Subaru Forester Complaints (2005)
93 consumer complaints on file.
- #10192982June 11, 2007EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
COIL PACKED WAS REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME. THE COIL PACK WAS REPLACED 05.2006 AND THE PLUGS REPLACED AT THE SAME TIME. THIS YEAR THE COIL PACK WAS REPLACED AND THE PLUGS AGAIN. *AK
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10168247September 14, 2006SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS ON ANY ROAD CONDITION, WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED RESULTING IN LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE. THIS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10159214June 7, 2006VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE USING THE CRUISE CONTROL THE VEHICLE DECELERATION LEVER, WHICH SUBARU LABELS "COAST" WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE SLOWED TO THE DESIRED RATE OF TRAVEL AND THE LEVER WAS RELEASED. THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM WAS SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN THE SAME SPEED AS WHEN RELEASED, BUT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED APPARENTLY BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SET POINT. I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA BY E-MAIL AND THEY STATED THAT I SHOULD TAKE THE VEHICLE INTO MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALER. THE DEALER FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM AFTER PERFORMING THEIR ELECTRONIC TESTS. I ASKED THEM TO CONTACT SUBARU OF AMERICA TO SEE IF THEY HAD RELEASED ANY BULLETINS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AND THE PERSON CONTACTED AT SUBARU (JODY) STATED TO KENT MELCHIOR OF ED REILY SUBARU IN CONCORD, NH THAT THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM ACCORDING TO HIS REPORT TO ME ON 6/7/2006. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE NHTSA COMPLAINT WEBSITE, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS AGAINST SUBARU FOR THIS TYPE OF AN INTERMITTENT CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE. THEREFORE, SUBARU OF AMERICA IS EITHER INCOMPETENT OR LYING. *NM
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10153456March 22, 2006POWER TRAIN, STRUCTURE
ON MARCH 20, 2006, THE SYMMETRICAL ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM OF MY 2005 SUBARU FORRESTER XT FAILED, THE VEHICLE FISHTAILED AND DRIFTED, RESULTING IN A ROLLOVER, AND SEVERE BODILY INJURY. THE VEHICLE WAS SO FLIMSY, IT WAS DISGUSTING. EVERY DOOR AND WINDOW OPENING COLLAPSED, GLASS FLEW EVERYWHERE. THE CEILING COLLAPSED ON THE PASSENGERS' HEADS. THIS IS A DEATH CAR. *NM
- Crash:
- Yes
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 2
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10140607October 24, 2005VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT
WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND RADIO WILL NOT OPERATE AFTER TURNING ON THE ENGINE. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. SOMETIMES THEY WORK WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. PROBLEM DOES NOT RESOLVE ITSELF WHILE DRIVING. HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET WIPERS TO WORK AT ALL FOR AN ENTIRE DAY. PROBLEM DEVELOPED IN THE SPRING TIME IN THE LAKE TAHOE AND SACRAMENTO REGIONS OF CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA. HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM OVER THE DRY SUMMER IN THE MOUNTAINS. SUBARU HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND DOESN'T KNOW IF THEY CAN FIX THE PROBLEM SINCE IT IS DIFFICULT TO CREATE. *JB
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10138045October 14, 2005SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
DT: THE ABS STUCK ON THE VEHICLE ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2005. THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING DOWN HILL SLOWLY AND HAD TO STOP TO WAIT ON ANOTHER VEHICLE. IT TOOK A WHILE, SHE PUT ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. WHEN THE OTHER VEHICLE MOVED THE CONSUMER STARTED THE ENGINE, THEN PUT VEHICLE IN FIRST GEAR, AND RELEASED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. WHEN STARTING TO GO DOWN HILL AND TRYING TO USE THE BRAKE IT WOULD NOT WORK. IT WAS STUCK IN THE UP POSITION. SHE WAS ABLE TO COAST SAFELY TO A PARKING LOT. SHE HAD TURNED THE ENGINE OFF FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND THEN IT WORKED FINE. THE TRANSMISSION IS MANUAL. THE VEHICLE HAS A HILL HOLD. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED, THE CONSUMER HASN'T BEEN IN THE SAME SITUATION SINCE THE DAY OF THE INITIAL INCIDENT. *NM
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10138006September 28, 2005ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VEHICLE BROKE DOWN DURING HURRICANE EVACUATION THEREBY ENDANGERING ME AND MY FAMILY FOR 32 HOURS. 2005 SUBARU FORESTER HAS A BUILT-IN DEFECT WHERE THE ALTERNATOR AUTOMATICALLY SHUTS DOWN DURING ENGINE IDLE, SO ONLY THE BATTERY RUNS UNTIL OUT OF POWER, THEREBY LEAVING DRIVER AND PASSENGERS STRANDED ON ROADWAY. *JB
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10124358August 12, 2005AIR BAGS
DT: CONSUMER GOT INTO CAR ACCIDENT AND THE SIDE AIR BAG ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE DID NOT DEPLOY. WHILE GOING APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MPH ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AT 40 MPH/. *TT *JB
- Crash:
- Yes
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 1
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10131742August 5, 2005SUSPENSION
DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT 2006 SUBARU WAS NOT DRIVING CORRECTLY. VEHICLE WAS ALL OVER THE ROAD, IT DID NOT DRIVE STRAIGHT AND IT WENT TO THE LEFT OR TO THE RIGHT. IT WAS MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN GOING FAST. IT WAS DOING THIS ALL THE TIME. THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER INSISTED VEHICLE DID HAVE ENOUGH CASTER. THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT ALL OF THE SUBARU DID THAT AND COULD NOT FIX THE CAR, THE CONSUMER DID NOT WANT THE CAR. HE PAID CASH FOR VEHICLE, AND WAS UPSET. THE CONSUMER HAD NOT CALLED SUBARU, BUT PLANNED DOING SO. THE CONSUMER OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 3 WEEKS. THE FIRST 800 MILES THE CAR DID NOT DO THIS. IT WAS A 2006 MODEL. THE CONSUMER INSISTED THAT IT WAS A SUSPENSION FAILURE. *AK
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10119786May 4, 2005VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
MY 2005 SUBARU FORESTER SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AS I APPROACHED A STOPLIGHT. THE CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL, THE CLUTCH WAS NOT ENGAGED AND MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. THE ACCELERATION SUBSIDED AFTER I PLACED THE CAR IN FIRST GEAR AND SLIGHTLY PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL MOVING THE CAR FORWARD ABOUT A FOOT. THIS SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED OVER A DOZEN TIMES IN THE COURSE OF 24HRS. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER WHERE SEVERAL TEST RUNS WERE PERFORMED AS WELL AS A MONITOR TEST. NO CODES SHOWED UP SO I TOOK THE CAR FOR A TEST RUN WITH ONE OF THE SERVICE ADVISORS AND THE CAR ACCELERATED SEVERAL TIMES WITHIN 10-15MIN. I TOOK THE CAR FOR A SECOND TEST RUN WITH A MECHANIC WHO BELIEVED THE THROTTLE WAS IMPROPERLY OPENING. THE MECHANIC THEN INSPECTED AND CLEANED THE PIN CONNECTORS AT TPS AND MAP SENSORS. HE THEN ROAD TESTED IT SEVERAL TIMES TO DETERMINE IF THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN RESOLVED AND FOUND NO MORE SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEMS. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM MOST LIKELY WAS A STICKY THROTTLE.THE CAR NOW RUNS WELL.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10119800May 4, 2005VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I RECENTLY (END OF NOVEMBER, 2004) PURCHASED A NEW SUBARU FORESTER. WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED, MAYBE SIX TIMES IN THE FOUR MONTHS I HAVE HAD THE CAR, IT IMMEDIATELY LURCHES INTO FULL SPEED THE SECOND THE ACCELERATOR IS TOUCHED, AND SENDS YOU TWENTY OR MORE FEET FORWARD (ONCE BACKWARDS) BEFORE YOU CAN POSSIBLY BRAKE. I HAVE NARROWLY AVOIDED SEVERAL POTENTIALLY FATAL ACCIDENTS. TODAY I HAD A REAL ACCIDENT. WHEN I WENT INTO CARTER SUBARU THIS MORNING, THEY WOULD NOT LISTEN TO ME. TOLD ME THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING EVER HAPPENING TO A SUBARU, THAT SOMETHING THAT ONLY HAPPENED ONCE A MONTH WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO CHECK. THE MANAGER BASICALLY CALLED ME A LIAR AND ASKED ME TO LEAVE. IT ISN'T JUST THIS ACCIDENT, THE CAR CAN BE REPAIRED, BUT THIS IS A CAR DEFECT THAT CAN CERTAINLY KILL SOMEONE. ON AT LEAST TWO OCCASIONS, ONCE IN GROCERY LOT AND ONCE LEAVING MY DRIVEWAY, IT WAS ONLY BY CHANCE I DIDN'T HIT A PEDESTRIAN. I FEEL THE CAR IS UNSAFE AND SHOULDN'T BE DRIVEN, BUT EVEN MORE DISTURBING IS SUBARU'S ATTITUDE THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE, AND THAT I AM A LIAR. BRUCE MCALISTER
- Crash:
- Yes
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10116913April 14, 2005VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
MY 2005 SUBARU FORESTER SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WHILE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. I HAD TO PUSH REALLY HARD ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID SURGING AHEAD INTO TRAFFIC.*AK
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10110219February 9, 2005VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
FIRST COLD DAY, PUT ON WIPER DE-ICER. PEBBLE HIT WINDSHIELD AT DE-ICER LEVEL AND WINDSHIELD CRACKED (1,800 MILES ON CAR). *JB
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0