2011 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

ENGINE BEGAN MAKING LOUD KNOCKING SOUND WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE. I PULLED OFF AND PARKED AND CALLED FOR TOW TRUCK. DEALER SERVICE REPORTS THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. VEHICLE HAS ONLY 63,000 MILES AND GETS REGULAR MAINTENANCE. EACH TIME I HAVE THE OIL CHANGED, THE ENGINE IS A QUART LOW. DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL. THIS IS HARD TO BELIEVE FOR A MODERN VEHICLE WITH REDUCED (PARTIAL ZERO) EMISSIONS. I CHECK THE OIL REGULARLY AND AM SHOCKED THAT SUBARU SELLS CARS WITH ENGINES THAT BARELY LIVE PAST THE 60000 MILE DRIVE-TRAIN WARRANTY. SOMETHING IS FUNDAMENTALLY DEFECTIVE WITH THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF SUBARU'S ENGINES IF THIS IS HOW THEY ARE ENGINEERED TO PERFORM. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING ONLINE AND MANY OTHER SUBARU OWNERS ARE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I AM FORTUNATE I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE INTERSTATE SAFELY. SUCH A SUDDEN ENGINE FAILURE COULD VERY EASILY HAVE ENDED IN A CRASH. *TR

MY CAR WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT BEHIND AT LEAST 2 OTHER CARS AT AROUND 4:45 P.M. ON 9-8-14. MY ENGINE SUDDENLY STARTED RACING AND PULLING MY CAR TOWARD THE CAR SITTING IN FRONT OF MINE. I ALREADY HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE BECAUSE I WAS STOPPED. I PRESSED EVEN HARDER ON THE BRAKE AS THE CAR TOOK OFF OUT OF MY CONTROL. THE BRAKES STOPPED WORKING AND MY CAR CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF MINE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN TO QUEENS TO SEE MY WIFE'S FAMILY AND AS SOON AS I PASSED A TRUCK I HEARD SOMETHING HIT MY CAR. AS SOON AS I GOT INTO LONG ISLAND, I HEARD THE ENGINE REVVING AS IF IT WERE A DIESEL ENGINE. I STOPPED AT A SHOP AND THEY LISTENED TO IT AND SAID THAT IT IS AN INTERNAL ISSUE IN THE ENGINE AND NOT TO DRIVE IT. THEY HELPED ME OUT BY FINDING THE CLOSEST DEALERSHIP AND THEY CALLED. THE GUY FROM THE SHOP CALLED SUBARU AND THEY TOLD HIM TO CALL THE TOW TRUCK TO GET THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THEIR SHOP. THAT WAS MESSED UP, HAVE A NON PARTY CALL FOR A TOW?? THEN THE GUY TAKING MY ORDER, DIDN'T GIVE ME A RECEIPT NOR MY COPIES OF THE SERVICES FROM THE PAST. I HAVE EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH I AM ENTITLED TO A RENTAL CAR BUT WAS STUCK WITHOUT A VEHICLE AND NEEDED A VEHICLE TO GET BACK TO WORK WHICH I LIVE 3-1/2 HOURS AWAY FROM THE SHOP AND NOW I AM STUCK PAYING FOR TOLLS AND HAVE A HOLD ON MY CREDIT CARD BECAUSE OF SUBARU. ON FRIDAY I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD CALL, I HAD TO CALL BECAUSE THEY NEVER CALLED ME BACK. THEN THEY TELL ME THAT IT IS THE ENGINE AND THEY HAVE TO DROP THE OIL PAN ON MONDAY. THE WORST THING IS THAT I HAD REPORTED ENGINE PROBLEMS AT 47,000 MILES WHICH I HAVE IT DOCUMENTED FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NOTHING.... JUST LIKE ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS I HAD WITH MY WINDOW IN THE PAST... AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON IN THE PAST.... NOW AFTER THIS MAJOR ISSUE THEY WANT MORE PAPERWORK... THIS IS JUST MESSED UP. *TR

MY VEHICLE IS CONSUMING/ BURNING OIL RAPIDLY, ADDING IN 2-4 QUARTS BETWEEN RECOMMENDED OIL CHANGES. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE UNDER ENGINE TO SUGGEST A LEAK. MULTIPLE OIL CHANGES AND MECHANIC UNABLE TO FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF A LEAK FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALS THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM IN MULTIPLE SUBARU ENGINES. *TR

I CALLED BOARDMAN SUBARU REGARDING RECALL ISSUED ON BRAKE LINE AND SPOKE TO THEIR SERVICE DEPT. MANAGER. HE SAID THEY ARE NOT RECALLING SUBARU'S BECAUSE OF THE BRAKE LINE ISSUE THAT THIS IS JUST THE NATIONAL SAFETY AND THEY AREN'T DOING ANYTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AT THIS DATE!!!HE TOLD ME MY CAR WAS SAFE. I AM VERY CONCERNED. *TR

EVERY TIME I GET MY OIL CHANGED THE DEALER INFORMS ME I AM DOWN A QUART OF OIL WHICH THEY SAY IS NORMAL. I HAVE OWNED 20 CARS AND THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE AND I THINK I AM GETTING THE RUN-AROUND. CAN YOU HELP? *TR

CAR WAS BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP ON JUNE 3RD FOR KNOCKING SOUND,I WAS TOLD IT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE WHICH WAS REPLACED, CAR PICKED UP JUNE 10 AFTER REPAIR WAS COMPLETED. WHILE DRIVING ON JUNE 10TH IN THE EVENING, THE CAR BEGAN TO BUCK AND KICK AND NOT RESPOND TO PUSHING ON GAS PEDAL, AT ONE POINT STARTED TO ACCELERATE AND THEN SLOWED DOWN, PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTED THAT BLACK SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE SEEN COMING OUT FROM HOOD. CAR BURNED SIGNIFICANTLY WHILE FIREFIGHTERS TRIED TO PUT IT OUT. *TR

MY WIFE'S CAR LOCKED ITSELF WITH KEYS AND BABY INSIDE ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN WINTER (DON'T REMEMBER THE DATE) AND OUR BABY WAS LOCKED IN THE COLD CAR FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR WHILE WE WAITED FOR AAA. MY WIFE THOUGHT SHE HAD SOMEHOW KNEELED ON THE KEY/REMOTE IN HER HANDBAG WHILE PUTTING THE BABY IN HIS CAR SEAT. SINCE THEN SHE HAS TAKEN CARE NOT TO TOUCH THE KEY (AND REMOTE) BEFORE SHE GETS IN THE CAR TO DRIVE. TODAY SHE PLACED THE KEY/REMOTE ON THE FRONT SEAT, THEN PUT THE BABY IN THE CAR SEAT (IN BACK), CLOSED THE BACK DOOR, AND THE CAR LOCKED ITSELF WITH HER OUTSIDE AND THE BABY INSIDE. AAA ARRIVED QUICKLY AND OPENED THE CAR. THE AAA GUY SAID HE HAS HAD MORE SUBARUS WITH DRIVERS LOCKED OUT THAN ANY OTHER MAKE. I ALSO SPOKE TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE SUBARU DEALER WHO SOLD US THE CAR ABOUT THIS INCIDENT, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THIS MODEL YEAR HAD EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM FAIRLY OFTEN, AND THAT THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN FIXED IN SUBSEQUENT MODELS. I HAVE REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO SUBARU CORP CUSTOMER SERVICE--THEIR CASE NUMBER IS [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

BRAKE SWITCH WENT BAD. NO TAIL LIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS, OR 4 WAYS. DURING A 300 MILE TRIP, PART OF WHICH WAS IN THE DARK. WAS STOPPED BY STATE POLICE AND TOWED TO DEALERSHIP (TOYOTA OF SCRANTON) WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR. *TR

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES HAVE MALFUNCTIONED FOR ME NUMEROUS TIMES AND I WILL NOW ONLY DRIVE MY SUBARU (DESPITE ALL WHEEL DRIVE, WHICH WORKS WELL) WHEN ROAD CONDITIONS ARE GOOD. ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN DRIVING MID-DAY ON PLOWED BUT SNOWY ROAD; DOWNHILL; I WAS NOT TURNING, BUT WANTED TO GO MORE SLOWLY AND TAPPED BRAKES. ANTI LOCK BRAKES KICKED IN AND CAR BEGAN TO SKID; SKIDDED OFF ROAD AND INTO A MAILBOX; NEEDED TO BE TOWED OUT. AFTER BEING PULLED OUT, AND CONTINUING DOWN HILL, AT 10 MPH, CAR BEGAN TO SKID AGAIN. FRIEND FOLLOWING ME SAID IT APPEARED FRONT BRAKES WERE WORKING AND BACK BRAKES WERE NOT. HAD TWO MECHANICS LOOK AT THE BRAKES (ONE I TRUST AND THE DEALER) AND BOTH TOLD ME THEY ARE FINE. DEALER SAID THE COMPUTER RECORD DIDN'T RECORD A PROBLEM BUT I THINK SOFTWARE THAT MANAGES THE ABS IS MALFUNCTIONING. I LOOKED ONLINE AND SAW NUMEROUS BLOG DISCUSSIONS ABOUT DISCONNECTING ABS ON SUBARUS IN WINTER SO I THINK OTHERS MUST BE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS - FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT GOING VERY FAST AND THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS/PEDESTRIANS SO NO ONE WAS HURT. I HAVE DRIVEN A SUBARU FOR 13 YEARS IN ALL KINDS OF CONDITIONS SO I DON'T THINK IT IS ME NOT BEING ABLE TO HANDLE ABS. ABS PROBLEM OCCURS IN CONDITIONS WHEN I THINK AWD IS HELPFUL BUT I NEED TO SLOW DOWN -- HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH AWD WHEN I AM GOING UPHILL OR NOT BRAKING. *TR