2011 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

PURCHASED CAR NEW 12/2010, DEALER TOLD ME IT USED SYN OIL AND ONLY NEEDED TO BE CHANGED EVERY 7500 MILES. 03/2011 THE CAR HAD 4300 MILES AND WHEN I CHECKED THE OIL IT WAS NOT SHOWING ON THE DIPSTICK. DEALER DID NOT TELL ME THAT THE FORESTERS USE OIL. IT WAS OVER 2 QUARTS LOW. IT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS NOW AND SUBARU HAS STILL DONE NOTHING FOR MY CAR. ALL THEY TOLD ME WAS IT'S IN YOUR OWNERS MANUAL AND THEY USE A QT EVERY 1200 MILES. THIS IS CRAZY FOR A NEW CAR. 6 QTS FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND 5 QTS IN BETWEEN. CAN'T DEPEND ON THIS CAR. NOT SAFE TO DRIVE ON LONG TRIPS. ENGINE IS VERY NOISY. SUBARU DECEIVED ME AT TIME OF PURCHASE, I WOULD NEVER BOUGHT A CAR THAT USES OIL LIKE THIS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AND SUDDENLY HEARD A VERY LOUD KNOCKING NOISE. THE CAR STARTED SLOWING DOWN AND THEN STOPPED. SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A NEARBY DEALERSHIP. THEY DETERMINED THAT THE ONE OF THE CONNECTING RODS PUNCTURED THE ENGINE BLOCK WHICH CAUSED ENGINE OIL TO SHOOT THROUGH THE HOLE ONTO THE ENGINE BLOCK, MELTING THE WIRING, AND CAUSING THE SMOKE. *TR

A VEHICLE 2 CARS IN FRONT OF ME DROPPED A LOAD OF FREIGHT ON THE FREEWAY--POSSIBLE ONE LANE OVER. THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES, AND ONE MAY HAVE SWERVED INTO MY LANE. I WAS ABLE TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES AND SLOW TO ABOUT 15-20 MILES PER HOUR BEFORE I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. WITHIN 20 SECONDS OF HITTING THAT CAR, FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF MY CAR. WITHIN 2 MINUTES MY CAR WAS FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND THE PASSENGER CABIN WAS FULLY INVOLVED. THIS WAS AN ALMOST BRAND-NEW CAR WITH NO AFTERMARKET PARTS, AND LITTLE FRONT-END DAMAGE. IT SEEMS SUSPICIOUS THAT SUCH AN ACCIDENT WOULD CAUSE SUCH AN INTENSE AND FAST-SPREADING FIRE. HAD CHILDREN BEEN RESTRAINED IN SAFETY SEATS, I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD HAVE HAD TIME TO GET THEM OUT OF THE CAR. *TR

LATCH SYSTEM IN A 2.5X BASE MODEL IS INAPPROPRIATELY PLACED FOR AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT COMMON CAR SEAT BASES. UNABLE TO USE LOWER LATCH ANCHORS WITH A GRACO SNUGRIDE 30 OR 35 BASE. IN ADDITION, THE SUBARU FORESTER DOG GUARD ACCESSORY WHICH INSTALLS BETWEEN THE CARGO AREA AND THE REAR SEAT INAPPROPRIATELY USES BOTH OUTSIDE UPPER LATCH ANCHORS. *JS

I AM BEING TOLD BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO LACK OF OIL CHANGES. I CHANGED THE OIL ON 7/6/11 AT 10,639 MILES. THE ENGINE THEN FAILED AT 22241 ON 2/1/12. THE ENGINE HOLDS 5.5 QUARTS OF OIL BUT PER THE MANUFACTURER HAD NONE IN IT AT THE ENGINE FAILURE. HOW DOES A NEW VEHICLE BURN 5.5 QUARTS OF OIL IN 11602 MILES? THERE WAS ALSO NO WARNING LIGHT OF ANY KIND TO TELL ME THAT THE ENGINE OIL WAS LOW. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE OIL LEVEL HAD TO BE LOWER THAN 2 P.S.I FOR THE LIGHT TO GO OFF AND WARN ME AND AT THAT POINT THE ENGINE WOULD ALREADY BE DAMAGED. I GOT NO ADVANCE WARNING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH MY ENGINE OR THE OIL LEVEL. THE ENGINE SIMPLY STOPPED WORKING. I AM BEING TOLD THAT I HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL IN EXCESS OF $9500.00 FOR A NEW ENGINE. HOW CAN A MANUFACTURER HAVE AN ENGINE THAT DOES NOT WARN THE CONSUMER THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM? I AM VERY PUZZLED BY THIS AND THE FACT THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP WHO SAID THE WARRANTY WAS VOIDED IS THE SAME DEALERSHIP CHARGING ME EXORBITANT RATES FOR A NEW MOTOR? PLEASE HELP OR GIVE ME A SUGGESTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES AT 20 MPH AND THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STOPPED APPROXIMATELY FIVE FEET BEYOND WHERE SHE INTENDED TO STOP. THE FAILURE RECURRED APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS LATER WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED. DURING THE SECOND FAILURE, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE ENGINE RPMS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,500. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VIN WE HAVE IS INCORRECT. HOWEVER, SHE SUPPLIED THE CORRECT VIN TWICE, BUT IN ONCE CASE, THERE ARE TOO MANY NUMBERS AND THE SECOND CASE, THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH NUMBERS. UPDATED 02/06/12

ON 5/24/11, WHILE DRIVING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION, MY FORESTER WAS HIT BROADSIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT RAN A RED LIGHT. THE IMPACT OF THE SPEEDING VEHICLE CAUSED THE FORESTER TO SPIN 360 DEGREES AND FLIP-OVER ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. I WAS LEFT TRAPPED INSIDE THE FORESTER AND WITNESSES POINTED OUT THAT THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION CONTINUED TO RUN AFTER THE FORESTER FLIPPED OVER. APPARENTLY THERE IS NO ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION KILL SWITCH. FURTHERMORE, THERE IS NO INTERIOR RELEASE OF THE REAR HATCH. AS A RESULT I REMAINED TRAPPED INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND CONCERNED ABOUT A GASOLINE LEAK AND POSSIBLE EXPLOSION. I WAS EVENTUALLY REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE BY EMTS AND BROUGHT TO THE HOSPITAL. MY CONCERN IS THAT IF SIMILAR ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN A REMOTE AREA OR IF THE DRIVER WAS MORE SERIOUSLY INJURED, MORE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE RESULTED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN BRAKING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE WOULD ABNORMALLY ACCELERATE. ON ONE OCCASION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS AN OCCURRENCE OF ABNORMAL ACCELERATION AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE FOUNDATION OF A BUILDING. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 11,000.

2011 SUBARU FORESTER. CONSUMER STATES FUEL FILLER NECK IS RUSTED AND THERE IS NO FLAPPER ON TOP OF THE NECK *TGW THE CONSUMER RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE FUEL FILLER NECK REPLACED. IT WAS SOON DISCOVERED, THE REPLACEMENT NECK HAD THE SAME DEFECT AS THE OLD ONE. THE CONSUMER REPORTED THE DEFECT TO SUBARU AND THE REPRESENTATIVES INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE DISCLORATION ON THE NECK WAS NOT RUST AND THEY HAD NO IDEA WHY IT WAS DESIGNED THAT WAY. SUBARU REFUSED TO OFFER ANY KIND OF FULL EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE THAT WAS THE DESIGN FOR THE 2011 MODELS. *JB

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER DRIVING THE CAR ABOUT 472 MILES. CALLED DEALER REPAIR, WHICH INSTATED THAT IT WAS JUST THE GAS CAP LOOSE, WHICH HE HAD US REMOVE AND RETIGHTEN. WE WERE ADVISED TO KEEP DRIVING IT AND THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD EVENTUALLY GO OUT. WE DROVE IT FOR A FEW MORE DAYS AND THEN HAD TWO DIFFERENT LOCAL MECHANICS SHOPS CHECK THE CODE ON THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. BOTH SAID THAT THE ENGINE WAS MISFIRING, EITHER RANDOM MISFIRE, OR MISFIRE ON CYLINDERS 3 AND 4. WE CALLED THE DEALER AGAIN, WHO SAID THAT THE MECHANICS DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND WERE WRONG, BUT THAT WE SHOULD BRING THE CAR IN NEXT WEEK. WE BROUGHT THE CAR IN ON 8/30/11, WITH ABOUT 872 MILES NOW ON IT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON. THE DEALER CHECKED THE CAR AND SAID THE SOME CAM SHAFT ADJUSTERS WERE NOT SET PROPERLY AT THE FACTORY AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO ADD A SHIM KIT TO CORRECT THIS! (ON A NEW CAR!) THE NEXT DAY, CAR STILL DIDN'T WORK, THEY HAD TO CALLED SUBARU MANUFACTURER AND TRIED AT LEAST 5 OTHER PROCEDURES AND CAR STILL DOESN'T WORK. THE CAR IS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SOLD AS A NEW CAR. THEY HAVE HAD THE COVER OVER 10 DAYS NOW AND STILL NOT FIXED. WE JUST WANT A NEW CAR, AND GET OUT OF THAT ONE. PLEASE HELP. *TR