2021 SUBARU FORESTER ESP

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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

POWER WINDOWS
To open or close a window,
partially press down or pull up
and hold the corresponding
switch. The driver’s window has a
one-touch auto up/down
function, and the front
passenger’s window may also
have an auto up/down function, if
equipped. Fully press down or
pull up and release to
automatically open or close a
one-touch window.
POWER MOONROOF(if equipped)
The moonroof operates with the
ignition in the “ON” position.
1Opening:Press, briefly hold,
and release the switch to
automatically open the
moonroof. This also
automatically opens the
sunshade if it is closed.
The moonroof will stop
slightly before the fully-open
position to reduce wind
noise. Press, briefly hold,
and release the switch again
to fully open it.
2Closing:Press, briefly hold, and release the switch to close the moonroof. This also
automatically closes the sunshade.
To stop the moonroof partway while opening or closing, press either side of the switch.
Power Window Switches
GETTING COMFORTABLE
20

INSTRUMENT PANEL SWITCHES (LOWER LEFT)
The switches in the lower left of the instrument panel allow you to control several
convenient and important features. Knowing their location and function will improve your
driving experience.
1Power Rear Gate (if
equipped, p. 11)
2Steering Responsive
Headlights OFF (p. 94)
3Power Rear Gate Memory
Height (if equipped, p. 105)
4Illumination Brightness
(p. 31)
5Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF (if equipped, p. 42)
6Auto Start-Stop OFF (p. 38)
7Blind Spot Detection/Rear
Cross Traffic Alert OFF (if equipped, p. 94)
8Driver Monitoring System OFF (if equipped, p. 100)
For more information, please refer to your EyeSight®and vehicle Owner’s Manuals.
AUDIO CONTROLS
1Presets/Skip
2Volume
3Source
4INFO
5Call/Voice Recognition
For more information about your audio
system and controls, please refer to page 57
or the SUBARU STARLINK
®Owner’s Manual.
CONTROLS
28

WINDSHIELD WIPERS
To turn on the wipers, press the wiper control
lever down one position for intermittent, two
positions for low speed, or three positions for
high speed. When the lever is in the
intermittent position, rotate the dial to adjust
the operating interval of the wipers. To turn the
wipers off, return the lever to the “OFF”
position. For a single wipe, move the lever up
from the “OFF” position.
Pull the lever toward you to wash the
windshield. The washer will spray and the wipers will operate while you pull the lever.
REAR WINDOW WIPER
Rotate the end of the lever up one position for
intermittent, or two positions for continuous
operation.
When the lever in is the intermittent position,
the wiper operates at intervals corresponding
with vehicle speed. When you move the select
lever to the “R” position, the wiper will switch
to continuous operation. It will return to
intermittent when you move the select lever
out of “R”.
Rotate the dial up from the continuous operation position or down from the “OFF” position
to spray washer fluid. The washer will spray until you release the dial, then return to the
previous position and resume operation.
Rear-vision Camera Washer
To help keep your vision clear, your Subaru
comes equipped with a Rear-vision Camera
Washer. To clean the Rear-vision Camera,
simply use the rear window washer.
For more information, about the Rear
Vision Camera and Rear Vision Camera
Washer, please refer to page 93 or your
Owner’s Manual.
CONTROLS
32

Paddle Shift Control Switches(if equipped)
You can shift gears using the
paddle shift control switches. To
upshift to the next higher gear,
pull the “+” paddle on the right
toward you. To downshift to the
next lower gear, pull the “–”
paddle on the left toward you.
You can temporarily shift gears
even when the select lever is in
the “D” position by pulling either
the “+” or “–” paddle toward you.
Once vehicle speed stabilizes, the
transmission will switch back to
normal mode.
SI-DRIVE
Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-Drive) has
2 possible mode combinations: Intelligent (I)
and Sport (S) or Intelligent (I) and Sport Sharp
(S#). Each mode is designed for different types
of driving:
Intelligent:
The Intelligent (I) mode provides well balanced performance with greater fuel efficiency and
smooth driveability without stress. Power delivery is moderate during acceleration for
maximum fuel efficiency.
Sport:
The Sport (S) mode provides the engine power desired by those who want to make the
driving experience their own personal adventure.
Sport Sharp:
The Sport Sharp (S#) mode offers an exhilarating level of engine performance and control.
The throttle becomes more responsive regardless of the engine speed. Delivering
maximum driving enjoyment, this mode is ideal for driving on twisting roads and for
merging or overtaking other vehicles on the freeway with confidence.
SI-Drive Switches
OPERATING THE VEHICLE
37

ROOF RAIL CAPACITY
CROSS BARS DYNAMIC ROOF RAILS DYNAMIC ROOF RAIL STATIC
150 Pounds 176 Pounds 700 Pounds
For more information, please refer to your Owner’s Manual.
TRAILER TOWING CAPACITY
Maximum total trailer weight* Maximum tongue weight*
1,500 pounds 150 pounds
*Towing a trailer with brakes.
NOTE:
• For models equipped with the BSD (Blind Spot Detection) and RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic
Alert) driving support systems, when towing a trailer, it may be necessary to press the
BSD/RCTA OFF switch to deactivate the system. The system may not operate as
expected due to obstruction of the radar waves. For details about the BSD/RCTA OFF
switch, refer to page 94 and/or your Owner’s Manual.
• For models equipped with the RAB (Reverse Automatic Braking) driving support system,
when towing a trailer, it may be necessary to press the RAB button to deactivate the
system. The system may not operate as expected due to obstruction of the sonar
waves. For details about the RAB button, refer to page 95 and/or your Owner’s Manual.
Please refer to your Owner’s Manual for complete details, especially if you plan to use
this vehicle for regular towing.
ADDITIONAL SPECIFICATIONS
52