2014 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

I OPENED THE TRUNK OF MY SUBARU FORESTER LIMITED EDITION WITH THE REMOTE. WHILE I WAS REMOVING THE LUGGAGE FROM THE TRUNK, I HEARD A NOISE AS THE LIFTGATE WAS CLOSING. BEFORE I TURNED TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING, THE LIFTGATE LANDED ON MY LOWER BACK. I REALIZED THAT THE RIGHT SUPPORT OF THE LIFTGATE WAS BROKEN.

AT 106,000 MILES THE CHECK OIL LEVEL LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON 3/22/2017. AT THAT TIME AFTER CHECKING I ADDED 1 AT OF OIL. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER AFTER READING ONLINE THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE REPORTS OF MY VEHICLE MODEL HAVING OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEMS. AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PERFORMED WHICH WAS NEGATIVE. IT WAS SUGGESTED TO ME BY THE DEALER THAT I COULD CONTACT SUBARU DIRECTLY IF I STILL HAD CONCERNS WHICH I DID. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR CARS TO USE EXTRA OIL AND THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE DONE ABOUT IT. SINCE THEN THE CHECK OIL LIGHT HAS REGULARLY ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO MY NEXT OIL CHANGE AND HAS REQUIRED THE ADDITION OF 1 QT OF OIL AT DECREASING MILEAGE INTERVALS. I AM NOW DOWN TO SEEING THE CHECK OIL ILLUMINATE AND ADDING OIL AT 3000 MILES. I HAVE FOLLOWED THE SUBARU RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SERVICE. I HAVE OWNED CARS MADE BY TOYOTA, NISSAN, HONDA, FORD, JEEP, CHEVROLET, VOLKSWAGON, MAZDA AND SUBARU OVER THE LAST 45 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR REQUIRE OIL ADDITIONS. I HAVE A FRIEND WITH A 2013 SUBARU FORESTER THAT WAS TOLD AT HER LAST SERVICE THAT THERE WAS NO OIL REGISTERING ON THE DIPSTICK. THAT YEAR MODEL HAS NO CHECK OIL WARNING LIGHT WHEN 1 QT DOWN. FOR MY YEAR MODEL THE VEHICLE WAS REDESIGNED AND A CHECK OIL LIGHT WAS ADDED WHICH MAY SUGGEST THERE WAS A PROBLEM DEVELOPING.

WHEN TRYING TO CLOSE SUNROOF, NORMALLY THE ROOF WINDOW WOULD SLIDE BACK AND A SET OF PIN WILL PUSH THE REAR SIDE OF THE WINDOW UP TO SEAL THE GAP BETWEEN THE WINDOW AND ROOFTOP. HOWEVER THE DEVICE IS DEFECTIVE AND THE WINDOW WILL NOT GO BACK TO ITS SUPPOSED LOCATION. WATER MAY LEAK IN TO WIRING AND CAUSE FURTHER DAMAGE.

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED COMPLETELY IN JULY, 2018. I CONTACTED A SUBARU DEALER ON JULY 30 FOR SERVICE, BUT THE FIRST APPOINTMENT AVAILABLE WAS ON AUGUST 1ST. I FOUND OUT THAT SUBARU HAD BEEN HAVING SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS AND EXTENDED THEIR WARRANTIES. BECAUSE MY ACTUAL SERVICE WAS ON AUGUST 1ST, SUBARU SAID I MISSED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY BY ONE DAY! CORPORATE SUBARU OFFERED TO PAY HALF OF THE $7,500 COST FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION, BUT I WAS LEFT TO PAY THE REST. THEY SAID IF I HAD BEEN A "MORE LOYAL" CUSTOMER THEY WOULD HAVE PAID MORE THAN HALF. I LEFT THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR 3 MONTHS TRYING TO NEGOTIATE THE PRICE DOWN. EVENTUALLY I HAD TO PAY FOR $2,000 OF THE REPAIR. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SUBARU HAS NOT HAD TO RECALL THE VEHICLES EXPERIENCING THESE TRANSMISSION FAILURES, OR AT LEAST PAY FOR REPAIRS ONCE IT FAILS. WHEN WE FIRST FELT THE VEHICLE NOT RESPONDING NORMALLY, WE STOOPED DRIVING. IT WAS NOT SAFE.

THE STEERING CONTROL MODULE HAS FAILED TWICE IN THE LAST 4 YEARS AND 2 MONTHS. THE POWER STEERING IS LOST AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE TWO TIMES THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED HAS BEEN IN COLDER TEMPERATURES AND DURING LOCAL DRIVING. THE CAR BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER, AND FOR A SMALL PERSON IT COULD BE DANGEROUS. THE STEERING MODULE CODE PER THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS 2532. BOTH TIMES WHEN I SPOKE TO THE DEALER, IN 2014 AND 2019, THEY ACTED AS THOUGH THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS ISSUE. I AM HAVING THE MODULE REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME.

ON JANUARY 26, 2019, AT 8:00 PM, IN A PARKING DECK AT A SHOPPING CENTER, I WAS IN A LINE OF CARS MAKING A RIGHT TURN INTO AN AISLE. I TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR VERY LIGHTLY TO MOVE A FEW FEET FORWARD. THE CAR UNEXPECTEDLY AND SUDDENLY ACCELERATED GREATLY, AND I IMMEDIATELY PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AS HARD AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I HAD TO SWERVE TO THE LEFT TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE HITTING THE BRAKE DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY SLOW THE CAR DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID HITTING ANYTHING, BUT IT WAS A FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE BECAUSE THE CAR WAS OUT OF CONTROL. THIS WAS CLEARLY A CASE OF SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION.

PIECES OF MY REAR COILS BROKE OFF SHOWING BADLY RUSTED. SOME IN STREET SOME IN MY GARAGE. VEHICLE STARTED TO DRIVE DIFFERENTLY. TOOK TO FIRESTONE AND BOTH REAR COILS BROKE AND 1 STRUT AS WELL. SUBARU KNOWS ABOUT THIS BUT I DID NOT AND TOOK TO NON SUBARU PLACE FOR REPAIRS. SO THEY REFUSED TO MAKE GOOD OR STAND BEHIND THEIR VEHICLE BECAUSE I DIDNT GO TO A SUBARU DEALER AND OFFERED 500 COST ME 1556.00. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL USED METAL THAT RUSTED AND FAILED.

LEFT REAR COIL SPRING BROKEN NOT DUE TO HEAVY LOAD OR ROUGH TERRAIN DRIVING VEHICLE ONLY HAS APPROX. 27,000 MILES ON IT .FROM WHAT I'M SEEING ON LINE AND HEARING FROM OTHER OWNERS AND DEALERS, IT IS A PRETTY COMMON PROBLEM.

REPEATED THUMPING NOISE WHEN TURNING LEFT AT SPEED APPROX. 25 MPH. NOTICED 2 OR 3 MONTHS AGO. ODOMETER AT ABOUT 79000 MILES.DEALER DIAGNOSED BAD WHEEL BEARINGS AND REPAIRED THEM FOR $700+. NO CHANGE NOTICED. DEALER DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED DEFECTIVE AUTO TRANSMISSION AT NO EXPENSE TO ME. (AMAZING!) I STILL HEAR THE NOISE WHEN I TURN LEFT. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS MIGHT INDICATE A SAFETY ISSUE. WEB SEARCH "SUBARUFORESTER.ORG" SHOWS SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS BUT NO RESOLUTION.

BOTTOM OF BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT REAR COIL SPRINGS BROKE - AT THE POINT WHERE THEY SIT ON THE LOWER SPRING SEAT OF THE STRUT. THEY BOTH FRACTURED AT EXACTLY THE SAME SPOT ON THE COIL - AT THE FIRST 1/2 LOOP OF THE COIL (ABOUT 4 INCHES) AND IN THE SAME DIAGONAL TYPE OF SHEAR. PICTURES ATTACHED OF THE PIECES THAT BROKE OFF EACH COIL. CAR HAS ONLY 58,000 MILES AND NEVER DRIVEN OFF ROAD OR OVERLOADED. NOT EXACTLY SURE WHEN THEY BROKE - WAS DISCOVERED BY MY MECHANIC WHILE DOING OTHER WORK ON THE CAR.