Subaru Forester Complaints (1999)

131 consumer complaints on file.

#733160October 2, 2000
WHEELS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#730008September 3, 2000
TIRES
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 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#869396September 1, 2000
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#867908August 16, 2000
TIRES
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#866469August 1, 2000
STEERING
REAR END STEERING FREEZES UP, CAUSING A LOSS OF ROAD CONTROL. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#552665June 16, 2000
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
OWNER RECEIVED RECALL NOTIFICATION (99V-040), HOWEVER DEALERSHIP REFUSED REPAIR, DEALERSHIP NOT INFORMED. *MJS
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#723413May 31, 2000
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#723298May 29, 2000
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#862306May 22, 2000
SUSPENSION
TIRES PREMATURELY WORE OUT WITHIN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *ML
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#721768April 21, 2000
TIRES:BEAD
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 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#858586March 15, 2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE HESITATING INTERMITTENTLY WHENEVER VEHICLE SITS FOR MORE THEN TWO DAYS. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#551215March 6, 2000
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL
DEFECTIVE SEAL ON THE TRANSMISSION CAUSED TRANSMISSION FLUID TO LEAK INTO EXHAUST ASSEMBLY. YH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#551133February 28, 2000
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
GEAR SHIFT RESULTED IN A SEVERE JOLT TO PASSENGERS AND THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. YH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#718565February 10, 2000
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#715640December 5, 1999
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES WENT MUSHY AND GRADUALLY WENT TO FLOOR BOARD. WORKED OK WHEN PUMPED
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#853620December 2, 1999
SUSPENSION:REAR, POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#714977November 18, 1999
SUSPENSION
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 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#714115October 30, 1999
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#548987October 13, 1999
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE, AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN DRIVER SLAMMED THE BRAKE. YH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#713007October 8, 1999
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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