2016 Subaru Forester engine problems
60 of the 414 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru Forester name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 84 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database4 of the 60 reports a crash · 2 a fire · 2 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2016: 6 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 8 · 2019: 5 · 2020: 11 · 2021: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2024: 9 · 2025: 1
Half of the 33 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 23,000 and 50,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
414 complaints in all about the 2016 Subaru Forester, 1 filed in 2025. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Subaru Forester engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
I have an issue where the engine will flutter in idle and will almost skip as if it's not getting any gas. The flutter causes the car to shake, it has even caused the car to stall. When it stalled I had started the car, put it in drive, tapped the gas and the engine cut out and shut off.
On five different occurrences while the cruise control was on and we were driving at around 70 miles an hour on an interstate, our car would electronically put itself in neutral, the automatic gear shifter would physically remain in drive, the rpm's would go up to about 5500 rpms, because the car was slowing down and the cruise control…
I was driving down a highway going up a bridge over the mississippi river at about 65mph when a bunch of lights came on and my engine completely stopped. I could not accelerate at all and I had to switch from the left-hand lane to the right -hand lane to get onto the shoulder. This was an extremely unsafe condition.
Car accelerates quickly and lurches forward when slightly touching the gas pedal. This happens at all times from start of car and during general driving conditions
With the car completely warmed up, either a hot day or a cold day, doesn't matter, the car will not accelerate for a couple seconds when entering traffic after having parked for a few minutes.
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- 16V162000 HighMar 21, 2016 · 18,187 vehicles
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.
84 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- 02-193-24R Service bulletinJun 30, 2026
- This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel injectors and internal engine components (e.g. intake valves and / or manifold, and combustion chambers). (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
The 1 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P0327 P0328 P0332 P0333 P0137 B1571 B1572 P113A
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2016 Subaru Forester names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2016 Subaru Forester
Source: the same files- airbag problems 114 complaints
- electrical problems 94 complaints
- transmission and drivetrain problems 51 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2016 Subaru Forester?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 60 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (14% of everything owners filed about it), and 84 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2016 Subaru Forester?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 16V162000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do engine problems show up on the 2016 Subaru Forester?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 42,000 miles; half of them between 23,000 and 50,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.