2026 Subaru Forester

The 2026 Subaru Forester requires unlocking the vehicle to access the fuel filler cap, unlike many competitors where it opens independently. Owners complain this is unsafe, as it forces the car doors ...

The auto start-stop system on the 2026 Subaru Forester, which shuts off the engine at stops to save fuel, can only be disabled temporarily for each drive cycle due to federal MPG regulations. Owners m...

Subaru's privacy notice for connected services in the 2026 Forester has contradictory statements on data deletion rights, unclear if users can universally request permanent deletion or if it varies by...

Subaru's privacy policy for the 2026 Forester uses ambiguous phrases like 'may' share data and 'legitimate interests' without specifics on practices. This legal vagueness obscures how driving and pers...

Subaru's EyeSight driver assistance system emits persistent beeping alerts for safety features like lane departure or collision warnings. Owners report these beeps continue even after attempting to di...

The Reverse Automatic Braking feature is designed to automatically apply brakes when backing up to avoid obstacles. Owners complain it unexpectedly slams on the brakes due to harmless objects like shr...

The power liftgate automatically opens and closes at the touch of a button or key fob. Owners report it closes unexpectedly without input, posing injury risk.

The infotainment or navigation system produces unexplained two-tone beeps resembling a doorbell without any display change or clear trigger. Owners find them truly random and intrusive.

The Driver Monitoring System uses a camera to recognize and profile drivers for personalized settings. It displays a 'User not registered' message when shutting off the engine.

The auto start-stop system shuts off the engine at stops to save fuel but cannot be permanently disabled. It reactivates by default every startup, requiring manual button press each time, with some 20...

The seatbelt chime alerts if the driver's seatbelt is unbuckled. It continues chiming when the driver exits leaving the engine running with a passenger buckled.

Remote start allows pre-heating or cooling the cabin from afar. Opening a door causes the engine to shut off immediately, increasing starter and battery wear.

A warning-welcome screen displays information or notices every time the vehicle starts. Owners want to disable it permanently but cannot.

The Forester's central infotainment touchscreen is slow to react, with noticeable delays and lag, especially during startup. This makes basic interactions frustrating and contributes to connectivity i...

Many basic functions like climate (HVAC) and seat heaters are now controlled via the touchscreen rather than physical buttons, requiring navigation through tabs. The small, mashed-together on-screen b...

The 11-inch infotainment screen in the 2025 Forester suffers from excessive reflections, making it hard to see in certain lighting.

The 2025 Forester's backup camera now displays only on half the screen instead of full screen as before.

Subaru's Starlink/MySubaru connected services include always-on GPS/cellular modules for location tracking, roadside assistance, and emergency features. Owners complain there's no temporary on/off swi...

The built-in Subaru navigation and connected services record driving history, trip destinations, and GPS locations, some stored on Subaru's servers. There's no public tool or method to view or delete ...

Subaru's Starlink connected services collect location history, which hackers have accessed to reveal a full year of a car's movements. This exposes significant privacy vulnerabilities in the system's ...

DriverFocus is a driver monitoring system using a cabin-facing camera to scan facial features for user profiles and detect distraction or drowsiness. Owners may object to this biometric data collectio...

The EyeSight safety system automatically records external images from vehicle cameras when emergency or sudden braking occurs. This captures bystander activity without driver control over storage or d...

The MySubaru app enables remote commands such as engine start, climate control presets, door lock/unlock, and precise vehicle location using geolocation data collected only during locate commands. It ...

The Subaru Starlink system enables remote start via the MySubaru app, but requires an active subscription. Owners report that remote start functionality stops working without the subscription.

Starlink remote features like app-based remote start can stop working after events like break-ins and fail to restore even with dealer or Starlink support intervention.

In Massachusetts, all Starlink services including app remote start are permanently disabled on 2022 or newer Subarus due to state regulations.

Opting out of Subaru's vehicle data collection deactivates connectivity features like OTA updates and remote services, risking reduced functionality, serious damage, or inoperability.

Subaru only collects vehicle data with an active MySubaru Connected Services subscription; canceling it opts out of all data collection but disables associated services.