2017 Subaru Forester · symptom sheet
Battery dies or the car will not start
- 46owner reports
- 30,000median miles
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Dec 2, 2025 · checked Oct 2, 2026
106 of the 587 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 46 of those describe dead battery.
Tick what matches of 46 reports
Dead battery on other Forester years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
These owners walk out to a car that's dead. Some find it drained after sitting only a day or two, some need a jump start every week, and some have had the battery replaced more than once without the problem going away. A good number describe the dealer testing the battery, calling it fine, and sending them home.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (46 reports) and the alternator (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the electrical system covers the 2017 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 19,935 and 39,000 miles, from the 17 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 10 service bulletins or notices for the 2017 Subaru Forester that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
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 frequent jump-starts.This is an revised ...
Subaru has extended the Data Communication Module (DCM) warranty from 3 years 36,000mi to 8 years or 100,000mi. In rare cases, customers may experience a dead battery as a result of the DCM continually trying to access the 3G network.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is extending the Data Communication Module (DCM) warranty from three years (36 months or 36K miles) to eight years (96 months or 100K miles), whichever comes first.
Subaru Battery Drain Product Liability Litigation.
6 more on the 2017 Subaru Forester page.
What owners wrote
“2nd Battery in two years is dying while car is off. 1st battery did the same, and the dealership replaced it under warranty. There is a parasitic drain somewhere, that bleeds the battery while not in use. Every start is sluggish, and if a week goes by without driving the battery is totally dead. All user related electronic possibilities have been accounted for, i.e. cabin lights, trunk latch, etc”
Filed Mar 24, 2022
“The battery is constantly dying and the car needs to be jumped often. The battery has been replaced and the connections have been cleaned multiple times. The battery can still be completely drained even if it is started every day.”
Filed Mar 14, 2022
“Excessive battery drain/replacement. I have had to replace the car's battery five times since purchasing the vehicle new in 2017. The newest replacement battery has lasted 3 months. The vehicle was brought to Subaru dealership at least on two occasions to evaluate/diagnose the problem and Subaru was unable to detect any problem with the electrical system/battery.”
Filed Jan 24, 2022
“The battery had died multiple times and we replaced it only to continue to have the problem. Dealer service says that we must be leaving the lights on or that we need to run the car more to recharge the battery. Being stranded in upstate NY with a dead battery in winter is a safety problem.”
Filed Dec 13, 2021
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 46 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Airbag warning light or recall 164 reports
- Windshield cracks or distorts 114 reports
- Seat belt or seat problems 39 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 25 reports