2001 Subaru Forester Vehicle Speed Control Problems

NHTSA component category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL · data through 07/14/2026

23Vehicle Speed Control complaints

16.5%Of all 139 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How vehicle speed control ranks on this vehicle

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL23 · 16.5%

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL10 · 7.2%

SUSPENSION:REAR9 · 6.5%

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY9 · 6.5%

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION7 · 5%

Share of the 139 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2001 Subaru Forester overview page.

What owners report

“WHILE PULLING OUT OF A CURBSIDE PARKING PLACE ON A CITY STREET THE ENGINE STARTED RACING AND I COULD NOT CONTROL IT BY STOMPING ON…”NHTSA complaint 10846270 — filed 03/12/2016

“ON MONDAY AT 4:50 PM I WAS DRIVING N A SCHOOL ZONE AND REALIZED THAT I WAS HAVING TO RIDE MY BRAKES I ALSO THOUGHT…”NHTSA complaint 10519550 — filed 06/12/2013

“DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET. TRIED TO CANCEL CRUISE CONTROL WITH STALK, IT DID NOT DISENGAGE. TRIED REPEATEDLY, IT DID…”NHTSA complaint 10391168 — filed 03/11/2011

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Vehicle Speed Control complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2001 Subaru Forester have vehicle speed control problems?

Vehicle Speed Control is the most-reported problem area on the 2001 Subaru Forester: 23 of 139 complaints on file (16.5%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2001 Subaru Forester have in total?

139 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 31 involved a crash, 0 involved a fire, 24 reported injuries, and 3 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's vehicle speed control category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.