2003 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

ELECTRIC LOCKS--THE TAILGATE--EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE EXTRA WARRANTY I STILL HAD TO PAY 182.00 TO REPLACE THE LOCK BECAUSE IT WAS NOT THE LOCK IT WAS THE LATCH INSIDE THE LOCK THAT DID NOT WORK. WHAT A RIP OFF. I ALSO HAD DOGS IN THE CAR AND IT WAS HOT WHEN THE LOCK WOULD NOT WORK. BECAUSE THERE IS NO KEY TO OPEN THE TAILGATE WHEN DOGS ARE IN CRATES YOU CANNOT OPEN THE DOOR! SUBARU WOULD NOT COVER THE LOCK, EVEN THOUGH THE WARRANTY SAID IT COVERS LOCKS. THIS IS DANGEROUS FOR THOSE OF US WHO USE A CRATE TO SAFELY TRANSPORT OUR DOG. THE CAR WAS SCRATCHED IN ORDER TO REMOVE DOGS FROM THE BACK DOORS GETTING CRATES IN A POSITION TO ALLOW DOORS TO BE OPENED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME WIRING HARNESS FAILURE AS STATED IN THE RECALL FOR THE 2006 MODELS. THE DEALER OFFERED TO REPAIR IT AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 72,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE FRONT HOOD RELEASED UNEXPECTEDLY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTROL AND DIRECT THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE POLICE ARRIVED TO ESCORT THE VEHICLE OFF THE HIGHWAY, WHICH WAS A STATE REGULATION, AND FILED A REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE TWO BOLTS THAT ATTACHED THE HOOD. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000.

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES WHEN DRIVERS SEAT IS MOVED. IT APPEARS THAT THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR BENEATH THE DRIVERS SEAT IS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET OF THIS PROBLEM FOR THE 2003 SUBARU FORESTER. IT IS AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT. WHY NO RECALL? THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE CARS SRS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, I ENTERED TOWN LIMITS AND PRESSED SWITCH TO DE-ACTIVATE CRUISE CONTROL; NOTHING HAPPENED; DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL; NOTHING HAPPENED- CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN; FRANTICALLY TRIED EVERYTHING SEVERAL TIMES MORE USING CLUTCH, BRAKE AND EMERGENCY BRAKE. HAD TO TAKE A TURN AT HIGH SPEED TO AVOID A TRACTOR TRAILER STOPPED AT LIGHT; CAR EVENTUALLY STOPPED AFTER MAKING THE TURN AND YANKING UP EMERGENCY BRAKE. *TR

NOTICED ANTI-FREEZE ODOR AFTER VEHICLE HAD BEEN RUN AND TURNED OFF. DID NOT SEE ANY LEAKS. PROBLEM CONTINUED SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE NOTICING SEVERAL LEAK SPOTS ON GARAGE FLOOR, SO MADE APPOINTMENT WITH MECHANIC WHO KNEW IMMEDIATELY IT WAS A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. WE PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN OCTOBER, 2002 AND HAVE MAINTAINED IT ACCORDING TO THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES. THE VEHICLE HAD 52,000 MILES ON IT WHEN WE SPENT $1300 TO REPAIR A PROBLEM THAT SUBARU OF AMERICA KNEW ABOUT AND HAS KNOWN ABOUT FOR SOME TIME. WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICE OR RECALL OF ANY KIND RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM. SUBARU OF AMERICA SHOULD MAKE SOME SORT OF RESTITUTION TO ITS CUSTOMERS FOR THIS MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. *TR

2003 SUBARU FORESTER PROBLEMS WITH CYLINDER HEAD GASKET. CONSUMER STATES THERE ARE SEVERAL INTERNET COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS DEFECT. SHE STATES THAT THE ESTIMATE COST FOR REPAIR IS ABOUT $1500.00 TO $1600.00 DOLLARS. *KB

AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND STAY ON FOR A FEW DAYS AND THEN GO OFF. THIS CONDITION WOULD OCCUR AT RANDOM, WITH NO WARNING. FINALLY THE LIGHT STAYED ON LONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO GET IT TO THE DEALER. SUBARU DEALER INDICATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT FOR THE AIRBAG SENSOR HAD OXIDIZED CONTACTS LEADING TO A FAILURE OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. DEALER COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY CONTACTS "INSIDE" CAR IN A PROTECTED AREA COULD "OXIDIZE", BUT INDICATED THAT THEY HAD LEARNED FROM SERVICE BULLETINS THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH CARS IN THE NORTHEAST. WIRING HARNESS PART COST $17.13 BUT THE LABOR TO REPLACE WAS $207.13 FAILURE OF SUCH A CRITICAL PART DUE TO SIMPLE OXIDATION, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE PART IS PROTECTED INSIDE THE VEHICLE SUGGESTS THAT THE PART WAS NOT DESIGNED APPROPRIATELY TO RESIST OXIDATION/CORROSION. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD RESULT IN A FAILURE OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WITH POSSIBLE INJURY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE PERFORMING A ROUTINE INSPECTION AND OIL CHANGE, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE ROTORS WERE CRACKED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ROTORS. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY WEAR. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 40,000. UPDATED 11/07/07 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE PLACED THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED RAPIDLY . THE CONSUMER HIT A POLE THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO REV AND ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A GATED DISPLAY OF PROPANE TANKS AND AN ICE-CREAM MACHINE. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS GOING TO THE DEALER BECAUSE HER CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT WORKING. UPDATED *LJ