2020 Subaru Forester · symptom sheet
Engine stalls or loses power while driving
- 47owner reports
- 45,000median miles
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Sep 13, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
176 of the 601 complaints on this car are about the engine. 47 of those describe stalling.
Tick what matches of 47 reports
Stalling 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, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
Stalling reports are some of the most alarming on the site. The engine quits while the car is moving, sometimes on a highway and sometimes at a stop. Many owners say it restarted right away and the dealer found no stored code, which is part of why these complaints pile up before anything gets fixed.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (11 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the engine covers the 2020 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 13,000 and 60,000 miles, from the 9 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“My car completely lost power. I had driven to the stop light and was waiting when it lost power. It had no power for several minutes and was unresponsive to the ignition or anything else.”
Filed Dec 3, 2024
“Car shuts off while stopped at light. This has happened 3 times. I have taken it to Subaru service provider and keep being told nothing is wrong. Car must be put into park and restarted to work. It is unsafe. There are multiple reports online ([XXX] and [XXX] ) of people reporting the same issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”
Filed Aug 13, 2024
“I was at a red light when the engine shut off and the check engine and several other warning lights came on. After multiple tries I was finally able to restart the vehicle and drive it off the road. After taking it to the dealership the confirmed issue is the Thermal Control Valve. The dealership is requesting about $1600 to replace the faulty part.”
Filed Mar 16, 2024
“When the vehicle comes to a stop light or a stop in traffic and the engine turns off the vehicle will stall. It then leaves me sitting in traffic trying to restart my vehicle thus leaving me in an unsafe situation. This happens more often than not.”
Filed Nov 30, 2023
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 47 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
- Windshield cracks or distorts 301 reports
- Battery dies or the car will not start 54 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 30 reports