1999 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

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 IT SLOWLY THROUGH MOWED GRASS UNTIL WE PASSED THE DITCH AND WERE ABLE TO PULL ONTO THE SHOULDER OF I-90. WE LEFT I-90 AT EXIT 43 (3 MILES) AND SLOWLY DROVE SEVERAL MILES ALONG ROUTE 96 TO VAN BORTEL SUBARU WHERE WE HAD PURCHASED THE CAR. *** 7 WE CALLED THE STATE POLICE AND INSURANCE COMPANY TO REPORT THE ACCIDENT. *** THE CHILD IN THE SEAT BEHIND THE DRIVER WAS TREATED IN HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM FOR ELBOW INJURY. *AK

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