2011 Subaru Forester electrical system problems
11 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2011 Subaru Forester — 7% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“My car randomly turns off when reducing speed. It caused an accident a few days ago. I have had multiple mechanics try to figure out the problem but the only thing that comes up on the diagnostic tool is it needed 1 coil replaced. They have all been replaced and still won't go away. The Che k…”
filed Oct 23, 2023
“When my head lights got turned on none of my taillights or my dash lights came in 1200 dollar repair. Also my head gasket went with 1500 dollar repair which subaru in known for if you do your research. *tr”
filed May 8, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- Ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switchCampaign 19V297000 · Apr 11, 2019
- Relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump to…Campaign 16V738000 · Oct 13, 2016
Related service bulletins
This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or…
15-308-23R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
15-304-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 13, 2026Techtips newsletter locator index.
Article Locator · Other · issued Aug 5, 2026This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin
15-333-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2026
Electrical System problems in other Forester years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Forester | 4 | 19% |
| 2025 Forester | 8 | 9% |
| 2024 Forester | 1 | 3% |
| 2023 Forester | 7 | 10% |
| 2022 Forester | 10 | 10% |
| 2021 Forester | 33 | 16% |
| 2020 Forester | 101 | 17% |
| 2019 Forester | 134 | 16% |
| 2018 Forester | 71 | 14% |
| 2017 Forester | 106 | 18% |
| 2016 Forester | 93 | 23% |
| 2015 Forester | 82 | 13% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2011 Subaru Forester
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.