SUBARU FORESTER 2021 Getting Started Guide

Subaru of America, Inc.
One Subaru Drive Camden, NJ 08103-9800
MSA5B2102A
Issued November 2020
Printed in USA 11/20
Love. It’s what makes Subaru, Subaru.
Getting Started Guide
Forester
2021

© 2020 Subaru of America, Inc. Printed in USA. All rights reserved. Contents may not be
reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission of publisher\
. Specifications
in this Guide are based on the latest product information available at the time of publication.
Some images shown are for illustration purposes only. Some equipment shown in photography
within this Guide is optional at extra cost. Specific options may be a\
vailable only in combination
with other options. Specific combinations of equipment or features may vary from time to time,
and by geographic area. Subaru of America, Inc. reserves the right to change or discontinue
at any time, without notice: Prices, colors, materials, equipment, acces\
sories, specifications,
models and packages, without incurring any obligation to make the same o\
r similar changes on
vehicles previously sold. Colors shown may vary due to reproduction and printing processes.
Subaru of America, Inc. is not responsible for typographical errors. Aha
™ is a trademark
of Harman International Industries, Incorporated. Alcantara® is a registered trademark of
Alcantara S.p.A., and Alcantara is produced by the Toray Group. App Store® is a registered
trademark of Apple, Inc. Apple® is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. Apple CarPlay® is a
registered trademark of Apple, Inc. Android Auto™ is a trademark of Google, LLC. BBS® is a
registered trademark of BBS Kraftahrzeugtechnik, AG. Bluetooth® is a registered trademark of
Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Brembo® is a registered trademark of Freni Brembo, S.p.A. GreenEdge®
is a registered trademark of Harman International Industries, Incorporated. Glympse® is a
registered trademark of Glympse, Inc. Grand Luxe® is a registered trademark of Seiren Co.,
Ltd. HARMAN® is a registered trademark of HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated.
Harman Kardon® is a registered trademark of Harman International Industries, Incorporated.
Quantum logic™ is a trademark of Harman International Industries, Incorporated. HD Radio®
is a registered trademark of iBiquity Digital Corporation. HomeLink® and the HomeLink®
house icon are registered trademarks of Gentex Corporation. iHeartRadio® is a registered
trademark of iHeartMedia, Inc. iPod® is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. iTunes® is a
registered trademark of Apple, Inc. Magellan® is a registered trademark of MiTAC International
Corporation. Michelin® is a registered trademark of Compagnie Générale des Etablissments
Michelin. Metal-Matrix Diaphragm (MMD®) is a registered trademark of Harman International
Industries, Incorporated. MirrorLink™ is a trademark of Car Connectivity Consortium, LLC.
Pandora® is a registered trademark of Pandora Media, Inc. SACHS® is a registered trademark
of ZF Friedrichshafen AG. Siri® is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. Smart Way® is a
registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Stitcher™ is a trademark of
Stitcher™, Inc. TomTom® is a registered trademark of TomTom International BV. TORSEN LSD®
is a registered trademark of JTEKT TORSEN North America, Inc. SiriusXM® All Access Radio
is a registered trademark of Sirius XM Radio, Inc. SiriusXM Traffic® is a registered trademark
of Sirius XM Radio, Inc. SiriusXM Travel Link® is a registered trademark of SiriusXM Radio, Inc.
Ultrasuede® is a registered trademark of Toray Industries, Inc. Yelp® is a registered trademark of
Yelp, Inc. Ascent, DriverFocus, and StarDrive, are trademarks of Subaru of America, Inc. Added
Security, Crosstrek, Forester, Outback, StarTex and XV Crosstrek are registered trademarks of
Subaru of America, Inc. BRZ, Confidence in Motion, EyeSight, Impreza, Lineartronic, Legacy,
S209, Subaru, SUBARU STARLINK
®, SUBARU BOXER, tS (Design), WRX, STI and X-MODE
are registered trademarks of Subaru Corporation.

PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE
WELCOME................. 4
IMPORTANT SAFETY
INFORMATION.............. 4
OWNER’S RESOURCES....... 4
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY..... 5
TOWING YOUR ALL-WHEEL
DRIVE SUBARU............. 6
ENTRY AND EXIT
KEYLESS ENTRY............ 7
KEYLESS ACCESS WITH PUSH
BUTTON START............. 9
POWER REAR GATE (PRG)....11
INSTRUMENT PANEL........14
GETTING COMFORTABLE
SEATING...................16
TILT AND TELESCOPIC STEERING
COLUMN...................18
POWER EXTERIOR MIRRORS . . 18
REAR VIEW MIRROR.........19
POWER WINDOWS..........20
POWER MOONROOF........20
CLIMATE CONTROL..........21
ACCESSORY CONNECTIONS . . 27
CONTROLS
INSTRUMENT PANEL SWITCHES
(LOWER LEFT)..............28
AUDIO CONTROLS...........28
ADVANCED ADAPTIVE CRUISE
CONTROL.................29
I/SET SWITCH...............29
INFO SWITCH...............30
LIGHT CONTROLS...........30
TURN SIGNALS.............31
WINDSHIELD WIPERS........32
REAR WINDOW WIPER.......32
OVERHEAD CONSOLE........33
GAUGES AND WARNING
LIGHTS
COMBINATION METER.......34
WARNING AND INDICATOR
LIGHTS....................34
OPERATING THE VEHICLE
IGNITION SWITCH...........35
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION
SWITCH...................35
STARTING THE VEHICLE......35
DRIVING THE VEHICLE.......36
TABLE OF CONTENTS

AUTO START–STOP.........38
ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE
(EPB).....................40
X-MODE
®..................41
TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE...43
REFUELING
FUEL FILLER LID............44
FUEL......................44
FUEL CAPACITY.............44
PASSENGER/CARGO AREAS
FOLDING THE REAR SEATS...45
CHILD SAFETY LOCKS.......45
LATCH/ANCHOR............46
REAR SEAT REMINDER.......47
CARGO COVER.............48
SPARE TIRE AND JACK.......48
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
HOOD PROP................49
2.5 L ENGINE...............50
ADDITIONAL SPECIFICATIONS
NEW VEHICLE BREAK-IN......51
ENGINE OIL................51
ENGINE OIL CAPACITY.......51
ROOF RAIL CAPACITY.......52
TRAILER TOWING CAPACITY . . 52
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM (TPMS).............53
STARLINK OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW OF YOUR MULTIMEDIA
SYSTEM...................54
BUTTONS..................54
TOUCHSCREEN.............56
STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS . 57
VOICE RECOGNITION........57
STARLINK HOME
HOME SCREEN ICONS.......60
REARRANGING ICONS.......60
ADDING SHORTCUTS........61
DRIVER PROFILE
CREATING A DRIVER PROFILE . 62
MULTIMEDIA
RADIO.....................64
MEDIA.....................65
PHONE
PAIRING A PHONE...........66
MAKING A CALL.............66
RECEIVING A CALL..........67
TEXT MESSAGES............68
APPS
SUBARU STARLINK®IN-VEHICLE
APPS......................69
SUBARU STARLINK
®MOBILE
APP.......................71
MYSUBARU................73
MAPS (if equipped)
MAPS OVERVIEW............74
CREATING HOME AND WORK
PROFILES..................74
STARLINK SAFETY AND
SECURITY
SAFETY AND SECURITY
OVERVIEW.................75
ENROLLMENT..............76
MYSUBARU INTEGRATION....77
SUBARU STARLINK
®WI-FI
HOTSPOT..................77
SETTINGS AND UPDATES
SETTINGS AND UPDATES
OVERVIEW.................78
SOUND....................79
PHONE....................79
MAPS/NAVIGATION..........80
CLOCK....................82
EYESIGHT
EYESIGHT®OVERVIEW.......84
OPERATION................84
FUNCTIONS................85
STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS . 91
LANE DEPARTURE WARNING AND
PRE-COLLISION BRAKING
SYSTEM OFF SWITCHES......92
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2

DRIVER ASSIST
TECHNOLOGIES
REAR-VISION CAMERA.......93
BLIND-SPOT DETECTION (BSD)/
REAR CROSS-TRAFFIC ALERT
(RCTA)....................93
HIGH BEAM ASSIST (HBA)....94
STEERING RESPONSIVE
HEADLIGHTS (SRH)..........94
REVERSE AUTOMATIC BRAKING
(RAB).....................95
DRIVERFOCUS DISTRACTION
MITIGATION SYSTEM
DRIVERFOCUS®OVERVIEW...96
DRIVERFOCUS®
COMPONENTS..............96
DROWSY/INATTENTIVE
WARNINGS.................99
DRIVER PROFILE/CONVENIENCE
SETTINGS..................99
DRIVER MONITORING SYSTEM
OFF......................100
CARE AND LIMITATIONS
STEREO CAMERA
PRECAUTIONS.............101
WINDSHIELD GLASS AND
DASHBOARD..............101
FRONT VIEW
FORESTER................102
EYESIGHT DISCLAIMER
EYESIGHT®DISCLAIMER....103
HOW TO APPENDIX
HOW TO OVERVIEW.........104
MEMORY HEIGHT..........105
MEMORY DRIVER’S SEAT....107
BLUETOOTH
®PAIRING......108
ANDROID AUTO™..........116
APPLE CARPLAY
®..........118
WI-FI.....................120
MAPS....................122
FIRMWARE AND SOFTWARE
UPDATES.................130
INDEX.....................131
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3

WELCOME
Congratulations on choosing a Subaru Forester and welcome to the Subaru family!
Subaru is more than a car company™. We are committed to making the world a better
place, and the Subaru Love Promise is our vision to show love and respect to all people at
every interaction with Subaru. We believe in building lifelong relationships with our
customers, earning your trust and exceeding your expectations by providing customer
service with integrity and compassion.
This Getting Started Guide will introduce you to your new Subaru Forester by providing
information on the basic operation and key features of your Subaru as well as the
STARLINK
®and EyeSight®systems in your vehicle.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
The Getting Started Guide is not intended as a substitute for the Owner’s Manuals. We
strongly encourage you to review the vehicle, STARLINK®, and EyeSight®Owner’s
Manuals to ensure complete understanding.
OWNER’S RESOURCES
If you’re having difficulty using any of the functions outlined in this guide, or to learn more,
you can get more information from the following
sources:
Your Subaru Owner’s Manuals:
Located in the glovebox
Online Subaru Owner’s Resources:
www.subaru.com/owners
Subaru Customer Support:
www.subaru.com/customer-support
1-800-782-2783 (1-800-SUBARU3 )
PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE
4

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
SUBARU STARLINK®Safety and Security(subscription required)
SOS Emergency:Press the red
“SOS” button on the overhead
console in the event of an
emergency to speak with a
SUBARU STARLINK
®Customer
Care Advisor.
Enhanced Roadside Assistance:
Press the blue “i” button on the
overhead console or select the
“Roadside Assistance” option in
the “MySubaru” menu on the
multimedia system.
For more information, please refer to “Safety and Security Overview” on page 75 or
the SUBARU STARLINK®Safety and Security Owner’s Manual.
Subaru Roadside Assistance
Subaru Roadside Assistance:
1-800-261-2155
Subaru Roadside Assistance is free and standard on your Subaru; there are no forms to
complete. This service is available anytime during the 3-year/36,000-mile Subaru Limited
Warranty, whichever comes first. See your retailer for details and refer to the Roadside
Assistance guide in the owner’s information kit for the details on this coverage. A Subaru
Roadside Assistance decal has been affixed to the driver’s door window.
Roadside assistance helps with:
• Towing to the nearest authorized Subaru retailer if you cannot safely drive your Subaru
• Jump-start if your battery is dead
• Gasoline delivery if you run out of gas
• Flat tire change to install your spare
• Emergency lockout service
• National Subaru retailer locator service, with phone numbers and location of the nearest
retailer anywhere in the U.S. or Canada
NOTE: Specifically excluded from Subaru Roadside Assistance coverage are service
requests or claims resulting from: accidents, vandalism, acts of God, violation of any laws,
or vehicle modifications not recommended by the manufacturer.
SOS and Roadside Assistance Buttons
PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE
5

TOWING YOUR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SUBARU
Since Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive distributes power to all four wheels, improper
towing may damage your AWD system. The best way to tow your Forester is with a flatbed
truck by your Subaru retailer or a commercial towing service.
PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE
6

KEYLESS ENTRY
1Lock/Arm
• Press the lock/arm button to lock the doors, the rear gate,
and the fuel door and to activate the security alarm. A chirp
sounds and the hazard warning lights flash once.
• If any of the doors or the rear gate are not fully closed, five
rapid chirps sound and the hazard warning lights will flash
to alert you.
• Press the lock/arm button three times to activate the vehicle
finder function. If you are within 30 feet of your Subaru, the
horn sounds once, and the hazard warning lights flash three
times.
2Unlock/Disarm
• Press the unlock/disarm button once to unlock the driver’s
door and fuel door. To unlock all the doors and the rear
gate, briefly press the button twice. Two chirps sound and
the hazard warning lights flash twice.
• The interior lights will illuminate when you press the
unlock/disarm button if they are set to the “DOOR” position
on the overhead console.
3Rear Gate
• Press the rear gate button to unlock the rear gate.
• If your Subaru has a Power Rear Gate, press and hold this
button to open or close the rear gate.
4Panic Alarm
• Press the panic alarm button to sound the horn and flash
the hazard warning lights.
• Press any button on the access key fob or transmitter to deactivate the panic
alarm.
Transmitter
Access Key Fob
ENTRY AND EXIT
7

Automatic Door Locking/Unlocking
This feature allows you to set when your Subaru automatically locks or unlocks the doors
through the STARLINK®Touchscreen (select “Settings” then “Vehicle”). The available
settings are listed in the table below.
AVAILABLE SETTINGS
AUTO DOOR LOCK
Vehicle Speed
(12 mph)Shift into or
out of PARKOFF
AUTO DOOR UNLOCK
Shift into or out of
PARKIgnition OFF Driver’s Door
OpenOFF
ENTRY AND EXIT
8