2014 Subaru Forester — Known Issues & Recalls

Your airbag warning light turned on, and the dealership diagnosed that your Passenger Front Seat Occupant Detection Sensor Assembly needs to be replaced because your airbag system isn't working. The part has been on backorder for 4 months, leaving your vehicle without functioning airbags during that time. This appears to be a widespread issue affecting multiple Subaru owners. The fix will require replacing the occupant detection sensor assembly once the part becomes available.

You were involved in a collision at 35 MPH when an oncoming vehicle turned left into your path. Your steering wheel and knee airbags deployed during the crash, but the airbag deployment caused you to sustain injuries including chest trauma, leg contusions, and a burn on your left leg. Your spouse was also injured and required emergency medical attention. The airbag system may need investigation to determine if the deployment force was excessive or if there were design issues.

Your passenger airbag warning light has been on for about a year because the occupant detection sensor is malfunctioning, which means the passenger airbags won't deploy in a crash. The dealer says the replacement part is on back order and hasn't arrived after 11 months, and you'll need to pay around $1,100 for the repair. A similar part has been recalled on 2015-2018 Foresters with heated seats due to the same problem, but your 2014 model with identical heated seats and sensor wasn't included in that recall. Fixing this will require replacing the passenger seat occupant detection sensor.

Your airbag warning light keeps turning on even after the dealer replaced the passenger seat harness in July 2024. The dealer confirmed the vehicle has a defective passenger harness and/or seat cushion sensor. The warning light has reappeared as of October 2024, suggesting the replacement part may not have fully resolved the underlying issue. The repair will likely involve inspecting or replacing the passenger seat occupancy sensor system and associated wiring harness.

Your car is accelerating on its own without you pressing the gas pedal, even at different speeds. This happened twice—once when you were parking and hit a building, and again in your driveway when the car lurched forward even though you had your foot on the brake. During the first accident, your airbag didn't deploy and you were injured. The issue likely involves the fuel system or throttle control and may require diagnosis and repair at a dealer.

You heard a loud whining noise from your engine compartment while driving, and the dealer diagnosed a complete transmission failure at 86,000 miles. You've had transmission issues multiple times since November 2020, and Subaru determined the repair isn't covered under warranty or recall, though they offered to pay part of the cost. Replacing the transmission will require removing and reinstalling the entire transmission assembly.

While driving at about 25 mph, your car suddenly jerked, stalled, and then sped back up on its own. All warning lights on your dashboard flashed on at once. The dealer's diagnostic test identified a problem with your CVT transmission and confirmed this is a known issue—Subaru has extended the warranty coverage to 100,000 miles or 10 years to address it. Fixing this will likely require CVT transmission repair or replacement.

Your car unexpectedly accelerated while you were trying to brake and park in front of a store, causing it to crash into the building. This unintended acceleration occurred during a low-speed parking maneuver.

Your check engine light came on while driving on the freeway, followed by your gas pedal becoming unresponsive. After restarting the car, the throttle was observed ramping up on its own 4-5 times during braking or when the pedal wasn't being pressed. The service center identified this as fault code P2138, which typically relates to throttle control issues.

You purchased a 2014 Subaru Forester that showed 77,000 miles at the time of sale, but when you went to register it, the odometer reading was found to be 166,000 miles — a discrepancy of 89,000 miles. This suggests the odometer may have been tampered with or rolled back before you bought the vehicle. You'll need to contact your state's motor vehicle department and potentially consult with a lawyer about odometer fraud, as this is a serious issue that affects the vehicle's actual condition and your purchase.

Your car's ignition key gets stuck and won't turn smoothly in the ignition switch. This has resulted in a crash. The ignition switch or key cylinder likely needs inspection and may require replacement or cleaning to restore proper function.

Your 2014 Forester is burning about 1 quart of oil every week at 300 miles, which is excessive. There's a known recall for this issue that involves replacing the short block, but Subaru stopped performing this repair three years ago. The dealership didn't disclose this open recall when you bought the vehicle in 2023, which may violate New York disclosure requirements.

Your 2014 Subaru Forester is consuming oil at a higher rate than normal, requiring more frequent oil top-ups. This issue may develop over time and could potentially lead to engine damage if oil levels drop too low. A dealership inspection and engine rebuild or replacement may be necessary to resolve the problem.

Your car experienced sudden unintended acceleration on two separate occasions (May 2024 and again in late 2024). A mechanic replaced the air-fuel ratio sensor and mass air flow sensor, which temporarily stopped the problem, but the sudden acceleration returned about 6 months later. The issue may require deeper diagnosis of the fuel and engine control systems to find the root cause.

Your car suddenly accelerated without your input while driving at a safe speed behind another vehicle. Even after applying the brakes, shifting to a lower gear, and engaging the emergency brake, you couldn't slow the car down. This uncontrolled acceleration resulted in a collision with another vehicle, followed by hitting a telephone pole, rolling over, and sustaining major damage.

After hitting a deer head-on at 65 mph, your car's airbags deployed correctly and the engine shut off, allowing you to brake safely to the shoulder. However, the engine caught fire within 10 minutes of the collision, and the vehicle became completely engulfed in flames. This rapid fire development posed a serious risk, as you had very little time to safely exit the vehicle. The fire may have been caused by fuel or electrical system damage from the collision impact, and will require a complete inspection of the fuel system, battery, and electrical wiring.

Your driver's side shoulder seatbelt came completely disconnected and fell into your lap while driving at 55 mph with no warning or alarm. The entire assembly, including the casing, detached because the bolt holding it in place rattled loose. The dealership refused to warranty or properly repair the issue under warranty, leaving you concerned about safety. Fixing this will likely involve permanently securing the shoulder belt anchor bolt, possibly using thread-locking compound to prevent it from loosening again.

Your lower control arm bushings have deteriorated, causing loud noises and vibrations coming from underneath the car. This affects suspension stability and handling. The worn bushings will need to be replaced to restore proper suspension function.

Your liftgate support arm broke while the liftgate was open, causing it to slam shut suddenly. This created a serious safety hazard since someone could have been injured if they were nearby or underneath. You'll want to have the liftgate supports inspected and replaced as a preventive measure, even though this isn't listed on the standard maintenance schedule.

Your 2014 Forester's CVT transmission has made noise without warning lights, and diagnostics show the problem is inside the transmission assembly itself. You've reported multiple transmission issues over several years (improper shifting, valve body problems, and fluid leaks), and a dealer now estimates $11,784.38 for a complete transmission replacement. While you requested warranty extension under a Subaru service bulletin, Subaru declined due to vehicle age. Fixing this will require replacing the entire CVT transmission assembly.