2015 Subaru Forester: Unintended acceleration
Common wear/failure (not a recall)
Symptoms
Owners of the 2015 Forester report: unintended acceleration. CarComplaints.com lists 11 owner complaints, average mileage 23,600 miles.
NHTSA has 135 owner complaints for the 2015 Forester in this area. Examples:
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11750125 (filed 07/13/2026): “I was parking at the dentist office in their parking lot going slow, turned into a parking space and thought i was slowly braking but my car lunged forward and hit a tree. i would normally be minimally braking, so i'm not sure what happened but it was sudden.…”
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11735015 (filed 05/01/2026): “I was pulling into a parking spot almost stopped when the vehicle suddenly surged forward. i slammed on the brake and put the car in reverse since it had driven upon the walkway. this happened earlier today and i plan to have it checked out as soon as possible…”
Likely causes
Sources do not establish a single root cause; diagnosis is needed. Owner-reported fixes are listed below.
Fix, in plain English
Most common owner-reported solutions on CarComplaints.com: none clearly reported. Check for open recalls and extended warranty coverage with a dealer before paying out of pocket.
DIY difficulty: Pro
Internal engine work (lifters, oil consumption, fuel dilution diagnosis) requires engine teardown or dealer software/tests. (Our assessment.)
Cost
No sourced cost range: get a written quote after diagnosis.
Typical parts (search links, no affiliate codes)
AutoZone · O'Reilly · Advance · RockAuto
Sources
Page last updated .