR BOTH SYSTEMS. COULD BOTH SYSTEMS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM SIMULTANEOUSLY? IF THERE IS A LARGE ENOUGH LEAK IN 1 SYSTEM THAT GOES UNDETECTED COULD IT EMPTY THE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR AFFECTING THE 2ND SYSTEM'S CAPABILITY? SUBARU CAMPAIGN WQK-47 RECALL NO. 14V-311 JULY 2014. UPDATED 11/20/14 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. THE CONTACT APPLIED REPEATED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED INTO THE FLOORBOARD ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT THEN APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS SAFELY DRIVEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,800.

OUR FORESTER HAS AN INCONSISTENT BRAKE PEDAL. SOMETIMES THE PEDAL IS FIRM AND RESPONSIVE. SOMETIMES THE PEDAL GOES TOWARDS THE FLOOR BEFORE IT RESPONDS. WE NEVER KNOW HOW FAR IN THE PEDAL WILL GO. THUS FAR THE BRAKES HAVE ALWAYS WORKED BUT EXTRA TIME AND DISTANCE ARE NEEDED TO STOP. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND HAS BEEN THERE EVER SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE FOLLOWING FROM SUBARU'S RECALL OF OTHER 2012 MODELS EXPLAINS ALMOST EXACTLY HOW THIS MANIFESTS FOR US. PRESSING THE PEDAL LIGHTLY AND SUBSEQUENTLY HAVING TO HIT THE PEDAL HARDER WITHOUT LETTING UP SEEMS TO BE A TRIGGER. THE PEDAL HAS ALSO GONE ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR ON 2 OCCASIONS WHICH OCCURRED AT VERY LOW SPEEDS IN PARKING LOTS. MANIFESTATIONS PER THE PARAGRAPH BELOW ARE MOST COMMON AND CAN HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED INCLUDING ON THE HIGHWAY. IN THE RECALL LETTER SENT TO SUBARU OWNERS IT NOTED THAT "IN VEHICLES EXPERIENCING THIS CONDITION, THE DRIVER WILL INITIALLY ENCOUNTER A SOFT PEDAL FEEL AND MAY MOMENTARILY PERCEIVE A SENSE OF LOSS IN BRAKING POWER WHILE THE PEDAL IS BEING PRESSED LIGHTLY. THIS WILL ONLY CONTINUE UNTIL THE PEDAL IS PRESSED DOWNWARD APPROXIMATELY 2 MORE INCHES. EFFECTIVE BRAKING FUNCTION WILL BE ACHIEVED AT THAT POINT, MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO SLOW OR STOP THE VEHICLE." WE HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO 2 DEALERSHIPS AND THEY BOTH TOLD US THERE IS NO PROBLEM. WE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO ONE OF THE DEALERSHIPS AND THEY ROAD TESTED IT FOR 3 DAYS AND TOLD US NOTHING IS WRONG. WE APPEAR TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM THAT TRIGGERED A RECALL OF MILLIONS OF OTHER 2012 MODELS AND WE DO NOT APPEAR TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. THIS PROBLEM IS POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING, AND IT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT MANIFESTS FOR SUBARU TECHNICIANS OR NOT. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO MY MECHANIC AND HE BELIEVES THE MASTER CYLINDER IS BAD BUT HE HAS DONE NO WORK ON THE VEHICLE. *TR