YearToAvoid

2012 Subaru Forester Engine Problems

NHTSA lists 46 Engine complaints for the 2012 Subaru Forester, 44% of the 105 total complaints filed for that year. Most describe sudden unintended acceleration, often while parking, at a median 66,000 miles. No related recall is listed.

Engine complaints
46
44% of 105
Crashes reported
12
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
5
Median mileage
66,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical engine symptoms owners report

  • Owners report sudden unintended acceleration while parking or backing up at low speed, with the engine revving on its own and the vehicle surging forward or backward into a wall, curb, or another vehicle.
  • Multiple owners state the brake pedal did not stop the vehicle once the surge began, despite firm and repeated pressure.
  • Some incidents happened at low mileage, including one reported at 3,000 miles and another at 8,700 miles, suggesting the issue was not limited to older, high-mileage vehicles.
  • One owner reported the accelerator pedal became physically stuck to the floorboard at 30,000 miles, causing a low-speed crash into a garage door.
  • A separate owner reported flames coming from under the hood at 130,000 miles while driving with cruise control engaged, with the cruise control disengaging and the vehicle losing power before the fire was extinguished.

When 2012 Subaru Forester engine complaints were filed

First complaint Dec 27, 2011, latest Jan 16, 2025.

2012 Subaru Forester engine complaints: complaints filed per month2Dec 2011Apr 2013Jul 2014Jul 2016Jul 2018Jun 2019Dec 2020Sep 2022
46 complaints filed with NHTSA from Dec 2011 to Jan 2025; peak Aug 2013 (2).

Engine recalls for the 2012 Subaru Forester

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Engine complaints by Forester model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201058 (22%)
  2. 201179 (54%)
  3. 201246 (44%)
  4. 201333 (43%)
  5. 2014110 (27%)
  6. 2015191 (31%)
  7. 201691 (22%)
  8. 201776 (13%)
  9. 201858 (12%)
  10. 2019136 (16%)
  11. 2020105 (17%)
  12. 202142 (20%)
  13. 202218 (18%)
  14. 202310 (14%)
  15. 20242 (7%)
  16. 20258 (9%)

Frequently asked questions

How many engine complaints does NHTSA have for the 2012 Subaru Forester?
NHTSA lists 46 Engine complaints for the 2012 Forester, which is 44% of the 105 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2012 Subaru Forester engine problems?
No related recall is listed in NHTSA data for this Engine complaint category on the 2012 Forester.
At what mileage do 2012 Forester engine problems usually happen?
The median reported mileage at failure is 66,000 miles, though some complaints were filed as early as 3,000 and 8,700 miles.
What is the most common engine complaint for the 2012 Forester?
Most sample complaints describe sudden unintended acceleration, frequently occurring at low speed while parking, with 12 crashes and 5 injuries reported among the 46 engine complaints.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.