1999 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

MY 1999 SUBARU FORESTER'S AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED WORKING RIGHT AFTER 5 YEARS. I LEFT THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP OVER NIGHT AND THEY SUSPECTED THAT THE AIR COMPRESSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT THEY WERE NOT 100% SURE AT THAT TIME. THEY DID MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENT AT THAT TIME AND THE AIR CONDITIONER BEGAN TO WORK. HOWEVER, IT ONLY LASTED A WEEK. I HAD ALREADY SPENT ALMOST $200 FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND I NEED TO SPEND $750 MORE TO REPLACE THE AIR COMPRESSOR. I CHECKED SOME REFERENCES AND LEARNED THAT THE AIR CONDITION SYSTEM SHOULD LAST 80K-100K MILES, WHILE MY CAR'S MILEAGE IS NOT EVEN 50K! SO I SENT AN E-MAIL TO SUBARU AMERICA TO COMPLAIN ABOUT IT. HOWEVER, THEIR REPLY WAS ONLY ACCORDING TO THE 3 YEAR/36K MILES WARRANTY. I AM REALLY UNHAPPY ABOUT THIS AND I AM WONDERING IF THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER SUBARU OWNERS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THANKS! *JB

THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE NOISE BY THE DEALERSHIP, THEY INDICATED THE NOISE OCCURRED BECAUSE OF A RIGHT WHEEL BEARING FAILURE. THE RIGHT WHEEL BEARING WAS REPLACED, BUT THEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON THE LEFT SIDE. *JB

DURING A 35 MPH REAR COLLISION FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED. CONSUMER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

REAR WHEEL BEARINGS ON MY 1999 SUBARU FORRESTER PURCHASED ON MAR 6, 1999 HAVE FAILED ON THE LEFT REAR WHEEL AT 31619 MILES ON NOV. 13, 2001. THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILED ON JULY 1, 2004 AT 58974 MILES. THE LEFT REAR FAILED AGAIN ON A VACATION TRIP TO VERMONT ON JULY 12, 2004 AT 59832 MILES. ON THIS LAST FAILURE THE LEFT REAR HOPUSING HAD TO BE REPLACED AS EXCESSIVE HEAT SCORCHED THE PART. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS COVERED UNDER THE MANUFACTURERS WARRENTY. THE OTHER 2 FAILURES WERE COVERED UNDER AN EXTENDED $900 WARRENTY THAT WAS PURCHASED WHEN THE CAR WAS PURCHASED OTHERWISE ADDED EXPENSE TO MYSELF WOULD HAVE $286.33 FOR THE SECOND FAILURE AND $507.17 FOR THE THIRD FAILURE AS THE CAR WAS OUT OF THE STANDARD CAR WARRENTY. THIS STILL COST ME $100 (2 INCEDENTS AT $50 DEDUCTABLE). AT THE REPLACEMENT OF THE LAST 2 BEARINGS THE MECHANICS PERFORMING THE WORK SAID SUBARU CAME UP WITH A NEW HEAVIER DUTY BEARING A FEW YEARS BACK TO REPLACE THE STANDARD BEARINGS SUOPPLIED WHEN THE VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED. IF NOT FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE EXTENDED WARRENTY THE REPAIRS WOULD HAVE COST ABOUT $800. AS I WAS ON VACATION AND TRAVELLING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH WHEN THE LAST BEARING FAILED WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED IF THE BEARING HEATED UP MORE THAN WHAT IT DID. PARTS WERE KEPT BY THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER HERE IN LAKEWOOD AND THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP IN ST. JOHNSBURY, VT. I'M HOPING THATR SUBARU'S NEW DESIGNED BEARING WILL LAST LONGER THAN THEIR ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT SUPPLIED ON THEIR VEHICLES. I'M STILL OUT THE $100 I HAD TO PAY FOR MY DEDUCTABLE ON GETTING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. WHO KNOWS HOW MANY SUBARU'S ARE OUT THERE THAT CAN CAUSE SOME MAJOR PROBLEMS IF THE OLD DESIGN BEARINGS GET HEATED UP ENOUGH TO CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. FOR ME, THESE INCIDENTS BASICALLY CAUSED LOSS OF TIME, ESPECIALLY THE LAST INCIDENT AS I LOST 6 HOURS OF VACATION TIME WAITING FOR THE REPLACEMENT PARTS TO BE FOUND AND THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE MECHANIC REPAIRED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER ONCE, BUT THE CONSUMER CONTINUED TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. *JB THE CONVERTER WAS REPLACED ONCE AND THE #02 SENSOR WAS REPAIRED FORCED. TWO DEALERS SUGGESTED THAT THIS MODEL VEHICLE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS COMPONENT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT OR BELOW 100K MILES. *SC *JB

PROBLEMS WITH TENSIONER, FRONT BELT COVER AND HEAD GASKET. *MR THE FRONT BELT COVER AND TENSIONER FAILED TWO MONTHS AFTER THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC DID NOT TORQUE DOWN THE TENSIONER BOLT AND CAUSED IT TO COME LOOSE. THE VALVES WERE BENT EVEN THOUGH THE MOTOR IS CONSIDERED NONINTERFERENCE. TWO RECALLS WERE APPLIED TO THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THE CONSUMER'S KNOWLEDGE (RECALL WWG90 & WWP99). THE SEAL ON TOP OF THE TENSIONER FAILED. THE MECHANICS HAD GIVEN TWO RESULTS; 3 CYLINDERS WITH NO COMPRESSION. THE VEHICLE WAS LOSING OIL BEFORE THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM IN DECEMBER 2003. THE CONSUMER ALSO NOTICED CHANGES IN THE OIL LEVEL BETWEEN CHANGES. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED A NEW ENGINE. *SC *JB

AT 53,500 MILES ENGINE OIL BEGAN LEAKING. ALL SEALS HAD TO BE REPLACED INCLUDING WATRE PUMP SEALS WICH HAD ALSO FAILED.*AK

1999 SUBARU FORESTER HAS A LEAK IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEAD GASKET. (NAR). *MR *CB

I BOUGHT A 1999 SUBARU FORESTER S LESS THAN 2 YEARS AGO. IN DECEMBER 2003, AT APPROX. 71,200 MILES, THE CAR BEGAN LOOSING ANTIFREEZE. I DISCOVERED THAT I NEEDED A HEAD GASKET JOB. NOW I FIND THEY HAVE A RECALL ON THIS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I DISCOVERED THE MYSTERIOUS "VANISHING OIL" PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. AT 75,775, I CHECKED THE OIL AND FOUND IT MOSTLY GONE! I RETURNED TO MY MECHANIC, WHO FOUND NO EXTERNAL LEAK AND NO SIGN OF OIL BURNING ON THE SPARK PLUGS. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH (SEE NHTSA COMPLAINTS), THIS APPEARS TO BE A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES. I CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE SITUATION AND ADD OIL AS NECESSARY. I SEEM TO NEED 1 QUART PER 1500 MILES, APPROXIMATELY. NOW, THE FINAL PROBLEM. ON 3/24/04, AT 77,848, I WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH, HEARD A STRANGE NOISE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND COASTED TO A SAFE TURN OUT. AFTER TOWING THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC, HE DISCOVERED THAT THE TOP OF THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER HAD POPPED OFF, RELEASING THE HYDRAULIC AND OF COURSE THE TIMING BELT. HE HAS NEVER SEEN A TENSIONER FAIL, AND OUT OF THE HUNDREDS OF NEW TIMING BELTS HE HAS DONE, HE ONLY HAD TO REPLACE ABOUT A DOZEN THAT WERE OUT OF SPECS. WE DEBATED A COURSE OF ACTION AND, SINCE IT IS A NON-INTERFERENCE MOTOR, I DECIDED TO REPLACE THE TENSIONER AND NOT THE ENTIRE MOTOR. HE ALSO DID A HAND CRANK TO CHECK FOR RESISTANCE OR OTHER HEAD DAMAGE. AFTER WAITING NEARLY 2 WEEKS FOR PARTS (DUE TO SUBARU'S PART ORDERING METHOD), HE REPLACED THE TENSIONER. WHEN TESTING THE ENGINE, IT DID NOT SOUND RIGHT. HE DID A COMPRESSION TEST AND FOUND NO COMPRESSION ON 3 CYLINDERS! SO NOW I HAD THE SHOCKING PROSPECT OF NEEDING A NEW ENGINE!I DECIDED I BETTER GET HELP FROM THE DEALER, AS THIS ALL APPEARS TO BE A QUALITY ISSUE THAT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING TO THIS ENGINE AT THIS MILEAGE. THE CAR IS NOW AT STOHLMAN SUBARU IN VIENNA, VA. *AK

THE CONSUMER HIT A LIGHT POLE WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HIT A UTILITY POLE BUT THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED SORE MUSCLES. *NM *NM