2006 Subaru Forester Engine Problems

While your car was parked with the engine running, smoke began coming from the engine compartment even though the temperature gauge showed normal. Within a minute or two, flames erupted from under the hood, completely destroying the engine and front tires before the fire department extinguished it. There were no warning signs beforehand—no check engine light, unusual sounds, or smells. The fire department will need to investigate the cause, which could involve a fuel leak, electrical short, or oil leak that ignited.

ON JULY 30, 2017, WHILE DRIVING ON A SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN FREEWAY (M-14), OUR 2006 SUBARU FORESTER'S ENGINE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING CAUGHT FIRE. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL RESPONDED AND VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS. EVEN OLDER VEHICLES SHOULD NOT SPONTANEOUSLY CATCH FIRE WITHOUT A REASON. THIS WAS A VERY TRAUMATIC EVENT FOR OCCUPANTS OF VEHICLE AND ONE HAD TO TAKE ANTI-ANXIETY MEDICATION. UPDATED 10/23/2017*JS

UPON START UP IN COLD WEATHER THERE IS A VERY STRONG SMELL OF FUEL INSIDE THE CABIN OF THE CAR. IT MADE MYSELF AND MY DAUGHTER FEEL VERY ILL. HAD TO EXIT MY 2006 SUBARU FORESTER XT. INSPECTED ENGINE UNDER THE HOOD TO FIND LEAKING FUEL LINES. GOOGLED THE PROBLEM TO DISCOVER IT IS REACURRENT WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR AS EVIDENT BY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS IN SUBARU FORUMS, GOOGLE SEARCH, AND FB PAGES. THIS IS A DANGER TO HEALTH AND SAFETY AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. VEHICLE IS UNDER 100,000 MILES. LEAKING FUEL DRIPS DIRECTLY ONTO THE ENGINE CYLINDER AND CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE TURBOCHARGER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THERE IS SIGNIFICANT RISK OF ENGINE FIRE! HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK ALSO FROM THE FUEL FUMES IN THE ENGINE CABIN. SUBARU DEALERSHIP QUOTED $1,300. TO FIX.

VEHICLE HAS 44,000 MILES ON MAY 20TH WHILE IN TRAFFIC, CAR SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD STRIKING VEHICLE IN FRONT, CAR THEN BOUNCED OFF AND HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE AGAIN. ON MAY 25TH WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED; I HAD TO HIT THE GUARDRAIL TO GET IT TO STOP. BOTH TIMES THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. BOTH TIMES THE SUBARU SERVICE COULD FIND NO CAUSE. NEITHER DID A REP FROM THE MANUFACTURER.

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. --- IN COLD WEATHER, DESPITE BEING GARAGED, INTERMITTENT STRONG SMELL OF FUEL IN GARAGE AND UPON START-UP. SOMETIMES THE ODOR IS PRESENT BEFORE STARTUP. OTHER TIMES ODOR NOT PRESENT UNTIL ENGINE STARTS. GOES AWAY WHEN ENGINE WARMS. USED TO BE IN ONLY VERY COLD WEATHER, THEN IN 2015 IT HAPPENED IN COLD BUT NOT AS COLD WEATHER. RECENTLY, IN 2016, IT HAPPENED IN GARAGE IN WARM WEATHER STATE, SO COLD WEATHER NO LONGER NECESSARY VARIABLE. AGAIN, IT IS INTERMITTENT. THIS ISSUE FIRST BECAME NOTICEABLE IN WINTER OF 2014.

WHEN THE TEMP GETS INTO THE TEENS OR LOWER GAS LEAKS IN AND AROUND THE ENGINE. THIS IS DANGEROUS!! I HAVE FOUND FUEL NEAR AREA THAT GET VERY HOT, AND I AM WORRIED ABOUT MY FAMILY STARTING ON FIRE. SOA RECALLED A FEW YEARS TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE, BUT NOT ALL THAT ARE AFFECTED. *TR

I TOOK MY CAR IN BASED ON A RECALL SENT BY MY DEALERSHIP FOR MY 2006 SUBARU FORESTER LL BEAN MODEL ORIGINAL OWNER. THEY COMPLETED TO SERVICE RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE NONE OF WHICH ARE LISTED ON THIS WEBSITE.WVL22 AND WVU31. THE WVU31 WAS TO REPROGRAM MY ECM. AS I WAS DRIVING HOME AFTERWARDS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IMMEDIATELY CAME ON AND MY CRUISE LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH. I CALLED THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY WHO ADVISED IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE IF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS SOLID AND NOT FLASHING WHICH IT WAS. HE DENIED IT COULD BE RELATED TO THE WVU31 REPROGRAM OF THE ECM BUT I ADVISED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS FINE NOT DUE FOR ANY SERVICE AND HAD NO ISSUES PRIOR TO BRINGING TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE REPROGRAM. I NOW HAVE TO RETURN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID ONLY "IF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS RELATED TO THE RECALL" WOULD THEY FIX IT. I BELIEVE THIS IS DEFINITELY CAUSED BY THE REPROGRAM OF THE ECM AND THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF COMPLAINTS ON A WEBSITE REGARDING MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINING THAT WITHIN MILES OF DRIVING AFTER THE WVU31 REPROGRAM FIX THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENED AND THEY WERE ALL TOLD THAT THEY HAD TO FIX SOMETHING OR REPAIR SOMETHING AT A COST. THIS IS UNCONCEIVABLE AS I NOW HAVE TO RETURN TO A DEALERSHIP THAT IS OUT OF MY WAY, MISS WORK AND RETURN THE VEHICLE AND ONLY HOPE THAT THEY DO NOT CLAIM IT IS ANOTHER PROBLEM. IF THEY DO THEN I AM STUCK WITH ANOTHER REPAIR. I BELIEVE THAT THIS WVU 31 REPROGRAM IS DEFECTIVE AND IS CAUSING ISSUES THAT ARE LEADING TO ADDITIONAL AND UNNECESSARY REPAIRS. MY CAR WAS JUST FINE AND BELIEVE HAD I DONE NOTHING AS I AM PLANNING TO BUY A NEW CAR THIS YEAR IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE. BUT I TRIED TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND TAKE IT IN FOR SERVICE DUE TO THE RECALL NOTICE. I BELIEVE THIS IS TOTALLY ERROR PRONE. *TR

FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD WHILE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE INSURANCE INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE RADIATOR FAN. VEHICLE WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR

WHEN I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR IT'S 90000 MILE SERVICE, I WAS SHOWN THAT THERE WAS OIL LEAKING FOR THE DRIVERS SIDE HEAD GASKET. I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR SUBARU FORESTERS FROM THE LATE 1990S THRU 2009. APPEARS TO BE A FAULTY DESIGN, WHICH SUBARU HAS NOT OWNED UP TO. MY ONLINE SEARCH LOCATED A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS BY SUBARU FORESTER OWNERS ON THIS DESIGN FLAW. *TT

HEAD GASKET LEAKING OIL CONFIRMED BY DEALER IN SEPTEMBER 2011. *TR

VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO PURSUANT TO A SAFETY RECALL INVOLVING THE FUEL FILTER. AS A RESULT, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS WERE DAMAGED AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT, CONDUCTED AS PART OF THE RECALL. RECENTLY, THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY OVERHEATED AND CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE, WITHOUT ANY CHECK ENGINE SENSOR OR OTHER INDICATOR SIGNIFYING SUCH A PROBLEM. *TR

HEAD GASKET LEAKING OIL AGAIN (5000MILES LATER) AFTER BEING REPAIRED BY SUBARU DEALER WHILE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. CAN SMELL HOT OIL AFTER A LONG DRIVE ON FREEWAY AND HAVE SEEN WISPS OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN UNDERHOOD OIL FIRE IF LEAK GETS WORSE. *TR

ENGINE LIGHT, FAILURE OF CRUISE CONTROL. DEALER REPLACED AIR PUMP (PART #14828AA030) AND ENGINE CONTROL MODULATOR. DEALER DISCOUNT 50% "GOODWILL." PART WAS 4,611 OUT OF WARRANTY. ONE WEEK LATER SAME PROBLEM RETURNED, DEALER STATES CAR NEEDS OXYGEN VALVES AND THERE IS A NATIONAL BACK ORDER ON PARTS. SUBARU IS OFFERING THE PARTS FOR FREE (INDICATING THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM) BUT WANTS TO CHARGE LABOR ~$500. PARTS MAY BE UNAVAILABLE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. FIRST SERVICE FAILED TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE PROBLEM. *TR

I HAVE A HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP CAUSED BY MY VEHICLE'S DRIVE BY WIRE THROTTLE BODY. THIS HESITATION IS ONGOING DESPITE AN ECM REPROGRAMMING DONE BY THE DEALER ON 12/16/08. IT IS BAD ENOUGH THAT I'M AFRAID I'M GOING TO GET INTO A COLLISION SOMETIME. *TR

HEAD GASKET LEAK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE CYLINDER HEAD OF A 2006 SUBARU FORESTER X. MOM'S CAR (ALSO A 2006 SUBARU FORESTER X) HAS IDENTICAL HEAD GASKET LEAK BUT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE CYLINDER HEAD. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF OIL DRIPPING ON THE HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. MY CAR HAS HAD THE HEAD GASKETS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. HER CAR IS YET TO BE REPAIRED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU FORESTER. THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE FAILS TO ACTIVATE AT LEAST ONCE PER WEEK. ON EACH OCCASION, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG OFF LIGHT ILLUMINATES. THE OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR DOES NOT RECOGNIZE A PASSENGER SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG ALSO DOES NOT ACTIVATE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED APPROXIMATELY ONCE OUT OF 20-30 STARTS. THE CONTACT'S WIFE WEIGHS 120 LBS AND IS 5'5 INCHES TALL. SHE SITS ERECTLY WITH THE SEAT BACK NEARLY VERTICAL. THE FAILURES HAVE BEEN REPORTED AND INVESTIGATED BY THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE "OCCUPANT PROTECTION SYSTEM IS WORKING AS ITS DESIGNED INTENT AND AS SUCH WE ARE UNABLE TO RECOMMEND A REPAIR OR MODIFICATION". THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 28,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,421. UPDATED 01/03/08 *BF OIL WAS LEAKING ONTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, THE ENGINE WOULD SURGE AND SAG DURING SLIGHT DOWNGRADES WITH THE THROTTLE HELD JUST OFF IDLE AND SPEED HELD CONSTANT, THE SPEED CONTROL OVER AND UNDER SHOOTS ON SLIGHT GRADES, IT WOULD NOT GO TO FULL THROTTLE, OR TO CLOSED THROTTLE WHEN SPEED CONTROL WAS ACTIVATED. UPDATED *JB

THERE ARE TWO PROBLEMS WITH THE 2006 SUBARU FORESTER THAT I HAVE. IT HAS LESS THAN 5000 MILES ON IT AND CONTINUALLY FAILS TO START, WHETHER FROM A COLD START OR A WARM START. THE ENGINE WILL ATTEMPT TO CRANK BUT WILL NOT CATCH AND ACTUALLY TURN OVER. THIS ISSUE HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THAT I HAD TO HOLD THE IGNITION SWITCH IN THE ACC POSITION TO "PRIME THE LINES." I'VE NEVER HEAD OF HAVING TO PRIME A CAR IN THIS DAY AND AGE. HOWEVER, I SINCE HAVE TRIED DOING THAT AND THE ISSUE STILL PERSISTS. ALSO, THE CARE WILL SURGE IN POWER AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. WHEN I LET UP ON THE GAS WHEN TRYING TO SLOW DOWN ,THE CAR WILL ACTUALLY REV UP. THIS HAPPENED IN THE SNOW THE OTHER DAY AND I ALMOST COMPLETELY LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR. IF THAT CAR IS GOING TO SURGE LIKE THIS IT COMPLETELY NEGATES THE PURPOSE OF HAVING ALL WHEEL DRIVE. THIS IS A GRAVE SAFETY CONCERN. I THOUGHT SUBARU'S WERE SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD CARS. I GUESS I THOUGHT WRONG. I'VE TAKEN THE CAR IN FOR THE SURGE ISSUE AND THE DEALERSHIP SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE PROBLEM. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING OUT AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE VEHICLE HESITATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE HESITATION OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY EACH TIME. UPON INSPECTION THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED.