Check a VIN

2014 Subaru Forester lights problems

10 complaints (2% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 76,032. 1 crash reported.

owner complaints
10
of this car's complaints
2%
typical mileage
76,032
crashes
1
recalls
1

Which part fails

  • Brake lights: switch
    2
  • Brake lights
    1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Subaru Forester lights problems in other years

20012010201520202026

Specific symptoms reported on the 2014 Subaru Forester lights

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Headlights 5

Related recalls

Exterior lighting: brake lights: switchReported February 28, 2019 · 1,303,530 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Risk
Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.

Recall number 19V149000 · Recall details

What 2014 Subaru Forester owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Feb 6, 2021 · Acceleration, Brakes · OH

I have my back light on by itself without hit breaks and back door poton does not work and I have light on my board always light up

Filed Dec 9, 2019 · Electrical, Lights · 68,000 miles · VA

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 subaru forester. When the contact parked the vehicle and released the brake pedal, the rear brake lights remained illuminated. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

Filed Aug 6, 2019 · Brakes, Lights · 76,032 miles · TX

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 subaru forester. The contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign number: 19v149000 (exterior lighting) regarding a brake lamp switch replacement. After the recall was serviced, while driving 75 MPH, the hill assist warning indicator flashed and the vehicle drastically slowed down. The contact attempted to drive the vehicle to subaru of georgetown (7501 I-35 frontage rd, georgetown, tx 78626, 512 930-2111) with much difficulty and the ABS warning indicator illuminated. The dealer diagnosed that the recall repair was faulty. The dealer adjusted the brake light switch to the correct specifications and repaired the vehicle. The recall repair was performed by cleo bay subaru (2125 e stan schlueter loop, killeen, tx 76542, (254) 634-3175). The manufacturer was notified of the initial recall, but not of the defective recall repair. The failure mileage was 76,032.

Filed Jul 1, 2019 · Electrical, Lights · 109,000 miles · CT

Repeated issue with headlights failing after very shorty period of time from installation. Replaced headlights 3 times in the past 11 months (have replaced at least 1 additional time since may 2017). Bulbs installed correctly without making contact with any part of bulb except plastic end with bulb grease applied to rear connector.

Filed May 28, 2019 · Lights · DC

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 subaru forester. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 19v149000 (exterior lighting). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Byers subaru alexandria (2301, 7416 richmond hwy, alexandria, va 22306, (703) 768-5800) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Filed Apr 22, 2019 · Lights · MA

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 subaru forester. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 19v149000 (exterior lighting). The contact called an unknown dealer and was informed that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Filed Apr 19, 2019 · Lights · 112,000 miles · NJ

My high beam/daytime running bulb blew on the passenger side. When replacing the bulb I found it had actually melted, and had a large bubble in the glass. Approximately a year previous the drivers side bulb had blown and I had found the same bubble, but didn't report it at that time, assuming it was just something weird that happened once. Now that it's happened twice, once on each side, I'm more concerned there's a larger issue with the electrical components for the blurb to get so hot that it actually melted the glass.

Filed Sep 16, 2016 · Lights · PA

Low beam headlamp has been replaced twice in 12 months. There have been warranty extensions on older subaru's for this problem but it has not been addressed for newer models

Filed May 4, 2016 · Lights · 45,000 miles · NY · crash

The low beam head lights are very poor, they only project 100 ft . Because of this we hit a deer which caused $4000 damage. Plase tell me you are looking into this problem. The dealership refuses to correct this problem

Filed Dec 11, 2015 · Lights · 35,000 miles · GA

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 subaru forester. While depressing the brake pedal, it would not activate and caused the brake lights to fail. The contact also stated that the vehicle exhibited issues starting due to the brake switch activation failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure recurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the switch that activated the brake lights failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v366000 (exterior lighting, forward collision avoidance). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,000.

Questions about the 2014 Subaru Forester lights

Does the 2014 Subaru Forester have lights problems?

Owners have filed 10 complaints about the lights of the 2014 Subaru Forester, 2% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2014 Subaru Forester lights problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 76,032 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2014 Subaru Forester lights?

Yes, 1 recall: 19V149000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Subaru Forester have the most lights problems?

The Subaru Forester model years with the most lights complaints are 2015 (15 complaints) and 2014 (10 complaints).

Other 2014 Subaru Forester problems

Suspension 94Engine 72Airbags 57Acceleration 42Electrical 42Transmission 41Brakes 31Body 27Fuel system 21Steering 16Seats 14Visibility 12Wheels 11Driver assistance 9Seat belts 9Locks 2Tires 2

VIN decoder

See the problems and recalls for an exact car

Buying a used 2014 Subaru Forester?

Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.

Check its history