2008 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING 7 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN. HE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND ALTHOUGH THE RPMS INCREASED, IT EVENTUALLY IDLED BACK TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES FOUND WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER DIRECTLY WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. HE STATED THAT THE DEALER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE DEALER LATER FOUND THAT THE FLOOR MATS WERE NOT ANCHORED TO THE HOOKS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 16,228. UPDATED 06/03/10*BF THE CONSUMER HE WAS STARTING TO TRAVEL A STEEP, NARROW ROAD WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO RACE WITHOUT STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL. HE STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. HE PUT THE GEAR IN NEUTRAL AND IT RACED FOR A WHILE, THEN RETURNED TO NORMAL. UPDATED 06/09/10.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH OUT OF A PARKING SPACE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND THE BRAKES FAILED. IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL GEAR. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 37959. UPDATED 03/10/10. *LJ UPDATED 07/07/10

2008 SUBARU FORESTER THE DRIVE BY WIRE ACCELERATOR SYSTEM SURGES BETWEEN ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION WHEN ONE TRIES TO HOLD A STEADY HIGHWAY SPEED. THIS IS TRUE WHETHER IT IS BEING CONTROLLED MANUALLY OR IF CRUISE CONTROL IS ENGAGED. IT ALSO ACCELERATES IN CRUISE CONTROL WHEN GOING DOWNHILL. SUBARU HAS MADE AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE COMPUTER ENGINE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR THE LEGACY MODEL BUT HAVE IGNORED THE FORESTER CUSTOMERS. ALL DEALERSHIPS ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM FROM CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS BUT DO NOT HAVE A REMEDY FROM SUBARU. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE BACKING INTO A DRIVEWAY AT 5 MPH IN REVERSE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THE POLICE WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE REAR BUMPER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER; HOWEVER, AFTER A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. A CLAIM WAS FILED WITH THE SUBARU MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD SEND A FIELD AGENT TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,838. UPDATED 2/17/10 *CN UPDATED 02/22/10.

"FLOATING AROUND" FLOOR MAT PROBLEM ON MY 2008 SUBARU FORESTER. I BOUGHT MY FORESTER IN DECEMBER OF 2007. WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS THE MATS STARTED TO SLIDE AROUND THE FLOOR AND HAVE BUNCHED-UP UNDER THE PEDAL CLUSTER. I AM CAREFUL TO REPOSITION THEM. WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT THE HUNDREDS OF RUBBER TABS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE 4 MATS STARTED TO FALL OFF. THIS IS ON ALL FOUR MATS. SUBARU TOLD ME THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. I READ ABOUT A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA AND I UNDERSTAND THAT TOYOTA HAS AN OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN SUBARU. PERHAPS THEY USE THE SAME VENDOR TO SUPPLY FLOOR MATES IN THE USA. I KNOW THIS IS DANGEROUS. MY CAR IS STILL UNDER THE NEW CAR WARRANTY, SO I AM NOT LOOKING FOR SOMETHING FOR NOTHING. MY BET IS OTHERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM TOO. LIKE I SAID IT AFFECTS ALL FOUR MATS, AND MY BACK SEATS ARE RARELY USED, SO IT MUST BE THE MATS. MY CAR HAS 22,000 MILES. THANK YOU *TR

BEARINGS AND HUB ASSEMBLY - ROAD NOISE FROM REAR OF AUTO 65K MILES, CHANGED TO NEW TIRES 70.5K ROAD NOISE CONTINUED FROM REAR, HAD THE CAR EXAMINE BY SUBARU TECHNICIAN 71K AND ESTIMATE BEARINGS AND HUB ASSEMBLY LIKELY PITTED OR SCORNED. *TR

I HAVE PROBLEM WITH MY 2008 SUBARU FORESTER. WHEN I QUICKLY TURN STEER WHEEL FOR CHANGING LANE, THE CAR SEEMS LOST CONTROL AND CAN ONLY GO ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT. THEN WHEN YOU HAVE TO TURN THE STEER WHEEL TO THE RIGHT TO RETURN STRAIGHT, THE CAR WOULD GO ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT. I HAVE TO KEEP THIS BALANCE UNTIL THE CAR TURN ITSELF OFF. IT HAPPENS TO ME TWICE. ONE TIME IS ON A BRIDGE, ONE TIME IS ON THE BUSIEST INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 95. I FEEL EXTREMLY LUCKY EITHER TIME. I AM STILL ALIVE AND DID NOT KILL ANYBODY. BUT IS THAT NORMAL FOR A SUBURA ALL WHEEL DRIVE? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU FORESTER. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE A KEY HOLE ON THE LIFTGATE OR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. IN THE EVENT OF AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE, THERE IS NO WAY TO OPEN THE TRUNK. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE VIN AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,000.

I PARKED FACING DOWNWARDS ON A STEEP HILL . AFTER ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS. RETURNED TO MY NEW 2008 SUBARU FORESTER LL BEAN WITH LESS THAN 610 MILES AND FELT SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKE--IT WAS FLAT ON THE FLOOR. THE CAR PICKED UP SPEED (TWO SUCCESSIVE 15% GRADE HILLS); I BRAKED, DOWN SHIFTED AND COULD NOT SLOW THE CAR DOWN. TO AVOID HITTING A CAR IN FRONT OF ME, I DROVE INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. AFTER A TERRIFYING RIDE FOR OVER HALF A MILE, ENDED UP HITTING TWO CURBS, STREET SIGN, FIRE HYDRANT & ENDED UP IN A SOGGY MEADOW. LOTS OF DAMAGE TO CAR BUT MY PASSENGER AND I GOT AWAY WITHOUT A SCRATCH. AFTER THE CRASH THE BRAKE WAS NO LONGER ON THE FLOOR. HOWEVER, THE CAR HASN'T BEEN DRIVEN FOR A ROAD TEST BECAUSE WE ARE STILL AWAITING PARTS TO COME FROM JAPAN. HAVE YOU HEARD OF ANY RECENT INCIDENTS INVOLVING TOTAL BRAKE FAILURES ON LATE MODEL SUBARUS? *TR