2017 Subaru Forester driver assistance problems

Filed Oct 13, 2026 · Driver assistance, Transmission · ID

Valve control assembly failure. A known TSB. Disables safety features of the car. Should be a recall.

Filed Sep 10, 2026 · Brakes, Driver assistance · CA · crash · 1 injury

On May 30, 2026, I was driving the freeway 2(Glendale Fwy) south, I was using the cruise control and driving 63 0r 68 miles. All of sudden, my car start to shaking violently, moving toward right lane, so I tried move my car back to my lane. My car was out of control and driving zig zag way then went up to hillside of the freeway and roll over end up crash on the concrete swale. I thought that was my last moment of my life. I could not move, severely injured and my car was totally damaged. The driver was driving who witnessed whole thing from behind my car, stopped and called 911. He was kindly came to me and gave me a drinking water. The mileage in my was about 68000 miles and I did maintenance as the manufacture recommended it.

Filed Mar 12, 2026 · Driver assistance · VA

My 2017 Subaru Forester Touring (VIN: [XXX] , 118,200 mi) has a recurring EyeSight failure where the system becomes disabled and will not complete camera registration or calibration. Subaru of Sterling (VA) diagnosed active code B28A0 “Vehicle Model Judgment” and noted that the EyeSight stereo camera would not accept vehicle model registration. The technician documented: “Error for camera adjustment incomplete. When attempting to relearn UI for Eyesight camera, system is not taking vehicle registration; suggests camera replacement and perform recalibration.” This occurred after a confirmed DCM/STARLINK parasitic draw had caused repeated low‑voltage conditions until the dealer reset the DCM to factory mode (per the RO: “No further draw present at this time”), suggesting EyeSight registration may have failed due to prior voltage instability rather than true hardware failure. Subaru's service flow for B28A0 indicates this code can occur when the model write/registration is incomplete, interrupted, or mismatched—not necessarily when a camera has failed. Subaru lists causes such as: CAN communication issues, incorrect model registration, incomplete write due to ignition timing, or power/fuse issues during aiming (EyeSight diagnostic manuals). I am reporting this to the federal safety agency because EyeSight is a safety-critical system that governs adaptive cruise, lane keep assist, and pre-collision braking. My dealer is recommending camera replacement without documenting that Subaru’s required pre‑replacement steps (model registration inspection, CAN/LAN re-scan, voltage and fuse verification, genuine-part verification, etc.) have been completed. I request ODI review because EyeSight should not fail to register unless hardware is defective or a procedural/voltage issue exists. I want this documented in case this represents a broader pattern of EyeSight registration/calibration failures on Forester models using the same stereo camera platform. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Dec 2, 2025 · Driver assistance, Electrical · MD

Two incidents happened first battery died, we replaced the battery. Then Battery died again, we replaced the alternator on June 5, 2025. Then on Saturday September 13, 2025; all system lights came on at once on the dashboard then the battery died again. Car locks up and is stalled out. Cannot restart car, has to be towed. We replaced the battery cable and cleaned the terminals. Three months later, December 1, 2025; the battery light came on then all system lights came on at once, the battery died again. This happened on Interstate 95, it could easily have caused a crash. Car locks up again and is stalled out again. Cannot restart car again, has to be towed again. Something in the electrical is causing this, we do not know what.

Filed Aug 22, 2025 · Airbags, Driver assistance · CA

Lately, Airbag warning light comes on intermittently often. Sierra subaru would not fix without charging me for inspection for $240 and then cost of rapair. Also cruise control is malfunctioning where it gets disengaged near the vehicle in front where I have to apply brake hard to avoid serious accident. Also the EyeSight NOT working warning has started showing lately. My forester 2017 at 44K miles showing airbag light at times along with cruise control disengaing near front car and eyeSight not available mentioned above. Detail on airbag fix at Sierra Subaru in Monrovia, California. On August 12, 2025, I want to get this intermittent error fixed under warranty. on August 12, 2025 Alexander in service told me that it will be $240 approximately of charge to inspect. Kindly let me know if the airbag warning light at such low milage not going to be covered for warranty. Please Note that I bought the Forester at Sierra Subaru Monrovia Ca and had every single service done there. Lately I have been charged in thousands of dollars at such low mileage to own the 2017 Subaru Forester

Filed Jul 24, 2024 · Airbags, Driver assistance · NY

Airbag warning light and blind spot failure warning lights are on and staying on.

Filed Nov 29, 2023 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · CA · crash

The incident happened at my workplace parking garage. As I slowly turned left to park in parking spot at work, I heard the engine rev and my car unexpectedly lurched forward very quickly. I stepped hard on the brake but it did not seem effective at stopping the car. I recently replaced my brakes in late August, 2023. As far as I know, before today my car was in proper working order. My vehicle is equipped with EyeSight Driver Assist Technology and I don't believe that the warning collision activated even as the car plowed towards the wall. The car hit the concrete parking block/wheel stop and then the heavy wire barrier at front the parking spot. The wire barrier sits between the front of the parking spot and parking structure wall (I would guess about a 12 inch gap between wires and wall). The wire barrier probably prevented the car from hitting the wall and causing greater property damage or injury to myself. So far, damage looks cosmetic. The front bumper is scratched (some paint taken off) and scuffed from the wire barrier and the bottom half of my license plate frame broke off. I am feeling rattled and I'm unsure if I have injuries. I intend to contact my dealership and car mechanic for suggestions on next steps and will likely ask them to inspect my car.

Filed Aug 9, 2022 · Driver assistance · NY

We have a 2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium with Eyesight with 58,582 miles. During the first week in June, 2022 the Eyesight System failed and displayed an error message that stated to “See Owner’s Manual “. The Owner’s Manual stated ”take the vehicle to Subaru dealer for servicing” which we did on June 9, 2022. The Subaru servicing dealer’s statement from the diagnostic invoice states “Checked for codes in all systems found code B2809 VDC Malfunction in Eyesight module. Checked code in VDC module found C1742 wheel cylinder pressure sensor ran test for code lead to needing VDC module replaced “. Subaru parts stated to the dealership that the part would not be available until July 30, 2022 when that date came I was notified that part would not be available until Aug. 8, 2022. I was notified again on Aug. 9, 2022 of another delay only this time indefinite as to when it may be available. Without the Eyesight System the following safety functions that I am aware of do not work 1) Adaptive cruise control, 2) Emergency front braking, 3) Lane departure and Lane keeping assistance, 4) Forward collision warning, and there may be other safety features that are connected to this system that I am not aware of.

Filed Jan 7, 2022 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · IN

When operating the vehicle at low and high speeds, the EyeSight system intermittently turns off with a "check owner's manual" message and the system remains off until at least the next vehicle restart. Additionally, after the EyeSight system disengages, when making turns at low speeds (turning corners), the steering shudders (quick violent turns to the left and right), the EyeSight warning light disappears and then re-appears after the vehicle turn is completed. At the same time the vehicle steering shudders, some portion of the internal electrical system appears to be reset (any radio / music system turns off temporarily, and the user-selected display in the main instrument panel resets to its default setting. This puts the vehicle occupant(s) at risk as it introduces an unsafe driving condition due to the vehicle shudder, which may result in a driver panic-reacting, or the vehicle failing to remain in the intended lane.

Filed Nov 1, 2021 · Driver assistance, Electrical · WA

As far as I know, my vehicle is performing as designed, but I am quite serious in thinking this is a safety issue - the radio cannot be muted, or turned off, or the volume decreased, when the transmission in in Reverse, because of interference of its head unit with the backup camera. This is a hugely annoying distraction when trying to parallel park safely and quickly in dense urban settings. I want my backup lights on immediately, once I locate the parking spot I want, but time after time, I forget to turn off the radio before I start trying to park. I am the only owner of the car from new, and it now has about 69,000 miles on it.