2004 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

1. NOTICED STRONG GAS ODOR AFTER DRIVING CAR. UPON INSPECTION, NOTICED GAS POOLED ON ENGINE TOP, PASSENGER SIDE, UNDER INTAKE MANIFOLD. 2. APPEARS THAT FUEL LINE IS LEAKING. UNABLE TO ASCERTAIN EXACTLY WHERE, BECAUSE LEAK IS BEHIND INTAKE MANIFOLD. OCCURS DURING VERY COLD WEATHER. 3. REPAIRS FORTHCOMING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2004 SUBARU FORSTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH THE TURBO CHARGER FAILED AND THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT DUE TO A LACK OF OIL GOING TO THE TURBO CHARGER. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED AFTER REPAIRS DUE TO A LEAK IN THE OIL INTAKE RESULTING IN THE TURBO CHARGER FAILING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,968 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 84,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS HE STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED A SECOND TIME. THE THIRD TIME THE CONTACT TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND WHEN RESTARTING, THE FAILURE DID NOT RECUR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,530.

RAW FUEL SMELL IN CABIN DURING COLD START. TOOK TO MECHANIC AND HE SEES FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL LINE UNDER PASSENGER INTAKE MANIFOLD. TO RESOLVE ISSUE HE WILL HAVE TO PULL THE INTAKE, REPLACE FUEL LINES AND USE BETTER CLAMPS. THE CLAMPS AND HOSE USED BY SUBARU IS FAULTY AS I SEE A TON OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. THEY EVEN DID A RECALL ON THE WRX WHICH HAS THE SAME MOTOR AS THE FORESTER.

CONSUMER WRITES REGARDING AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER DESIGN FLAW EXCLUSIVE DEALERSHIPS REPAIRS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITH HIS ENGINE DUE TO A BLOWN TURBO. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO SELL THE REPLACEMENT PART TO HIS LOCAL MECHANIC DUE TO THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND THE INSTALLATION PROCESS. SUBARU LATER RESPONDED IN WRITING DENYING ALL CLAIMS EVEN WHEN THE CONSUMER SUPPLIED THEM WITH VALID REASONS. THE CONSUMER LEARNED SUBARU WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM DATING BACK TO 2005 AND A TSB WAS ISSUED. THE TSB STATED THAT OIL STARVATION TO THE TURBO WAS THE MAIN CAUSE FOR THE TURBO FAILURE. THE OIL STARVATION HAPPENED WHEN THE OIL FEED FILTER BANGO BECAME CLOGGED. SUBARU REALIZED THE DESIGN FLAW IN THE TURBO SYSTEM AND LATER REDESIGNED THE TURBO TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS THE TEMPERATURE STARTED TO DROP HE NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. HE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND REALIZED THAT THE HARD FUEL LINE WAS LOOSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 104,000.

I OWN AND DAILY DRIVE A 2004 FORESTER XT. IT HAS RECENTLY DEVELOPED WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A SEVERE SAFETY RELATED ISSUE. LAST NIGHT, AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES, THERE WAS AN OVERWHELMING SMELL OF RAW FUEL IN THE CABIN. THIS SITUATION HAPPENED AGAIN THIS MORNING WHILE SITTING IN TRAFFIC, AT A RED LIGHT. THE SMELL OF GASOLINE WAS SO STRONG, I FELT LIGHT HEADED AND HAD TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS 24 FAHRENHEIT. I FOUND THAT SUBARU OF AMERICA (SOA) ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON WRX MODELS WHICH PRODUCED THIS SYMPTOM. UPON INSPECTION OF MY ENGINE, I CAN BOTH SEE AND SMELL RAW FUEL SEEPING FROM ONE OR MORE OF THE FUEL LINES. I CONTINUED MY RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY REPORTS OF THIS ISSUE COVERING MANY YEAR MODELS OF THE FORESTER AND THE LEGACY MODELS. DUE TO THE VOLATILITY OF GASOLINE AND THE INHERENT DANGERS TO HUMANS IN VAPOR FORM, I FEEL THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE READ MANY REPORTS AND NOTICED THE APPARENT LARGE POPULATION OF AFFECTED VEHICLES. THIS IS VERY DISCONCERTING. I AM CONTACTING SOA TO REPORT THIS PROBLEM AND TO REQUEST THEY COVER THE FAILURE UNDER GOODWILL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A MANUFACTURERS RECALL PERTAINING TO THE SUN-ROOF REPLACEMENT IN OCTOBER, 2010. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THE RECALL COULD NOT BE PERFORMED BECAUSE THE PART WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PART WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT FEELS THE RECALL EXCEEDED A REASONABLE TIME FOR REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,102.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU FORESTER XT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DURING COLD WEATHER HE WOULD SMELL GASOLINE FUMES INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO INFORMED STATED THAT HE HAD A LEAK IN HIS FUEL LINE FROM THE HOSE ON THE FUEL RAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 108,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 02/02/11 *CN

THE AIRBAG LIGHT RANDOMLY GOES ON AND OFF FOR PERIODS OF DAYS AT A TIME. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR MANY YEARS. I BROUGHT IT IN TO THE SUBARU DEALER BUT THEY CLAIMED IT DID NOT LIGHT UP FOR THEM DURING THEIR INSPECTION. IT THEN LIT UP FOR ME ON THE WAY HOME AND WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER FROM THE ROAD THEY WOULD NOT LOOK AT IT AGAIN UNTIL I MADE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT. UNFORTUNATELY I CANNOT ASSURE THAT IT WILL BE ON FOR THEM WHEN THEY GET THE CAR. I LATER DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A SUBARU TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS PROBLEM #17-07-04. THEY SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST CHECKED TO SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. FURTHER MY MECHANIC SAID THAT WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON THE AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. *TR