2005 Subaru Forester acceleration problems

Filed Mar 28, 2023 · Acceleration, Airbags · RI · crash · 1 injury

Moved car 30’ from gas pumps to air pump. Slowed to almost complete stop to move closer to air tank. Car accelerated at extremely high speed over curb, knocking over air pump. Car proceeded to smash through landscaping shrubs and hit a tree and nearby pole which stopped the car dead. Felt like a fighter plane pushed me. Entire incident probably lasted a minute. Air bags failed to deploy. Car was totaled. I suffered severe facial and othet bruising and have ongoing fatigue and am eadily winded.

Filed Jan 2, 2019 · Acceleration · 135,000 miles · MO

When it is below 30 degrees out and heater or defroster is on and the vehicle is moving between 25-65 MPH, the accelerator sticks and does not decelerate. When the clutch is applied to disengage the engine the rpms advance 1,000 to 1,500 rpms(sometime taking the rpms to 4,500 rpms). Vehicle has no engine warning lights on the dashboard and no error codes on the ecu. The maf, map and pcv sensors are all function correctly. The throttle body is also perfectly cleaned. Vehicle idols fine and passes all emissions tests. I have been informed that the drive-by-wire (dbw) mechanism is most likely the problem and this component should be replaced.

Filed Apr 28, 2018 · Acceleration, Engine · 234,000 miles · WA · crash

I was backing up my 2005 subaru forester in a downtown, street-level corner parking lot. When I put my vehicle into reverse, a sudden unintended acceleration propelled my vehicle backwards across the parking lot, across a two-lane downtown street, up onto the opposite sidewalk and culminated in my vehicle crashing into a city light pole, which stopped the vehicle. I estimate I was traveling at 25-30 MPH when I hit the light pole. I missed two pedestrians by mere inches and fortunately missed hitting any other cars. I had my foot hard on the brake the entire 4-5 seconds of the incident, and almost broke the gear shift, madly trying to shift into park. My vehicle is totaled and I am totally freaked out by the entire nightmarish experience! This was a deadly sequence of events which easily could have changed my life and others' lives. I will never own another subaru. This occurred on thursday, april 26, 2018.

Filed Oct 30, 2017 · Acceleration · 150,000 miles · CO

While driving, the car experienced: -loss in power (stuttered a couple times), then completely stalled -we had to coast it to the side of the road -a few hours later we tried starting it again and it ran fine -immediately before the problem, the car had been driven for ~15 minutes with no issues, there was no rain, it was a dry day, no other potential causes to be noticed -this exact issue occurred about a year ago and the problem could not be identified, it has been driving fine ever since, except in the winter the idle will sometimes fluctuate (unsure if this is related) this stall condition could be very dangerous if it occurs on the highway, at an intersection, etc. It produced a check engine light and code p2138 when read with a obdii scanner. Unfortunately the problem was intermittent and was not able to be repeated. The factory troubleshooting procedure was followed to determine if it was a problem with the pedal sensor, the harness, or the engine control module. All passed the tests. So we are left with a potentially dangerous electrical issue that can't be verified to be fixed because it can't be recreated.

Filed Mar 23, 2017 · Acceleration, Electrical · 160,000 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru forester. While driving various speeds, the vehicle surged and then idled fast and slow before returning to normal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who produced a failure code associated with the electronic accelerator. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

Filed Jul 2, 2015 · Acceleration · 160,000 miles · NJ

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru forester. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the engine made an abnormal noise and the vehicle shook. The contact released pressure from the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact maneuvered the vehicle onto an emergency lane and parked. While the vehicle was parked, the failure recurred. The contact shut the vehicle off and restarted the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

Filed Jul 31, 2014 · Acceleration, Body · 41,600 miles · FL · crash

On july 28, 2014 I was pulling into my parking space at my condo.the brakes wouldn't stop the car and the engine seemed to surge forward. The passenger with me looked down and said the gas pedal looked to be all the way to the floor. The car had to be towed, and I am still awaiting for the damage estimate from my insurance company.

Filed May 12, 2014 · Acceleration · 110,000 miles · NH · crash · 1 injury

Tl * the contact owns a 2005 subaru forester. The contact stated that while driving 2 MPH and reversing from a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. The contact mentioned that the vehicle crashed into a tree. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. The passenger sustained whip lash and required medical assistance. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 110,000.

Filed May 28, 2013 · Acceleration · 25,000 miles · PA

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru forester. The contact stated that while attempting to exit a parking lot an unknown speeds, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The contact mentioned that the vehicle went across an intersection and jumped a side walk before it finally came to a complete stop. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 25,000.

Filed Apr 25, 2013 · Acceleration · 58,000 miles · CO

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru forester. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the accelerator pedal was engaged and there was no response. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road where the engine was turned off. After several few minutes the vehicle resumed normally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. A trouble code detected a malfunction with the throttle sensor. The mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 58,000.