Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Subaru Forester owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I had stopped my Forester in the left hand turn lane about 3 to 5 feet behind another vehicle while waiting for the signal to change from red to the green arrow. I put my vehicle into park and took my foot off the brake. I turned to check the pocket of my jacket in the rear seat. I turned back in the driving direction, put my foot on the brake and moved the automatic gear shift into the drive position. My car surged forward with the engine racing and hit the vehicle in front of me. I could not control the speed with the brakes, so I shifted back into park. This stopped my car. There is damage to my front grill and hood. This is not the first time I had this happen. The first time this occurred, I called Subaru headquarters and explained the issues to a Subaru representative. I was told this was a new issue and no recall was being considered. …
Driver of Forester was stopped at a red light about 10 feet away from car in front. Driver took foot away from brake pedal for a moment and car surged forward on its own. Driver slammed brake pedal to the floor, but Forester continued to surge forward. Driver swerved to try to avoid accident but still clipped bumper of car in front and caused damage. Forester continued to surge and buck forward for another moment before finally stopping (driver's foot had remained firmly on brake the entire time). I took the vehicle to the dealer I had bought it from just two weeks ago, but they claimed they had never heard of this happening in a Subaru and refused to even investigate if there was a mechanical error that would be under warranty because of legal fears. They implied the accident was my fault and I was looking to blame them. …
We purchased this low-mileage vehicle (~11K miles) 2nd hand from local Subaru dealer mid-feb 2006, & noticed only rough shifting when engine is cold- no other problems. Today, while turning left at low speed, the car suddenly accelerated, & seemed to do so for a short time after braking harder. I assumed I had inadvertently stepped on the gas & brake at the same time, & resolved to be more careful. After turning the car off & restarting, I turned right at low speed. As I rounded the corner (maybe as the wheel turned back to the left??), the vehicle again accelerated, continuing to rev as I stood on the brake. The car stopped after striking the bumper of the truck in front of me. Low-speed impact, no air bag deployment, no observable damage to either vehicle. Before I moved my feet, I looked down: my foot was not on the gas pedal. …
Tl contact owns a 2002 Subaru Forester. While driving in reverse at speeds of less than 3 MPH, the vehicle suddenly and abnormally accelerated and crashed into the side of a house and proceeded to crash into a wooden fence. The vehicle failed to stop and the contact was forced to put the vehicle into neutral gear to stop it from accelerating. The dealer was contacted, however they stated that they had not heard of that type of failure in her model vehicle. Repairs were made at the expense of her insurance company. The manufacturer did not assist. There were no recalls. The failure mileage was 23,000 and the current was 25,000. Updated 3/16/10 updated 07/07/10.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while making a u-turn the accelerator pedal went straight to the floor and his foot got stuck causing him to crash into a building. The contact nor his passenger were injured. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the investigation was pending. The vehicle was not repaired and neither was the dealer contacted. The failure and current mileages were approximately 94,000. Updated 3/8/11 updated 12/20/11
I was entering a parking space at a local grocery store when the vehicle surged forward into another parked car. I had my foot on the brake and had placed the vehicle in park when it suddenly and unexpectedly lurched forward. I damaged the parked car and my own. This has happened previously when backing out of a parking space going from the park position. Am contacting Subaru to see if this has anything to do with the recall.
Vehicle was standing with motor running in drive and I had the foot on the brake when the car started slowly moving forward. When I pushed the brake further, the car incurred a sudden acceleration forward and hit another vehicle. I just could do nothing to stop it. Subaru of America did not admit there is a malfunction and asked to take the car to the dealer to confirm such failure. However I am reluctant to do so, since the dealer would not represent my interests as well. I do not drive the car anymore as it is unsafe to do so and I do not know how should I proceed. Any advice? Please tell me how were the other complains of these type resolved. I have seen similar complains against Forester 2001 and 2000. Thank you.
The vehicle was parked and idling before the consumer got in the vehicle and shifts it into reverse while the foot were on the brake pedal. The vehicle commences to accelerate and lurch backward and ran into the entrance of the drug store. Consumer shift the vehicle into drive and the vehicle took off again and hit a metal pole. No injuries was reported and both the driver and the passenger were restrained in their seat belts. The vehicle was tow to a repair shop. The dealer was notified and pick up the vehicle from the repair shop.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Subaru Forester. While driving approximately 20 MPH the driver side removable floor mat trapped the accelerator pedal to the floor. Consequently there was an unintended increase of vehicle acceleration. She was able to regain vehicle operation. The vehicle has not been inspected for the malfunction. The failure mileage was 160,000. The current mileage was 163,000. The VIN was unavailable.
When parking and brakes applied vehicle surged forward. This has happened 3 times. On 27 June 2002 while parking vehicle surged forward, brakes were applied, and vehicle hit a post, consumer suffered minor injury. Vehicle at dealer at this time.
Acceleration complaints in other Forester years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2002 Subaru Forester?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2002 Subaru Forester, 26% of the model year's 88 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Subaru Forester acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2002 Subaru Forester, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Subaru Forester acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 93,000 miles, and 42% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 9 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.