I was driving on the high way for about 2 hours, 70 mph, gas was at about 1/8 full, but low gas light on. the gear shifter remained in d and the indicator on the dash said d. the engine revved as if it were in neutral and would not provide power to the wheels. the check engine, traction control, and cruise control lights came on, along with possibly others. the car began to slow since it was just revving in what appeared to be neutral while the gas pedal was pressed. eventually i made it to the shoulder. i turned the car off for about 15 seconds then started it again. it struggled to start for a moment like the battery was low or it was cold outside, but still started on the first try. i shifted into d and began to move on the shoulder, but when the car when over about 10 or 15 mph, it would rev and not provide power to the wheels. i had the car towed to the dealer where they added gas, test drove it, said there was nothing wrong, and nothing that they could do.
On three separate occasions thus far, while driving approximately 70 mph on interstate 93 in massachusetts and new hampshire, my 2017 subaru forester touring (with 21k miles) lost power and completely shutdown. all three times, i was luckily able to steer the vehicle to safety while avoiding other motor vehicles and neither myself, my passengers nor anyone else around us was hurt. when the vehicle decides to shutdown, it feels like the car drops itself into neutral, the rpms shoot up to about 4500-5000 and all of the lights on the dashboard light up. there is about a five second window to steer the vehicle to safety from when you first detect that the issue is occurring. after waiting for about 45 minutes after the incident, i am able to start the car back up and drive it. this is a serious safety concern of mine (and it is terrifying when it happens) and i have already contacted subaru of america asking for a solution. i am now currently only using the car on short trips and if i have to get on the highway, i stick to the right lane and do not go over 60 mph.
Engine low level oil light came on a few times when i drove up my driveway or over a few inches of snow. manually inspected oil levels the first few times and restarted engine. the warning light would go away. warning light never came on when driving on a flat surface and always went away when parked on flat surface and restarted vehicle. there was no loud engine sound, knocking sound or smoke. page 3-19 of the owners manual stated that the warning light might illuminate temporarily when driving on inclined surface. one day 15 minutes into my commute on a freeway i heard a rattling noise and then heard server knocking , smoke and then the whole engine caught fire. the entire vehicle then caught fire in a few minutes. i have talked to subaru and formally filed a complaint. insurance has determined it is a manufacturing issue.