2018 Subaru Forester Electrical Problems

My 2018 Subaru Forester has a faulty passenger air bag sensor, which has been diagnosed by my local Subaru dealer, with a repair cost of $1,500+ for labor and parts.

I'm unsure why this 2018 Forester wasn't one of the many manufactured that year recalled for an intermittent passenger seat air bag sensor malfunction since the focus of that recall remains the problem with this particular Forester: it has heated seats and displays an intermittent on/off passenger seat air bag light while a passenger is seated in that seat.

My 2018 Subaru Forester should be included in a recall and subaru is denying that this recall exists. My SRS air bag light is on.

It seems that my car has a poorly designed/not-current-limited USB jack, which fails to prevent a phone charging cable with shorted or shorting-intermittently interval power wires from burning up and possibly causing a fire. The details of my burnt-cable event: on tuesday evening oct. 9, 2018, I got into my car in my garage.

Your airbag warning light stays on because of a problem with the passenger seat airbag system. Your vehicle's VIN wasn't included in a previous recall that addressed this exact issue, even though your car should have been covered. The airbag system will need to be inspected and repaired, likely involving the passenger seat airbag sensor or wiring.

I purchased the car CPO June 2021 Battery replaced December 2022 Battery replaced January 2023 Between these replacements, car was consistently dying/would not start, required frequent jumps. Left me stranded numerous times. Each time the car was serviced (at different dealer locations), no mention was made of known issues with batteries being drained.

I have had multiple instances where I am unable to remove the key from the ignition switch when the vehicle is in Park. Subaru's technical bulletin 16-112-18R states this is caused by contamination of the Park-Range switch internal components. I'm concerned I will be unable to remove the key and will have to leave the vehicle unlocked with the key in the ignition.

Purchased NEW , after 5 years battery died ..OK time for a replacement, Les Schwab installed a New Higher Capacity battery. 3 weeks later dead Battery, had it jumbled, Les Schwab replaced new battery. 4-5 weeks later DEAD battery.

My car is a 2018 with only 28100 miles on it. I have now had to replace the battery three times. Subaru tells me I need to drive it every two days in order to keep it from discharging the battery.

new battery that is only 14 months since installation (at subaru dealer) and 5,000 miles on the car is flat. I did not use my car for about 1 1/2 weeks in the garage and it is totally flat. This is not normal and my friend with an outback has similar problems so I think my issue is not unique.

Battery, electrical system was doing funny things I noticed then a day or two later my wife and daughter got stranded at a gas station and I had to go jump the car to get them home in the middle of the night we called the dealership a few times and they said that all battery's die they just said to go buy a new battery no warning light nothing

The battery drains quickly when the car is switched off, potentially causing the driver to be stranded in dangerous situations without a functional car.

This is the latest time in a series of incidents where the SUV would not start due to a problem with the main battery. New batteries drain very quickly after a series of electrical problems.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start-up. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that rodents had eaten through the engine wiring harness.

Purchased this certified pre-owned, with warranty on 4/30/21. Required jumpstarts for dead battery five + times over the first 4 months, in moderate weather. Dealership confirmed that a new battery was installed at the time of my purchase.

Battery was dead when we tried to leave, no reason as the car had been fully turned off. Left myself and my daughter stranded for 90 minutes in the heat without viable cell service, until I was able to find someone with jumper cables. Went to car parts store and bought a new $176 battery- as I wasn’t able to make it the 45 minutes to the dealer.

I have had numerous times that my car would not start because the battery was dead. I upgraded my battery at purchase because I had the dealer install a remote start. Within a few months my car was completely dead and had to be towed to the dealer, 2.5 hrs away.

Went to start my car and battery was dead. Got a jump from aaa but since none of the eyesight safety features worked, I had the car towed to subaru and they replaced the battery. I was told I'd need to drive it every day to keep the battery charged.

There have been several times that the car will not lock due to a type of trip or wiring with the locking system. While the car is turned off and stationary, right before locking the door, there is a clicking sound and the driver's side door light flashes. The driver's side door is closed, even if the electrical system acts like it is trying to close the door.

Yesterday 6/19/25 I was driving out the driveway when the vehicle accelerated on its own, and not slowly, but like it had been punched. I was actually coasting at the time since I didn't want to stir up dust. My foot was not on the gas pedal.

Blind Spot Detection goes on an off. Safety is impacted by the system going on and off. Took care to Subaru dealership

My srs airbag system has just started going on and off. What I read is there is recall for this. 2018 with heated seats caused by faulty wiring.

This is the third time my car has completely drained my battery. I have replaced the battery twice since I purchased it in 2018. I drove it less than 24 hrs ago and it’s completely dead off a 8 month old battery.

Just had my battery replaced and it’s already dead.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that since owning the vehicle, the battery had been replaced three times. On each occasion, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up after multiple attempts.

Environmental and safety issue. The AC System has failed three times now. SUBARU dealer checked the system for leaks at in November 2021 (mileage about 22,000 miles) and could not locate any leak but added freon.

Multiple episodes of car not starting, most similar to dead battery scenario. These incidents have occurred after car was parked in my driveway for 24-48hours. However, AAA responded on three separate occasions and tested battery which always was “green” or “good” and alternator was also “fine, not a problem”.

The radio/touch screen unit has lost its contrast. In bright sunlight I can see an underlying circuit pattern on the screen that makes it hard or sometimes impossible to see the back up camera. Instead of seeing the image from the backup camera all I see are lines.

The battery went dead on Jan 14th 2022. This isn't totally unexpected as this was the first time the battery needed replacing since the car was purchased new. However, after the battery was replaced the same day, three days later Jan 17th the battery was again dead.

The car battery failed on six separate occasions within a 12 month time frame. First on May 8, 2021, August 21, 2021, September 9, 2021, November 5, 2021, February 5, 2022, and on March 28, 2022 2. The drivers safety was placed at minimal risk on one occasion since cars were lined up behind in a parking lot when the car would not start.

Battery continues to drain when car is parked/off causing a required jump start and then recharging of the battery. Dealer replaced battery one time in 2019 (with expense to owner) and recommended driving car every couple of days to ensure it does not draw down. This is not normal.

There is a parasitic drain on the electrical system, including when the vehicle is turned off and nothing is left running. As a result the vehicle will not start. aI replaced the battery and experienced the same problem with a month.

I'm filing a complaint regarding a battery drain issue in the 2018 Forester Limited. After sitting idle and not being started for 1.5-2 weeks the battery is fully drained. Fully drained is defined as the car won't start with a portable jumper.

Bought vehicle June 2021. Battery failed multiple times. Sometimes it will start with a jump, but on 12/2/21 it was completely dead and required tow to Michael's Subaru dealer in Bellevue, WA.

Multiple times, I've had the car parked for several days and when I try to start it, the battery is dead. I've had the dealer check the battery twice, and the entire charging system once. They couldn't find a problem.

Would go to start car and it wouldn't start. Multiple days thought I was doing something wrong g leaving something on, got battery checked they said it was ok just low. It kept doing it, went on for like 2-3 months .

Battery died and had to be replaced

Tl* the contact owns a 2018 subaru forester. The contact stated that after leaving the vehicle parked and undriven for several days, the vehicle failed to start-up. The vehicle had to be jump started.

Windows get locked and I'm not able to use the switch to unlock the windows and either side. Issue was reported. Subaru corrected the issue but it still happens.

Forester was parked in under ground parking garage for between one and two weeks. The battery was completely dead, no sound at all when I tried to start it. The only door that was locked was the rear hatch door.

The airbag system became disarmed and seatbelt warning light came on when smartphone weighing 3lbs was on front passenger seat. This occurred multiple times the passenger front seat sensor is supposed to become armed when a 40lb passenger sits in passenger front seat only.

Outside temperature readings are between 3-7 degrees off. Dealer says that is normal. An I to assume the tire pressure, engine coolant temperature and oil pressure gauges are also off ?

Tl* the contact owns a 2018 subaru forester. While driving approximately 80 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost engine power. The vehicle was coasted to an exit ramp.

The defect presents itself when the equipped data communications module (DCM) attempts to communicate with 3G cellular networks. As 3G networks within the U.S.

The defect presents itself when the equipped data communications module (DCM) attempts to communicate with 3G cellular networks. As 3G networks within the U.S. are no longer functioning, the call will continuously fail even after the vehicle has been turned off, draining the battery and resulting in a no-start safety risk for drivers.

I’ve experienced recurrent failures with my Subaru’s AC system, and it’s become more than just an inconvenience—it’s a real safety concern. In hot weather, the cabin can become unbearably warm, making it difficult to concentrate and increasing the risk of fatigue or even heat-related illness, especially for passengers who are older, very young, or have medical conditions.

I bought the car certified used from a Grand Prix Subaru in Hicksville, NY. They did not mention this issue. I’ve had the car for 2 years, drive it 1-2x a week, have it serviced regularly, etc.

Starlink screen has failed - the screen will either only show the initial agreement screen and freeze or it will freeze with the back up camera activated. I can’t access Bluetooth capabilities, camera function, etc

Battery has drained drastically twice to the point of the car dying while just waiting for some takeout

We keep replacing batteries and they keep failing. We wonder if this is related to the class action lawsuit concerning the CAN bus system.

We have discovered that our 2019 Forester has a parasitic battery drain of almost 1 amp when the car is off and the hatchback is open. This resulted in full battery drain several times until we did several tests to determine the root cause of the problem (Subaru was of no help). This LED to replacement of the OEM battery at about 52,000 miles.

Car battery died within 4 months of purchasing, had to purchase a replacement

Twice now the battery has died without any obvious reason. We did not leave the lights on nor any other electrical devices known to us. We had to cal AAA who could not find an issue for the drained battery.

Repeatedly I have not been able to remove the key from the ignition. It appears as though the car is not sensing that the gear is in Park. It has taken me up to 10 minutes of turning the ignition on and off and putting the car in reverse and forward to be able to remove the key from the ignition.

My battery keeps draining for some unknown reason. It's parked in the garage and locked but it is always dead when I need to use it. I need a reliable transportation and I have never had this problem before.

I left my car for 19 days while on vacation in my garage and the battery was dead when I returned. I charged the battery after jumping it with our other car. Now, 14 days later, the car would not start again and needed to be jumped.

There seems to be a fast battery drain on my car. After using the car and letting it stay parked (with all the interior lights off and checked to make sure everything was completely off) for 36hours, the car would not start. This has happened multiple times.

With car in park key will not turn to the off position and can not be removed.

Battery keeps dying without daily use. I drove my vehicle less than a week ago, no lights left on, nothing in the charging ports, no doors open, and still the battery didn't have enough power to start. I've had to call AAA and have neighbors jump start my vehicle a few times but when I get my battery tested I'm told that my battery is fine and that I do not need a new one.

Battery drains for seemingly no reason. The radio or lights are not left on that would make the car drain while the car off. I had to replace the battery on 5/14/2021.

The battery died. Subaru battery drain related

While getting a 2 hr dental procedure, there was an unexplained battery drain, leaving the car dead. I paid aaa to give me a roadside emergency jump. I had had no previous issues.

Ikey will not come out of the ignition switch after the car is stopped, put in park, brake [peddle depressed.

While in reverse, audio control is lost. Alteration to channel or volume or turning off audio is disabled - which can be highly distracting if the setting were left extremely loud since the audio will initialize several seconds after starting and reversing is already in progress at that time.

The eyesight had been manipulated to a warning even when there's no obstruction while driving forward, while backing up it gives a warning that someone or a vehicle is adjacent to my car. These are just a few of the problems I encounter. I have an idea who's behind this.