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 2015 Subaru Forester owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 1 MPH into a parking space, the contact attempted to shift the transmission into park (P) while depressing the brake pedal when the vehicle inadvertently lunged forward and crashed into a building. No warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The impact caused soreness in her chest and stomach. The contact received medical attention on the scene from Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the tow yard. The vehicle was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while at a carwash moving forward, the vehicle accelerated up to approximately 35 MPH and crashed into the rear of a Ford Explorer. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver sustained injuries to his chest due to striking the steering wheel. Medical attention was provided. The contact was able to drive away from the crash site. A police report was filed. There was no air bag deployment. The vehicle was taken to a Collision Center. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified about the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated upon pulling into a parking space, the brake pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly and crashed into the side of the apartment building of her friend. The contact stated that the crash damaged the apartment of her friend located on the first floor. There was no warning light illuminated. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
I was backing out of a parking spot, and there was a telephone poll behind me in my path. I needed to pull forward to navigate around this poll. After backing up some, I put the car into drive to pull slightly forward, and the car lurched aggressively, so much so that I got out to see if it'd caught on something. It did not -- there was absolutely nothing there. So I got back in and tried to continue forward, and the accelerator went full force. I floored the brake pedal, but the car behaved as though I was flooring the accelerator. The car drove itself over a cement block, through a staircase and into the brick wall of an abandoned building, continuing to accelerate for a few seconds while against the wall. Air bags did not deploy. I walked away without physical injury, thank goodness. …
The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, pulling into a parking space, and while attempting to park the vehicle on the street, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. The contact had to depress the brake pedal several times before the brakes were engaged. The failure occurred on two separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer could not replicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and was later sold to St. Cloud Subaru (141 Park Ave S, St. Cloud, MN 56301). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately under 60,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 65-70 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The 2015 Subaru Forester accelerated unexpectedly while slowly turning into a a Walgreens parking lot. The acceleration could not be stopped by stepping on the brake, and the car crashed into the brick building. The vehicle is at Phil's Auto Body Shop in Rosemount, MN. The estimate on the car is complete, and waiting on State Farm insurance to approve. The police were at the scene of the accident. Walgreens has video of the accident from their security cameras.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration causing the driver to immediately depress the brake pedal to abruptly stop the vehicle. After the failure, the vehicle operated as normal. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.
I was parking the car it suddenly accelerated jumped the curb and was heading towards the building entrance dore. I could not stop it. To avoid entering the building I turned the vehicle tight and it collided against the wall. The air bags inflated.
I was driving with cruise control going around 70 when the car started slowing down suddenly. Not wanting to slow down even more, I turned off the cruise control by hand using the cancel button on the steering wheel (rather than tap the brake) but when I then hit the accelerator, the engine felt like it was in neutral, revving past 6000 rpm on the tachometer. At that point, I realized I had no control over the drive train so I pulled off the road onto the center median of the highway, just as the engine died - fortunately, there wasn't anyone following close behind. We had been driving for about 1.5 hours with the AC blasting and the gas tank at that point was low, with less than 1/8 remaining. All this happened without any dashboard warning lights turning on. This was the very last leg of a ten-day, 2,000 mile road trip. I tried restarting the engine but only got clicking. …
Acceleration complaints in other Forester years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2015 Subaru Forester?
NHTSA has 70 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2015 Subaru Forester, 11% of the model year's 615 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Subaru Forester acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2015 Subaru Forester, though it has 3 recalls 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 2015 Subaru Forester acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 37,000 miles, and 45% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 26 crashes, 0 fires and 10 injuries 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.