2006 Subaru Forester Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe unexpected acceleration at low speed, often while pulling out of a parking space or reversing, and some say the brakes did not slow the car. Hesitation or surging while driving, rust on the front lower control arms (all reports at 115,000 miles or more), fuel odors, and fires or burning smells are other recurring themes.

1. 1
   Vehicle speed control

   Sudden acceleration at low speed

   • 18 complaints (20%)
   • median 36,340 mi at 3.9 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2021

   Owners describe the car accelerating unexpectedly, often at very low speed while pulling out of a lot, reversing, or turning, and some say the brakes did not slow it. Others report the gas pedal sticking, or the car speeding up with the foot off the pedal, and several describe crashes into buildings, trees, or parked vehicles. According to complaints, the dealer could not find a fault in some cases, and an owner said removing the original floor mat stopped the problem. Reported from about 4,000 to 104,000 miles, and many describe low-speed moves such as pulling out of a lot or reversing.

   What to check: Check that the floor mats are secured and do not slide toward or sit over the pedals. On a test drive, try low-speed throttle and brake response from a stop, and ask whether a dealer or shop has documented this symptom.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving slowly down the street, made a left turn into a parking lot. Perhaps I turned a little too sharply. There was a sudden surge and acceleration and the brakes were unresponsive. The car ran away while I tried unsuccessfully to brake it. Hit the building. I backed away and it surged backward and hit a tree. Then I was able to get it into park and turn it off.”

   NHTSA complaint #10192809, filed 2007-06, 17,200 miles

   “Car accelerated when my foot was not on the gas pedal. I needed to step hard on the brake to control the car. I put gear into neutral, and reviving engine sound did not stop. I removed original rubber floor mat, and problem stopped. Dangerous! 2 kids in the car with me. Today is 88 f today.”

   NHTSA complaint #11228407, filed 2019-06, 101,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Hesitation, surging, and cruise control faults

   • 20 complaints (23%)
   • median 30,572 mi at 2.5 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2021

   Owners describe hesitation when pulling away from a stop or pulling out, and surging when trying to hold a steady speed, sometimes on a downhill grade. Some report the engine revving or losing power briefly on the highway, RPM spikes after a cold start, and a cruise control warning light that flashes along with the check engine light. According to complaints, dealer visits did not resolve the problem in some cases, including a case where the engine computer had already been reprogrammed. All reports in this group are at 60,000 miles or less, and several are under 1,000 miles.

   What to check: On a test drive, check for hesitation from a stop and surging at steady speed, including on a downhill grade, and test the cruise control. Ask whether the engine computer software has been updated and whether any stored codes or the flashing cruise control light have been checked.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a hesitation when accelerating from a stop caused by my vehicle's drive by wire throttle body. This hesitation is ongoing despite an ECM reprogramming done by the dealer on 12/16/08. It is bad enough that I'm afraid I'm going to get into a collision sometime.”

   NHTSA complaint #10252993, filed 2008-12, 43,944 miles

   “Apparently, Subaru has gone to a ??drive by wire?? For at least 2006. The 2006 Forester I have has the surging problem. It is worst driving downhill and trying to maintain a constant speed in either manual or cruise control. The steeper the hill the worse the surge. I live in the colorado mountains and if there were snow or ice this surge would cause the vehicle to loose traction and go out of control. Actively accelerating or decelerating is not a problem. The surge occurs only when a constant speed is attempted. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10144965, filed 2005-12, 850 miles
3. 3
   Suspension

   Front lower control arm rust and breakage

   • 13 complaints (15%)
   • median 126,000 mi at 13.1 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2023

   Owners describe rust on the front lower control arms, with some arms snapping while driving and others found rusted through during inspection. Some say the arms had already been rustproofed or repaired under a recall, yet rust returned, and some describe alignment or steering changes before the break. According to complaints, dealers said recall parts were not available at the time, and that a later repair would be at the owner's expense because an earlier recall repair had been done. All reports here are at 115,000 miles or more, with most between about 115,000 and 130,000 miles.

   Recall 11V4640001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for documents showing whether recall campaign 11V464000 or any rustproofing work on the front arms was completed. Look under the car at the front lower control arms and their mounting brackets for rust, especially if the vehicle has been exposed to road salt.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving my car the passenger control arm failed, snapping in half and I lost control of my vehicle. Upon lookin under my car I could see the snapped control arm, which was completely rusted out. I also observe the driver side control arm is also very rusty. Both control arms are the only isolated rusted parts under my car, the rest of my car does not have any rust. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11376209, filed 2020-11, 123,000 miles

   “While the vehicle was in motion on a highway, I drove over a pothole on the passenger side and my lower control arm broke due to a known problem with corrosion in this model year. There was a noticeable problem with wheel alignment which was able to be felt in the steering wheel. Subaru recall wvx-34 was supposed to fix this safety issue. The 'repair' was completed on my vehicle in january of 2012. As you can see from the photos, the rust proofing did not help.”

   NHTSA complaint #11196584, filed 2019-04, 237,000 miles
4. 4
   Fuel system

   Fuel odor and leaking fuel lines

   • 8 complaints (9%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 8.3 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2007–2019

   Owners describe a strong fuel smell in the cabin or engine bay, often on cold starts or while idling with the climate control on, that fades as the engine warms. Some found cracked or leaking fuel lines near the intake manifold, and others report fuel near hot engine parts. Some say the dealer found no problem during a service visit, and some mention the smell now shows up in warmer weather as well. Some owners say they are concerned about fire risk. Reported between about 30,000 and 90,000 miles, most often in cold weather or on cold starts.

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel lines under the intake manifold were inspected or replaced, and check for fuel residue or wet spots around the lines and intake. Smell the engine bay with the car cold and the climate control on, since the odor is most noticeable at that time.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When the temp gets into the teens or lower gas leaks in and around the engine. This is dangerous!! I have found fuel near area that get very hot, and I am worried about my family starting on fire. Soa recalled a few years to repair this issue, but not all that are affected.”

   NHTSA complaint #10684241, filed 2015-02, 60,000 miles

   “Upon start up in cold weather there is a very strong smell of fuel inside the cabin of the car. It made myself and my daughter feel very ill. Had to exit my 2006 Subaru Forester xt. Inspected engine under the hood to find leaking fuel lines. Googled the problem to discover it is reacurrent with this make/model/year as evident by similar complaints in Subaru forums, google search, and fb pages. This is a danger to health and safety and should be recalled. Vehicle is under 100,000 miles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10936146, filed 2016-12, 80,000 miles
5. 5
   Electrical system

   Fires and burning smells from wiring or engine bay

   • 14 complaints (16%)
   • median 81,000 mi at 7.6 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2019

   Owners describe smoke, a burning smell, or sparks, followed by fire in the engine bay, at the rear of the car, or inside the cabin, and some vehicles were declared total losses. Some fires started while the car was parked or idling, and others began with warning lights or sparks from the dashboard shortly before. In some reports no engine light or other warning came before the fire, and in a rear fire complaint the dealer reportedly pointed to the wiring harness near the rear lights and spare tire area. Reported across a wide mileage range, from low mileage to about 130,000 miles, and several started while the car was parked or idling.

   What to check: Ask the seller whether any electrical work or add-on wiring was done, and look for melted insulation, a burnt smell, or corroded connectors near the rear lights, under the spare tire, and behind the dashboard. Ask whether the dealer has inspected the wiring or the instrument panel for signs of burning or sparks.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I arrived at my house on 8/26/2012 at 8:00 pm, parked my car in the garage of my house and went to sleep. At 2:00 am I heard an explosion, went outside of my house to verify what it was and found my Forester in fire. With the help of my neighbors we control the fire within an hour. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10515925, filed 2013-06, 92,000 miles

   “On july 30, 2017, while driving on a southeastern michigan freeway (m-14), our 2006 Subaru Forester's engine suddenly and without warning caught fire. Emergency personnel responded and vehicle is a total loss. Even older vehicles should not spontaneously catch fire without a reason. This was a very traumatic event for occupants of vehicle and one had to take anti-anxiety medication. Updated 10/23/2017”

   NHTSA complaint #11023020, filed 2017-09, 68 miles

Buying note. For a buyer considering this model year, ask for service records covering throttle, cruise control, and any control arm recall or rustproofing work, and inspect the lower control arms, fuel lines, and wiring under the car and in the engine bay. A test drive that includes low-speed throttle response, steady-speed cruise control, and a cold start can show whether the behaviors described above are present.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.