1998 Subaru Forester complaints

REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILURE, WHEEL CAN LOCK UP. *CJ

ROAD SALT GETS IN BETWEEN TIRES AND RIMS ,CAUSING A SLOW LEAK TO OCCUR IN THE TIRES. DEALER BEADED THE TIRES, AND SLOW LEAK REOCCURRED.*AK

THE 15" WILDERNESS THAT CAME STOCK WITH THIS FORESTER HAD TO BE REPLACED AT APPROXIMATELY 29,800 MILES. I TOOK IT IN FOR A TIRE ROTATION AND LES SCHWAB INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT ROTATE THE TIRES AS THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXTREME WEAR. THOSE 15" TIRES SHOULD HAVE LASTED AT LEAST ANOTHER 30,000 MILES. I THINK THAT ALL WILDERNESS TIRES REGARDLESS OF SIZE SHOULD BE RECALLED AS THEY ARE DEFINITELY A DEFECTIVE TIRE.*AK( DOT NUMBER: )

THE SUBARU FORESTER CITED IN THIS COMPLAINT WAS PURCHASED NEW AT WOODBRIDGE JEEP SUBARU IN WOODBRIDGE VA. ON AUGUST 29, 1998. UNKNOWN TO US AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE, THE 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS MISALIGNED. ON AUGUST 25, 2000, MY WIFE WAS ON AN EXTENDED TRIP WHEN THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON FOR NO READILY APPARENT REASON. THIS PROMPTED HER TO RETURN HOME AND US TO TRY TO CONTACT WOODBRIDGE JEEP SUBARU WHICH WE SOON LEARNED HAD QUIT SELLING SUBARUS. WE THEN CONTACTED THE NEXT CLOSEST SUBARU DEALER WHICH WAS REYNOLDS CADILLAC SUBARU IN ORANGE VA., A DISTANCE OF 36 MILES ONE WAY FROM MY RESIDENCE. ON AUGUST 30, 2000 , WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE SAID DEALERSHIP IN ORANGE. THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED THE CAR AND COULD NOT DETERMINE WHY THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALERSHIP DID, HOWEVER, INFORM US THAT THE REAR TIRES HAD WORN EXCESSIVELY TOWARDS THE OUTSIDE TREAD TO THE EXTENT THAT IT WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE THE TIRE HAD WORN DOWN TO THE BELTS ON OUTER PART OF TIRE. THE EXCESSIVE WEAR, I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER REPRESENTATIVE, WAS DUE TO A MISALIGNMENT OF THE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM. I WAS TOLD TO MAKE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT TO GET THE CAR ALIGNED AND TO GET NEW TIRES PUT ON THE CAR. IN THE INTERIM THE SAID DEALERSHIP WAS TO CONTACT SUBARU TO SEE WHAT SUBARU WOULD DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM SINCE THE TIRES HAD OBVIOUSLY WORN PREMATURELY. ON SEPTEMBER 6. 2000, AFTER DRIVING BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, WE WERE INFORMED THAT SUBARU HAD AGREED TO PAY FOR THE ALIGNMENT AND 65% OF THE

CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED AT 66 MPH AND IT WOULD REDUCE SPEED TO 50 MPH, AND MOMENTARILY LOSE ACCELERATION. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

ON MARCH 9, 2000 I TOOK MY CAR IN TO LES SCHWAB TO HAVE MY TIRES ROTATED. THE SERVICEMAN CAME OUT TO MY CAR TO WRITE UP THE PAPERWORK AND AS HE WAS CHECKING MY TIRES OUT HE SAID THAT HE WOULDN'T ROTATE MY TIRES DUE TO EXTREME WEAR ON ALL TIRES. HE APOLOGIZED BUT HE SAID THERE WAS NO POSSIBLE WAY THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SO RELUCTANTLY I HAD TO REPLACE MY TIRES AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO BE SAFE RATHER THAN SORRY AS I WAS GOING ON A ROAD TRIP IN A MONTH. THESE TIRES HAD EXTREMELY LOW MILEAGE TO BE REPLACING THEM AT 29,860 MILES AS THEY SHOULD HAVE LASTED ANOTHER 30,000 MILES IF NOT MORE.( DOT NUMBER: ? TIRE SIZE: P205/75R15 )

DUE TO DEFECTIVE WHEEL BEARING WHICH WENT BAD,. PROBLEM HAPPENED 5 TIMES. DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARINGS MAKES A LOUD NOISE AT LAST FAILED AND SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE WHEEL. *YH

VEHICLE DELAYED THEN JERKED INTO REVERSE, RUNNING INTO A BUILDING AN CAUSING SIGNIFICANT VEHICLE DAMAGE. *SLC

CAR BEGAN SMOKING UNDER THE HOOD-NO INDICATION FROM DASHBOARD THAT PERHAPS THE CAR WAS OVERHEATING. WHEN THE CAR WAS ULTIMATELY TURNED OFF AT THE HOME OF THE OWNER, THE ENGINE UNDER THE HOOD IGNITED, FLAMES ENGULFED UNDER THE HOOD. FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT WERE CALLED TO EXTINGUISH FIRE WHICH WAS TEN FEET FROM GARAGE OF HOME .DAMAGE TO DRIVEWAY AS WELL, DUE TO MELTING OF RUBBER AND PLASTIC IN THE CAR.FIRE REPORTED TO INSURANCE COMPANY. CAR WAS NOT DRIVEABLE AS PER FIRE CHIEF-CAR WAS TOWED TO AUTO BODY SHOP.

SECOND FAILURE IN 3+ MONTHS OF REAR WHEEL BEARINGS. BOTH REPLACE 6/00.*AK

THE CLUTCH DOES NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD AND FOR EXTENDED PERIODS IN COLD WEATHER. CLUTCH "CHATTERS" MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO START UP FROM REST WITHOUT HESITATION AND/OR STALLING. POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC. CLUTCH SEEMS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE TORQUE OF THE ENGINE. *AK

KAZOO NOISE IN FRONT SINCE 31K, BECAME RATCHET NOISE AT 52K. RACK AND PINION ADJUSTMENT STOPPED NOISE BUT STEERING IS SLOPPY AND PULLS TO RIGHT SOMETIMES.

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

GRADUAL BRAKE PULSATION EXPERIENCED TWICE. DEALER RESURFACED FRONT ROTORS (9/13/99 @ 21,156 MILES & 4/4/2000 @ 29,928 MILES), WHICH TEMPORARILY CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. *AK

AFTER OWNING THE FORESTER JUST 3 MONTHS, THE WINDSHIELD HAD THREE CHIPS IN IT WHICH THEN SPREAD INTO A CRACK ACROSS THE DRIVER'S VIEWING AREA. AFTER ONLY 21,000 MILES THE CLUTCH DISC/PLATE HAD TO BE REPLACED AND WAS NOT A WARRANTY MATTER. AFTER 42,000 MILES A BEARING IN THE REAR AXLE HAS GONE BAD AND THE CLUTCH IS BEGINNING TO MAKE THE SAME NOISE FOR WHICH IT HAD TO BE REPLACED EARLIER. I AM MOST DISAPPOINTED IN THIS VEHICLE.000 MILES,000 MILES THE

AXLE SHAFT LEAKED GREASE (POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD). CORRECTION OF FAILURE OUTLINED IN MANUFACTURER CAMPAIGN WXN71 DATED 5/5/1999. AS OWNER, I DID NOT RECEIVE CAMPAIGN NOTIFICATION FROM SUBARU OF AMERICA. IN RESPONSE TO INQUIRY, DLR ADVISED THAT RECALL ON MY VEHICLE IS CLOSED; WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY.*AK

SNOW AND ICE BUILD UP IN MODEST SNOW CAUSED THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM TO FAIL. IT WAS THE OPINON OF THE MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED THE CAR THAT THE FRONT GRILL OF THE WAS OF POOR DESIGN THAT CAUSED THE ICE AND SNOW TO BUILD. THERE WAS ONLY 4-6 INCHES OF SNOW THE DAY BEFORE. A MODEST AMOUNT TO CAUSE SUCH A SEVER PROBLEM. THE DESIGN OF THE FRONT GRILL TRAPPED THE SNOW. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO OTHER CARS IN THIS SNOW CONDITION. *AK OPINI

TRANSMISSION SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL WHILE ACCELERATING ON TO THE INTERSTATE, TRANSMISSION WAS REBUIT BY SUBARU AT 30,767 MILES. *AK

VEHICLE ACCIDENT DUE TO POSSIBLE RECALL COMPONENT FAILURE (MASTER CYLINDER) PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE. MJS

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS DURING VEHICLE COLLISION. YH

ENGINE STARTED TO RACE WHILE DRIVING,TRANSMISSION WON'T ENGAGE WITHOUT GRINDING. NEEDS NEW CLUTCH. NOT SURE WHY A CLUTCH SHOULD GO IN 2 YEARS OF HAVING THE CAR.

ERRATIC PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM: DEALER TURNED ROTORS FOR THE SECOND TIME, INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE.; SEEKING NHTSA HELP OR PROVIDE ADDITIONALINFORMATION.*AK

1. LEFT AIR/HEAT VENT NON-FUNCTIONAL. AIR/HEAT IS PUSHED OUT WITH ALMOST NO FORCE, UNLIKE RIGHT VENT, WHICH BLOWS WITH SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER FORCE. BROUGHT THIS COMPLAINT TO DEALER WHO SAID HE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HIS CAR. SAID IT WAS DESIGN FLAW, DID NOTHING TO ADDRESS PROBLEM. 2. A SPOT OF OIL OR GREASE-LIKE SUBSTANCE APPEARED ON REAR LEFT SEAT BACK. AT FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS NOTHING, NOW STAIN HAS GROWN TO COVER ALMOST A THIRD OF THE ENTIRE SEAT BACK. THE LEAK IS OBVIOUS AND GROWING, THE SEAT BACK CONTINUOSLY GREASY AND WET. DEALER NOTIFIED, CLAIMED THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO ABOUT IT.

WINDSHIELD GLASS EASILY DAMAGED. HAS SANDBLASTED APPEARANCE FROM ROAD DIRT. IMPAIRS VISION. WINDSHIELD, REAR AND SIDE WINDOWS EASILY SCRATCHED BY ICE SCRAPER THAT DID NOT DAMAGE GLASS ON OTHER CARS.

A FIRE STARTED WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO A FAULTY POWER STEERING HOSE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD MADE A STOP AT THE STORE, SMELLED BURNING. LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD. CONTACTED DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WAS LEAKING FROM THE FRONT AXLE ON TO THE EXHAUST. VEHICLE IS IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS. *AK

ENGINE WARNING LIGHT NO LONGER WORKS.

BRAKES FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND COLLISION WITH ROCKS, BUSHES AND TREES. MJS

WINDSHIELD CHIPPED WHEN SMALL STONE HIT WINDSHIELD. *AK

BAD SEAL ON O RING OF OIL DIP STICK CAUSED OIL TO OVERFILL TRANSMISSION FLUID, CAR WOULD STALL DUE TO LACK OF OIL PRESSURE. DEALER FIXED AFTER THIRD VISIT.

THE WINSHIELD GLASS CHIPS VERY EASILY FROM MINOR STONE HITS AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I ENCOUNTERED 3 CHIPS IN A PERIOD OF 3 MONTHS, DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT 65 MILES PER HOUR. I THINK THE GLASS IS TOO VULNERABLE TO BREAKAGE WHICH COMPROMISES THE SAFETY OF THE OCCUPANTS.

OIL LEAKS FROM DRIVE AXLES. DRIPS ONTO CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. TWO ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR HAVE FAILED. OWNERS CONCERNED OF POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. *AK

UNABLE TO FIT CHILD CAR SEAT IN TO BACK SEAT BECAUSE OF SEAT BELT POSITIONING/DESIGN. YH

THE BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ONCE HAD NO BRAKING ABILITY AT ALL WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. DEALER NEVER REPLACED ANY PARTS, JUST REMOVED A PEBBLE FROM THE BRAKE PADS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

CONSUMER PROCEEDED TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE THEN THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY AND STARTED TO ACCELERATE. *AK

REAR MAIN SEAL LEAKED ON TWO OCCASIONS.

THIS IS THE 2ND TIME I HAD A CRACK APPEAR IN MY WINDSHIELD. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN LATE MAY 1998 WHEN I WAS WASHING THE CAR AND SPRAYED COLD WATER ON IT I HEARD A CRACK. I TOOK IT TO THE SUBARU DEALER IN RENO AND THEY SAID IT WAS REALLY CAUSED BY A SLIGHT PEBBLE THAT HIT THE WINDSHEILD. THEN ON 23 NOV 98 AFTER DRIVING THAT DAY I NOTICED THE NEXT DAY THAT ANOTHER CRACK AGAIN IN THE LOWER LEFT HAND (FROM DRIVERS POSITION) PART OF THE WINDSHEILD ANOTHER (YET SMALLER THAN THE FIRST) CRACK. IT APPEARS THAT A PEBBLE MAY HAVE CAUSED IT. IF THIS IS ALL IT TAKES TO CRACK THESE WINDSHEILDS THEN SOMETHING IS WRONG. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MANY YEARS A LOT OF THEM OVERSEAS IN EUROPE WHERE THERE ARE MORE GRAVEL ROADS THAN IN THE US AND NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN. NOW TWICE IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS! SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG WITH THE DESIGN OR THE MATERIAL USED IN THE MANUFGACTURE OF THE WINDSHEILD.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN PUT IN REVERSE, DRIVER LOSE CONTROL RESULTING IN DRIVER HITTING A MAN.

VEHICLE DRIPPING OIL/GREASE ONTO THE CATALYTIC COVERTER, CAUSING A BURNING SMELL. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

BRAKES MALFUNCTION.

SECURITY SYSTEM GOES OFF WHEN HAZARD LIGHTS ARE ENGAGED/ABS BRAKES SQUEAK. IN ADDITION, WHILE PULLING OUT OF PARKING SPOT, VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY, AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON.

THOUSANDS OF TINY CRACKS ARE VISIBLE AROUND ALL TIRES SIDEWALLS. YOKOHAMA AVID TOURING 205R6516.

BRAKES ARE SO WEAK THE ABS CAN BE ACTIVATED ON DRY PAVEMENT.

GREASE AND OIL DRIPPING ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER STARTS SMELLING. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, BUT IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AKTHEY DOUBLED THE VISCOSITY OF THE DRIVELINE GREASE. FROM 90 TO 150 WEIGHT. TTHERE ONLY ONE PROBLEM WITH THIS.THE FUMES COMING OFF THE EXHAUST WERE MAKING ME SICK.THE LAEKAGE WAS BAD ENOUGH THAT I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS STARTING ON FIRE- FIRE HAZARD. *ADJ

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND STARTED SLIDING SIDEWAYS ON DRY PAVEMENT. TURNED AT 180 DEGREE SLIDE AND WENT THROUGH 10 FEET OF SHOULDER GRAVEL, 10 MORE FEET OF GRASS BEFORE FLIPPING OVER TWICE AND LANDING ON ITS WHEELS IN A MARSHY AREA. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. HOWEVER VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.

DRIVING 40 MPH ANOTHER DRIVER POINTED OUT PROBLEM. PULLED OVER & NOTICED SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. FLAMES STARTED SHOOTING OUT. FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED & PUT OUT FLAMES. FIRE CHIEF SAID FIRE ORIGNATED FROM FUEL LINES. FLAMES HAD ENGULFED VEHICLE IN MINUTES. VEHICLE TOTALED. *AK

WHILE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP WITH FOOT ON BRAKE THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. DEALER SAID THERE IS NO PROBLEM. *AK

WHEN APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES ON WET OR DRY PAVEMENT THE PEDAL TRAVELS TO THE FLOORBOARD, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM, BUT REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES ON DRY PAVEMENT THE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE WHICH RESULTED IN A COLLISION. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

VEHICLE SURGED WHEN BRAKING AT SLOW SPEEDS AND CRASHED INTO VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT.