2004 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

THE REAR HATCH DOOR DOES NOT LATCH AND DOOR CAN SWING OPEN. PROBLEM STARTED AROUND 45K AND ALL THE DEALER WOULD DO IS SPRAY THE MECHANISM WITH WD-40. THE PROBLEM KEPT GETTING WORSE AND I AM FED UP. AS A RESULT OF THIS I WOULD NOT BUY ANOTHER SUBARU. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ON GOING FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS ,IT HAPPENS EVERYTIME THE HATCH IS OPEN...IT NEVER LATCHES WHEN CLOSED. *TR

VEHICLE COMPARTMENT HAS A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE. I FIRST NOTICED THIS A YEAR AGO (VEHICLE MILEAGE WAS AROUND 40,000) AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS 20 DEGREES AND LOWER WHEN THIS WOULD OCCUR. THE SMELL OF GAS CONTINUED AGAIN THIS WINTER. I HAD MY MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AND CONTACTED THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP. THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, BUT DID STATE THAT THEY HAVE HAD OTHER CUSTOMERS COMPLAIN OF THIS EXTREMELY STRONG GAS SMELL AS WELL. IT HAS BEEN SO BAD THAT I HAVE HAD TO KEEP A WINDOW OPEN. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2004 SUBARU FORRESTER XT IN FEBRUARY OF '09 WITH 93,008 MILES ON IT. THE DEALERSHIP HAD ALL SERVICE RECORDS RELATING TO THE VEHICLES HISTORY, AND ALL GUIDELINES WERE FOLLOWED ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE IS 102,323 AND I WAS JUST INFORMED THAT THE TURBOCHARGER IS COMING APART AND NEEDS REPLACED OR THE VEHICLE WILL BE NON-OPERATIONAL. I CONTACTED SUBARU OF NORTH AMERICA AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO, WHICH I UNDERSTAND. MY MAIN PROBLEM IS THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE THAT I TALKED TO INFORMED ME THAT THE MANUFACTURER CHANGED ITS GUIDELINES FOR LATER MODELS OF THE VEHICLE TO A SHORTER RECOMMENDED INTERVAL BETWEEN SERVICES. THESE MODELS HAVE THE SAME ENGINE AND TURBOCHARGER AS MY VEHICLE AND THEY CHANGED THE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE FROM 7,500 MILES TO 3,500 MILES. I UNDERSTAND THE POWER TRAIN COVERAGE EXPIRED AT 5 YEARS OR 60,000 MILES BUT MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT THEY HAD CHANGED THEIR SERVICE REQUIREMENT FOR A REASON. THE MECHANIC SHOP THAT I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO HAS HAD SERVICE BULLETINS ON THIS PROBLEM CONCERNING THE TURBOCHARGERS. IT STATES VEHICLES THAT ARE TURBOCHARGED SHOULD HAVE THE OIL CHANGED EVERY 3,750 MILES TO PREVENT FAILURE/ DAMAGE TO THE TURBO AND THAT I WAS NOT TO DRIVE IT OR THE ENGINE COULD SEIZE UP AND CAUSE A CRASH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A FUEL LEAK IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. HE COULD SMELL GASOLINE IN THE CABIN AS IT WAS BEING LEAKED ON THE MOTOR. HE STATED THAT THE FAILURE SEEMED TO HAPPEN IN ABOVE FREEZING WEATHER. HE CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 95,000.

OWNER WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT A GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT WHEN VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD BUMPING THE CONCRETE PARKING POST. WHEN PUT IN REVERSE, IT AGAIN SUDDENLY ACCELERATED BRUISING A PEDESTRIAN. SIMILAR BEHAVIOR WHILE PARKING OCCURRED IN THE SAME LOT A MONTH EARLIER BUT ONLY CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LICENSE PLATE COVER. WE BELIEVE THE DRIVERS SIDE FLOOR MATT SLIPPED AND HAVE REMOVED IT. WE DID TAKE IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE THROTTLE COMPUTER BOARD CLEANED AT THE PIN CONNECTOR AND MAP SENSORS, AS HAD BEEN SUGGESTED IN AN EARLIER NHTSA REPORT FOR THIS CAR YEAR AND MODEL. HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC SAID THEY WERE NOT DIRTY. *TR

IN COLD WEATHER (BELOW 0F) VEHICLE LEAKS FUEL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. VEHICLE WAS PARKED OUTSIDE STARTING AT 6:30 AM, WITH AN OUTDOOR AIR TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIMATELY -11F AFTER A 6 MILE DRIVE. WHEN VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AT 11:30AM, WITH AN OUTDOOR AIR TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIMATELY 3F, FUEL SMELL WAS NOTICED WITHIN ONE MILE. FUEL LEAK IS FROM HIGH PRESSURE HOSE ON PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE, JUST FORWARD AND BELOW THE MANIFOLD. CAR WAS TOWED TO SHOP AND SHOP REPLACED HIGH PRESSURE FUEL HOSE AND CLAMPS. PHOTOS OF EXACT LOCATION OF LEAK, COMPONENTS REPLACED, REPAIR BILL AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TEMPERATURE DATA AVAILABLE IN PDF FORMAT. *TR

OUR 2004 MODEL, MANUAL GEAR-BOX SUBARU FORESTER 2.5 X STALLS FAR TOO EASILY IN FIRST GEAR. RECENTLY, MY WIFE NARROWLY ESCAPED A HORRENDOUS ACCIDENT WHEN THE FORESTER'S ENGINE STALLED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY TRYING TO ACCELERATE ONTO THE HIGHWAY FROM THE SIDE ROAD WHICH SHE HAS TO USE TO ACCESS THE HIGHWAY FROM HER PLACE OF WORK. WE HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER MANUAL GEAR-BOX SUBARU OWNERS, INCLUDING THE SUBARU WRX AND LIBERTY, WHO HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS MAY BE A FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN ISSUE AFFECTING MOST RECENTLY BUILT MANUAL GEAR BOX SUBARU PASSENGER VEHICLES, BUILT BY SUBARU AT THEIR MAIN FACTORY IN JAPAN, AND DISTRIBUTED GLOBALLY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE USA. *TR

ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE THE CAR WAS DRIVEN. CORRESPONDS TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 7V043000. *TR

A REAR WHEEL BEARING HAS FAILED ON OUR 2004 SUBARU FORRESTER XT. WE HAVE HEARD A SOUND ON AGAIN AND OFF AGAIN A FEW MONTHS AFTER BUYING THE CAR, AS WELL AS IN RECENT MONTHS. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY A SUBARU DEALER AND WE HAVE HAD ALL REQUIRED SERVICES MADE OVER THE YEARS OF OWNING THE CAR. WE BOUGHT THE CAR FROM SUBARU OF WAKEFILED, MA WHEN WE LIVED IN SALEM, MA. THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS TERRIFIC. WE NOW HAVE IT SERVICED AT PENCE SUBARU IN RICHMOND. THE LAST TIME WE WERE AT THE DEALER WE HAD AN UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE AND I WAS RETICENT TO RETURN. THE SOUND GOT REALLY BAD ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO AND I TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT AUTO MECHANIC AND HE CONFIRMED THAT THE REAR BEARINGS HAD FAILED. WE HAVE HEARD A SOUND FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR ON AGAIN AND OFF AGAIN FOR YEARS AND HAD THE BRAKES CHECKED AND WORKED ON NUMEROUS TIMES THINKING THIS WAS THE PROBLEM. RECENT RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG IN THE DESIGN OF THE BEARINGS OR THE HUB AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED MULTIPLE FAILURES WHILE OWNING THEIR CARS. IT SEEMS AS IF A RECALL IS IN ORDER HERE AND THE PARTS SHOULD BE REPLACED AT THE MANUFACTURERS EXPENSE. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR INVESTIGATING THE MATTER AND ANY GUIDANCE THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE. *TR

NOISE FROM LEFT REAR WHEEL GREW LOUDER FOR WEEKS ON A 2004 SUBARU FORESTER XT TURBO WITH 87,800 MILES. TIRES PLUS IN COOPER CITY, FL, REPLACED THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING. IT SEEMED UNUSUALLY SOON FOR NORMAL WEAR, AND I FOUND SIMILAR ONLINE COMPLAINTS ABOUT SUBARU WHEEL BEARINGS. *TR