2003 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT BOUGHT A USED CAR FROM A SUBARU DEALER, WHICH HAS A LIMITED WARRANTY FOR 90 DAYS. SHE DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE NO AIR BAGS IN THE VEHICLE ALONG WITH A NON-WORKING INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE COST TO REPAIR OR INSTALL THE AIR BAGS IS $1,200. SHE STATED THAT THE DEALER MISREPRESENTED THE VEHICLE REGARDING THE AIR BAGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 52,000.

AFTER PICKINGTHE CAR UP FROM AN OIL CHANGE I NOTICED THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON. I DROVE THE CAR BACK TO DEALERSHIP, AND TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT FROM ADJUSTING THE SEAT THE WIRES HAD BECOME BENT/LOOSE, AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE OUT SEAT AND RESOLDER THE WIRES SO THE AIRBAGS COULD FIRE PROPERLY. ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO ADJUST YOUR SEATS? *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE RELEASED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT HIM DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE THROTTLE PLATE WAS STUCK OPEN. AS OF JULY 18, 2007, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 42,878. UPDATED 09/18/07 *TR

LATCHES ON THE FORRESTER CANNOT BE OPENED UNLESS YOU HAVE A KEY FOB. THERE IS NO WAY TO ACCESS THE TAILGATE WITHOUT THE BATTERY OPERATED FOB. IF YOU HAVE A CHILD THAT GETS INTO THE CAR WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE, OR IF THERE IS AN ACCIDENT AND THE DOORS WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE SIDE. HOW WILL YOU GET OUT THE BACK--THERE IS NO WAY TO EVEN ACCESS WITH A KEY FROM THE OUTSIDE. IF YOU ARE IN AN ACCIDENT AND YOU LOOSE TRACK OF YOUR FOB TOO BAD, YOU CAN'T GET OUT FROM THE BACK. I MYSELF CARRY DOGS IN CRATES IN THE BACK OF THE FORRESTER. HAD I REALIZED THAT WHEN I HAVE CRATES, OR ANY OTHER LARGE ITEM IN BACK YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE BACK, I WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED THE CAR. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I CALLED THE DEALER AND ASKED HOW TO OPEN THE BACK OF THE CAR AND THEY SAID YOU HAVE TO REMOVE A PANEL. IF YOU ARE ON FIRE--YOU HAVE TO WAIT TO GET THE PANEL OFF TO GET THE DOOR OPEN, BUT IF YOU CAN'T GET TO THE BACK BECAUSE OF DOG CRATES, BABY CARRIAGES, CRIBS, PLAYPENS ETC. HOW WOULD YOU GET OUT. I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A WRITTEN HARD COPY REPORT. 2. SUBARU KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE HEADGASKET? MANIFOLD GASKET THAT THERE IS A DEFECT. WHEN IT GOES BAD, YOU MAKE THE FIX IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN--WHY DOES THE OWNER HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL WHEN I WAS TOLD, BY THE MECHANIC, THAT IN FACT SUBARU KNOWS THIS AND IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE GASKET WILL GO, BUT ONCE YOU MAKE THE CORRECTION IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR

ON MONDAY NIGHT, 5 FEB. 2007, WHEN I PARKED MY CAR IN THE GARAGE IT SMELLED STRONGLY OF GASOLINE. I CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND THE ODOR SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I DID NOT SEE ANY GASOLINE LEAKING. THE STRENGTH OF THE ODOR SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THE COLD WEATHER (15-20 DEG. F). THAT MONDAY WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAD EVER NOTICED THE SMELL OF GASOLINE EMANATING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE ODOR WAS SO INTENSE THAT I DECIDED TO PARK THE CAR OUTSIDE AS A PRECAUTION. I DROVE THE CAR TUESDAY MORNING AND PARKED IT IN THE GARAGE AND IT SMELLED OF GAS AGAIN. AS THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE HAS INCREASED, THE INTENSITY OF THE SMELL HAS DECREASED. DURING VERY COLD WEATHER SMALL AMOUNTS OF GASOLINE SEEMED TO BE LEAKING FROM ONE OF THE FUEL LINES OR ESCAPING FROM THE ENGINE. ON 9 FEBRUARY, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO DEALER (HERITAGE SUBARU, OWINGS MILLS, MD) SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND ASKED THEM TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE GASOLINE SMELL. THE DEALER REPLACED THREE SHORT RUBBER FUEL HOSES (P/N 807707130) FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE REPLACED HOSES SHOWED NO SIGN OF WEAR, HOLES, CUTS, ABRASIONS ETC., BUT THE DEALER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE INDICATED THAT FUEL HAD PERMEATED THE HOSE MATERIAL ALLOWING FUMES AND POSSIBLY SMALL AMOUNTS OF FUEL TO ESCAPE. THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT IN MATERIAL OR DESIGN SINCE THE CAR IS ONLY 3.5 YEARS OLD AND THE REPLACED HOSES SHOW NO SIGNS OF WEAR (I.E., OLD AND NEW HOSES APPEAR ON THE OUTSIDE TO BE IDENTICAL). I HAVE THE OLD HOSES AND CAN PROVIDE THEM FOR INSPECTION. *JB

DEALER ADVISED THE HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING COOLANT AND RECOMMENDED REPAIR WHICH WILL REQUIRE EXTENSIVE LABOR. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 69,000 MILES. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED 20 NOV 2002 AND HAD A 60,000 MILE/5 YEAR POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. SERVICING WAS DONE ON A REGULAR BASIS AND VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN EXCESSIVELY. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU FORESTER. THE VEHICLE'S FAILURE OCCURRED ON FOUR OCCASIONS. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED A SUBARU DEALER AND NORTH AMERICAN SUBARU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE'S MILEAGE EXCEEDED 100,000 IT REQUIRED A NEW HEAD GASKET. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE PREVIOUS INCIDENT WAS A LEAK IN THE RADIATOR, WHICH WAS REPAIRED AND THE CONTACT SUSPECTED THE HEAD GASKET WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS LEAK. THE SECOND INCIDENT WAS A COOLANT LEAK WHICH WAS ALSO REPAIRED, WHICH OCCURRED TWO DAYS AFTER THE ORIGINAL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER ANDWAS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED.

TOOK FORESTER INTO SUBARU DEALER FOR 3K OIL CHANGE; WAS TOLD THAT ALMOST ALL OF MY ANTI-FREEZE WAS GONE AND THAT THE HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING, NEEDING REPLACEMENT AT $1500. MILES ON VEHICLE: 78K, PURCHASED 6/02 NEW, ALL MAINTENANCE PERFORMED AT DEALER PER SCHEDULE. AT THIS TIME, I'M LOOKING INTO WEBSITES TO IDENTIFY IF THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT'S SYSTEMIC WITH THIS VEHICLE, AND LOOKING INTO ALTERNATIVE SOURCES TO FIX VEHICLE TO REDUCE COST. *JB

I RECENTLY HAD AN UNCOMFORTABLE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS INCIDENT WITH MY 2003 FORESTER, AT, OF ALL PLACES, THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. I HAD STOPPED TO DISCUSS A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. UPON LEAVING, MY FORESTER WOULD NOT START, BUT EXHIBITED SYMPTOMS OF INITIALLY FUEL STARVATION, AND THEN POOR IGNITION; IT RAN FOR 1/2-1 MINUTE, MISSING FREQUENTLY AND THEN WOULD DIE; WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, IT WOULD NOT RUN AT ALL, SUGGESTING EITHER COMPLETE FUEL OR IGNITION FAILURE. THE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT CLOSED AT 6, AND THEIR SUGGESTION WAS TO TOW THE FORESTER TO THE NEARLY SUBARU DEALERSHIP, ONE BLOCK AWAY. AND SUGGEST THAT NEXT TIME I GET A RAV4. THE SUBARU SERVICE DEPARTMENT CLOSED AT 5:30, OF COURSE, AND THERE WERE ONLY SALESPEOPLE PRESENT. THEIR SUGGESTION WAS TO ALSO TOW THE CAR TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. FINALLY, THE SALES MANAGER SUGGESTED THAT IT MIGHT BE THE SECURITY SYSTEM. OF COURSE, MY FORESTER DID NOT HAVE THAT OPTION, BUT HE SAID THAT HE UNDERSTOOD MOST OF THE CIRCUITRY EXISTED, AND THAT CERTAIN COMBINATIONS OF LOCKING/UNLOCKING THE DOOR WITH THE KEY, OR THE DOOR SWITCH, COULD ACTIVATE THE IGNITION CUTOFF. HE TOLD ME TO SHUT ALL THE DOORS AND THEN LOCK/UNLOCK THE DOORS TWICE WITH THE REMOTE. I WALKED BACK, DID THAT, AND THE FORESTER STARTED. AFTER DRIVING BACK AND THANKING HIM, I CAREFULLY READ BOTH THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND THE SEPARATE MANUAL FOR THE REMOTE/SECURITY SYSTEM. THERE IS NO MENTION OF THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM. LUCKILY, THIS HAPPENED IN DAYLIGHT, WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE SUBARU DEALER, AND THERE ALSO HAPPENED TO BE SOMEONE THERE WHO COULD SUGGEST A CURE. 1) IS THIS A KNOWN FAULT IN THE SYSTEM? 2) IF KNOWN (AND THE MANAGER SAID HE HAD HEARD OF SEVERAL CASES) WHY IS THERE NOT SOME DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM AND THE SIMPLE SOLUTION. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE HARNESS ASSEMBLY UNDERNEATH THE FLOOR BOARD WAS NOT LONG ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN A CONNECTION AND RECOMMENDED A KIT BE INSTALLED. AFTER THE KIT WAS INSTALLED, THE AIR BAG LIGHT WENT OFF.