1999 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

BEARINGS HAVE FAILED FOUR TIMES. INCREASING NOISE FROM REAR OF VEHICLE AND VIBRATION PROCEEDED FAILURE EACH TIME.

WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE VEHICLE UNDER MANY CONDITIONS WILL TEND TO ACCELERATE, THIS ALSO HAPPENS ON A 2001 VERSION OF THE SABRU FORESTER S WE ALSO HAVE. THE DEALER HAS NO EXPLAINATION

VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE QUICKLY IN FORWARD OR REVERSE GEARS AND WITHOUT WARNING, WHICH HAS ALREADY CAUSED ONE CRASH. CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER TWICE, BUT DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE CAUSE OF DEFECT.*AK

06/27/00 AT 39787 MILES, NOISE GRADUALLY GETTING LOUDER IN REAR, VIBRATION. RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING AND AXLE REPLACED AT DEALERSHIP. 09/14/00 AT 46801 MILES, SAME WHEEL BEARING REPLACED AGAIN. 09/25/00 AT 47660 MILES, BEARING FAILED SUDDENLY WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 45 MPH IN RAIN ON I-66, GRINDING AND SCREECHING. I WAS ABLE TO STOP SAFELY AND EXIT FREEWAY. DEALER AGAIN REPLACED BEARING. 10/25/00 AT 49750, DEALER AGAIN REPLACES BEARING AND HOUSING ALSO THIS TIME. CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF VIBRATION ON TIRES, I ALSO ASK FOR AN ALIGNMENT. 12/19/00, PROBLEM RETURNS. CAR IS SCHEDULED FOR SERVICE 12/27/00. I TRAVEL ROUGHLY 500 MILES PER WEEK, MOSTLY ON VERY RURAL ROADS. I CHOSE SUBARU VERY CAREFULLY AND NEED TO KNOW I CAN RELY ON MY VEHICLE TO AVOID BEING STRANDED ALONE ON THE MOST DESERTED OF ROADS. THIS IS THE 2ND SUBARU I HAVE OWNED (NO PROBLEMS WITH THE FIRST ONE), PURCHASED BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF THE AWD SYSTEM; HOWEVER, I AM LOSING CONFIDENCE IN THIS PARTICULAR CAR. I LOVE THE FORESTER, AND WOULD BUY ANOTHER ONE! I AM SO DISAPPOINTED.

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