2006 Subaru Forester Cruise Control Problems

While driving at 50 mph, your car suddenly accelerated on its own even though your foot was completely off the gas pedal—the pedal had become stuck. You managed to bring the car to a stop, but not before it reached 75 mph in a 50 mph zone. This is a serious safety issue where your vehicle no longer responds to normal braking inputs the way it should.

Your car accelerated on its own even though you weren't pressing the gas pedal, forcing you to brake hard to regain control. Shifting into neutral didn't stop the engine from revving. You discovered the problem was caused by the rubber floor mat interfering with the gas pedal, and removing it solved the issue. The fix involves replacing or repositioning the floor mat to ensure it doesn't obstruct the gas pedal.

Your check engine light and cruise control have been off for 5-7 years without a clear cause. You've replaced the gas cap and had a mechanic install a new evaporative vapor canister for $920, but neither fixed the problem—your car won't pass emissions inspection for registration. Disconnecting the battery briefly makes the light turn off temporarily, but it returns within a day or two.

PURCHASED IN AK IN 2006. APPROXIMATELY 13,000 MILES ON ENGINE. PAPERWORK LISTED ENTRY-POINT: HAWAII. CURRENT 2016 MILEAGE: LESS THAN 60,000. WELL-MAINTAINED VEHICLE.----- UPON ACCELERATION, THE ENGINE SOMETIMES LURCHES AND REVS TOO HIGH TOO FAST, AND THEN SETTLES INTO HOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO FEEL AND SOUND. OTHER TIMES, IT SUDDENLY LOSES POWER INSTEAD, LURCHING DOWN LIKE WE'VE TAKEN OUR FOOT OFF THE GAS (BUT WE HAVEN'T BECAUSE WE ARE ON A HIGHWAY OR FREEWAY!), VERY BRIEFLY AND THEN RECOVERS.ONE TIME, JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, IT FELT LIKE I'D LOST ALL POWER AND THE CAR WAS GOING TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUSY HIGHWAY, BUT IT IMMEDIATELY RECOVERED AND THEN FELT NORMAL.

THE BUS HAD JUST DROPPED OFF MY SON. I TURNED ON THE CAR AND PROCEEDED TO ROLL DOWN THE HILL TO THE CORNER WHERE I WAS GOING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN. (ABOUT 4 CAR LENGTHS FROM MY ORIGINAL PARKED SPOT) ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR WAS NOT RESPONDING TO MY FOOT OR STEALING COMMANDS. I ROLLED ONTO THE FRONT LAWN OF THE CORNER PROPERTY. AS SOON AS WE CAM TO A STOP I SHUT THE ENGINE AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK. I OPENED THE DOOR, TOOK A LOOK AT THE CAR AND THEN TRIED TO START THE CAR AGAIN. I STARTED THE CAR AND IT WAS MAKING LIKE A REVING NOISE. I WHEN TO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE TO BACK OFF THE LAWN (ALL THE WHILE MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE.) AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR LURCH BACKWARDS WITH SUCH FORCE AND SPEED. I WAS ALMOST STANDING IN PLACE WITH THE FORCE I WAS TRYING TO BRAKE. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESPOND AND I CAME TO A FULL STOP AFTER CROSSING THE ROAD AND INTO ANOTHER FRONT LAWN AND CRASHING IN TO THE PORCH OF THAT PROPERTY. TOTALED VEHICLE !!! *TR

AS I WAS WAITING TO PULL INTO A SMALL PARKING LOT, AN AUTO WAS PULLING OUT. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WAITING FOR HIM TO EXIT. AS SOON AS I RELEASED THE BRAKE THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD FULL SPEED TOWARDS THE EXITING CAR AND I TURNED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID A COLLISION BUT WENT FULL SPEED INTO A WALL (SIDE OF A HOUSE) THE EXITING CAR WAS GRAZED, THE HOUSE WAS DAMAGED AND MY CAR WAS TOTALED. THE SOUND OF ACCELERATION AS I RELEASED THE BRAKE WAS AS IF I DEPRESSED FULLY THE GAS PEDAL WHICH I DID NOT DO. *TR

THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT HAS STARTED FLASHING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. IT STARTED OUT OF THE BLUE. THE CRUISE CONTROL IS NOT WORKING. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG OTHER SUBARU OWNERS AND SUBARU SEEMS TO HAVE ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN BUT THEY WON'T ADMIT ITS THEIR PROBLEM. *TR

OWNER OF 2006 SUBARU FORESTER WAS DRIVING AT 5 MPH WHEN PRESS BRAKE PEDAL. SUDDENLY CAR ACCELERATED BUT IT REDUCED SPEED WHEN PEDAL WAS PRESSED AGAIN. CAR MILEAGE IS 56,000. IT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS INCIDENT HAPPENS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBUARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH EXITING PARKING LOT. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT EXERTED FULL BODY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL REPEATEDLY AND THEN SHIFTED INTO THE PARK POSITION BEFORE THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND CONTINUED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT.

I ACCELERATED FROM A STOP TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE, THE GAS PEDAL STUCK & I CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE DESPITE TAKING MY FOOT OFF THE GAS & TRYING TO FIRMLY APPLY MY BRAKES- I COULD HEAR THE ENGINE REVVING . MY BRAKES DID NOT STOP THE CAR & EVEN IN NEUTRAL WITH MY BRAKES ON I CONTINUED TO GO FORWARD UNTIL EVENTUALLY THE CAR COASTED TO A STOP IN THE BREAKDOWN LANE & I WAS ABLE TO PUT IT IN PARK & TURN OFF ENGINE. IT SMELLED LIKE BURNED RUBBER AFTER I STOPPED. OF NOTE, IT WAS A RAINY DAY. I PLAN TO BRING IT TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP TOMORROW. I DID READ SOME BLOGS TODAY WITH A FEW PEOPLE COMPLAINING OF THE SAME PROBLEM BUT ONE PERSON COMMENTED THAT THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP & NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. THIS WAS A VERY SCARY & UNSAFE PROBLEM. I DID AN INTERNET SEARCH FOR SUBARU FORESTER RECALLS & COULD NOT FIND ONE FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. *TR

EXPERIENCED SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION TWICE. , ONCE WHEN ACCELERATING ON THE HIGHWAY TO PASS AND THE GAS PEDAL APPEARED TO STICK., AND ONCE WHEN PULLING UP TO A CURBSIDE AS THE BRAKE WAS APPILED AND THE VECHICLE SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD COLLIDING INTO A PARKED CAR AND PUSHING IT FORWARD. I HAD TO JAM HARD ON THE BRAKE TO STOP THE ACCELERATION. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO MORE THAN 30 MPH WHEN GENTLY DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED. AFTER MANEUVERING THE VEHICLE AROUND A BUILDING THREE TIMES THE IGNITION WAS ABLE TO BE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER , FIRST TEAM AUTO MALL, AND NO FAILURE COULD BE FOUND. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 4,000.*AK

ON COLD START THE ENGINE RACES UNCONTROLLABY UP TO APPROXIMATELY 3500 RPMS AFTER CLUTCH WAS DEPRESSED. IT RACED UP AND DOWN UNTIL IT WARMED FULLY UP. IT SOMETIMES RACES LIKE THIS AFTER HIGH SPEED DRIVING WHEN YOU COME TO A STOP. *AK

APPARENTLY, SUBARU HAS GONE TO A ??DRIVE BY WIRE?? FOR AT LEAST 2006. THE 2006 FORESTER I HAVE HAS THE SURGING PROBLEM. IT IS WORST DRIVING DOWNHILL AND TRYING TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT SPEED IN EITHER MANUAL OR CRUISE CONTROL. THE STEEPER THE HILL THE WORSE THE SURGE. I LIVE IN THE COLORADO MOUNTAINS AND IF THERE WERE SNOW OR ICE THIS SURGE WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO LOOSE TRACTION AND GO OUT OF CONTROL. ACTIVELY ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING IS NOT A PROBLEM. THE SURGE OCCURS ONLY WHEN A CONSTANT SPEED IS ATTEMPTED. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY A SUBARU DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND REPRODUCED ON ANOTHER 2006 FORESTER. SUBARU SAID THAT THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM AND IS EXPECTED WITH THE DRIVE BY WIRE SYSTEM. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AS A DRIVER COULD LOOSE CONTROL WITH THE SEVERE SURGE PROBLEM. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE IS HESITATED AND SURGED. THIS HAPPENED MORE OFTEN WHEN TRAVELING DOWN A MOUNTAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO A CERTIFIED DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS, AND THE PROBLEM WAS DUPLICATED. HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER CONCLUDED THERE WAS ACTUALLY NO PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED $1,000 GIFT CERTIFICATE AS INCENTIVE TO HAVE NO FURTHER CONTACT WITH THEM. *AK