Welcome to the forum but sorry to hear you are so disappointed with your new Forester.

Regarding EyeSight and Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB)...I don't have either on my 2018 Forester but my wife does on her 2019 Crosstrek. I believe she has the option of turning both safety systems off if she wishes. As an aside, I sure wish I had RAB on my 2018 when I backed into a low, concrete planter box at a gas station, just sayin'. Also, it seems like I recall that she can adjust the volume of the warning beeps.

I would address the power liftgate issue with your dealer's service department as that should be covered under warranty.

If it is any consolation, you would have probably been equally disappointed with the new Outback.

 

@HateThisCar,
Not being rude, but most of what you've complained about here can be self-adjusted, including the lift gate. Read the manual and take some time to get to know your new Subaru.

 

Not being rude, but most of what you've complained about here can be self-adjusted, including the lift gate. Read the manual and take some time to get to know your new Subaru.

It's pretty clear, from the user name, to the wall of text, that this person just wanted some place to rant, but unfortunately picked a place where experience has shown that most of these issues are user inflicted. Simply reading some reviews beforehand and the owner's manual post-purchase would have avoided most of the psuedo-problems listed.

 

Does anyone else feel the same way?

No.

It surely would’ve been less work to google how to disable these features that you’re upset about than to create an account on a forum just to complain about them, no? Between this and the thread where the OP is inconsolable about auto-stop, it’s a bit baffling.

You sure no one hit the button on the key fob to close the lift gate by accident? That has happened to me before with locking/unlocking.

Sorry that you’re not happy, but these are such minor annoyances in the grand scheme of things. I have my own list of annoyances, but that would be the case with just about any car.

Edit: I also don’t understand the purse theft concern when buying gas - you’re still right next to the car the whole time, right? If we’re worried about people being that brazen, then we’re not safe in any public place. To me, it’s far less annoying to ensure the car is unlocked than forgetting to pull the release for the gas tank door before I get out.

 

There is no gas tank release on the 2023 Forester. I always put my keys in my pocket when I get gas. I live in a safe area but have seen criminals bold enough to jump in a car and take off from the pump as the driver was putting the pump back into the holder. Also as a woman travelling distances alone it's just a habit to lock the car whenever I get out. The 2023 Forester is more likely to have fuel stolen because all you have to do is walk up to the fuel door and press it and it pops open. You are able to turn off the features you are complaining about. I went from a 2015 Forester that I loved but had none of the safety features of the '23. I've had it 2 months and I'm struggling to figure out what all the blinking lights and sounds mean. It's a big learning curve. I'm still totally in shock that the navigation screen is the exact same size as the Samsung S22Plus phone. I can't even use it for navigation as it's too hard to keep looking downward at the small screen. I also can't figure out how to leave the radio off when I'm using online navigation. It definitely has a smoother drive than my 2015. The cargo space is very close in size. I haven't had the problem but have seen that others have had the rear gate come down unexpectedly. Definitely have it checked out. I hope you can find someone to help you with turning off some of the features that are bothersome and to me, seem to distract my driving.

 

I cannot believe that Subaru was so stupid as to make it so that you had to unlock the car to unlock the gas cap. This is just completely unsafe and leaves me vulnerable to getting my purse stolen every time I buy gas.

One could argue that this makes you safer because if someone approaches you with harm in mind while you are pumping gas, you would be able to re-enter your car quicker if you don't have to fumble with the key fob to unlock it. But if you want to keep the car locked while you pump gas, can't you just re-lock it with the key fob right after you open the fuel door? I realize your purse would still be vulnerable for a few seconds but it's unlikely a thief would act that quickly.

 

<snip>
Does anyone else feel the same way?

Nope. My wife has '22 Sport and my daughter-in-law has a '22 Wilderness. Both love their vehicles.

If you absolutely hate it, go trade for something more to your liking.

Life is too short to ride around in something that makes you unhappy.

 

@HateThisCar,
WOW...just WOW!!!

 

Life is too short to ride around in something that makes you unhappy.

Agree 100% go get something else. Every car ever made is a collection of compromises. Best of luck with the replacement!

 

Sounds to me like someone bought the car sight unseen with little to no research whatsoever. Things like the manual passenger seat should have been obvious.

....but even things like the gas cap, I'm having a hard time understanding why you would need or want to lock the car as you're filling up. I'd think you have bigger problems if you live in an area where you have to worry about someone stealing your purse from inside the car with you standing there while filling up. As for safety, you're already outside the car so I guess I'm not understanding the point. If you really want to lock the car after opening the fuel door, why not just reach over and touch the passenger door handle?

I've never had the power lift gate try to close with my wife or myself under it and it's certainly not something that should be occurring unless you are activating it yourself with the button, etc. You should note that there is no sensor to detect obstructions so you need to do your due diligence and make sure all are clear before closing / opening. If the system is doing something screwy then report it to the dealer.

Incessant beeps...... Some of those can be turned off, changed in the settings or even mitigated through your driving habits. I drive my wife's 2020 about once a week and to be honest, I don't have an issue with incessant beeping from the Eyesight system. ....then again, I'm not one to brake late (pre-collision braking alarm), drift out of my lane (lane assist alarm) or sit at a light when traffic in front of me is already moving. As for RCTA alarms, that's not a bad thing at all IMO as it only beeps while reversing and there is something behind or coming up from the sides.

RAB can have issues reversing down an incline, with objects lining a driveway, etc. Then again, at least you can disable it for those situations if it's a problem. I can actually agree that it would be annoying however if there is no other way than having to disable it every time you want to back out from your house.

Either way, you obviously bought the wrong car. My only advice would be to make sure you research the next one so you're not setting yourself up for another expensive disappointment.

 

....but even things like the gas cap, I'm having a hard time understanding why you would need or want to lock the car as you're filling up.

One could argue that this makes you safer because if someone approaches you with harm in mind while you are pumping gas, you would be able to re-enter your car quicker if you don't have to fumble with the key fob to unlock it.

OP might be talking about staying in the car and having an attendant pump the gas.

There are still places which do this. You can't even pump your own gas in New Jersey.

 

Google Search

FTR this is a thing and it happens a lot. Because most men don’t carry purses it’s understandable that you guys have no context for this. It might come as a surprise to you that we women have to consider a lot of additional things related to safety when going about our business. That being said, the OP‘s rant over things she actually does have control over borders on being a bit histrionic. A couple of hours with the owner’s manual might be in order.

 

You guys don’t get it. I turned off all of the beeps. In about four different places. And it’s still beeping. There was one stretch of road today where it beeped on and off about 15 times in 20 seconds. I’m not being hysterical. I’m genuinely pissed off at this car. And I’m sorry if you don’t understand that women actually do get their pocketbook stolen at gas stations. And I did a ton of research before I bought this car. I’ve been driving a Subaru for 10 years; I expected to love it. I just happen to think it sucks and I did want to rant.

No, I get it. My wife owns a 2020 Forester Premium with these features including the power lift gate, RCTA, BSD, etc.

What would really help is knowing exactly what these "beeps" are that you're mentioning. There should be an indication on your instrument cluster as to what these are. Also, what were the circumstances? What was on and what was turned off at the time?

As for the purse, it's not that I can't see this from the perspective of a woman. It doesn't take an imagination to identify these kinds of vulnerabilities. Ask my wife. ....I spend enough time preaching to her about how to mitigate risk in situations like this. For example (more specific to this scenario), not buying gas at night, not running the tank so low that she doesn't have a choice, choosing well populated areas with lots of folks like our local Costco, staying alert and most of all, making sure others around you know you are alert. Look around and check your mirrors. In other words, don't look like a target and you likely won't be. ....no different than advice I would give another guy or my son.

I also remind her not to keep valuables in the car and keep her purse tucked away (e.g. behind the seat for safety as well as keeping it out of sight). I do the same with my backpack, my wallet, my tablet, electronics, etc. ....keep the key FOB on you, not in the car, in a purse in the car, etc.

In either case, like I mentioned earlier, if you want to lock the car you can simply reach over and touch the front door handle after you open the gas door. It works on my wife's car as I just checked. .....or as mentioned, use the fob after opening the gas door.

Locking the car doors locks the gas door which makes perfect sense to me. It helps ensure others can't easily gain access while you are away.

Look, if you're seeking assistance, we are here to help. We can help you identify possible problems (if that's the case) or even provide solutions that you may not know or have thought about. ....but if you're mind is already set on hating this car, not trying to learn more about it and just getting rid of it, then I guess all I can do is wish you luck.

 

Does anyone else feel the same way?

No way!

I love almost everything about my new 2023 Forester. The things I don't like, are too nit-picky to mention. I've had mine for two weeks now. I'm getting up there in age and wanted all the driver focus/assist tech, so I am happy with what the car says it does. Does it warn me of a lot of things like lane drifting, blind-spot warning, etc., yeah, but nothing gets in the way of the driving experience.

I will admit, that getting to know all the details about the tech is a bit overwhelming. No test drive can get you intimately acquainted with the car. It took the first week, and a few hours in the driveway with the QSG to get to know all of it.

What's also crazy is I'm getting the advertised MPG at 25-26 on all local city driving. (It's listed at 26, but 25.-- is close enough for me to get "as advertised"). I never had a Subaru (see past cars in sig) that got the advertised MPG. Close? Yes, but this Forester is getting the right number.

I also had a good dealer experience, with all the sales/service people that we have been taking our Subarus for 12 years now.

Loving my 2023 Forester Touring.

 

You guys don’t get it. I turned off all of the beeps. In about four different places. And it’s still beeping. There was one stretch of road today where it beeped on and off about 15 times in 20 seconds. I’m not being hysterical. I’m genuinely pissed off at this car. And I’m sorry if you don’t understand that women actually do get their pocketbook stolen at gas stations. And I did a ton of research before I bought this car. I’ve been driving a Subaru for 10 years; I expected to love it. I just happen to think it sucks and I did want to rant.

 

Generally, when the car beeps at you, it will display an alert on the dash to let you know why it's beeping. Are you seeing any alerts when it beeps at you? I've had lane recognition beep incessantly in a construction zone that had temporary lines painted and the old lines were still somewhat visible. As far as your valid concerns about your purse, perhaps just remain vigilant in the few seconds it takes to get around the car and open the gas door, and then lock your doors back.

 

One big issue the OP is having is moving from a 10 year old car to a new one with so many enhanced safety features.

Chances are, going to any comparable 2023 models, regardless of manufacturer, would have generated a similar experience and disappointment… but only the OP can answer that question for sure.

As has been pointed out by earlier posters, sell/trade or just move to a different vehicle. Life is far to short to despise being in a vehicle you absolutely hate.

 

I moved from a 2002 Tacoma to a 2022 Forester, and it was pretty intimidating and confusing for the first couple of weeks. I had watched every video on YT about the car so I was very familiar with the car, but actually putting that knowledge to work was a bit of a hurdle, but for the most part I appreciate having all of the safety features, and my auto insurance is cheaper, so win-win as far as I'm concerned.

 

I guess my big question to the OP is how much research and test driving of the car did you do before purchase? We do at least two test drives and get all the main safety features shown and explained to us so we know what’s on the car.

I don’t understand how your limited model has manual adjust front passenger seat. Our limited came with 8 way power standard in that position. As for the locking gas cap, that is a safety feature. If the car is locked no one can open the gas door to siphon the gas out when you’re not around. When you go for gas use pay at the pump. You only need your credit card. As for the rear gate coming down? That can only happen if the button on the fob, door, or dash is activated by someone. If you are driving with cruise on…say on the highway and you change lanes WITHOUT signalling the the system will beep bc it sees it as wondering from the lane.

Personally? We love our Forester. Yes , it beeps and chirps, but usually when I’m doing something stupid like wandering out of my lane, not signalling lane changes etc. Some of those features can be turned off but doing that seems stupid because we bought the car because it has those safety features. If you trade a car in the first couple of years you own it it’s usually a money losing deal for you. You probably won’t get what owe on the lien on the car. You’ve only had the car a week. Give it some time…read about all the features and what can and can’t be turned off. Oh, the only thing I don’t like about the car…or any car that has it is the auto stop start…solved that with the auto stop eliminator.

 

Honestly it all sounds like you're struggling adjusting to the new technology of this car. A 10 year old car is ancient in terms of tech at this point. The beeps are safety feature alerts, maybe you weave within your lane too much as a driver and now you're finally getting an audible warning about it?? Folks on this forum could assist better if we new what symbol is flashing while it's beeping at you when you're driving.

Youtube (I know more tech) and reading the manual can be very helping in learning about your new car.

If it's really only been a week, and you don't want to learn and adjust to the new tech of this car (though you'll likely into similar issues with Volvo, Mercedes, etc.) then reach out to your dealer and see what they'll do for you to return the car.

Personally, I'm glad to have the safety features on my Forester. I often peak at other brands just to see if I want to switch it up and nothing really comes close to what I'm looking for safety wise.

 

Nope no issues here, sounds like half of those complaints are user error. There is no way the power liftgate works without user input... unless its defective. Can't say I experienced any of the other complaints. Think you need some time to adapt. These cars have safety features as a big selling point...

 

When you are at a petrol station:
Simply get out of the car, open the fuel flap, lock the car and then fill up. Just means pressing one button on the fob, defiantly not a hard thing to do.

You are going to find it's nearly impossible to buy a new car without any driver assist or modern safety systems. Cars can no longer get good safety ratings without them so all manufacturers are introducing them, and it will only increase overtime.
This will leave you with 3 choices:
1. Keep to cars manufactured before 2015 for the rest of your life.
2. Get used to it and learn how to accept change in technology.
3. Look at why the car is incessantly beeping and improve your driving so it doesn't.

 

I have been where the OP is. I bought the next generation of a car I already owned and the differences drove me crazy until I adjusted and had the dealer fix one problem that was eventually covered in a service bulletin. I was considering trading it in when they fixed the biggest problem. Some of the other problems fixed themselves and others I just lived with.

She should consider trading it in and getting something else with less intrusive technology. The loss on a trade in may not be as bad now as it was in the past.


As for the concern about safety when getting gas, I understand that as well. When I have to get gas near my office, I keep the car locked, I keep my hand in my pocket with a finger on the panic button and I watch in all directions as I pump. I try to avoid getting gas in that neighborhood whenever possible. My precautions will be of no help. I doubt there will ever be someone to come to the rescue if needed.

 

G'day & Welcome @HateThisCar

Please read: Rant Management

Especially take note "If members have an issue for which no assistance is sought from this platform then it may be best to take up that issue with the manufacturer, its representatives or the consumer protection authority in your region."

 

The beeps are a two-tone (kind of like a door bell) and seem truly random. The display doesn’t change…it just beeps. Today, though, it started with the two tone, but then just randomly fired a whole bunch of chirps (only one of the tones), and sounded like it was dying. I had read in another forum that it might be related to the navigation system. It seems that maps are on all the time even if you’re not using them. I do live in a fairly rural area so it might be trying to acquire satellite data?

 

Take it back to the dealership and have them hear the beeps. It may be something malfunctioning or something they can turn off.

 

Your dealer should have spent more time with you going over all of the features and how to make adjustments. It can get confusing and I too had a few challenges getting acquainted to my 2019 Forester. By the time I traded for my 2022, I knew most of them and appreciated how they worked. Call your dealer and make an appointment with someone there to acquaint you with all of the options and customising features. It will take a while, but given the chance, you too might still like the Forester.

 

Something doesn't sound right @HateThisCar especially with the seemingly random beeping and sounding like the tones are dying.

@danornan is right that the dealer should have spent more time explaining a lot for this with you. In fact, back when we bought my wife's 2020, Subaru had a program (forgot what it was called) where the dealer would call the customer later and answer any questions, go over the various systems, cockpit controls, etc. We did this with our dealership via video conference while we sat in the car. I already knew just about everything to know or so I thought. The gal actually pointed out a couple things I wasn't aware of which really helped.

A visit to the dealer may be in order to make sure all is well, something is wrong or at least to help explain what you're encountering.

 

I will chime in! Schedule an appointment with your dealership to turn off or on all the features and go over them with you. They will do that as a courtesy. As far as your purse being snatched get yourself a nice big can of bear spray. And like someone else said just lock all your doors

 

As far as your purse being snatched get yourself a nice big can of bear spray.

I insist my wife brings a can of it whenever she goes for a walk.
The stuff works well to stop a charging dog set on munching you dead in its tracks.
Also effective on both 2 and 4 legged coyotes and of course, bears.

 

Another thing I thought of was that on my 2017 the front passenger seat occupancy detection sensor was capacitive. Anytime I set my cell phone down on the seat the seat belt warning chime would keep going off nonstop. Only solution was to fasten the seatbelt even though nobody was in the seat. Hopefully that problem was solved with the next generation, but I don't know, may want to check on that one.

 

i disable all that stuff on my 23 sport. I hate it they dont seem to care. they are years behind jeep as far as technology