Subaru Forester Complaints (1998)

101 consumer complaints on file.

#747410June 26, 2001
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY, POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
CLUTCH CANNOT HANDLE ENGINE TORQUE. CLUTCH CHATTERS ON ENGAGEMENT WHEN COLD, RESULTING IN VEHICLE NOT STARTING UP AND ACCELERATING AS EXPECTED. THIS COULD CAUSE ACCIDENT IF VEHICLE CANNOT MOVE OUT OF WAY OF OTHER TRAFFIC. CLUTCH VIBRATION ON HARD ACCELERATION FIRST NOTED AT 8653 MILES AND REPORTED TO DEALER. NOTICEABLE CHATTER WHEN COLD (UNDER 40 DEGREES OUTSIDE TEMP) UNTIL USED SEVERAL TIMES. CHATTER CONTINUES TO BECOME WORSE AND OCCUR AT HIGHER TEMPERATURES AS MILEAGE INCREASES. REPORTED TO DELAER AT 30,110 MILES AND DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE. REPORTED AGAIN AT 35,913 MILES AND DEALER NOTED BUT SIAD DID NOT REQUIRE REPAIR. REPORTED AGAIN AT 48,000 MILES AND DEALER WANTS TO REPAIR AT CUSTOMER EXPENSE. PROBLEM WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY IF REPAIRED AT ORIGINAL REPORT (8653 MILES).*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#561703June 19, 2001
SUSPENSION:MULTIPLE AXLE
REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. *SLC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#885083April 4, 2001
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
WHILE RIDING ON HIGHWAY PEBBLES HIT WINDSHIELD CAUSING IT TO BREAK. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#882887March 13, 2001
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
THERE IS A FOUR (4) INCH LONG SEAM DEVELOPING ON DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG. *AK THE LOWER SEAM OF COVER WHICH COULD BLOW OUT IF AIR BAG DEPLOYS WAS BEING REPLACED BY THE DEALER. *YH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#742021March 6, 2001
AIR BAGS
STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG COVER HAS SPLIT; A SUBARU 3YR/36K WARRANTY ITEM; IF CAR WERE IN CRASH, WOULDN'T THE AIRBAG POSSIBLY CAUSE INJURY BY INFLATING OUT OF THE TORN AIRBAG COVER ON THE STEERING WHEEL? CANNOT REPLACE JUST THE COVER; WILL COST $1000+/- TO REPLACE THE AIRBAG AND COVER. SHOULDN'T THE ORIGINAL DRIVER AIRBAG ASSEMBLY BE A SEATBELT-LIKE WARRANTY ITEM? THE PLASTIC COVER SPLITS, THE AIRBAG COULD INJURE IN A WAY NOT EXPECTED, AND THE MANUFACTURER DOES NOT HAVE TO PROVIDE A WARRANTY FOR ITS DEFECTIVE PRODUCT.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#882257March 6, 2001
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:DRUM
CONSUMER HAS HAD TO HAVE ROTORS TURNED ON A 'VERY' FREQUENT BASIS. DEALERSHIP/MECHANIC WERE SAYING THAT DRUMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#878351January 17, 2001
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT AND WHEN DRIVER ACCELERATES ENGINE WILL REV. CONSUMER HAS ALSO CHANGED ROTORS, AND IT'S TIME TO CHANGE THEM AGAIN AFTER 3000 MILES.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#877668January 8, 2001
TIRES
WHILE DRIVING, TIRES WOBBLE CAUSING THE FRONT END TO WOBBLE, WHEN ACCELERATOR PRESSURE IS RELEASED THE WOBBLE GOES AWAY UNTIL TIRES GET WARMED UP, THEN THE WOBBLE DOES NOT GO AWAY, TIRES WERE REPLACED BEFORE DUE TO THE SAME REASON, DEALER STATES THIS IS ATIRE PROBLEM AND NOT AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM, TIRES ARE FIRESTONE TIRES, SIZE P285/75R15, DOT # HXLR1800. *SLC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#737885December 16, 2000
TIRES
THE SUBARU FORRESTER WAS PURCHASED ON 8/25/2000. THE ABOVE TIRE (AND 3 OTHER TIRES) WERE BRAND NEW ON THE VEHICLE WHICH SHOWED 24,900 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THESE TIRES HAVE HAD EXCELLENT CARE AND WE HAVE BEEN ESPECIALLY CAREFUL TO MAINTAIN THE CORRECT AIR PRESSURE. THE TIRE FAILED SUDDENLY, THAT IS WENT ENTIRLEY FLAT IN ABOUT 5 SECONDS AT 55 MPH. AS FAR AS WE KNOW, THE TIRE WAS NOT PUNCTURED JUST PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. BOTH POQUET AUTO AND THE LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER PROMPTLY WORKED WITH US TO REPLACE THE TIRE AND REBALANCE THE NEW UNIT AT NO COST TO US. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THEIR QUICK SERVICE AND COOPERATION. WHILE WE HAVE HAD EXCELLENT SERVICE FROM PAST SETS OF FIRESTONE TIRES ON PREVIOUSLY OWNED AUTOMOBILES, WE ARE SOMEWHAT CONCERNED ABOUT THE ROAD WORTHINESS OF THESE TIRES CONSIDERING THE RECENT PUBLICITY REGARDING FIRESTONE TIRES OF THIS MODEL IN THE R15 SERIES. WE DO NOT EXPECT ANY ACTION ON THE PART OF THE NHTSA, FIRESTONE, OR POQUET BUT THOUGHT IT BEST TO REPORT THIS UNEXPECTED TIRE FAILURE. (DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRESIZE: P225/60R16)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#737753December 13, 2000
TIRES
I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT, AT MY 26,000 MILE CHECK UP 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS TOLD ME MY TIRES WERE WORN OUT. I WAS HIGHLY CONCERNED THAT ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT SHOULD WEAR OUT AT 26,000 MILES. THEY REFUSED TO COVER THEM IN THE 30,000 MILE REPLACEMENT CLAUSE. SOON AFTER FIRESTONE STARTED HAVING RECALLS, I BELIEVE MY TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE NOT WORN OUT. *AK (TIRESIZE: RX15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: RX15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#557567November 27, 2000
SUSPENSION:MULTIPLE AXLE
REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILURE, WHEEL CAN LOCK UP. *CJ
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#873457October 20, 2000
TIRES
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#734531October 17, 2000
TIRES
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: )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#732544September 26, 2000
SUSPENSION:FRONT, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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 COST TO REPLACE THE TIRES DUE TO THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE ALIGNMENT BEING WRONG AT THE FACTORY. WE INQUIRED WHY THERE WASN'T A RECALL ON THE 1998 SUBARU FORESTER AND WERE INFORMED THAT THERE "JUST WASN'T" THAT SUBARU HAD SINCE CHANGED THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THEIR FORESTERS. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#869187August 30, 2000
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#729252August 27, 2000
TIRES
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 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#866698August 3, 2000
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#784757July 24, 2000
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
VEHICLE DELAYED THEN JERKED INTO REVERSE, RUNNING INTO A BUILDING AN CAUSING SIGNIFICANT VEHICLE DAMAGE. *SLC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#725833July 22, 2000
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#725510July 16, 2000
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
SECOND FAILURE IN 3+ MONTHS OF REAR WHEEL BEARINGS. BOTH REPLACE 6/00.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Subaru Forester