2004 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

SMELLED FUEL IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. STOPPED VEHICLE AND STRONG ODOR OF FUEL UNDER HOOD. THE EVENING TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW ZERO AND EVEN THOUGH VEHICLE IS GARAGED, TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW FREEZING. NO SIGNS OF FUEL ON FLOOR OF GARAGE AND COULD NOT FIND LEAK BY OBSERVATION OF RUNNING ENGINE. I DID RESEARCH AND MANY SUBARU VEHICLES ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH FUEL LEAKS AT LOW TEMPERATURES. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. DEALER SAYS IT MAY TAKE REPAIRS IN EXCESS OF $500.00 TO RESOLVE FAULTY CLAMPS AND HOSES. I AM TRYING TO GET SUBARU OF AMERICA TO WORK WITH ME. WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN A RECALL? ARE WE WAITING FOR FIRES OR ASPHYXIATION? *TR

MODEL IS A 2004 SUBARU FORESTER XT. UPON STARTUP IN COLD WEATHER, THERE IS AN EXTREME SMELL OF RAW FUEL (GASOLINE) BOTH INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND OUTSIDE AS WELL. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR IN COLD WEATHER. *TR

THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED WHEN TEMPERATURE DROPPED BELOW ABOUT 15 DEGREES F. THERE WAS A VERY STRONG GAS SMELL INSIDE CAR WITH HEATER ON. THERE WAS ALSO A STRONG GAS SMELL UNDER HOOD. I DROVE CAR THE NEXT DAY AT 35 DEG F AND NO SMELL. *TR

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE DRIVERS SEAT IS MOVED. THE CONNECTOR WIRE UNDER THE SEAT MUST BE CAUSE BUT THE DEALER WILL CHARGE $600.00 FOR REPAIR THAT THEY STATE MAY OR MAY NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS ONE OR TWO YEARS OLD. A SEARCH OF YOUR RECORDS SHOWS THE EXACT PROBLEM IN COMPLAINT #10196583, AND IS THE LIKELY CAUSE OF COMPLAINT #'S 10149296 AND 10101059. *TR

THE AIR BAG SYSTEM WILL NOT FUNCTION IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR MALFUNCTION. THE CONNECTOR IS LOCATED UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND IS CONSTANTLY STRESSED BY SEAT MOVEMENT OR CONTACT BY THE DRIVER'S FEET. AS A RESULT, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IS CHRONICALLY BUT INTERMITTENTLY ON. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE FIRST IDENTIFIED WHEN THIS VEHICLE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR OLD. THE REPAIR OF THE CONNECTOR WAS EVENTUALLY INEFFECTIVE. WHEN THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IS ON THE AIR BAGS ARE INACTIVE AND WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION. *TR

DURING GAS FILL-UPS, UNABLE TO FILL TANK WITHOUT CONTINUOUS START/STOPS (~20 TIMES FOR FULL TANK). HAVE TRIED DIFFERENT PUMPS AND DIFFERENT STATIONS (APPROXIMATELY 13 FILL-UPS NOW). *TR

VEHICLE ABRUPTLY ACCELERATED WHILE STOPPED WITH FOOT ON BRAKE IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. VEHICLE JUMPED A CURB AND CLIPPED A TREE AT HIGH SPEED CUTTING ACROSS TWO HOME LAWNS. DRIVER HAD NO CONTROL OF CAR AND BRAKES DID NOT WORK. VEHICLE FINALLY CAME TO A REST AFTER BRAKE PEDAL HAD BEEN PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO VEHICLE WHERE IT MADE CONTACT WITH THE TREE. THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS OUTSIDE AT THE TIME (3:00 PM) BECAUSE SOMEONE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN KILLED BY THE OUT OF CONTROL VEHICLE ALSO HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR CLIPPING THE TREE, THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE LIKELY GONE FORWARD INTO A HOME. *TR

SUBARU REFUSES TO MAKE WINTER BLADES FOR THE REAR WIPER BLADE ON 2004-2008 SUBARU FORESTERS. THIS RESULTS IN REAR WIPER BLADES THAT ICE UP AND CANNOT EFFECTIVELY WIPE THE REAR WINDOW IN ICE OR SNOW. REAR VISION IS BLOCKED. THIS SUMMER BLADE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT. STOPPING ALONG SIDE A HIGHWAY TO CLEAN THEM OFF CAN BE A SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE CONTACTED SUBARU SEVERAL TIMES ON THIS SINCE 2004. ALL THEY SAY IS THAT THEY WILL TALK ABOUT IT. CAN YOU MAKE THEM MANUFACTURE A WINTER BLADE? *TR

AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON SHORTLY BEFORE THE WARRANTY ON THE ITEM RAN OUT. DEALER CHECKED CONNECTIONS AND LIGHT WENT OUT. A FEW MONTHS LATER THE LIGHT CAME AGAIN. CHECKED CONNECTION, LIGHT WENT OUT. LIGHT STARTED GOING ON INTERMITTENTLY. NOW WAS ON STEADILY. GOGGLING 2004 FORESTER AIR BAG LIGHT INDICATES THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. IT WAS A POOR DESIGN THAT EXPOSED THE CONNECTOR TO DAMAGE BY FEET OR OTHER OBJECTS UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT. *AK

RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILED AT 31000 MILESIN NOVEMBER 2005, AND WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER. AT 67000 MILESIN JUNE 2007, BOTH REAR WHEEL BEARINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED. CAR RECEIVED ALL RECOMMENDED OIL CHANGES AND SERVICES. IS ONLY USED FOR HIGHWAY AND CITY DRIVING.*AK