2004 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

THE AIR BAG DASHBOARD LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON. IT FIRST CAME ON WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 82000 MILES AND AT FIRST IT WAS INTERMITTENT. AFTER ABOUT SIX WEEKS, IT HAS BECOME PERMANENTLY LIT WHEN THE ENGINE IS TURNED ON. I HAVE NOTED THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL. THE LIGHT DOES NOT BOTHER ME, BUT THE FACT THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IN ACCIDENTS AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DOES CONCERN ME GREATLY. *TR

ON AUGUST 3, 201 WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, MY 2004 SUBARU FORESTER SUDDENLY BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. I COULD NOT KEEP MY SPEED BELOW 80-90 MILES PER HOUR, EVEN WHEN MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR. I HAD TO KEEP MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES AT ALL TIMES. I TRIED TO ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL, IN CASE THAT WAS THE ISSUE. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE CLOSE TO MY HOME AND USUAL CAR REPAIR SERVICE. I WAS ABLE TO GET THERE BY CONSTANTLY ADJUSTING THE GEAR I WAS IN AND KEEPING THE BRAKE ENGAGED AT ALL TIMES. I WAS ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN TRYING TO TURN INTO MY GARAGE. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR IN THE PARKING LOT BY TURNING OFF THE ENGINE AND ENGAGING THE PARKING BRAKE AT THE SAME TIME. BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO STOP, MY BRAKES WERE SMOKING. MY ABS UNIT ON THE CAR HAS SINCE FAILED. THE CAR'S ACCELERATOR UNIT WAS FOUND TO BE CAKED BY SOME SORT OF GUNK, AND THIS CAUSED THE ACCELERATOR TO BE STUCK OPEN. REPAIRS COST MORE THAN $1200.00. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE HE WAS ADVISED THAT ONE OF THE AIR BAG PLUGS THAT WAS CONNECTED TO THE AIR BAG WIRING WAS NOT CONTACTING. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND THE AIR BAGS POTENTIALLY WOULD NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER (NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: 10015705: AIR BAGS) BUT THERE WAS NOT A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 69,500.

ON 03/26/2010, CAR FAILED TO STOP IN SPITE OF HEAVY PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE ABS DID NOT CUT IN, THE CAR VEERED TO THE LEFT AND COLLIDED WITH A VEHICLE CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE BRAKES, THE FOLLOWING WAS FOUND: DRIVER SIDE, OUTSIDE PAD WORN TO BARE METAL SCORING ROTOR; INNER PAD FROZEN IN POSITION BY ACCUMULATED RUST UNDER THE INSERTS ON THE BRAKE CARRIER. RUST THICKNESS APPROX. 1 MM. MATERIAL REMAINING ON THE PAD APPROX. 4 MM. ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BOTH PADS WERE FROZEN IN PLACE W/ APPROX. 5 MM OF MATERIAL REMAINING. RUST WAS REMOVED FROM THE BRAKE CARRIERS AND NEW OEM ROTORS AND PADS WERE INSTALLED. *TR

THE AIR BAG LIGHT SEEMS TO INTERMITTENTLY COME ON WHEN THE DRIVER'S SEAT IS MOVED FORWARD. THE LIGHT GOES OFF ON ITS OWN USUALLY WHEN THE SEAT IS MOVED BACK BUT WE HAVE NOT DETECTED ANY PATTERNS. *TR

WHILE PARKING MY CAR IN A MUSEUM PARKING AREA ON A SLOPE, I SHIFTED THE AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFT FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE AND THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND TOOK OFF DOWN A CROWDED PARKING LOT DRIVEWAY AT VERY HIGH SPEED. THE CAR WAS AT A STANDSTILL AT THE TIME OF THE GEAR SHIFTING. I COULD NOT SLOW OR STOP THE RAPIDLY ACCELERATING CAR BY BRAKING. I WAS FOCUSED ON NOT HITTING PEOPLE AND OTHER ENTERING CARS AND DIDN'T THINK TO TRY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE OR SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL. THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING, DESPITE MY FOOT BEING HEAVILY ON THE BRAKE, AND I AIMED IT INTO A TREE RATHER THAN INTO AN ONCOMING CAR. THE CAR WAS "TOTALED". THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND I WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT. I WAS VERY BADLY BRUISED WITH NO CONCUSSION, WHIPLASH OR BROKEN BONES. I WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM AND DISCHARGED AFTER A FEW HOURS. THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN WAS SHEARED OFF AND THE DASHBOARD TOTALLY DEFORMED BY THE FORCE OF MY IMPACT INTO THEM. THE WHOLE FRONT END OF THE CAR WAS SMASHED IN. I LATER CHECKED THE CAR AT THE IMPOUNDING SITE AND FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF THE DRIVER SEAT FLOOR MAT BEING OUT OF PLACE OR EVEN TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I AM THE SOLE DRIVER OF THIS CAR AND HAD NO PRIOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS COLD, SUNNY AND DRY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT HAS 2004 SUBURU FORRESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN JANUARY 2010 SHE WAS BACKING UP THE VEHICLE AT 5MPH. THE VEHICLE BEGAN ACCELERATING IN REVERSE UP TO 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE CRASHED THROUGH A BUILDINGS METAL GARAGE DOOR AND PART OF THE SOUTH WALL. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS THE VEHICLE ZOOMED ACROSS THE EMPTY GARAGE SPACE AND THEN CRASHED THROUGH AND INTERIOR METAL WALL AND INTO A LARGE OPEN WORK SPACE. THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP UNTIL IT BECAME WEDGED BETWEEN A LARGE HEAVY WORK TABLE AND ANOTHER OBJECT. THE WHOLE EPISODE TOOK ONLY A FEW SECONDS. THE VEHICLE CAUSED A LOT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT FEELS IT WAS A SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WAS 69000.THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT.

DURING THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, A VERY STRONG FUEL SMELL FILLED THE CABIN OF THE CAR. IT WOULD SOMETIMES GO AWAY AFTER A HALF HOUR OF DRIVING. IT SEEMED TO COINCIDE WITH THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE BEING BELOW FREEZING. BROUGHT CAR IN FOR SERVICE. THEY TIGHTENED FUEL CLAMPS AND REPLACED A SMALL FUEL LINE. A FEW WEEKS LATER THE SMELL RETURNED EVEN MORE INTENSE. IT WAS SCARY TO DRIVE, ESPECIALLY WITH MY TODDLER IN THE CAR! TOOK CAR IN FOR SERVICE AGAIN. THEY REPLACED ALL FUEL INJECTORS/ORINGS/SEALS AND INTAKE AND EXHAUST GASKETS. REPAIRS TOTALED OVER $1,000. PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED AT 105,000 MILES. (ONE MONTH EARLIER THE TURBO HAD TO BE REPLACED...A REPAIR TOTAL OF $3,300. FOR OVER A YEAR THERE'S ALSO BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR CONSTANTLY NEEDING OIL, BUT THERE'S NO LEAK.) I'VE READ COMPLAINT AFTER COMPLAINT FOR THE FUEL SMELL PROBLEM ON MANY SUBARU FORUMS. WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS SAFETY HAZARD?? *TR

EVERY TIME THE TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW FREEZING A STRONG FUEL SMELL FILLS THE INTERIOR. SOMETIMES THE SMELL GOES AWAY WHEN THE ENGINE WARMS UP, SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU FORESETER. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCUR CONSISTENTLY. THE ENGINE EXHIBITED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF FUEL LEAKAGE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTIONS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.