2011 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

MY HUSBAND PURCHASED A NEW SUBARU FORESTER IN MAY OF 2011 FOR ME WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 7 YEARS. IT WAS A BIG INVESTMENT FOR US AND I HAD HOPED TO DRIVE MY NEW SUBARU FORESTER 2011 FOR SEVERAL YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING IT, I NOTICED THE BRAKES TO BE DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE IN A TIMELY FASHION OR QUICKLY ENOUGH. I TOLD MY HUSBAND ALL THE TIME, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO DRIVE MY CAR, ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT ITS BRAKES. I HAD MY VEHICLE REGULARLY SERVICED AS PER THE COMPANIES WARRANTY REQUIREMENTS AND AT ONLY AUTHORIZED SUBARU SERVICE & DEALERSHIP CENTERS. I RECENTLY TOLD THE SERVICE DEPT AT MY 30,000 MILE SERVICING ABOUT THE BRAKES ISSUES I HAD AGAIN, TO THEIR ATTENTION BUT THEY SAID THAT- 'THAT WAS THE WAY THE FORESTER'S BRAKES WERE AND THAT I HAD TO PUSH THE PEDAL HARD TO THE FLOOR(PUMP THE BRAKES) TO STOP IT QUICKLY ENOUGH" AND MY BRAKES WERE FINE ACCORDING 30,000 MILE SERVICING, AND I WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH THEIR RESPONSE I WAS DRIVING ON A LOCAL ROAD 25 MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE SUDDENLY APPEARED IN FRONT OF ME TO STOP TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. I PUSHED THE BRAKES BUT MY VEHICLE JUST WOULD NOT STOP QUICKLY ENOUGH. I WAS INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. TO DISCOVER THAT MY FRONT BUMPER NOW HAD A HUGE CRACK IN IT. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING A VEHICLE WHOSE BRAKES ARE SO BAD THAT IT WILL NOT STOP THE VEHICLE QUICKLY ENOUGH AND NEEDS TO BE PUMPED TO STOP IT SOONER(WHICH MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE IN MANY CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS THE ONE ABOVE) , .AFTER THE CAR CAME OUT FROM THE BODY SHOP I HAD A RECENT OCCURENCE BUT THIS TIME IT WAS A RAINY DAY I STARTED TO SLOW DOWN PRESSING THE BRAKE TO TURN TO MY ROAD WHICH I HAD THE SAME ISSUE, INSTEAD OF STOPPING OR SLOWING DOWN THE BRAKES ARE ACCELERATING. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE BRAKES AT THE VERY LEAST TO PREVENT FUTURE ACCIDENTS. I AM DETERMINED TO TRADE IN MY VEHICLE FOR SAFE CAR.

I PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE, APPLIED MY BRAKES AND WAS ABOUT TO PUT MY 2011 SUBARU FORESTER INTO PARK WHEN IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AND DROVE INTO A STORE FRONT. THE CAR TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET BEFORE HITTING THE WALL AND PLATE GLASS WINDOW. MY DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. *TR

TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR 30K MAINTENANCE. WHEN I PICKED IT UP DEALER HAD CHANGED BRAKE FLUID (BRAKES HAD BEEN FUNCTIONING PERFECTLY PRIOR). WHEN LEAVING DEALER LOT BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR AND I WENT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. LUCKILY ONCOMING VEHICLE DODGED ME. I PUMPED PEDAL AND GOT BRAKES AND WENT BACK INTO DEALERSHIP. THEY BLED BRAKES AND SAID IT WAS READY. WHEN BACKING OUT OF SPACE BRAKE PEDAL AGAIN WENT TO FLOOR BUT VEHICLE STOPPED. I CALLED A SERVICE WRITER OVER AND SHOWED HIM PEDAL ON FLOOR. I LEFT CAR AND NEW MASTER CYLINDER WAS ORDERED AND INSTALLED NEXT DAY. I WENT TO PICK UP VEHICLE AND AGAIN PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR AND I HAD ANOTHER SERVICE WRITER WITNESS IT. TOOK PIC WITH CELL PHONE. SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NORMAL FOR BRAKE PEDAL TO GO TO FLOOR IF ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING AND WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. I TOLD HIM ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND BRAKE PEDAL SHOULD NEVER GO TO FLOOR IF ENGINE RUNNING OR NOT. IF BOOSTER BLEEDS DOWN PEDAL MAY GO SOMEWHAT LOWER THAN NORMAL. PEDAL HAD NEVER WENT ANYWHERE NEAR FLOOR BEFORE. I REFUSED TO DRIVE CAR AS I DEEMED IT DANGEROUS. IF PEDAL WAS PUMPED IT WOULD COME TO NORMAL POSITION. HE FINALLY AGREED TO CONTACT SUBARU REPRESENTATIVE TO LOOK AT IT NEXT WEEK. IF I HAD NOT HAD MECHANICAL BACKGROUND AND HAD LISTENED TO HIM AND DROVE A CAR WHERE THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD INTERMITTENTLY GO TO FLOOR WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE RESULTS? AT NO TIME EVEN AFTER I MENTIONED IT WAS THE ABS SYSTEM CHECKED FOR AIR TO MY KNOWLEDGE. NORMAL BLEEDING AT WHEELS WILL NOT REMOVE AIR FROM MASTER CYLINDER OR ABS SYSTEM. NOTE: BY "PEDAL GOING TO FLOOR" THE PEDAL ARM HITS FLOOR/CARPET AND PEDAL CAN GO NO LOWER. I AM WAITING FOR THE SUBARU REPRESENTATIVE TO INSPECT CAR AT THIS POINT. I EMAILED SUBARU, BUT THEY DID NOT SEEMED TOO CONCERNED. *JS

PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE AT A LOCAL TRAIN STATION. CAR WAS STOPPED AND SHUT OFF. NOT SURE IF KEYS WERE IN IGNITION OR NOT. WHEN REACHING OVER TO GET HANDBAG AND TOTE I HEARD THE ENGINE REV UP VERY SUDDENLY AND LOUDLY, CAR JUMPED 6" CURB AND PROPELLED FORWARD ABOUT TWO FEET WHEN RIGHT FRONT BUMPER HIT TREE AND CAR STOPPED. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND I WAS NOT INJURED. BEFORE I EVEN KNEW ABOUT THIS WEBSITE I TOLD THE ADJUSTER AND THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE CAR TOOK OFF ON ITS OWN. THE ONLY REACTION I GOT WAS STRANGE LOOKS. TOLD BY BODY SHOP THAT CAR WAS "TOTALLY FIXABLE" WITHIN TWO WEEKS. $7,000 IN BODY WORK 3 WEEKS LATER WAS TOLD ENGINE WAS "RUNNING ROUGH" AND IT WAS SENT TO SUBARU DEALER WHERE PURCHASED. TOLD THAT ENGINE HAD TO BE REBUILT - MACHINING HEAD; VALVE REPLACEMENT; NEW GASKETS ETC. FIVE WEEKS LATER SUBARU STILL HAS MY CAR. ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO PRIOR TO KNOWING ABOUT THIS WEBSITE AND SEEING HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM I ORDERED A NEW SUBARU USING THIS ONE AS A TRADE IN. SUBARU WON'T GIVE ME A TRADE IN VALUE UNTIL CAR IS FIXED AND THEY HAVE HAD THE CAR FIVE WEEKS AND STILL HAVEN'T FIXED IT. I LIVE IN THE SUBURBS AM 62 YEARS OLD AND I'VE BEEN TAKING TRAINS, BUSES, MY BIKE AND WALKING TO GET TO WORK AND TO DO EVERYDAY ERRANDS. NO OFFER OF A LOANER FROM SUBARU ALTHOUGH I'VE ASKED TWICE. CONTACTED CORPORATE SUBARU AND REPORTED WHAT I READ ON THIS WEBSITE AND MY OWN EXPERIENCE AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD BE HARD TO PROVE. LAST WEEK CORPORATE SAID THEY WOULD TRY TO OFFER ASSISTANCE WITH THE PURCHASE OF THE NEW CAR IN THE WAY OF LOYALTY INCENTIVE. AS OF TODAY I HAVE NO CAR, NO IDEA WHEN OR IF THE OLD ONE WILL BE FIXED, HOW MUCH IT WILL BE WORTH AS A TRADE IN, A NEW CAR THAT I CAN'T HAVE AND THAT HAS NO DEFINITIVE PRICE, AND A LOT OF TALK BUT NO ACTION FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND CORPORATE SUBARU. *TR

DRIVER (ADULT FEMALE) WAS BACKING UP TO PARK WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. DRIVER LIFTED FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND HIT THE BRAKE. VEHICLE ACCELERATED EVEN MORE. CRASHED INTO A GUY WIRE ON AN ELECTRIC POLE, SNAPPING OFF THE TOP OF THE POLE. SEVERAL DAYS LATER THE SECOND DRIVER (ADULT MALE) WAS BACKING UP IN THE DRIVEWAY TO TURN AROUND. CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. SECOND DRIVER NOW A BELIEVER. *TR

AFTER OWNING 3 OTHER SUBARUS, WE FIGURED IT WAS A GREAT IDEA TO BUY A 4TH. WELL, SUBARU HAS CHANGED THE ENGINE DESIGN ENOUGH WHERE AS THE OIL NEEDED IS A SUPER LIGHT WEIGHT SYNTHETIC 0W20. AFTER ABOUT 2000 MILES CONSISTENTLY, THE CAR WILL ALWAYS NEED OIL. WE HAVE 40,000 ON IT NOW AND AFTER MULTIPLE OIL CHANGES THE CAR STILL USES WAY TOO MUCH OIL. NOT A GREAT CHOICE OF A CAR IS WHAT I AM THINKING NOW. SOMEONE NEEDS TO STEP IN FROM THE NHTSA AND DETERMINE WHY A NEW CAR WOULD BE LOSING OIL AS FAST AS THE SUBARU DOES. I HAVE READ OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. MAYBE IT IS TIME TO START AN ONLINE PETITION TO HELP NUDGE NHTSA AND SUBARU. *TR

ON THE LAST TWO DATES THIS VEHICLE STARTED UP BY ITSELF WITHOUT INPUT FROM KEY OR REMOTE. THE VEHICLE WAS UNLOCKED BY REMOTE WHICH IS THE MANUFACTURER REMOTE. THE DOOR WAS OPENED THEN THE "LOCK" BUTTON IN THE DOOR WAS PRESSED AND THE DOOR CLOSED. AFTER THE DOOR WAS SHUT THE ENGINE STARTED UP. THIS HAPPENED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. ON OTHER OCCASIONS THE ENGINE WOULD STILL KEEP RUNNING EVEN THOUGH THE KEY IS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THIS VEHICLE WAS FITTED WITH A REMOTE STARTER BY THE DEALER (NOT FACTORY). THE REMOTE START WAS CHANGED TWICE, I'M ON THE THIRD SET. THE DEALER ASKED ME TO BRING IN THE VEHICLE AGAIN ON FRIDAY MARCH 29TH SO THAT THE REMOTE START INSTALLER CAN LOOK AT IT AGAIN. ORIGINALLY WHEN THE ENGINE KEPT RUNNING I WOULD HAVE TO DISCONNECT THE WIRE FROM THE BATTERY TO STOP THE ENGINE AS EVERYTHING ELSE FAILED TO STOP IT. SUBSEQUENTLY WHEN THE ENGINE KEPT RUNNING IT WOULD ONLY BE SHUT OFF WITH THE REMOTE STARTER. THIS PROBLEM STILL KEEPS HAPPENING OCCASIONALLY. *TR

PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AT THE CVS DRUG STORE, PINE ISLAND RD AND DEL PRADO BLVD IN CAPE CORAL FL., PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE AND THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS ON ACROSS THE PARKING LOT, HITTING A PARKED CAR HEAD ON. MY AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND MY CAR HIT THE PARKED CAR SO HARD IT DROVE IT OVER A CONCRETE BARRIER OUT OF THE LOT. THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR ALONE WAS $10,000. THE OTHER CAR WAS DESTROYED. I HAVE HAD SUBARU CARS FOR 33 YEARS. THIS FORESTER WAS MY 8TH SUBARU. WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED, I WAS THROWN BACK, MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE BRAKE OR GAS PEDAL. THE CAR KEPT RUNNING AFTER THE ACCIDENT UNTIL I TURNED IT OFF. STATE FARM INSURANCE SENT A SAFETY DIRECTOR OVER TO CHECK THE CAR (AFTER IT WAS FIXED), THE BODY SHOP ALSO HAD AN INSPECTOR CHECK THE CODES ON THE COMPUTER. I GOT RID OF THE CAR EVEN THOUGH IT HAD IT HAVE 11 MONTHS ON THE LEASE BECAUSE I DID NOT TRUST IT. *TR

I HAD PURCHASED A NEW SUBARU FORESTER IN AUGUST OF 2011 WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 7 YEARS. IT WAS A BIG INVESTMENT FOR ME AND I HAD HOPED TO DRIVE MY NEW SUBARU FORESTER 2011 FOR SEVERAL YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING IT, I NOTICED THE BRAKES TO BE DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE IN A TIMELY FASHION OR QUICKLY ENOUGH. MY WIFE, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO DRIVE MY CAR, ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT ITS BRAKES. I HAD MY VEHICLE REGULARLY SERVICED AS PER THE COMPANIES WARRANTY REQUIREMENTS AND AT ONLY AUTHORIZED SUBARU SERVICE & DEALERSHIP CENTERS. I BROUGHT THE DEFECTIVE BRAKES TO THEIR ATTENTION BUT THEY SAID THAT- 'THAT WAS THE WAY THE FORESTER'S BRAKES WERE AND THAT I HAD TO PUSH THE PEDAL HARD TO THE FLOOR(PUMP THE BRAKES) TO STOP IT QUICKLY ENOUGH.' I WAS GREATLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THEIR RESPONSE TO MY CONCERNS AND AS A PRECAUTION I BEGAN TO KEEP AN EVEN GREATER DISTANCE FROM ALL OF THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME. RECENTLY, I WAS ENTERING A PARKING LOT AT ABOUT 10-15MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE SUDDENLY APPEARED IN FRONT OF ME. I PUSHED THE BRAKES BUT MY VEHICLE JUST WOULD NOT STOP QUICKLY ENOUGH. IF I WOULD LET GO OF THE BRAKE AND THEN PUSH IT AGAIN HARDER AND FASTER TO THE FLOOR( PUMP THE BRAKE) AS THE SERVICE CENTRE HAD PREVIOUSLY ADVISED ME THEN I WOULD HAVE HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. SO I SWAYED MY CARS STEERING WHEEL AND AVOIDED MEETING WITH AN ACCIDENT BUT MY VEHICLE ONLY STOPPED WHEN IT TOUCHED THE RAILING AT ABOUT 5MPH ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT MY FRONT BUMPER NOW HAD A HUGE CRACK IN IT. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING A VEHICLE WHOSE BRAKES ARE SO BAD THAT IT WILL NOT STOP THE VEHICLE QUICKLY ENOUGH AND NEEDS TO BE PUMPED TO STOP IT SOONER(WHICH MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE IN MANY CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS THE ONE ABOVE) , HAS DEFECTIVE BUMPERS AND ALSO HAS A REAR CENTER CHILD SAFETY SEAT SEATBELT WITH A RECALL ON IT .PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE BRAKES AT THE VERY LEAST. *TR

MY VEHICLE WAS RECALLED AND THE REAR SEATBELTS WERE REPLACED ON 1/5/2013. HOWEVER, THE NEW SEATBELT LATCHES ARE TOO FLUSH TO THE SEAT AND ARE DIFFICULT TO BUCKLE/UNBUCKLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE NEW MIDDLE SEATBELT LATCH AND STRAP INTERFERS AND BLOCKS BUCKLING THE SIDE SEATBELTS. *TR