Subaru Just Improved Forester’s Worst Feature

Have they fixed the parasitic drain on the battery.? My car been with a Subaru dealer since last Wednesday a week On a car that I had for exactly 4 weeks. Although I have a loaner, which is wonderful my Subaru Forester is still in with the dealership. I believe Subaru to fess up to the problem, considering there was a lawsuit in the past.
I believe I need a different car. I think I need to switch to the outback which doesn’t seem to have as many problems. The last Subaru I had was 15 years never had this problem. Regular service I had almost 200,000 miles Naria problem except for those tires And the fact that they hadn’t yet on the 2009 models showed which tire was losing air that’s it

I really hate the Auto stop-start feature.

Hate the on & off fuel saving system, I wish they could come up with some upgrade to fix that problem that you could decide weather you want that feature or not.

Unless I buy a hybrid or EV I will disable this feature with third party devices every time. The saving money wise is miniscule. Environmentally you are going to be tossing away 12V batteries faster. Research has shown this. Battery manufacturers admit to working to extend longevity in batteries on stop/start vehicles because they realize this too. A horrible feature the world could have done without. I spent a few years in EV and battery R&D.

I have a 2021 Subaru Forrester. It is my dream retirement car and I absolutely Love it! However, the start stop is a little annoying. I usually turn it off when I have my air conditioner running and I also turn it off if I’m on an incline.

I wonder what would happen if I wrote my dissertation with sources linked behind pay walls. Grr.

I own the 2020 forester and I do turn it off every time I start the engine. The car shakes to much. Rather not loosen anything in the process.

So dislike the auto start/stop on my 23 Forester but not willing to pay $100 for a reported cable that will disable this function. Wish the function was reversed where you could activate to use it and not to disable it like now.

The worst feature is it's appearance. I really like it otherwise. But this thing is a potato or late model Outlander at best.

I have a 2023 Forester and have not been happy with the engine vibration. I feel it in the brake pedal, steering wheel, and seat when stopped. I even took it back to the dealer because I thought something was wrong but they said that was normal for a Subaru. The auto stop/start is very annoying because of how much it shakes the car so I often turn it off. I just wish that switch was easier to access. This will be my last Subaru, would much rather have my Honda Odyssey back.

The stop start system should be setup to allow the driver to choose when to activate it by the amount of pressure applied to the brake pedal. This still requires some amount of skill from the driver but can eliminate the unwanted (unintended) engine shutdowns which are so annoying.

I own a 2018 Forester with the turbocharger. I will not buy a new Forester unless it also includes a turbo- charger. I absolutely hate the start/stop feature. I dislike all of the road noise I hear inside my Forester with all windows up. Could you let Subaru Bosses know of my dislikes please. (1) Turbocharger (2) Insulation against road noise (3) start/
stop feature. Thank you.

Every time the auto stop/start activates I am reminded of my concern for the wear and tear on the starter motor as well as the engine itself. When an engine stops the oil pump isn't pressurizing the lubrication system. On start up I wait for the center screen prompts to complete before shifting into a gear to avoid loading the engine without adequate oil pressure lubricating moving parts. Saving a little fuel at the expense of wear on major mechanical assemblies doesn't seem like a good plan. Subaru owners buy long term, not lease or short term purchases and start/stop systems are concerning for vehicle longevity

Another major update to this power unit is that they have eliminated the TCV and gone back to a conventional thermostat,the TCV being another major deterrent in buying anything which has this setup.

Auto stop/start wears out your engine. Just ask a mechanic. Doesn't save enough gas to make a difference. Very bad idea.

Subaru Forester needs to improve wheel bearings. I'm using subaru since 2002 along with other brand cars. Somehow, my both Subarau Forester model 2002 and 2017, I changed wheel bearings after 100k. On other brand cars still going without required to change bearings.

How about back seat air vents? Did they ever add those or complimentary driving school lessons for the terrible Subaru drivers?

Do not like the stop/start feature on my 2020 Forester. If I remember I turn it off when I start the engine. I asked the tech if there was setting to disable and they said no.

I live with it.
Don't know how much fuel I save with this feature.
I love my 2019 Forester.
Looking into a 2025.
Keep up the good work.
Look forward to your Subaru info.

My 2018 Forester 2.5 premium has a very sensitive gas pedal Subaru tells me there’s nothing they can do to remedy the situation Any suggestions?
Thanks

I didn't like the Auto Stop feature from the first day I bought my new Forester in 2021. The jury is out as far as I'm concerned, on whether or not the fuel saving is worth it but it causes premature wear on expensive batteries and worse, in certain situations it is a HUGE safety Factor that on one occasion almost cost me my life. One of the first things I did was to purchase an electronic device that enabled me to permanently shut off this feature. That was the happiest day of my ownership of this otherwise very nice vehicle. I think Subaru outsmarted themselves with this feature and I wish they would I dispense with the Auto Stop feature altogether.

This is good news. Now, if Subaru could offer the option of a dash with analog-style knobs for audio and climate control, I would be very happy. I know there are plenty of people like me who don't want to deal with a large touch screen and multiple menu levels when driving.

For me, the shaking I don’t really notice, or doesn’t bother me. ‘24 Forester Sport. What does really annoy me is how sensitive it is, if you increase or decrease ever so slightly your foot on the brake, it starts back up.:(

I don't like it.
Mine stalls out periodically, leaving me sitting in traffic or at lights and I have to put the car in park and restart the vehicle brefore I can drive. People get angry and it causes anxiety.
I turn it off when I remember to.

I don't think the "smooth-start" feature is going to much change the customer attitude toward the auto-stop/start feature. Yes, there are times when that feature is possibly desirable, such as when stuck in a traffic jam where you have very slow stop-and-go traffic. Otherwise, the fuel savings are so minimal as to be laughable, while at the same time you are adding to the wear and tear of the starter system and also degrading the battery (yes, only slightly).

This was the very first thing I changed on my 2024 Forester Wilderness. I purchased an aftermarket replacement auto-stop/start button, which causes the system to restart in the state it was in when the ignition was turned off. Since I normally drive with it "off", the engine normally starts up with it "off". If I want it on, I push the button and the auto-stop/start is engaged and works as advertised. If I left it engaged when I shut off the ignition, the vehicle restarts with the feature engaged.

There are several aftermarket fixes out there for the auto-stop/start, and I found the replacement switch to be best for me. Other fixes work pretty much the same way, but are installed differently. The cost of these fixes can run from around $25 to $100, but I have to say that the reduction in aggravation caused by the auto-stop/start is well worth the price.

Does the new Forester still use oil? Mine uses almost a quart every 1000 miles, Subaru says it's normal