2016 SUBARU FORESTER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
594
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
43
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2016 SUBARU FORESTER
The 2016 SUBARU FORESTER has received a total of 594 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 3 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER. 43 technical service bulletins have been issued by Subaru of America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Air Bags (88 complaints), Electrical System (87 complaints), and Unknown Or Other (66 complaints).
Recalls for the 2016 SUBARU FORESTER
NHTSA has recorded 3 recalls for the 2016 SUBARU FORESTER, potentially affecting up to 1,687,999 vehicles.
Recall 19V701000 — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
| 366,282 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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...
View full details →Recall 19V149000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
| 1,303,530 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
Consequence: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: 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.
View full details →Recall 16V162000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER
| 18,187 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2016 SUBARU FORESTER
594 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
I have a 2016 Subaru Forester and started 3 weeks ago with a problem when I turn it on all the lights on the dashboard turn on and the car won't star. The mechanic has changed the battery and the problem continues. It's happened three times now that it's suddenly shut off while I'm driving. It was very scary. Now the mechanic said that I have to take to the dealer because it is the body control module.
Currently getting a reoccurring warning, "SRS airbag system needs to be checked" which disables the front passenger airbag. This means if I have a passenger sit in the front seat of my vehicle, they don't have the protection of an airbag in the event of a car accident. In 2021, I had this exact same issue and the Subaru dealership diagnosed the airbag needing to be replaced. I had to pay for this replacement, but it did fix the issue. Now that it is back, I am now working with Subaru of America with Case #251030-2001271 and they are refusing to acknowledge that this second air bag replacement should be covered by them because my car is over 10 years old and over 100k miles. There is no telling how long this new air bag will last since the one replaced in 2021 is already bad.
The rear backup camera failed. No warning lights appeared. This is a safety issue. This repair was expensive should not have happened at 79019 miles. The problem was inspected and estimated by our Subaru dealer. We were told that the radio/screen unit first needed replacement, then if that didn't fix it, to then replace the camera. We were give a rough estimate of $2500 to replace both items. We decided to get another estimate. They determine it was the camera, which we had them replace.
A warning light will randomly light up indicating a problem with the airbag or airbag sensor in my front passenger seat. I have had it looked at by multiple Subaru dealerships and shops and have had various quotes in the thousands of dollars to repair it. The technicians have told me that the sensor likely has an issue because of potential spillage on the seat that would seep into the sensor and cause it a problem, however there have not been recent spills on the seat and the light has only been turning on in the past year or so. I recently heard from another Subaru Forester owner that a similar maintenance issue happened in their car so I felt it was appropriate to report this issue.
A warning light will randomly light up indicating a problem with the airbag or airbag sensor in my front passenger seat. I have had it looked at by multiple Subaru dealerships and shops and have had various quotes in the thousands of dollars to repair it. The technicians have told me that the sensor likely has an issue because of potential spillage on the seat that would seep into the sensor and cause it a problem, however there have not been recent spills on the seat and the light has only been turning on in the past year or so. I recently heard from another Subaru Forester owner that a similar maintenance issue happened in their car so I felt it was appropriate to report this issue.
Safety Rating for the 2016 SUBARU FORESTER
The 2016 SUBARU FORESTER received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2016 SUBARU FORESTER
Subaru of America, Inc. has issued 43 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
15-312-23R — EQUIPMENT
This bulletin announces repair procedures to be used when diagnosing dark current draw (parasitic draw) on vehicles equipped with Gen 1 Data Control Modules.
18-229-22 — EQUIPMENT
The purpose of this bulletin is to provide a description of current changes to Service Manuals.
02-131-12R — EQUIPMENT
The purpose of this Bulletin is to provide procedures for the diagnosis and repair of oil seepage which may be coming from the timing chain cover, front camshaft cap, camshaft carrier and / or upper oil pan.
18-219-22 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This bulletin announces the Service Manual correction for the diagnostic trouble tree for DTC C2521 and/or DTC 21.
16-103-16R — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This bulletin has been developed in response to a small number of customer concerns regarding fluid seepage found coming from the CVT assembly.
04-27-21R — STEERING
As part of Subaruâs dedication to customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is announcingan extension to the Basic New Car Limited Warranty for the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) GearBox Assembly for certain 2012-2018 MY vehicles.
10-87-17 — VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
This bulletin provides a service procedure to address customer concerns of a rattling-type sound coming from the defroster vent grille area of the instrument panel (IP) near the base of the windshield.
WQZ-61R — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is initiating a service program for certain 2016 model year Forester, Impreza, Crosstrek, Legacy, and Outback vehicles equipped with Telematics (STARLINK). Subaru has determined that vehicles affected by this Service Program require reprogramming of the Telematics System Data Communications Module (DCM).
18-204-21 — EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
The purpose of this bulletin is to provide a description of current changes to Service Manuals available via the Subaru Technical Information System (STIS) web site.
12-289-20R — EQUIPMENT
In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Warranty for the rear gate stays on the listed models and model years.
Showing 10 of 43 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2016 SUBARU FORESTER
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the SUBARU FORESTER
- 2011 SUBARU FORESTER — 195 complaints
- 2012 SUBARU FORESTER — 139 complaints
- 2013 SUBARU FORESTER — 94 complaints
- 2014 SUBARU FORESTER — 573 complaints
- 2015 SUBARU FORESTER — 882 complaints
- 2016 SUBARU FORESTER (current)
- 2017 SUBARU FORESTER — 765 complaints
- 2018 SUBARU FORESTER — 650 complaints
- 2019 SUBARU FORESTER — 1,079 complaints
- 2020 SUBARU FORESTER — 784 complaints
- 2021 SUBARU FORESTER — 265 complaints
Other SUBARU Models
- SUBARU OUTBACK — 12,068 total complaints
- SUBARU LEGACY — 4,117 total complaints
- SUBARU IMPREZA — 3,406 total complaints
- SUBARU CROSSTREK — 1,431 total complaints
- SUBARU ASCENT — 1,230 total complaints
- SUBARU WRX — 1,207 total complaints
- SUBARU SVX — 373 total complaints
- SUBARU XV CROSSTREK — 354 total complaints