[jonaz19forester]

Got a 2019 Subaru Forester. Around 80 mph, the hood starts fluttering or bouncing like the hood latch is not secured.
Please, I don't want to hear your complaints about speeding....I live in Southern California and this is normal cruising speed.
Anyway, not a problem but it just seems like a design flaw. My older 2010 Forester never did this.
Still love the car and its got 12,500 miles on it.
Thanks in Advance.

 

[ForesterBill]

Maybe just the hood bumpers need a simple adjustment. Your warranty will cover that.

 

[Makingforestergreatagain]

Adjustment bushings on either side should take up the slack. They screw up down by hand if hood design has not changed- most all makes have this.

 

[PearlWhite]

This is not normal. Mines good up over 100. Like others said check the hood stops and adjust.

Edit: Just remembered my 19 has the hood bug deflector installed so maybe that's why my experience has been without issue.

 

[KLEMMER]

Not sure about the new '19s but my '17 XT does this as well. All '14 to '18 models do it as well. There is only 1 latch point in the center of my hood with 2 bumpers either side. No amount of adjustment worked. I had some branches fall on the hood requiring replacement and the new hood does the same. The body shop called me to let me know they did anything and everything to adjust it with no cure.

 

[VXSS]

My '18 does this as well. It's not some dramatic bouncing, but more like a mild flutter, no noise. At 60+ I start to notice. I have a past of autobody experience and I have dug through the assembly and mounts meticulously and the design just seems to "allow it". I wouldn't be too concerned.

 

[Makingforestergreatagain]

Klemmer and Vxss, you both screwed out the stops/bushings/bumpers to their highest position and still have hood flutter?
Try adding a 1" circle of thick felt ,designed for furniture feet, to to top of the stop or the underside of the hood where to stop contacts it.

 

[VXSS]

Klemmer and Vxss, you both screwed out the stops/bushings/bumpers to their highest position and still have hood flutter?
Try adding a 1" circle of thick felt ,designed for furniture feet, to to top of the stop or the underside of the hood where to stop contacts it.

Yeah, if turned out anymore, it is loose enough to fall out with some vibration. Again, mine is snug, and only has some buffeting "at speed". I considered testing by taping some coins to the underside hood to add a few mm to see what results I got, but in all honesty, it is not a concern of mine. It's a traffic crawling daily, not a track car heh. THAT car is in my garage.

 

[PearlWhite]

OK, I now stand corrected. When driving 80 MPH into a strong 20+ MPH head wind the entire hood started flexing up and vibrating like mad. Had this happen a bunch now on this road trip out West with speed limits of 75 MPH or more.

I had my wife drive while watching. My conclusion. This is a design flaw. It appears that so much air is being ramed under the hood that it's pressurizing the underside as the air can't escape between the hood and cowl seals causing the entire hood to flex up and vibrate. It's not just happening at the front but the entire hood is bouncing. Crazy. I just hope the hood latch holds. The one time at 100 MPH into a head wind I thought the hood was going to fly off. OMG. Crazy design Subaru...

 

[Makingforestergreatagain]

I wonder if all the under hood bracing is properly adhered to the exterior skin?

 

[Mryflyguy]

Greetings all. I did a cursory search for this problem in a 2020 but found nothing.

I live in Arizona where the speed limit is generally 75 MPH (which means we usually travel at 75-85) and while my 2020 Forester Touring performs very well at speed, the hood is bouncing up and down pretty significantly. More noticeable when crosswinds are high or passing a truck, both common in AZ. The hood has not become unlatched but it sure is disconcerting. I reported this to the dealer and had them adjust the hood. It appears to be solid and it aligns with the body panels perfectly but the wobble persists.

I found a few posts from older Foresters exhibiting this problem and most write it off to being light weight, constructed of aluminum. Is the 2020 hood made of aluminum too? Has anyone noticed an excessive wood bounce/up and down wobble at speed? I'll try to get a video on the next trip. It's pretty remarkable.

 

[WackyDriver]

I have not experienced this with mine. When taking the vehicle to the dealer it's best to take the tech for a drive and point it out in person, otherwise there is good chance they will brush this off.

 

[Mryflyguy]

Our Tucson dealer is not real close to the highway but I'll do it next time. I'm going to present them with a video at least. Thx

 

[ForesterBill]

Usually that happens from the hood bumpers not being adjusted properly but perhaps you have something else going on. Your video is a good idea.

 

[Mryflyguy]

That’s what they did when I brought it in, adjusted the bumpers. I think we’re going to have to go for a ride.

 

[JohnCNA]

My 2019 hood flexes or bounces a little when getting that blast of cross-wind from a truck coming the opposite way on a 2-lane road at 70+ MPH. You know, one of those blasts that rocks the whole car a little. But it's otherwise stable at highway speeds. I just assumed it's because it's a thinner lighter metal. Might be normal. Maybe not.

 

[FJQue]

I have this too, why I searched out this thread, it seems excessive. Mines a 2020 with under 1k miles

 

[FJQue]

I wonder if all the under hood bracing is properly adhered to the exterior skin?

This was an issue back when I was on the Tacoma forum a couple years ago, people would add extra seam glue to fix, will have to look into...

 

[Botnik]

so much air is being ramed under the hood that it's pressurizing the underside

Have any plastic underpanels been removed and not replaced?

 

[hoshie]

The first time I drove my 17xt ... I was like what the %#%. My 18 does it too, but not as significant