1999 Subaru Forester complaints

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

WITHIN THE FIRST 9 MONTHS, I EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH 4 OUT OF THE ORIGINAL 5 OF THESE TIRES, INCLUDING A BLOWOUT OF THE INSIDE SIDEWALL ON ONE OF THEM. I CONTACTED BOTH FIRESTONE AND THE SUBARU DEALER, BUT WAS TOLD I HAD SIMPLY BEEN "UNLUCKY" TO HAVE A( DOT NUMBER: ELYTCHB238 TIRE SIZE: P20570R15 )

WHILE EXITING A PARKING LOT CONSUMER PRESSED ON BRAKES, BUT VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AS IF THE GAS PEDAL WAS BEING PRESSED DOWN ALL THE WAY. CONSUMER HAD HER FOOT ON THE BRAKES. VEHICLE DID MOVE FORWARD AT A SLOW PACE FOR THE FACT THE VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING AND BRAKING AT THE SAME TIME. CONSUMER HAD TO SWERVE OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID A COLLISION. PLACED VEHICLE IN PARK IN ORDER FOR VEHICLE TO STOP. DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO LOCATE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE, AND HAS ADVISED CONSUMER TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE WITHOUT REPAIRS. *AK THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TWICE BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. *YH

REAR TIRES WERE WEARING OUT EXCESSIVELY ON THE OUTSIDE EDGE. HAD THE TIRES REPLACED AT 25,000. FRONT TIRES ARE THE ORIGINAL & STILL GOOD. *AK

REAR END STEERING FREEZES UP, CAUSING A LOSS OF ROAD CONTROL. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

OWNER RECEIVED RECALL NOTIFICATION (99V-040), HOWEVER DEALERSHIP REFUSED REPAIR, DEALERSHIP NOT INFORMED. *MJS

I HAVE HAD THREE CRACKED WINDSHILEDS-ALL ORIGINATING WHERE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER HEATING ELEMENTS ARE LODGED IN THE WINDSHIELD- MUST BE DESIGN DEFECT- EVERYTIME THEY FIND A SMALL CHIP IN THE WINDSHIELD-I THINK THAT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT MAKES THE WINDSHIELD UNUSUALLY VULNERABLE

DRIVING ON FAST DOWNHILL SECTION OF MOUNTAIN 2 LANE HIGHWAY, ON ICE / PACKED SNOW, TAPPED BRAKES WHILE ENTERING CURVE ... 2 SECONDS LATER WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING THE VEHICLE LOST ADHESION, OVERSTEERING DANGEROUSLY. I RECOVERED WITH CONSIDERABLE OPPPOSITE STEERING LOCK AND SLIGHT APPLICATION OF POWER (CAR IS ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE.) IT HAPPENED SO FAST, I KNEW NOT WHAT HAD CAUSED THE CAR TO SLIDE OUT OF CONTROL. TODAY, I LEARNED THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. WITH THE GEARSHIFT SELECTOR IN DRIVE, TRAILING THROTTLE AND APPLICATION OF BRAKES, THE COMPUTER WILL OCCASIONALLY (AUTOMATICALLY) DOWN-SHIFT THE CAR INTO 3RD. GEAR. THIS SOFTWARE BUG, COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED AND TOTALLY DANGEROUS IN MARGINAL TRACTION CONDITIONS CAUSEDG A VICIOUS SKID FROM WHICH MOST DRIVERS OF AVERAGE EXPERIENCE WOULD HAVE NOT RECOVERED. WE PUT ABS ON CARS SO THAT BRAKING CAN BE MORE PREDICTABLE WHEN DRIVING UNDER MARGINAL COEFFICIENTS, THAN WE DESIGN SOFTWARE WITH A BUG WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO THROW THE CAR TOTALLY AND UNPREDICTABLY OUT OF CONTROL ON ICE. NICE WORK, SUBARU !*AK

TIRES PREMATURELY WORE OUT WITHIN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *ML

CHEVRON RECEIPT OF 4/20/00 READS: ALL FOUR BRIDGESTONE TIRES ARE UNSAFE DUE TO BEAD PROBLEMS - HAD TO PUT STUDDED TIRES BACK ON VEHICLE. (NOTE) - THESE PEOPLE DO NOT SELL TIRES. *AK( DOT NUMBER: EL YT TIRE SIZE: P205/70R15 )

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE HESITATING INTERMITTENTLY WHENEVER VEHICLE SITS FOR MORE THEN TWO DAYS. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. *AK

DEFECTIVE SEAL ON THE TRANSMISSION CAUSED TRANSMISSION FLUID TO LEAK INTO EXHAUST ASSEMBLY. YH

GEAR SHIFT RESULTED IN A SEVERE JOLT TO PASSENGERS AND THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. YH

VEHICLE FIRST SHOWED PROBLEM 11/99. VEHICLE BANGS INTO GEAR WITH TREMENDOUS JOLT. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION AND RETURNED VEHICLE 12/9/99 AFTER 25 DAYS OUT OF SERVICE. PROBLEM REOCCURRED IN 1/26/00 IN NEW TRANSMISSION. DEALER NOT WILLING TO CONSIDER ALTERNATE SOLUTION BUT WILL REPLACE TRANSMISSION. SUSPECTS PROBLEM IS NOT TRANSMISSION BUT ANOTHER PROBLEM CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO GO BAD. *AK

BRAKES WENT MUSHY AND GRADUALLY WENT TO FLOOR BOARD. WORKED OK WHEN PUMPED

WOULD HEAR GRINDING NOISES COMING FROM REAR. THE FASTER THE VEHICLE WAS GOING, THE LOUDER THE NOISE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AT LEAST 4 TIMES: 6/23/ 7/2/ 11/8; & 11/15. THE WHEELS LOCKED UP AT ONE POINT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE SEAL HAD BROKEN. EACH TIME WAS REPAIRED. *AK

DEALER REPORTED VEHICLE WAS NOT ALIGNED AT TIME OF MANUFACTURING, CAUSED PREMATURELY WEAR TIRES WHICH SUBARU OF AMERICA IS ONLY WILLING TO PAY A SMALL SHARE OF COST( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P20570R15 )

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS DOWN TO 3RD GEAR AT ANY SPEED IF THE DRIVER TOUCHES THE BRAKE PEDAL. AT SPEEDS OVER 60 MPH THIS SHARPLY REDUCES THE DRIVER'S ABILITY TO CONTROL VEHICLE SPEED. THE TRANSMISSION SUBSEQUENTLY DOES NOT SHIFT UP TO 4TH GEAR AGAIN. IT MUST BE SHIFTED UP MANUALLY. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD IN MODERATE TO HEAVY TRAFFIC ON HILLY HIGHWAYS AND FREEWAYS. I HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE PROBLEMS TO A DEALER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE. A SUBARU REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME IN A TELEPHONE CALL THAT SUBARU HAS CORRECTED THE HIGH SPEED DOWNSHIFT PROBLEM IN LEGACY AND OUTBACK MODELS BUT WILL NOT REPAIR THE SAME PROBLEM IN FORESTER MODELS.

BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE, AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN DRIVER SLAMMED THE BRAKE. YH

I HAVE DETECTED THAT WITHIN THE SPEED RANGE OF 5 MILES PER HOUR UP TO 70 MILES PER HOUR, THE BRAKE ROTORS (FRONT AND BACK) CAUSE A PREMATURE VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING WITH REASONABLE FORCE ON BRAKE PEDAL FROM THESE SPEEDS. THIS VIBRATION IS SUSPECTED TO BE CAUSING IRREGULAR WEAR ON ALL FOUR TIRES, AND WILL WEAR VITAL SUSPENTION AND BRAKING COMPONENTS PREMATURELY, CAUSING A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD.

EVERY DAY I ACCELERATE FROM MY DRIVEWAY IMMEDIATELY AFTER START UP THE CAR HESITATES AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE I PUSHED ON THE GAS BUT THERE WAS A 1-2 SECOND HESITATION BEFORE THE CAR TOOK OFF. IT IS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND I LIVE IN OHIO AND IT WAS SPRING AND SUMMER LIKE WEATHER AND IT DID IT FROM DAY ONE

WHILE DRIVING DURING WARM WEATHER APPLIED BRAKES, AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THEY HAD TO BE PUMPED TO GET A RESPONSE. PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR UNTIL THE THIRD PUMP. THERE IS A RECALL FOR ABS BRAKING SYSTEM FAILURE IN COLD WEATHER. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

WHEN THE TRUCK IS PARKED ON A SLIGHT INCLINE WITH THE ENGINE OFF IT WILL JERK ONE OR TWO INCHES FORWARD. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE TRUCK IS PARKED IN REVERSE WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER CONCERNS. *AK

ENGINE REBUILT DUE TO FAILURE, HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED DUE TO FAILURE OF REBUILT UNIT. MJS

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, PEDAL GOES 3/4 OF THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. BRAKES GET LOWER IN COLD WEATHER. DEALER SAYS IT'S NORMAL AND THERE IS NO WAY TO ADJUST PEDAL HEIGHT DUE TO FOUR WHEEL DISC BRAKES. *AK

DESIGN OF THE THROTTLE/PEDALS CREATES DIFFICULTY IN HAVING A SMOOTH ACCELERATION, PLACEMENT OF THE PEDALS ALSO CREATE A POTENTIAL HAZARD WITH THE ABILITY TO ACCIDENTALLY ENGAGE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE. MJS

NEW VEHICLE BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE, VEERING FROM SIDE TO SIDE, THEN GOING OFF THE ROAD, WITHIN FIRST 7 MILES OF DRIVING AT 60 MPH. *** 7 PURCHASED A NEW SUBARU FORESTER L ON JUNE 24, 1999, AND DROVE 200 MILES IN CITY AND SUBURBAN TRAFFIC, MAXIMUM SPEED 55 MPH. *** 7 LEFT ROCHESTER FOR FAMILY VACATION ON JULY 2, 1999, TRAVELLING EAST ON I-90. THE CAR CONTAINED TWO ADULTS AND TWO CHILDREN. DRIVER AND PASSENGERS WERE WEARING SEATBELTS AND ALL LUGGAGE WAS IN THE LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT. THE WEATHER WAS HOT AND THE ROADS WERE DRY. *** 7 NEAR MILEPOST 343, BETWEEN 10:30 AND 10:45 A.M., WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, A NORMAL STEERING CORRECTION LED TO A SHARP VEER BY THE VEHICLE, FOLLOWED BY 4 OR 5 UNCONTROLLABLE SIDE-TO-SIDE OSCILLATIONS, EACH INCREASING IN MAGNITUDE. THE DRIVER HAD THE SENSE THAT THE WHEELS WERE NOT RESPONDING TO HER CONSCIOUS ATTEMPTS TO BRING THE STEERING UNDER CONTROL. SHE HAD HER FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND WAS NOT BRAKING. THIS OCCURRED WITHIN 7 MILES OF THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING MORE THAN 55 MPH. *** 7 THE CAR WENT OFF THE ROAD TO THE RIGHT, DOWN A BANK INTO A DITCH CONTAINING MUD, WATER, AND VEGETATION. IT HIT THE DITCH AT AN ANGLE, BOUNCED, AND CAME TO A STOP IN THE GRASS ON THE OTHER SIDE. *** 7 DURING THESE EVENTS THERE WAS NO SOUND FROM THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM AND THE CAR WAS NOT SKIDDING, BUT TIRE TRACKS WERE VISIBLE ON BOTH THE PAVED AND GRAVEL SHOULDERS WHERE THE CAR LEFT THE ROAD. *** 7 WE HAD NO PHONE AND THE CAR WAS OPERABLE, SO WE DROVE

REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT FIT CHILD SAFETY SEATS PROPERLY. MJS

AT 60 TO 70 MPH THE CAR CAN SUDDENLY LOSES HANDLING CONTROL. IT STARTS TO BOB AND ROCK AND I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO TIP OVER. THIS OCCURRED 2 TIMES WITH 2 DIFFERENT DRIVERS. EVENTUALLY THE CAR DID STRAIGHTEN OUT AND FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO CARS AROUND SO NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. *AK

NO SUMMARY

PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT ANCHOR BOLT THAT MOUNTS IN THE INSIDE SEAT BASE CAME OUT OF ITS MOUNTING HOLE WHEN THE SEAT BELT HARNESS WAS INSERTED INTO THE RECEIVING BUCKLE. THE ENTIRE HARNESS AND ATTACHING HARDWARE THEN RETRACTED TOWARD THE DOOR HITING THE PASSENGER. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE DRIVER SIDE ANCHOR BOLT IT WAS FOUND TO BE HALF WAY UNTHREADED FROM ITS HOLE IN THE DRIVERS SEAT BASE.